Ch.9797. You Want to Live Together?

I thought it would be better to ask the person directly about this kind of thing.

──With that in mind, I immediately picked up my phone and sent a message.

Me [Hwa Nabi, can I contact you right now?]

I considered calling first, but it seemed impolite even between lovers, so I checked via text first.

-Buzz.

Surprisingly, the reply came quickly.

Hwa Nabi♡ [Yes, why? Do you miss me already?]

“……”

She’s always so cheerful. I momentarily forgot my worries and smiled at Hwa Nabi’s cute message, then sent a reply.

Me [Yeah, I miss you. So if you’re free, want to meet for a bit? I have something to ask you too.]

Hwa Nabi♡ [You have something to ask me? Hmm, what is it?]

“Hmm….”

I couldn’t readily answer this question. Given the nature of the matter, it didn’t seem appropriate to discuss over phone or message.

But it’s better to take the hit first. Giving her a heads-up might lessen the shock compared to bringing it up face-to-face.

Me [Oh, it’s nothing major. My brother suggested I try living on my own.]

Hwa Nabi♡ [What? Han Siwoo is going to live alone? Where?]

Me [Well, nothing’s decided yet. But if I do, I’ll probably look for a place near Gwanak-dong.]

After sending the message, the reply came almost instantly.

Hwa Nabi♡ [But Gwanak-dong is so far from here! Even by car, it gets really congested.]

Me [Yeah, that’s true.]

Hwa Nabi♡ [Ltes meet firsr]

Hwa Nabi♡ [Let’s meet first and talk]

Hwa Nabi♡ [Where should we meet? Can you come out for a bit?]

Hwa Nabi♡ [No, I’ll come to your house. Are you home now?]

“…What’s with her?”

She must have been quite anxious, as messages arrived in succession without time to correct typos. After skimming through them with a frown, I conveyed that there was no need and suggested meeting at a midpoint.

Hwa Nabi♡ [Okay, you come out quickly too. Got it?]

Hwa Nabi♡ [You need to come out fast, as fast as possible!]

Me [I said I got it…]

***

A coffee shop near his house.

Taking a taxi, which I rarely use, I got off near his house and ran with all my might to the destination.

“Phew…”

My heart was pounding and my breathing was rough, so I took a moment to catch my breath. He spotted me from a distance and walked right over.

“Hwa Nabi? You didn’t have to rush, why did you run?”

Seemingly surprised by my appearance, he opened his eyes wide and gently rubbed my back. While I appreciated his concern even in his surprise, there were more important matters at hand.

“Huff, just a moment. Siwoo, about the KakaoTalk you sent me earlier. Is that true?”

“KakaoTalk? Ah… about me possibly living alone?”

“Huff, yes. That, you living alone.”

After taking a few deep breaths, I felt better. Gradually returning to my senses, I looked him straight in the face and asked. He seemed a bit troubled, slightly averting his gaze and looking elsewhere as he spoke.

“Hwa Nabi, as you know… we’re about to enter university, right?”

“Yes, and? We’re entering university?”

“Yeah, and our university campuses are quite far apart, right? Driving to Gwanaksan Station takes a good two hours with traffic. And taking the subway during rush hour on Lines 1 and 2 is hell…”

“…So?”

It sounded like an excuse, and my voice grew colder without me realizing it. He seemed to notice my feelings and continued while watching my reaction.

“So my brother asked me, since it would take over two hours to commute from home to campus. Wouldn’t it be better to live near campus instead? …That’s what he said.”

Hearing the details, it wasn’t wrong. No, it wasn’t wrong but rather a reasonable suggestion.

As he said, the time it takes from our neighborhood to campus is at least an hour and a half. Round trip, that’s almost three hours.

Three hours might sound small, but out of twenty-four hours in a day, it’s not insignificant. If financially possible, living near campus would be the right choice.

But… if he really ends up living alone near the university.

“Then, wouldn’t it be harder for us to meet?”

He couldn’t answer this pointed question right away. As if hesitating to speak, his pink lips moved slightly.

“Umm… yes. We probably couldn’t meet every day like now.”

“…But I want to see you every day.”

“……”

At my sudden murmur, he twitched the corner of his mouth, then clutched his chest and looked at me.

…Why is he acting like that?

“Ah, really cute…”

He mumbled something too quietly for me to hear, then cleared his throat unnecessarily.

“We’re in the same school. We can still meet on campus, right?”

“How big do you think the campus is? There are so many people, and while we’re in the same school, we’re not in the same department. Our schedules will be very different.”

“Ah, but we can still coordinate our schedules.”

“…Can we really match schedules with different departments? And even if we could plan it, there’s no guarantee our course registrations will go as planned.”

“You talk like someone who’s been to university…”

“Well, am I wrong?”

“Hmm, no. You’re right, Hwa Nabi.”

He seemed at a loss for words and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. And I, watching him, worried internally.

Ah… what should I do? I blurted it out because I was anxious, but this wasn’t a good long-term solution.

Despite his fierce appearance, he has a very good personality… if I ask him not to live alone, he would do that for me.

But that would be selfish, taking away his personal time. Think of all the time he could save by living near campus. I couldn’t inconvenience him just for my sake.

As I was seriously contemplating this, he, who had been quietly watching me, spoke up.

“Hmm… then, should I just not live alone?”

“…What?”

…What did he just say? Doubting my own ears, I suddenly lifted my head that had been bowed.

“Ah, well… since you seem to dislike it. I’ll just stay at home then.”

“Oh, no. Wait. If you’re doing this because of me, you don’t have to? Who am I to make such demands? It’s shameless…”

“No, it’s not just because of you… how should I put this? I can’t explain it well, but I don’t want to not see you either, I want to meet you every day too… that’s why.”

The last part was barely audible, but I understood the context.

He’s saying this now out of consideration for me.

“…You understand what I mean, right?”

Speaking in an awkward voice that anyone would notice, he rubbed the back of his neck and avoided my gaze.

It seems he realized I had caught onto his true feelings and was embarrassed…

Realizing this, something welled up in my chest.

And before I knew it, in the blink of an eye.

“……”

I hugged him tightly.

“Um… Hwa Nabi? We’re outside.”

He murmured, but I pretended not to hear and burrowed deeper into his embrace.

He seemed a bit troubled by my action but didn’t push me away. Instead, after a moment’s hesitation, he gave a wry smile and gently patted my back.

With my face buried in his chest, enjoying his subtle scent, I pondered for a moment.

What method could save his time while also satisfying my wish?

But such a good solution wouldn’t suddenly come to mind…

“……”

…or so I thought.

“…Huh?”

An idea flashed through my mind. I lifted my head abruptly to look at him.

“Siwoo, I just had a thought?”

“A thought? …What thought?”

“About you living alone. After thinking about it, I think it’s okay for you to do it.”

“Huh? So suddenly?”

“But on one condition.”

I quickly added, then swallowed hard.

And to him, who was looking at me with a puzzled expression, I said:

“Live with me.”

“…Huh? Live together? You and me?”

He seemed completely surprised, his eyes wide open. Before he could gather his thoughts, I began my prepared persuasion.

“Yes, and I have reasons. Listen. First reason, you want to live alone because the campus is far, right? But that’s the same for me. We’re in the same school, right?”

“Uh, yes. But…”

“And second, the chores that come with living alone – cleaning, laundry, cooking… these things take up more time than you’d think. Of course, you might not know since you’ve never lived alone.”

The moment I mentioned household chores, his previously lukewarm expression suddenly brightened.

“Ah, no. You’re right, those things do take a lot of time.”

“…Really? Anyway, if we live together, we can split those chores. The work would be halved, right? That would save us both a lot of time, right?”

“I… guess?”

“Yes, exactly. So for these two reasons, I want to live together with you.”

“Living together… the way you say it makes it sound like we’re going on a trip.”

After muttering this unexpected comment, he took a step back, and I took two steps forward. I wanted to hear his answer right away.

“Don’t say weird things. Is it yes or no? Tell me quickly.”

“Uh, hmm, well. Your points do make sense…”

“…We’re going to live together, right?”

My voice unintentionally grew cold as he seemed to be avoiding a direct answer.

He gulped, looked at me for a moment… and slightly nodded.

“Y-yeah. Okay. I’ll talk to them about it.”

“…Hehe.”