episode_0007

“So, what happened?”

I looked at Ji-won, who was kneeling inside the house, and asked what was going on.

Ji-won, still on their knees, spoke up.

“Shelter me.”

“Why?”

“I got kicked out.”

I didn’t know how to react immediately.

Kicked out? Upon hearing this, I wasn’t sure how to respond right away.

Let’s organize the situation first.

“So, you got kicked out and had to sleep outside, so you came to our house because you had no other option?”

“The golden answer!”

“Golden answer my foot.”

After getting the right answer, my head started to ache.

I couldn’t just kick them out right now, and I also had to consider Seong-a noona.

“I can let you stay for tonight, but you have to leave tomorrow.”

To my words, Ji-won nodded.

Being a girl sleeping rough alone is risky in itself.

Let’s just let them stay for one night. If they’re mature enough to ask for help tomorrow, they’ll find their way.

With that in mind, I laid out a blanket in the room next to the bedroom where the computer was.

“Just sleep here for tonight, have breakfast in the morning, then leave.”

“Just breakfast. Not until lunch?”

“Just until after lunch.”

In the end, I prepared lunch for them as well and decided to send them out.

It felt like I was being too lenient.

Instead of letting them do something strange outside, it seemed better to let them stay at home for just one day.

Thinking that way, I locked the door as I entered the bedroom.

Just in case something happens. I locked the door, unsure of how Ji-won would turn out tomorrow.

Just in case, what if they don’t have money and resort to desperate measures? I locked the door and drifted off to sleep, knowing that Ji-won wouldn’t do such a thing.

But it’s good to take precautions just in case.

Locking the door, I lay down on the bed and fell asleep.

On the weekend, I planned to go on a date with Seong-a noona, thinking about sending Ji-won out while we were out on our date.

The next day, I took Ji-won outside.

Once outside, Ji-won said they would figure things out and started searching through rental listings.

Since they claimed they could handle it themselves, I decided to meet Seong-a noona at the cafe we agreed upon for our date and part ways with Ji-won…

“Hey, wait a moment.”

Before entering the cafe, I saw Seong-a noona.

She had agreed to go on a date with me today.

Yet, she was chatting with another man.

More than just chatting.

She was conversing with him with a wider smile than when she meets me.

It might be a bit difficult for me to intervene between them right now…

I stepped back, thinking I would enter later.

Confused, Ji-won asked what was happening, unable to speak.

I didn’t know what to say.

Ji-won looked at me, then scanned the cafe.

Perhaps seeing Seong-a noona once, they could immediately grasp the situation.

Ji-won said, “Ah…” and patted my back.

“You got NTR’d.”

“No, you jerk.”

Suddenly, I felt like an NTR victim.

I don’t know when it happened, but suddenly I felt like an NTR character.

There’s nothing I can say right now.

I just thought we should sit at another nearby cafe for a while.

Ji-won followed me.

In the end, I bought Ji-won a hot chocolate and myself an Americano, starting to look at my phone.

Seong-a noona texted asking when I would arrive.

But for some reason, I didn’t feel like going.

Although I always promised to be the perfect boyfriend, wanting to make Seong-a noona happy, now I doubted if I could be that perfect guy.

“You really seem to be gaslighted.”

Listening to my situation, Ji-won looked at me and said this.

It feels like I’m being gaslighted.

I couldn’t deny it.

No matter how many times I think about it, even now, if I think about my situation, I am perfectly being gaslighted.

Even though I’ve known that for a while, I’m still falling for it.

I’ve been doing this because I want to be the perfect boyfriend.

I’m not sure if my actions are right.

I just sigh.

I keep getting calls from Seong-a noona.

Even if I think I should go, I didn’t want to.

After staring at my smartphone for a while, when I was about to answer Seong-a noona’s call,

“How about spending today with me?”

Ji-won took my phone and said.

“Don’t just answer the call. Let’s hang out somewhere else today.”

I don’t know how to respond to that.

I should definitely say no.

But all I wanted today was to do just that.

Unconsciously, I nodded and said okay.

It’s been a while… It wouldn’t hurt to have fun with someone.

With that in mind, Ji-won left the cafe and headed straight to the karaoke room.

“Karaoke is the best when you’re feeling shitty.”

Saying that, she entered the coin karaoke and asked for bills to be inserted.

Yeah. She just needed her wallet, I thought quietly and put in about 3,000 won into the bill slot.

After putting in the money, Ji-won asked if she should sing first and handed me the remote, but…

“It’s okay, you go first.”

I wasn’t in the mood to sing first right now.

Thinking that way, I decided to wait until Ji-won picked a song to sing.

It’s been a while since the two of us came to the karaoke together.

Being with someone… No, coming to the karaoke with a girl is a first for today, isn’t it?

Although I’ve been to the karaoke with Ji-won a lot.

It used to be limited to when Ji-won was a guy, but now that Ji-won has become a girl.

I wonder if she’ll sing well as a girl.

“At the street stall~!! At that moment~! Standing where you were~!!”

Hmm… I guess she sings well.

It’s ambiguous, but not bad.

While thinking about what song to choose next,

I realized I’ve never been to the karaoke with Seong-a noona.

Seong-a noona can’t sing, and she told me not to go to the karaoke, so it seems like I haven’t been there since then.

I’m not sure.

Right now, I just…

“Put on the mic cover over there.”

“Put it on like you’re putting on a condom.”

“This crazy guy…”

“I’m a woman now.”

“This crazy woman.”

At least, being in the karaoke with Ji-won was fun.

Being able to laugh together is such a joy.

**

In the karaoke, did we relieve some stress?

I feel somewhat relieved now.

“Let’s eat now! Food!”

“Buy me some.”

Ji-won energetically suggested eating, and asked me to buy.

Well, I didn’t think you’d have money anyway.

If you had money, you could have paid the rent.

As the one buying the meal, I asked what she wanted to eat.

Ji-won smiled and said she wanted cold noodles.

Cold noodles aren’t too bad, but isn’t it a bit cold now? I thought.

The weather has cleared up a bit, and since we were talking about cold noodles, I felt like having some too.

“Let’s go eat cold noodles.”

“Yeah!”

Seeing Ji-won happy made me want cold noodles too.

So, I took Ji-won and headed towards a familiar cold noodle restaurant.

“Hey!!! Kang Ji-hoo!!”

A woman’s voice came from behind.

I immediately knew who it was.

“Noona?”

Seong-a noona approached me from behind, looking angry.

“You’re crazy! Why didn’t you answer my calls!”

“I just… didn’t want to answer.”

Could I have answered the call in that situation?

“Yeah, I didn’t answer the call. But why didn’t you come to the cafe when I asked you to?”

“I couldn’t go.”

Smiling broadly and engaging in conversation, how could I interrupt?

I thought I was being as considerate as possible to Seong-ah noona.

“Are you making excuses right now? What on earth are you saying!”

Seong-ah noona, getting angry, soon began lightly tapping me with her bag.

It didn’t hurt, but it did put a damper on my mood.

“Hey… who’s behind you right now!”

Behind me, Ji-won seemed scared, clutching my arm and hiding.

Ah… can’t talk to girls.

“I told you not to meet that girl! But you met her again!”

“I told you. She’s just a friend.”

“Where do friends fit in between a man and a woman! If I say don’t meet her, then don’t meet her!!”

I endured Seong-ah noona’s anger as much as I could.

I was on the verge of exploding at any moment, but my stubborn belief system kicked in.

I tried to hold back my anger as much as possible because of the thought of becoming the best boyfriend.

And Ji-won was trembling, holding onto my hand from behind.

“First, I’m sorry. But the girl isn’t feeling well, so let’s talk about this tomorrow.”

Saying that, I took Ji-won and left.

“What nonsense! I haven’t finished talking yet!!”

“Hey!!! Kang Ji-hoo!!!”

Seong-ah noona kept calling me, but I couldn’t go.

Right now, calming Ji-won down was the priority.