Living Together – 1

Was it because of the long battle and the squabble at home?

Kim Sung-ah felt like she had a good night’s sleep for the first time in a while.

A refreshed body,

Chirping birds,

The quiet surroundings of the house,

She knew what this meant.

Kim Sung-ah picked up her phone, which was lying face down, and tapped the screen with her slender fingers.

Tap, tap. Her fingerprint smudged the black screen, and the screen lit up.

10 a.m.

After checking the time, she lay back down on the bed.

She blinked slowly.

The beige ceiling came into her view, then disappeared.

After doing that a few times, she stretched while lying down and said,

“I’m late.”

She wanted to sleep more, but her body, already awake, didn’t seem to want to fall back asleep.

Kim Sung-ah picked up her phone and watched YouTube.

Since she was late, she gave up on going to school.

Even if she had woken up on time, she wouldn’t have gone to school to monitor the other person in the house anyway.

The videos selected by the algorithm caught her interest.

She watched a few videos while lying down.

After killing time in bed for about an hour, she sniffed.

“Hmm?”

The pungent smell made her mouth water.

It stimulated her sense of smell, which in turn brought out her hunger.

She jumped up and headed to the first floor.

When she arrived at the kitchen, the outsider she had brought in yesterday was putting a mouthful of ramen with red broth into his mouth.

-Slurrrp

Watching the ramen being sucked into his mouth, Kim Sung-ah muttered.

“Looks delicious.”

Kang In-ho, who had his face buried in the bowl, pulling up noodles, paused for a moment.

He picked up the noodles that hadn’t yet made it into his mouth with his chopsticks, pulled them up, and got up, chewing.

The way he took out a bowl and chopsticks from the cupboard and placed them in front of her made it seem as if this house was his own.

“I was going to eat first because you weren’t getting up,”

Kang In-ho said, avoiding her gaze as he placed the pot in the center.

He seemed to feel somewhat guilty for making ramen without permission.

“Ah… well, I don’t mind.”

Kim Sung-ah said, bringing the ramen to her bowl.

She glanced at him.

Seeing that there was nothing wrong with the barrier she had set up or the magic she had attached to him,

She knew that he hadn’t done anything strange while she was sleeping.

But to bring a former enemy into her house… It was her choice, but she still couldn’t believe it.

Just until dawn today, they were throwing flames and magic at each other, but now they were sharing ramen like this.

As she thought that, she chuckled as she put the ramen in her mouth.

Ramen eaten after waking up was really delicious.

Both he and she didn’t say much during the meal.

Only the sound of noodles being slurped filled the quiet table.

“I ate well.”

Kim Sung-ah finally put down her spoon and chopsticks after even mixing rice into the leftover broth.

“Is everything in this house instant food?”

Kang In-ho asked, taking the empty bowls and pot to the sink.

“I rarely eat at home.”

“Speaking informally?”

Kang In-ho said, putting on rubber gloves.

“Huh?”

Kim Sung-ah asked back to him, who didn’t even turn around,

“I told you to use polite language.”

Kang In-ho replied, rubbing the sponge with detergent to make foam.

“…Yes. I’ll call you Mister.”

Kim Sung-ah didn’t want to argue with him, so she accepted his request.

Even so, she showed some resentment, but the other person didn’t seem to be the type to care about such things.

“Anyway, you don’t eat at home?”

“No… I mean, yes. I don’t usually eat breakfast, and I eat lunch at school.”

“What about dinner?”

“I just have something simple like bread from the convenience store…”

She answered his questions diligently, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being interrogated.

Perhaps dissatisfied with her answer, Inho clicked his tongue as he did the dishes.

“You need to eat well. You’re a student.”

“You really sound like an old man.”

She pouted.

“Because I am an old man.”

He shrugged, wiping the water off the dishes with a dry towel.

He turned around, taking off the red rubber gloves.

Kim Sung-ah felt a sense of incongruity as she saw his eyes, which were always full of Killing intent, looking at her softly.

“College student? High school student?”

“High school student.”

“But, aren’t you going to school? Is today a day off?”

Kang In-ho said, looking at the clock on the living room wall.

“I woke up late, so I’m just not going to go. I was pushing myself until dawn today, so I’m tired…”

She stretched again.

It’s not like I always went diligently anyway, she consoled herself.

“Won’t your parents say anything?”

At Inho’s question, Kim Sung-ah stopped with her arms stretched out.

He immediately realized that what he had just said wasn’t a very good question.

“No, forget what I just asked…”

“They both passed away. Five years ago.”

She lowered her outstretched arms and answered quietly, and the man scratched his head.

“Okay, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not like you asked knowing that.”

An uncomfortable, awkward, and hesitant silence began.

“Ah… you have a really nice house.”

Having nothing to say, Kang In-ho made a seemingly cheerful noise and walked around the living room.

Kim Sung-ah just quietly observed him.

Watching the man as if she were watching YouTube, she unknowingly chuckled.

Eating with someone at home,

Talking to someone at home,

Seeing someone walking around at home,

It had been a really long time.

While she was lost in such thoughts, he, having finished looking around the living room, made a suggestion to her.

“……..”

Kang In-ho’s eyes, wandering around the living room due to awkwardness, caught sight of things that bothered him.

Things he hadn’t seen in the early morning when he was flustered or in the morning when he was suffering from hunger.

First, he saw the fine dust that had settled all over the house and the loosened hinges.

Next, the mold that had taken root on the wallpaper made the house gloomy.

He also remembered the cupboard full of only instant food and the empty refrigerator that he had seen while cooking.

Tsk, he clicked his tongue.

Ah, I guess I can’t help it. How can I be so nosy?

He turned around and looked at Kim Sung-ah.

He met the woman’s eyes, who was still sitting on the kitchen chair, quietly looking at him.

Looking at those calmly settled eyes, the man thought.

It seems like there’s a lot I can do for this girl.

“There’s not much in the house, let’s go shopping.”