episode_0008

“Living with a guy who doesn’t fight every time we meet?”

Looking at the flushed face of the well-ripened lad, he continues teasingly.

“Drunk already! Sigh… You know, you brag about holding your liquor, but how do you end up wasted after just two cans of beer? Haha…”

If the purpose was to cheer up the gloomy feelings of losing his room due to various misunderstandings endured over a week, then it was a success.

After chugging down a can of beer, feeling a pleasant buzz, he speaks.

“Ah, still, even if it’s empty words, thanks. It did lift my spirits a bit.”

“They weren’t empty.”

“Oh, stop trying to be funny, will you? Ugh… Because of you, I almost bit my tongue, you rascal.”

Suppressing the erupting laughter, he thinks.

He probably didn’t propose living together soberly, right? It must be because he’s drunk, right?

What should he do? Just leave it be until he passes out?

“Mm.”

For now, he decided to just leave it be.

It’s not like a little drunken mischief can’t be resolved, and it was still just at a humorous level.

After pondering this, he reaches for some dried squid to snack on, but…

“By the way, when did we finish the snacks?”

The dried squid was gone, leaving behind only the cute packaging.

…I’m still a bit hungry, should I order some delivery?

As he stares at the empty packaging seriously, Jaehyuk subtly suggests opening the delivery app.

“Just order some snacks for delivery. How about chicken?”

“Chicken is the safest bet. Order something moderate, I’ll cover the cost with the accommodation fee.”

“Okay.”

After ordering the chicken.

Perhaps due to the lack of snacks to ease the awkwardness, the room with just the two of them quickly fell silent.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them.

At this moment, Hyeeun’s absence felt too significant.

Despite his relentless dirty jokes, at least he kept the atmosphere lively.

What should he say?

As he gazes at the empty beer can, twirling his messy hair absentmindedly, thankfully Jaehyuk breaks the silence first.

“So, what are we going to do?”

“About what?”

“The room. Are we going to live together? Or not?”

“…”

Surely he’s not serious, right?

Since he wouldn’t repeat words he didn’t mean, he contemplates with a slightly serious attitude.

If he says it’s not an appealing offer, that would be a lie.

Staying here has more advantages than going back home.

But living together is more inconvenient than he thought.

Unlike being alone, many things are restricted, and there’s a lot to consider and care for the roommate.

A day or two might be fine, but three months is too long.

Above all, he wasn’t confident in living peacefully without arguments.

Even meeting once every two months led to disagreements; how could he live seeing his face every day?

The outcome is obvious.

He’d probably end up losing one of his precious few friends.

With a look of regret, he shakes his head.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t have the confidence to live with you. You know we don’t really get along, right?”

“…Living together isn’t that hard. We rarely cross paths to begin with.”

“Why are you so proactive today? Did you eat something wrong?”

To think he’d even mention ‘compromise.’ How pitiful must he look to say such a thing?

Letting out a hollow laugh, he clarifies with a stern face as if to prevent any misunderstandings.

“Think about it. If nothing special happens, you never even step outside your room.”

“…Is that so? Maybe I do have a tendency to be a homebody?”

“And even if we come out of our rooms, it’ll be at night because we’re nocturnal, right? I work at night, so there won’t be much chance for us to run into each other, isn’t that so?”

“Hmm… That does make sense.”

“So, there’s really no reason for us to fight, right? Just, if we respect each other’s privacy for three months, that should be enough, right?”

His logically sound words made me unconsciously nod my head.

Listening to him, that does make sense.

Since we both go back to our respective homes on weekends anyway, we won’t run into each other, and if that’s the case, isn’t it really okay?

Certainly a great deal.

However, there was one thing bothering me.

“But why are you being so nice to me?”

It was suspicious how well he was treating me.

He usually picks fights all the time, so his sudden kindness made me quite wary.

Could there be some sinister motive behind this? Otherwise, there’s no way this guy would treat me so well.

With a skeptical look in my eyes, Jaehyuk shrugged his shoulders and answered my question.

“If I do you a favor now, you’ll help me without complaints when I ask for it, right?”

“…Just for that reason?”

“Just for that? How do you know what I might need help with?”

His gaze quickly turned sinister.

I warned him with a frown.

“I won’t help with anything weird or illegal.”

“Do I look like someone who would do that?”

“My mother used to say, ‘People don’t know about others’ affairs.’”

“Don’t worry. Even if you look at me like that, I’m a law-abiding citizen.”

“You’re full of it.”

After a brief but intense conversation, he placed an empty beer can on the table and finally suggested.

“If you’re not going to do it, just say so. Are you disappointed, or am I?”

“…How much do you want?”

“Half of my monthly rent. It won’t cost you more than your previous place, right?”

Considering the amount, it was indeed cheaper compared to my previous apartment. Since refusing at this point would be odd, I transferred the money to his account as a sign of agreeing to live together.

“…Take care of me for the semester, buddy.”

“Don’t mess up. The security deposit will be deducted.”

Ding dong♪

As we clinked beer cans to toast, a doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of chicken.

It came faster than expected. But what kind of chicken did this guy order?

I received the chicken from the delivery person and opened the package right away.

“…”

“…”

Overwhelmed by the pungent garlic smell, I ended up smacking his cheek with a golden chicken leg.

Living together already feels challenging.

It’s definitely not just a mood thing.

—–

Arriving at work after avoiding a frenzied vampire.

The boss, who was making cocktails, noticed my swollen cheek and expressed concern.

“Jaehyuk, what happened to your cheek? Did you get into a fight?”

“…I have reasons I can’t talk about, boss.”

“Uh-huh, I see. Eat that garlic chicken in the employee lounge and let me know if you need a cocktail. I’ll make a special one for you today.”

“It’s okay. I’ll just have the beer I brought.”

After getting permission to stay at the bar for a while, I headed straight to the employee lounge.

A vacant room where I could take a break from work.

I opened the window for ventilation, sat down, and started munching on the garlic chicken.

“…How hard did you hit him?”

Still touching my numb cheek, I let out a long sigh.

Unjust as it may be, this is definitely my fault.

Ordering garlic chicken while eating with a vampire, am I out of my mind?

Let me clarify, I never intended to provoke that guy.

He always insisted on garlic chicken, so I ordered it without much thought.

I’ve heard it’s a weakness of his, but I didn’t expect to despise it that much.

Feeling guilty, the chicken suddenly tasted bad to me, so I placed the half-eaten drumstick on the plate.

“…But how did I end up proposing to live together?”

Leaving the studio apartment and arriving at the bar, a hazy feeling dissipates, prompting a reconsideration.

Perhaps as Jiwoo suggested, something indeed felt off.

Could it be that I’m possessed by a ghost?

A judgment I would never have made under normal circumstances.

Yet, as I picture his figure in my mind, it makes sense.

It was pitiful.

His pathetic appearance, pretending to be fine but on the verge of crumbling any moment, was too heartbreaking.

Everything built up overnight had collapsed, and they were a tribe that could easily fall apart at any moment.

Isn’t this too cruel?

I’m not one to care about others usually, but this time, I found myself wanting to help somehow.

The excuse of creating debt was just that—an excuse.

He’s someone busy surviving; how much can I really help by lending a hand?

“…When I go back, I should start with an apology.”

After hastily picking a few choice pieces to eat, I left the chicken in the break room.

Once I inform the boss, whether he or another employee will take care of it doesn’t matter.

Leaving the chicken behind, as I step outside, the boss immediately asks me, puzzled by my quick exit.

“Leaving already?”

“Being outside makes me feel even more down. Oh, there’s plenty of chicken left on the table… Should I clean it up?”

“No, it’s fine. I was feeling a bit hungry anyway, so this works out well. Well then, see you tomorrow?”

“Yes, boss.”

Nodding politely, I walk towards my studio apartment, pondering.

How can I lighten the mood? Apologizing first isn’t my forte…

Lost in thought, I reach the entrance of my place.

As I try to figure out what to say for an apology and open the front door –

“Wha, wha-what, the sky, the sky is spinning…”

A bat lying limp on the floor next to a cracked window catches my eye.

“What kind of situation is this now…?”

Living together is already starting to feel tumultuous.

It’s definitely not just a mood thing.