Returning to her room and changing into comfortable workout clothes, Jae In almost collapsed onto her bed.

She heard Do Hyuk entering the bathroom from outside.

While waiting for his shower to finish and tuning into the sound of the water, she remembered how she had buried her face in Do Hyuk’s embrace the previous night.

Suddenly, the vivid sensation of his muscular chest felt as if she had just touched and pulled away.

Unable to handle the immense embarrassment, Jae In’s face turned hot, and she pulled the blanket over her head.

‘Ugh, why is the manager’s bathroom broken!’

If not for that, the awkward event from yesterday wouldn’t have occurred.

And she wouldn’t endlessly be thinking about Cha Do Hyuk.

But then again.

Does it make sense for the hot water facility in a newly built mixed-use building, especially a penthouse, to be broken?

Jae In grumbled, placing all the blame on the construction company for their poor work.

But wait a minute.

Suddenly, she remembered something she had casually overlooked.

‘Manager… how did he prepare for work this dawn?’

Do Hyuk showers in the morning and evening.

But this dawn, she was the only one who used the bathroom next to her room to prepare for work.

‘Which means?’

Jae In mentally rewound to early morning and contemplated the situation.

Three possibilities:

[1] The manager skipped his shower.

→ But considering that, Cha Do Hyuk’s hair was neat, and his face was clean. Now that she thinks about it, he even seemed to have a pleasant scent.

[2] The manager showered with cold water.

→ In this cold winter? Even if Do Hyuk is a bit eccentric… if he could shower with cold water, he would have done so last night too!

[3] The manager’s bathroom was never broken in the first place.

→ This seems the most likely. If so, he lied about the lack of hot water… but why?

Why did Cha Do Hyuk do that?

It wouldn’t have been out of sheer boredom.

‘Why, though?’

Suddenly, another voice inside Jae In’s head expressed frustration as if shouting out loud.
‘He probably wanted to deliberately show off his damp figure in just a bathrobe!’

Jae In’s eyes narrowed to the size of fists.

Could it be?

Could it be?

The classic seduction technique often seen in movies or dramas?

“That’s ridiculous! Then, he really likes me!”

Jae In cupped her burning cheeks with both hands.

No, it’s too early to jump to conclusions.

There’s still the possibility that Do Hyuk didn’t shower or endured the cold water.

Jae In had a burning desire to uncover the truth.

Now was the only chance.

Do Hyuk had just started his shower.

Even if he finishes quickly, it will take at least 10 more minutes.

That was ample time.

‘If I quickly come and go without anyone noticing, wouldn’t it be fine?’

With determination, Jae In silently stepped out of her room.

She moved down the hallway and stood in front of Do Hyuk’s closed room door. The idea of secretly entering someone’s room without their knowledge made her hesitate, but

She pushed away her doubts, and Jae In stealthily entered Do Hyuk’s room.

As soon as she entered, her eyes widened.

It was much more spacious than she had imagined, reminiscent of a hotel suite.

In the center was a sitting area with a table and sofa arranged in a ‘ㄷ’ shape.

On the left was a minibar with various liquors neatly displayed.

Next to it stood two tall fridges, their interiors completely visible. They were filled with dozens of beers, sodas, and water bottles.

She remembered Do Hyuk drinking beer in his bathrobe yesterday.

He had no alcohol in the kitchen fridge, so where did he get it from?

‘Manager, you enjoyed all this luxury alone?’

Almost unconsciously, a pout formed on Jae In’s face. When she turned her head, a large bed and a bathroom on the right side of the sitting area came into view.

‘To share all this luxury, with whom?’

Overwhelmed by her imagination, her face flushed.

‘Enough, enough! Now’s not the time.’

Jae In, reminded of her original purpose, cautiously headed towards the bathroom.

Passing the powder room and opening the semi-transparent glass door, she saw the toilet, sink, and a spacious bathtub.

Heart racing,

Jae In, with a tense expression, turned on the sink tap.

Moments later,

Hot water streamed into her palms.

‘As expected!’

Jae In clenched her fist.

It was as she had anticipated!

From the start, the water in the manager’s bathroom was never broken.

Seeing her reflection in the mirror, Jae In was surprised by her beaming face.

Isn’t this the wrong time to be happy?

‘Let’s get out of here first. I’ll think about it later.’

Jae In turned off the water and hastily left the bathroom.

However, the moment she touched the room’s doorknob,

She suddenly became concerned about the water left on the sink.

Especially so.

If someone as sharp as Do Hyuk noticed, he would find it strange that the bathroom was wet when no one was there.

Reluctantly, she returned to the bathroom and wiped the sink clean with a towel.

In preparation for a full-blown crime, she also didn’t forget to replace the wet towel with a fresh one.

‘Done. It’s perfect!’

Just as Jae In, feeling proud, was about to open Do Hyuk’s room door and leave,

Thud. Thud.

Thud. Thud.

From outside, there was a rhythmic sound of footsteps.

Do Hyuk, having finished his shower, was returning.

Inside, Jae In screamed in her mind.

‘Big trouble! What do I do?’

Scanning her surroundings to find a place to hide,

The minibar caught her eye.

‘There! That place is perfect!’

As Jae In slid towards the minibar,

Rrrrrrr. Rrrrrrr.
The cellphone on Do Hyuk’s minibar began to ring.

Startled by the sudden sound, Jae In quickly turned and entered the bedroom.

‘Oh dear, where should I hide? The closet?’

Jae In hesitated as she reached for the handle of the wardrobe placed opposite the bedroom.

‘Idiot! After showering, he’d first take out clothes to wear, right?’

So, what should she do?

Where could she hide in this room…?

In the end, with no other options, Jae In reluctantly dashed back into the bathroom.