BRIGHTER THAN YOUR FUTURE CLEANING SERVICES.
That was the name painted on the van where Woori was currently in.
She was in the passenger side while Seon Doha was driving the van.
The two of them were both wearing orange scrubs with the company name on the back, and a pair of white tennis shoes.
They would change into clog shoes once they arrived at their client's apartment later.
"I'm sorry for calling you when you've just started your new work, Noona," Seon Doha said apologetically, his eyes glued to the road. "Eomma and I wanted to give you at least two weekends as a break, but we're very busy right now."
"It's alright. Park Seoham agreed to let me work on the weekends anyway," Woori said while checking the address of their client on the computer tablet in her hands. "And I'm glad that you called me. Our client's apartment today is pretty big. You would have a hard time cleaning a place this huge on your own."
Seon Doha nodded in agreement. "I just hope our client isn't that messy."
"Well, we just have to do our best, as usual."
Yep, this was Woori's part-time job— a cleaning lady.
'Brighter Than Your Future Cleaning Services' was a small business that Aunt Mira owned.
It was a small company that Aunt Mira built with her friends.
So, all the other cleaners were around her mother figure's age.
Doha and I are the youngest cleaners, but we only clean every weekend.
Woori had a day job while Seon Doha had university, after all.
"How are you, Noona?" Seon Doha asked worriedly. "Park Seoham didn't try anything inappropriate, did he?"
"No, of course not," Woori said while shaking her head. "He's just treating me like how he should— as his housekeeper-slash-manager."
Let's not tell the kid that my boss bought a car for me.
***
HANEUL VILLAGE.
It was an apartment complex known best for its bachelor pads.
Hence, Woori wasn't surprised when their client turned out to be a single man in his late twenties.
But what she didn't expect was…
"Cho Inho?"
Yes, their client for today was Cho Inho— Park Seoham's childhood friend turned bodyguard.
What a small world.
Woori was surprised, but Cho Inho looked more surprised than she was.
"Joo Woori, what are you doing…" Cho Inho trailed off when he finally took a good look at Woori's uniform. "Oh. You're the cleaning lady?"
"Yes, I'm your cleaning lady for today," Woori said with a smile while showing Cho Inho her ID. "This is my part-time job."
Cho Inho blinked as if he were trying to absorb that new piece of information. "Oh. Does Park Seoham know…?"
"That I have a part-time job? Yes, he knows. And he allowed me to work on the weekends."
Woori didn't feel the need to say that Park Seoham didn't know that she worked as a cleaning lady, so she didn't mention it.
I mean, it doesn't matter since Park Seoham allowed me to keep my part-time job anyway.
"Oh, I see," Cho Inho said, nodding. "Then… I'll leave it to you and your co-worker."
Woori smiled and nodded. "We'll clean your apartment thoroughly, sir."
***
CHO INHO left the apartment.
Well, Woori was used to clients leaving their places so they wouldn't get in their way.
It wasn't simply because of trust.
The penalty is also hefty if we try to steal or commit a crime while working, so the clients are confident that we won't do anything funny while they're gone.
Plus, all the places they had gone to had CCTV everywhere.
"Noona, do you want to go home?"
Hmm?
Woori, who was busy wearing her rubber gloves, turned to Seon Doha. "Why are you asking me to go home?"
"You know the client," Seon Doha said awkwardly. But even though the kid looked awkward at the moment, he was still clearly worried about her. "And it's not just anyone. He's Park Seoham's friend, isn't he?"
"Why does it matter? Are you afraid that I feel embarrassed?"
Seon Doha nodded meekly.
"Well, I'm not embarrassed. I don't care who finds out that I'm a cleaning lady now," Woori said, grabbing the tools that she needed for cleaning the bathroom. She was in charge of the bathroom, after all. "I'm content with my life, and that's all that matters to me."
***
WOORI and Seon Doha were supposed to have the entire apartment to themselves for four to five hours for deep-cleaning.
They were only halfway done when Cho Inho suddenly returned.
This is his place, but I didn't expect him to come back without so much as a heads-up.
Anyway, she was holding a huge garbage bag in each of her hands when Cho Inho entered the apartment…
… with a huge group of friends.
And the one leading the group was…
"Oh, my. So, it's true," Kwon Ana said, smiling. "You're really working as a cleaning lady, Joo Woori."
Yes, it was Kwon Ana.
And the people behind her?
I don't remember their names anymore, but I'm pretty sure they are our high school classmates.
No wonder everyone was giving Woori a cold look.
To these people, I'm nothing but the daughter of scammers.
Woori threw a questioning look at Cho Inho, but Cho Inho just avoided her gaze guiltily.
What a snitch.
Anyways, it was time to get back to work.
"Yes, I'm the cleaning lady," Woori said, giving Kwon Ana and their former classmates her business smile. "I need to throw these garbage bags, so please excuse me."
Kwon Ana had a satisfied look on her face when she smiled and nodded.
Then the group behind her parted like the Red Sea to make way for Woori.
And then she paused.
"Joo Woori?"
Oh.
Oh.
Woori wasn't embarrassed with her job as a cleaning lady.
She didn't even care that Kwon Ana thought she had humiliated her in front of their old classmates.
However, in front of that person…
"Kang Sion?"
It was her rival.
Kang Sion, one of Park Seoham's childhood friends— the one who used to compete with Woori in various prestigious art contests.
The one who caused her to completely give up on painting.
She still remembered what Kang Sion said to her before.
"Maybe you were never really good, Joo Woori. If your parents can scam innocent people, then surely, it's easy for them to bribe the judges. You don't deserve all the honor and rewards that you received from all those rigged painting contests."
Yeah, it was Kang Sion who said those hurtful words to Woori before.
But it didn't just end there.
"I also heard that your parents sponsored your solo art exhibits to use your paintings for money laundering. Do you see it now, Joo Woori? Between the two of us, I'm the only real artist. How dare you make me feel insecure all these years when you're nothing but a fraud?"
And Kang Sion proved himself right— that between him and Woori, he was the true artist.
Kang Sion is a world-renowned painter now.
While Woori was…
Ah, this sucks.
For the first time in Woori's adult life, she felt so humiliated that she wanted to cry.
***
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