The Neighbor from the Dark
The clock in the man's apartment next door had already ticked past nine-thirty. The old fluorescent light in the hallway flickered, casting a dim, sickly glow. The peeling paint and cracked floor tiles were a testament to the villa's age. I checked the time and stepped out of my front door. Since my shift at the convenience store started at ten, leaving thirty minutes early always meant I arrived with time to spare. It took twenty minutes if I took the long way around the main road. I hadn't used the alleyway since that night. Just seeing the entrance made that evening come rushing back.
The blade pressed against my heart, the reek of alcohol from the man approaching me, the scream rising to my throat. And the shadow that had choked the life out of him. The moment the ragged, gasping breath grew faint and then stopped completely. I shook my head violently. It’s okay, it’s all in the past. Don’t dwell on it... Just focus on getting to work! I pulled my hoodie up to my chin. "Ah, I didn't even check the mirror. My hair must be a mess..."
I locked the door and turned around—
—*Click.*
The door to the apartment right next to mine opened. My gaze was drawn to it automatically. A man in a black tracksuit stepped out. His shoulders were broad enough to fill the narrow entryway, and above them, I could see his short hair and sharp, heavy jawline. The man spotted me staring at him. I recognized that face instantly. That night. The arm that had choked the assailant in the darkness. The expressionless eyes revealed by the light of a cell phone. It was the Chicken Breast Man, Yoon Taegon.
I swallowed hard. Goosebumps broke out across my body, and cold sweat trickled down my spine. My hand, tucked inside my pocket, was already balled into a fist. Why are you coming out of there...? The memories of the alley played back like a film. I stared at the door lock with trembling legs. I wanted nothing more than to bolt back inside and bolt the door.
"Ah."
A sound escaped her lips.
"Ah."
Taegon made the same sound at almost the exact same time. Each "ah" carried a completely different weight. An awkward silence settled over the hallway. I stared intently at the floor, while Taegon looked at me, wondering how to react.
I’m scared...
It was an honest feeling. That man was someone capable of killing. I had seen with my own two eyes that he actually committed murder. The mere fact that I was alone with him in this narrow hallway made my heart race like crazy. But at the same time, another thought crossed my mind. What would have happened to me if it weren't for him...?
That night, when I had been frozen in front of the man with the knife. It was none other than him who saved me from the brink of death. Thinking of him as my savior, the guilt of not even having thanked him washed over me. I was too scared to say anything back then... I bit my lip, a habit I used to suppress my racing heart. He hadn't harmed me. Instead, he had told me to take the long way around. He had even asked if I was hurt. That memory helped me calm down just a little.
"Do you live here?" Taegon asked first. I nodded and replied, "Yes... I live here." My voice came out too quiet. I was still lacking the courage, so it was barely more than a mumble.
Taegon looked back and forth between his door and mine. "So we were right next door?" "I didn't know either... I suppose we are..." I glanced at him, gauging his reaction. He narrowed his eyes as if calculating something. "But isn't the address on your ID something else?"
I blinked. I remembered him taking a picture of my ID that night. It gave me chills to realize he had memorized my address, but then I thought, Well, if he can kill people, remembering an address is nothing... "Ah, that's my parents' address. My family home." "Your family home?" "Yes. I'm just living in this villa by myself for now."
Taegon nodded and gave me a once-over. "Aha, so that's why..." His expression didn't change, but it looked like things were clicking into place in his mind. The weight of his gaze made me lower my head slightly. Then, a thought occurred to me—something I hadn't been able to say. Right, if I don't say it now, when will I? We're going to keep running into each other, and I can't just avoid him every time. I clenched my fist and opened my mouth.
"U-um, thank you for the other day."
My voice was so soft it was half-drowned out by the sound of the ventilation fan. "Pardon?" "Back then... in that alley. I wanted to thank you for helping me." As I spoke, the image of his arm choking the assailant and the sound of the knife hitting the floor circled in my head. I was scared. I was still scared. But if it hadn't been for him, I would have been the one stabbed. That fact alone made this thank-you necessary.
"Oh, that?" Taegon said calmly. "Don't mention it. It was my job, anyway." "Your... job?" "Yes. It was something I had to do. I didn't go there because of you, Seo Ihyeon." "..."
I shut my mouth. The word 'job' rolled around in my head. Killing people is his job...? What on earth does that mean?? I was dying to know what he did for a living. A normal man who bought chicken breast. A man who handled people as part of his work. It was impossible to believe they were the same person. I wanted to ask so badly. My lips parted, but then I closed them again. It’s better not to know... Sometimes knowledge is power, but right now, I felt like knowing would be poison. I'm already scared enough as it is. If I find out more... I'll definitely be plagued by nightmares every night. I swallowed the question.
Taegon leaned his arms against the hallway railing. "Actually, I've been put on leave because of that incident." "What? You're on leave?" I tilted my head. "From work?" "Yes."
Taegon nodded as if it were nothing. "For how many days?" "Who knows? Probably more than a week?" "Why so suddenly? Did something happen?" I asked cautiously. He hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Due to the nature of my work, I'm not supposed to have contact with civilians." "..." "But I got caught that night. So, I'm being disciplined."
My expression slowly stiffened. A civilian... you mean me? The scene from that night played out in my head again. This man had come to deal with the assailant for a mission. But I happened to be there. I, who had insisted on taking that dark alley as a shortcut. If I had taken the main road. If I had walked for just five more minutes. He would have finished his mission without any trouble. He wouldn't have been disciplined. The price for saving me from the assailant was a disciplinary action.
If I hadn't gone into that alley, none of this would have happened. Guilt washed over me, and my stomach twisted in pain. "Th-then, does that mean... it's because of me...?" "Oh, it's not your fault, Seo Ihyeon." "No, it is. It's because of me that this happened." I bowed my head repeatedly. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." "I told you, it's not like that." "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been disciplined. I'm so sorry." He was just doing his job, and now he's being punished because of me... I'm so sorry I can't even look him in the face. To think I had caused trouble for the person who saved me—could there be a more pathetic situation?
Guilt crushed my heart. "Seo Ihyeon." Taegon cut me off. "You were the one who was about to be harmed." "..." "So why are you apologizing? I'm really fine, so don't worry about it." Taegon waved his hand dismissively.
Even as I watched him, my heart wouldn't settle. "But still... it's all because of me..." My voice trembled violently, and eventually, the tears burst forth. Tears dripped from my flushed nose and wet eyes. "I-I'm really sorry... it's all because of me..."
When I showed my tears, Taegon, who had always maintained his composure, showed signs of distress for the first time. "Oh, um..." "I-I should have just not gone into that alley..." "Wait a second, crying is a bit..." "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and bowed repeatedly. Taegon hovered his hands in the air, looking as if he didn't know where to put them. "I told you it's fine. I'm really fine." "But I'm still so sorry..." "I'm really fine, Seo Ihyeon. And I actually like taking time off." "..."
I looked up at him, tears still clinging to my lashes. "You like taking time off?" "Honestly, I'm happy I get to rest for a few days." "..." "You're lying, right?" "No. It's the truth. I have dramas to catch up on, and games to play." "Dramas?" "Yes. I'm watching one that's out right now, but I'm behind on the episodes, so it's a disaster." "..." "And the games?" "Those are behind, too. The event is about to end. If I miss this one, I'm done for."
I almost let out a laugh but straightened my expression. My facial muscles moved strangely because I was trying to laugh while crying. "But it's a disciplinary action. How can you be happy about that..." "It's just a few days off. It's basically a vacation." "R-really?" "Yes. So please, stop crying. I don't know what to do in this situation, it's too awkward." "Awkward?" "To be honest, this is the most flustered I've been in a while." "..." "I'm sorry."
It didn't seem like he was just saying it was awkward. He couldn't meet my eyes directly, and his pupils were darting around like a lost soul. He looked like he was thinking, What do I do, what do I do? I took a deep breath and steadied my ragged breathing. "I'm really sorry. For crying all of a sudden..." "It's fine. No more apologies." "Yes, I'm sorry." "No, that's an apology too..."
Taegon let out a dry laugh, as if he were dumbfounded. I wiped my tears roughly and sniffled. He thought for a moment before opening his mouth.
"If you're that sorry, let's go get something to eat together."
My movements stopped. The hand I was using to wipe my tears froze on my cheek. "..." "What?" "Food. I'm saying let's go have a meal together." "A meal?" "Yes. I'm bored eating alone while I'm on leave, and since you're so sorry, it works out." "..."
I blinked two or three times. My brain couldn't process what Taegon had just said. "Don't feel too pressured by it. I just mean let's eat together." "It's not that I feel pressured, it's just... it's so sudden..." "If it's not sudden, when would we do it? Timing is everything." "That's true, but..." "Then it's settled, isn't it?" "Ah... yes, yes... okay."
I stammered my acceptance. Taegon nodded, lost in thought. It’ll be easier to monitor her if we get close. The higher-ups had said, [Manage it from your end]. Same villa, right next door. There was no better condition for a monitor. Once we got close, it would be easy to figure things out. How loose-lipped she was, or if she was the type of person who could be trusted. It was too mundane to be called surveillance, but these kinds of trivial approaches were usually the most effective. Taegon organized his thoughts as he walked down the stairs.
And I, left alone in the hallway, felt my heart racing like crazy. It was a different kind of heartbeat than before. Not fear or guilt. What should I call it... A flutter I had never felt in my life. That man... could he possibly be interested in me? As soon as the thought reached that point, I entered a state of self-reflection at the speed of light. No way. That’s absolutely impossible. I was the girl who couldn't even lift her head at the checkout counter. The girl who only felt safe when her bangs covered her face. I had forgotten how to smile long ago, and I was the type who couldn't even handle eye contact, let alone hold a conversation.
What could a girl like me possibly have that would interest him... But just now, that man had asked me to eat with him. Me, of all people. That blunt man who would silently grab his chicken breast and protein drink every single day. He probably just said that to soothe me because I was being so apologetic. That’s all. There’s no other meaning behind it. I had reached that conclusion, but... my face felt hot. I could feel that even my ears were bright red. I covered my face with both hands, and my head bowed of its own accord. My hair fell like curtains on either side, hiding my flushed cheeks. I pressed my lips together and tried to force a neutral expression, but I couldn't stop the corners of my mouth from curling upward.
Just then, Taegon turned back from the bottom of the stairs as if he had forgotten something. He saw me at the end of the hallway, head bowed and face covered. "...?" Taegon’s brow furrowed. What is it? Why is she doing that? He wondered if I was still crying. But the atmosphere was different from before. My shoulders were hunched, but I wasn't trembling. How should he put it? It didn't look like I was cowering; it looked like I was trying to hide. Why are you covering your face? It was a sight he couldn't possibly understand. He lacked the information to analyze why I was reacting that way. Taegon felt a sense of unease and hurried down the stairs.
Left alone, I was surrounded by the sounds of the hallway. The hum of the ventilation fan. The sound of a TV from somewhere. I slowly removed the hands that had been covering my face. I could feel the intense heat radiating from my palms. It felt as if that heat were Taegon’s gaze, and I bit my lip. "I'm crazy, I'm crazy. Seo Ihyeon, you've really gone completely insane." I muttered, lightly tapping my cheeks. I pulled my hood down to cover my bright red ears and walked away as if fleeing. The night air cooled my burning cheeks, but my heart continued to pound violently until I finally reached the convenience store.