Under the Same Roof
A fairly spacious house with two rooms. That was where Yoon Siwoo currently lived. When he had first looked for a place, he was still young and naive about the ways of the world, believing that bigger was always better. So, he had chosen this house, which looked massive at first glance. However, it didn't take more than a few days for him to realize that for someone living alone, having a needlessly large house with too many rooms was nothing but a disadvantage. He had spent quite a few moments regretting his choice... until now.
"...Hmm, I guess we'll need to buy a few pieces of furniture."
"Y-Yeah, I suppose so. Since I've just been using that room as a makeshift storage closet, there's absolutely nothing in there."
Thanks to living in such a spacious house, he was able to offer Scarlet her own room. For the first time, Yoon Siwoo wanted to pat his past self on the back for making that choice. That being said, he had never once imagined a scenario where someone else would be living with him, so the immediate problem was that he didn't even have a spare blanket for her to sleep under tonight.
"...Um, I don't mind sleeping on the couch tonight, so do you want to sleep on the bed in my room?"
"You're the owner of this house, so that wouldn't be right. Don't worry, I only need a pillow and a blanket anyway. I'll just buy them when we go out to get what we need later."
Startled by Scarlet's casual remark that she only needed a pillow and a blanket, Siwoo quickly spoke up.
"On the bare floor? You're not just staying for a day or two, you should at least sleep on a bed. If it's a matter of money, I can help cover some of the cost..."
"No, it's not that I'm short on cash... but yeah, you're right. It's probably better to have a bed. Okay, I have a general idea of what I need, so I'll go out and buy them."
Nodding, Scarlet got ready to head out to purchase her necessities. Yoon Siwoo had intended to stay behind and see her off, but—
Blushing at Lucy's advice, he quickly threw on a pair of sunglasses, pulled his hat down low, and slipped on his shoes to follow Scarlet as she was about to leave. Scarlet looked back at him with a puzzled expression.
"...What's this? Are you coming with me? It's your day off, shouldn't you be resting at home?"
"W-Well, I'd just be bored out of my mind staying home alone anyway... and besides, you'll probably have a lot of things to carry. An extra pair of hands is always helpful, right?"
"If you're willing to come along, I certainly have no reason to refuse... Thank you."
Seeing Scarlet smile softly as she thanked him, Yoon Siwoo sincerely muttered to Lucy in his mind.
—...Thank you.
Yoon Siwoo was well aware that his face was quite recognizable to the public. Ever since his Hero appointment ceremony was broadcast on television, he had once casually strolled down the street only to be swarmed by countless requests for autographs and photos. To prevent such incidents, he had started covering his face with a hat and sunglasses. It proved to be quite effective, drastically reducing the number of people who recognized him. The problem, however, was that because his face was covered, everyone he met naturally assumed he was an adult.
"Excuse me, sir, are you two newlyweds? If you're newlyweds, a married couple simply must share a bed. Shall I recommend that queen-sized one over there to your wife?"
"I-It's nothing like that, so please keep your voice down so she doesn't hear you..."
Breaking into a cold sweat, Yoon Siwoo quickly stammered out an excuse, terrified that the voice of the furniture store clerk—who was asking with a slightly sly grin—might reach Scarlet, who was browsing beds by herself some distance away. If she realized that people were mistaking them for newlyweds and decided to keep her distance, wouldn't the whole point of coming out together be ruined?
At the same time, he couldn't entirely blame people for making that assumption. When a young man and woman went furniture shopping together in broad daylight, of course anyone would assume they were newlyweds. Besides, even if he was disguised, Scarlet in casual clothes exuded a mature aura that made it impossible to think of her as a mere student.
"Is it possible to pay for this bed in installments? Ah, it is? Then, the maximum number of installments... actually, no. Just charge it as a single payment, please. Yes, it can be delivered to this address, right? Ah, you can send it within today? Understood. Thank you very much."
Although Siwoo had lived alone for a long time himself, watching her purchase furniture with such practiced ease made him feel a sense of deep experience, as if she had been living on her own for ages.
As he stood there blankly watching Scarlet finalize her purchase, a middle-aged man—whether he was an older clerk or the store manager, Siwoo couldn't tell—approached him and whispered in his ear.
"Oh dear, sleeping in separate rooms already? Respecting each other's privacy is well and good, but doing that right from the honeymoon phase can really sour a marriage... Shall I go suggest she switch to a queen size instead?"
"Please, just leave me be..."
"Ah! Don't tell me... a private issue in the bedroom that you can't speak of?! Oh my, even at your young age... I am so incredibly sorry! I was terribly inconsiderate. I'll tell the boys to waive the delivery fee. Hang in there, sir! You can do it!"
Yoon Siwoo let out a heavy sigh as the clerk, clearly harboring some massive misunderstanding, bowed politely with a deeply sympathetic look before scurrying away. In any case, it seemed Scarlet had finished her shopping, as he saw her walking back toward him.
"What's up? Did something happen?"
"...No, it's nothing. Are you all done with the furniture?"
"Yeah. They said they'll deliver everything, and I've got most of the daily necessities, so I think we can head back now. Let's stop by the grocery store on the way."
"...Sure."
Watching Scarlet approach and speak to him so naturally, he felt his face growing hot.
Ah... Everyone keeps talking about newlyweds, and now it's putting weird thoughts in my head.
He vigorously shook his head to banish the mental image of himself and Scarlet lying hand-in-hand on a queen-sized bed. It felt as though some wicked demon had taken up residence in his mind. Even having such fantasies felt like a betrayal of Scarlet, who trusted him completely. Yoon Siwoo firmly resolved to suppress those thoughts as much as possible.
That resolution, however, faced a monumental crisis not long after.
"...Oh? You're going to cook?"
"I told you earlier. I'll handle the cooking, laundry, and cleaning. Just wait a bit. I'll have it ready in no time. Do you happen to have an apron?"
"...In the drawer under the sink."
After finishing their shopping, stopping by the grocery store, and returning home, they had worked together to assemble the newly delivered furniture. Once they were finished, Scarlet offered to prepare a meal. How long had it been since he last ate a home-cooked meal prepared by someone else? Feeling a wave of sentimentality, Yoon Siwoo sat at the dining table and watched Scarlet, who was now wearing an apron and cooking in the kitchen.
As she cooked, she opened various drawers to familiarize herself with the unfamiliar kitchen. Spotting a hair tie inside one of them, she took it out and gathered her hair, tying it back. It was the first time he had ever seen her hair tied up. Moreover, as she cooked in her apron, her porcelain-white nape peeked out from beneath her tied-up hair. He stared blankly at the sight before suddenly snapping out of it, quickly casting his eyes downward to avoid staring at her neck.
Just as he was telling himself that watching her cook from behind was highly dangerous and that he needed to be careful, Scarlet finished cooking and brought the food over.
"...What is this?"
"Bean Sprout Stir-fry. It's my absolute favorite. Have you never had it before?"
"...Yeah, this is my first time."
"Really? I wonder if it'll suit your taste."
Yoon Siwoo gave a hesitant nod. Truth be told, with the limp bean sprouts clumped together, it wasn't the most visually appealing dish at first glance. However, he resolved to tell her it was delicious unless it was completely inedible. Bracing himself, Yoon Siwoo took a large chopstickful of the Bean Sprout Stir-fry and put it in his mouth.
"...Actually, this is really good?"
He muttered, his eyes widening at the unexpectedly delightful flavor. Scarlet nodded as if it were only natural.
"Right? It's a dish that's almost impossible to mess up. Plus, it's cheap and you get a ton of it. There's really nothing better."
Nodding in agreement, he continued to shovel the Bean Sprout Stir-fry into his mouth. Watching him, Scarlet's eyes curved into crescent moons as she murmured softly, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.
"...So this is what it feels like to watch someone happily eat a meal you prepared. It might be a bit of a chore, but seeing this makes it all worth it. I'm glad."
He didn't quite understand the depth of her words, but knowing that the best thing he could do was to thoroughly enjoy her cooking, he emptied the plate completely. Once they finished, Yoon Siwoo insisted on at least doing the dishes himself, feeling a strange, ticklish sensation in his chest.
The pile of dishes, slightly larger than when he lived alone. The two toothbrushes sitting side-by-side in the holder when he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Every time he encountered these little things that made him realize she was truly living with him, the house—which had always felt cold and needlessly vast—seemed to wrap him in a cozy warmth.
Is this what it feels like to live with family?
He quickly shook his head to dismiss the thought. Not family. Roommates. We're strictly roommates. He repeatedly chanted this to himself, warning his mind not to wander into strange territory.
After spending the afternoon chatting with her and sharing dinner, it was finally time to sleep. Taking a cold shower, he constantly muttered to himself to calm his racing heart. The sweet fragrance lingering in the house isn't because of Scarlet, it's just the diffuser. I have self-control. Having brainwashed himself, he stepped out of the shower and began meditating in the living room to soothe his restless mind. However—
"Goodnight, Yoon Siwoo."
As Scarlet, fresh from her own shower, walked past him in the living room and headed into her room, he realized that all his efforts to calm his mind were utterly futile.
...After all, there was no normal way to erase the image of a girl with slightly flushed cheeks from the warm water, carrying the exact same scent of shampoo as him, from his mind.
"...I'm going crazy."
Leting out a ragged sigh, Yoon Siwoo retreated to his room and made a desperate plea to Lucy.
—...Train me. Hard enough that I won't be able to think of anything else.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Lucy possessed the ability to fulfill that request far beyond his expectations.
And so, Yoon Siwoo greeted the morning completely and utterly exhausted.