Our Bizarre Cohabitation with Her (1)
* Let me say this upfront: this is a story from a dream I'm having. I was being dragged deeper and deeper into the murky riverbed. Sinking, sinking, and sinking further still. That memory from the moment I threw myself in. It's like that memory is telling me I'll never escape it for the rest of my life—pulling me relentlessly to the bottom. At this point, I couldn't resist at all. Just pulled by gravity, endlessly toward the bottom, the bottom. And at the same time—jeers from an angry mob echoed around me. Your life that should've ended right here only got a lucky restart—nothing's changed. You'll just keep living that worthless, unnoticed existence forever. So give up and accept your fate! Better yet, just die like this! Die again! Don't you dare keep breathing after shamelessly trying to end it once already! Screams like that rang in my ears. Echoing, echoing, echoing…… I fell just like that, sinking, down, deeper down, into the abyss beyond……
*
"……"
When I opened my eyes, warm morning sunlight was tickling my cheek. I sat up and took stock of my surroundings.
A dream, huh.
Lately, I'd been having that dream often. Reliving the exact moment of my suicide attempt over and over, with unknown voices screaming at me to die. It was nightmare fuel that'd make anyone shudder, but back then, waking up in a cheap motel room, the real priority was job hunting—way more urgent than whining over dream aftershocks. So I'd just swallow it down and start the day. Of course, things were different now.
This wasn't some cheap motel. High ceilings perfect for living comfortably. Spotless furniture and appliances that looked brand new. And a plush bed. Above all, looking out the window—the stunning Han River view that only the successful could enjoy washed over my heart.
……I really ended up sleeping here.
Yesterday, under the guise of a donation reward, I'd gone on a date with the mega-popular streamer RenaPpi. And now, I was freeloading in this little room right next to her place.
The fact that the hakko RenaP I'd first donated to was now RenaPpi was already hard to believe—but compared to my current situation, it felt almost plausible. A hollow laugh escaped me. Still half-dazed, I checked the clock. 9 a.m.
Either way, I had one month left as a grace period. I needed to land a job that could cover rent for this room somehow. Sure, she hadn't even set a rent price and said I could live here for free—but how could I, at my age, just sponge off one-sided favors like that? Setting rent around the local market rate would be fine anyway.
Yeah. Just because my wake-up spot changed didn't mean my whole life flipped upside down.
Get it together and start job hunting.
As I tried to rouse my still half-asleep body, there came a knock. Tap tap tap.
?
Not a door knock. Looking toward the sound—there was a small window there.
Oh, right. This place connected directly to RenaPpi's apartment next door via that window. Remembering that, I croaked out in a sleepy voice, "Come in."
In response, her voice came from beyond the window. "Ah! You're awake. Mind if I open the window?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
A bit disheveled, but whatever. I opened the window, revealing her—beautiful and sparkling from the morning, the complete opposite of my just-woke-up mess. Ryu I-se, streaming as RenaPpi. Her brown hair and eyes glittered in the sunlight. She really shines bright even first thing in the morning.
"Good morning, Min-ho! Hope you slept well!"
"Yeah. Morning to you too."
I gave a casual reply, but she beamed like our simple greeting was the highlight of her day, chattering away.
"Ehehe…… I told you yesterday! Morning greetings are totally doable! Ahem!"
"……"
I didn't say much, but she kept going undeterred, her tone bright and bubbly.
"If you're up for it, breakfast together? I happened to whip something up! What do you say?"
Food, huh. Buying out would just burn cash. Since I'd be crashing here a month anyway, adding an extra spoon at the table shouldn't be a big deal.
……Right? I hesitated a bit—but hadn't I decided before dying to live for myself? A little deviation like this should be fine.
"If you're offering, I'll gratefully dig in."
"Yay, sure! Hang on…… I'll unlock the door right now!"
Slide. Only after the window shut did the reality hit me again.
I'm really living with RenaPpi.
I still had no clue why she was being so nice to me—but right now, overthinking trivial stuff took a backseat. Priority one: snag a job, get stable, and make sure I didn't become a long-term burden. With that settled, I got up and headed to her place.
*
"Ehehe…… Come on in~!"
The door swung open, and I nearly spat out water I hadn't even drunk. Her outfit…… was boldly revealing, to put it mildly. A thin black tank top that could pass for underwear, topped with a sheer white cardigan. The tank clung tight, emphasizing her ultra-feminine bust line. But the real showstopper was below. Tiny black dolphin shorts that barely covered her thick thighs. Yesterday's coat had hidden it, but her hips were…… perfectly birthing shape. Staring at those shorts hugging her thighs, I had no idea where to look.
From the window earlier, I'd only seen her head and shoulders…… Now it was obvious she'd come straight out in pajamas. I averted my eyes and muttered, "Uh, could you…… put on some different clothes?"
"Huh? Why? These are comfy."
She glanced down at her outfit and twisted her body a bit. Her breasts jiggled slightly with the motion, so I looked away again.
"It's just…… kinda…… exposing a lot, you know? I'm serious."
"Is it?"
She pondered for a sec, then grinned brightly. "It's fine! It's not like it's anyone else—it's just you, Min-ho!"
Could you stop saying stuff that'd cause misunderstandings if others heard? I held my tongue. This girl had weird timing for embarrassment anyway—impossible to predict. Well, if she was cool with it…… pushing further would just be overreacting.
"……Anyway, where do we eat?"
"Oh, yep! This way."
She smiled radiantly and trotted off. No matter how you sliced it, she was like the sun itself. And so, I—probably Korea's first male viewer with a troll nickname to set foot in RenaPpi's actual home—stepped inside, making history.
*
High-end furniture and appliances everywhere you looked. The white-toned living room felt cozy with sunlight pouring through massive windows way bigger than mine. And the view—breathtaking. The one from my room suddenly seemed pathetic by comparison. The vista of success.
But before all that caught my eye……
"I-se."
"Yeah?"
"What's that?"
I pointed to a huge frame smack in the middle of the living room.
It held…… what looked like a screenshot blown up and printed. A donation message I knew all too well.
[Subway-Old-Man-Denture-Stealer donated 1,649,000 KRW!]
[Keep it up from now on lol]
"Ah! That!"
I-se's eyes sparkled like she'd been waiting for me to notice, thrilled.
"The driving force that let me stream! My roots! I never want to forget that feeling, so I hung it up! I always say thanks to it before streams!"
"No, but that's kinda……"
I wanted to protest, but she was so excited I couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"When virtual streaming gets really tough, I look at that frame and think back. To the encouragement from my 100-day stream. To the attention you gave me, Min-ho. It gives me the strength to enjoy today's broadcast, no matter how hard things get."
Her eyes sparkled like the sun as she said it.
"I mean, it was Jit-leus himself, right? You told me to keep going strong. Hehe. What can't I do?"
"……"
No, but going this far…… Still, it didn't feel bad. Just…… surreal that she cherished it so much. 1.65 million won probably wasn't big money to her now anyway. Guess that's why she succeeded—never losing that beginner's spirit.
I turned from the frame to the dining table. Luxurious material, oozing class and expense. And atop this high-end table in this fancy home…… one thing that was anything but luxurious. Utterly crude.
"What's…… this?"
I pointed at it. I-se, who'd been gushing about the frame, suddenly clammed up, mumbling like a celebrity dropping a bombshell confession.
"Uh…… well. It's…… supposed to be…… omurice."
Hearing that, I inspected it closely…… yeah, the omurice. The rice was…… pitch black. Beyond brown—jet black. And the egg…… a color too weird to describe. Kinda yellow-ish, but not appetizing—more like hazardous. No word in my vocabulary covered it. I'd never lamented short bag straps before, but now I wished for the right term.
At least the ketchup was recognizable. A cute heart drawn on top of this "omurice." Inside: JTS Love. Compared to the indescribable egg sheet and whatever-rice-thing underneath, the ketchup felt miraculously normal.
"……"
Sensing my gaze, I-se fidgeted bashfully, voice shrinking.
"I…… I got up at 7 and tried really hard……"
This girl can't cook at all. I'd figured a self-made breakfast meant basic roommate-level skills……
"What do you usually eat?"
"Delivery……"
Ah. Roommate level indeed.
That's when I noticed her hands—fidgeting with her fingers, covered in bandages.
All bandaged up. Probably nicked herself chopping onions or ham.
Can't cook…… but tried anyway because she wanted to make me breakfast? If so, my choice was simple. Can't waste the effort someone put in. Not like I could be picky in my situation anyway.
"Thanks for the meal."
I sat, picked up the spoon, and scooped some up.
But then—
"No!"
She grabbed my wrist hard, stopping me.
"Huh, why?"
Her face was desperately urgent. "Y-you'll get sick eating that!"
You made it!
"But you made it, right?"
"That's why I know for sure! It'll be bad! You'll get sick! Hospitalized!"
"It's fine. I won't die."
"You will!!!"
……Really?
Her bizarre logic almost convinced me—but I didn't want to dismiss her sincerity.
"It's okay, I-se. I want to eat it because you made it."
"……Huh? Oh……"
Her face flushed bright red at my words. Well, yeah—if she'd slaved over it since morning, of course I'd eat it. Picky from the freeloader side would be rude.
She stood there stunned for a bit, then shook her head vigorously like she'd made a big decision and backed off.
"No way! The first meal for you has to be delicious! This one's canceled! Canceled!"
Canceled or not, the failed dish wouldn't magically fix itself. But since she insisted, I didn't push.
It was really fine, though. She wilted visibly, head down.
"Ugh…… sorry. I tried so hard…… but I never cook usually…… Hng. If I'd known you'd come to my place, I'd have practiced for a year straight. Uuu……"
"……"
Seeing her sigh pitifully like that tugged at me. I could skip a meal no problem, but she had her schedule. Skipping breakfast felt off, and suggesting delivery myself would be awkward too……
Maybe I should make something?
I examined the "omurice" closely. Diced ham and onions in the rice. Egg on top, sorta.
"I-se. Any ingredients left?"
"Huh? Oh…… yeah, everything I used is still around……"
Perfect. With those, I could whip up something edible. I stood and said, "Mind if I borrow the kitchen for a bit?"