episode_0010

He arrived home not as a peddler, but with a bundle of luggage in both hands.

It was too much of a nuisance to take the bus or subway, so I called an SUV taxi and brought it in the trunk.

Yeonseo was again watching the TV advertisement on the back seat of the SUV taxi with great concentration.

I’m worried that my eyesight will get worse if I keep doing this.

I should tell them to refrain from looking too close to the screen.

After entering the house, we roughly placed our shopping bags inside the bedroom entrance and both Yeonseo and I laid down on the living room mat and collapsed.

I just went shopping and came back feeling relaxed, but my body felt heavy.

“Yeonseo, you need to organize your clothes… .”

“Jinhyun, start from there… .”

I opened my eyes and lay down on the bed, and told Yeonseo to organize my things first.

But I didn’t buy anything today.

In other words, the Chopin bag I brought was filled with only Yeonseo clothes, shoes, and daily necessities.

“I don’t have anything. It’s all yours.”

“Haa… Can’t you do it in 5 minutes?”

The phrase, “just wait five minutes,” was surprisingly a symbol of lies that was also used in this world.

Wouldn’t it be more honest to just say 5 minutes as tomorrow?

“If you do it now, tomorrow will be easier.”

“Ah, I don’t like it~. I can’t do it, I can’t do it.”

Yeonseo closed her eyes and started to doze.

“If you don’t want me to help, I won’t do it.”

Honestly, I would like to help out if possible.

But my body was so tired.

If there is a cotton that has soaked water, it is me.

So shopping was this hard.

I think I understand why men have such a hard time going shopping with their girlfriends or wives.

Even though I quite enjoyed watching Yeonseo come out after changing clothes, it was like that.

The reason why they are so tired, despite being called warriors and saints, is not simply because they marched, but because they lost their stamina while fighting against so many people in the crowd.

Both were rat poison in crowded places.

Jenks, who like to be the center of attention, and Aryan, who has showmanship, liked to appear at official events.

But because we fought every day, seemingly at odds with each other, I never thought we would become lovers and eventually get married.

When the Demon King’s presence was right before their eyes, the two of them were stuck together.

Day and night.

It was especially worse at night.

Yeonseo and I, who are light sleepers, had to intentionally make the campfire bigger so that the sound of burning firewood filled the surroundings before we could barely fall asleep.

Or stand guard all night.

Come to think of it, we unintentionally stuck together a lot.

“Get a girlfriend. Someone who can see your honest side that no one else knows. That way, I think I can see you as a human being.”

When I came back from doing all the work by myself, Jenk would get annoyed and say things like this.

Because she’s my girlfriend… .

Now I think I know a little bit what he meant.

Before coming home, I remembered what Yeonseo had asked me to do at the department store.

Please pretend to be my boyfriend at least outside.

From the moment I heard those words, I felt strange.

On the one hand, I was relieved that Yeonseo wasn’t interested in men, but on the other hand, I was bitter that I was being used as a fake boyfriend.

Why is it bitter?

Yeonseo has her own life.

Of course.

Just because we live together doesn’t mean I have the right to interfere with Yeonseo’s love life.

Even though we are comrades who defeated the Demon King together…

Wait, is that okay if it’s enough to defeat the Demon King?

Anyway, I can’t say anything about who Yeonseo likes or who she dates.

Even in this world, if I read her mind and prepare things in advance, Yeonseo would get annoyed and hate it.

It took a long time to get used to the appropriate distance.

weird.

I didn’t care this much when I was traveling in another world.

Caring for her was just a daily chore for me.

It was hard for me to admit that I had only been here for a few days and had changed so much.

These past few days have been different.

The last three days have been more radiant and enjoyable than the two months of dull repetition since returning from another world.

There has never been a time when I was as close to Yeonseo as I have been to her these past three days.

“… … .”

Shouldn’t we be eating dinner soon?

We had been walking for quite some time after lunch, so we were hungry by then.

I’m so mentally exhausted that I can’t cook.

After working hard to cook and eat, I feel lazy about washing the dishes.

“Yeonseo, do you want to order delivery?”

“… … .”

When there was no answer, I glanced to the side and saw that Yeonseo’s eyes were already deeply closed.

“Yeonseo?”

I called again, but there was no response.

For some reason, I keep seeing that sleeping face.

Because my skin was white, the shadows of my eyelashes were clearly visible.

After reading the letter, I think I understand why long eyelashes are considered a characteristic of beauty.

How did such a pretty girl end up sleeping in my shabby house?

If I were in another world, I would have been able to live as a saint without any shortcomings.

A question I’ve heard several times already.

And the ridiculous and vain hope that maybe it was because of me.

My attitude towards her in this world was so lacking that I couldn’t even hope for such a shameless hope.

Let’s admit it, I’m a person who hates people, but I’m also quite lonely.

As my thoughts reached this point, I unconsciously found myself asking the sleeping Yeonseo.

“Really… Can you call someone like me your boyfriend?”

Even if it’s fake.

What the hell are you talking about?

This isn’t like me.

Asking for a favor from someone.

I’ve never received anything like that.

He said that he tried hard in college before going to another world, but everyone just felt burdened.

The right amount of intuition, the right amount of smile, the right amount of distance.

And when you turn around, there is a presence that no one will look for.

That’s me.

Okay, starting tomorrow I’ll act more like myself.

If we continue here for no reason, Yeonseo might feel burdened.

Okay, now that I’ve decided on a path forward, I feel a lot more at ease.

Perhaps because I was more relaxed than I was while shopping at a department store, I closed my eyes and fell asleep without realizing it.

When Jinhyeong’s breathing slowed down, Yeonseo opened her eyes slightly.

“… Idiot.”

After saying something to someone unknown, Yeonseo quickly closed her eyes.

—

“Wow.”

It was incredibly refreshing.

It’s 6 o’clock in the morning now?

I woke up like I usually do on a day off, but I closed my eyes all night last night and slept all the way through, so I felt refreshed enough to wake up on my own.

“Ah~u, I slept with my clothes on.”

After stretching lightly, I confirmed that I had fallen asleep in the clothes I was wearing yesterday.

The same goes for Yeonseo.

I felt uneasy because I came back from a crowded place and went to sleep without taking off my clothes or washing up.

While I was at it, I decided to go for a morning jog.

I went to the bedroom, changed into gym clothes, and came out.

I just roughly splashed some water on my face and stretched my body a little.

I don’t shower.

Since you’ll be covered in sweat after running anyway, you can just go, come back, shower, and prepare breakfast.

Due to the nature of the izakaya’s holidays, Sundays and Mondays are its days off, but I usually prepare a fancy breakfast on the last day of the week.

If you eat well during this time, you will be able to survive the coming week.

It’s a little funny.

I live a dry life, but I try to take care of what I need to take care of. It doesn’t make sense.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to go for a light run.”

“Ah, morning exercise. Sounds good. I want to do it too.”

“Okay, go change in the bedroom.”

“Woong.”

Yeonseo entered the room, rubbing her eyes.

I was quite happy when he said he wanted to do it together.

It doesn’t make sense rationally.

I bought so many things yesterday, so I need to try them on.

I bought all of that with my own money.

While Yeonseo was changing clothes in the bedroom, I took out the new sneakers I bought at the department store and tied their shoelaces.

They were black Nike shoes.

I thought white or beige would suit her better, but Yeonseo said it would look too dirty so she passed on it.

“How is it?”

Yeonseo, wearing the same black pants and fluorescent pink top, came out of the room.

I had to quickly look up because the volume of my chest was emphasized by the tight workout clothes I was wearing.

“I’m asking just in case.”

“What is it?”

“A beggar wearing workout underwear?”

“… Of course, you idiot. Otherwise, it would hurt so much when you run. It would hurt so much it would tear. Askria had underwear like this too.”

I got criticized for nothing.

Well, but this is correct.

I’m the one who ruins the mood or makes others frown by worrying too much and getting ahead of myself.

“I’ll adjust the knot length for you.”

I feel good already, as if I’m back to my usual self.

So when Yeonseo put her feet into her new sneakers, I decided to adjust the laces myself.

“You don’t have to go this far… ?”

“The foot is a very important part because you need to get the length right the first time so that it doesn’t get too tight and can withstand moderate stretching.”

Yeonseo smiled as I adjusted the length, asking seriously if it was too tight.

“This reminds me of the old days.”

“Old times?”

“You forgot, didn’t you?”

I pretended not to know, but my voice immediately became sharp.

But I just smiled and brushed it off.

“I’ve emphasized the importance of feet more than once or twice, so it’s hard to remember when I’m talking about.”

“That’s true.”

Yeonseo also admitted it obediently.

“But I was talking about this situation where you even tied my shoelaces. It was the first time, someone bought me shoes and tied them so seriously.”

“You’re a saint? Haven’t you ever tied up someone?”

“There’s only you.”

“I see.”

As I was answering in a single voice, Yeonseo suddenly glared at me.

“Shall we go out?”

“… … .”

“Why? Are your feet too tight?”

Phew!

“Ouch!”

“I don’t know, you idiot!”

I don’t know why, but Yeonseo was upset and threw a body hook at me again before leaving first.

It came in cleanly, it’s hard to breathe… .