If You Leave Home, Next Door
In the taxi on the way home.
In a back seat big enough for two or three people…
Sihyun felt somehow subtly off.
…Why is she acting like this?
The reason was the person riding with her—roommate, friend, and current workplace colleague all in one.
Normally she would have linked arms without a second thought and chattered away whether Sihyun reacted or not.
Today, for some reason, she just quietly stared out the window.
To be precise, from the moment the conversation with the boss ended… from the second they called the taxi until now, she hadn’t spoken a single word.
Did I say something wrong?
Feeling oddly self-conscious, Sihyun turned it over and over in her head, but no matter how many times she rewound the conversation, she couldn’t recall any particular blunder.
The talk itself had been short and mostly empty of substance, which made it even less likely.
…That particular mystery resolved itself with almost pathetic ease.
“…Sihyun.”
“…Yeah?”
“Do you… really have to go…?”
They arrived home under that strange atmosphere.
Jia, who had kept her mouth shut the entire way, suddenly pulled her into a hug.
…Ah. So that was it.
“I mean, it can’t be helped. You heard her too, right?”
“Still.”
“It’s not just on us anymore. The company side gets messy.”
“…Still.”
…Come on.
Sulking over something like this? You’re not a little kid.
“Are you mad? Because I said I’d leave without looking back?”
“…No.”
“Then why’d you act like that? It’s not like we’re never going to see each other again.”
Maybe she was embarrassed about what she’d just done; Jia suddenly went all awkward, so Sihyun hugged her back and continued in a calm voice.
“Feeling lonely? Because you won’t get to eat the food I make?”
“That’s… part of it…”
“I’ll come over and cook for you sometimes. Between us, you think I wouldn’t do at least that much?”
It was a little bewildering, watching a girl who’d always managed just fine on her own suddenly act like this.
Well, it could happen.
For the past few months someone else had handled all the chores… once Sihyun left, Jia would have to do them herself again.
On top of that, Sihyun had even taken care of the meals… so of course it would feel like a hassle.
“Then…”
“Then…?”
“Then live here.”
…Something about the conversation felt off.
Had she not been listening this whole time?
No—she’d answered just fine. So what was this?
…Did she think she could talk the boss around or something?
Over something this minor, enough to pick a fight…?
Sihyun frowned, about to say something, when—
…Jia’s intention shot far past anything she had expected.
“There’s a bunch of empty rooms here, so pick one.”
“…Jia?”
“Actually, no need to pick. The place next door is vacant, so let’s just go there.”
In short:
If you’re going to move out anyway, I’ll provide the place—so live as close as possible.
For reasons unknown, her leaving was fine… but living far apart from each other? Apparently Jia would rather die and come back first.
Well, if you looked at it coldly, it was a win for Sihyun, but…
Was this really okay? Could they actually do this?
“Answer.”
“…Y-yeah.”
…That was what she thought, at least.
Jia was being uncharacteristically forceful, so Sihyun got swept up in the mood and couldn’t even refuse.
…What was with this landlord tyranny?
“…So you’re just switching rooms?”
“Yes, well…”
For now, she called the boss.
…What? She couldn’t exactly keep quiet about it.
Even if the two of them decided among themselves, if the higher-ups rejected it there was nothing they could do.
She wasn’t some independent contractor; she had to at least consult before going ahead.
“Is this… actually okay?”
“…The problem was voices bleeding into streams, so as long as it’s not the same house it should be fine.”
“That’s a relief, then.”
“Just send me the address later. We still have to put a soundproof booth in.”
…Thankfully, she got the go-ahead.
Whew. At least she was saving on rent.
She really had good friends.
“Anyway… since things turned out like this, look after Jia a bit, will you?”
“…Jia? All of a sudden?”
“Her talent’s solid, but the personality side is… shaky.”
Just as Sihyun was continuing the conversation with relief, the boss suddenly made an out-of-nowhere request.
Jia… well…
Even without being told, Sihyun would have looked after her anyway.
But for the boss to say it?
“There were plenty of reasons I picked you… and ‘cover for Jia a little’ wasn’t a small part of them. Trying to cut down on the manpower we’d have to throw at her.”
“Aw, cover? Jia’s got a great personality.”
“…What?”
…Huh. That reaction was weird.
She’d only stated the facts…?
“…Is that not right?”
“…Never mind. Get some rest.”
“Yes… you too.”
Fortunately the other side hung up before it could turn into a debate.
…Because of that, a tiny corner of her heart felt oddly unsettled.
…Is she actually going to start throwing her weight around or something?
She couldn’t exactly ask, either.
“…Tch. It’ll be fine, right?”
At the same time.
Kang Yura, having just ended the call, was feeling something similar to Sihyun.
“Bo~ss~!”
“Ah.”
But even that feeling didn’t last long—thanks to the sudden invasion of Lunabis’s founding contributor and, at the same time, the half-resident of the company, the uninvited guest who showed up whenever she felt like it.
“Who was that just now? Your girlfriend?”
“The new hire. And how many times do I have to tell you I’m a woman?”
“Come on, what kind of world do we live in these days?”
“Shut it.”
One of the three members of Lunabis’s first generation, commonly known as Abyss.
Stage name: Ichihana Ren.
A senior to both Sihyun and Jia.
“But a new hire? Our company already has another new hire?”
“I used the CEO privilege for a special scouting.”
“Special scouting? You were just lamenting how this generation had no talent.”
“No, it wasn’t from the applicants…”
She was interested.
Kang Yura figured she’d find out eventually anyway, so there was no harm in telling her early.
She thought for a second about how to explain it, then—
“…Street casting?”
“What the heck is that?”
“That’s what happened. Just roll with it.”
She suddenly felt too lazy to bother, so she glossed over it.
She already had overtime planned tonight.
Getting further harassed by this long-tenured, long-winded menace would only be her own loss.
She’d said “new hire,” but honestly it wasn’t fully confirmed yet either.
As long as no disqualifying issues turned up over the next few months…
Once it was solid, she could introduce them then. Yeah.
“Boss, boss.”
“What now.”
“About that new hire from just now.”
…Maybe that was why.
Instead of dealing with a boss who was clearly done with her,
“Where does she live right now?”
the mysterious newcomer had already caught her senior’s interest.