The Live-In Housekeeper
I should have made it clear from the start.
Assuming it was obvious had been my mistake.
No—wait. Was it even reasonable in the first place for a young woman to move into a young man's bachelor pad as a live-in housekeeper? Was that something people could just... misunderstand?
Or did she have some other intention?
Word had already spread among the studio tenants that I'd won the lottery. What if she was deliberately approaching me for the prize money?
No. That didn't track.
She'd already fallen so far behind on rent that her entire deposit was about to be wiped out, and for a gold digger, she had absolutely no idea how to present herself. Even today she'd shown up in a stretched-out white T-shirt and sweatpants with the knees blown out. If she'd been planning to seduce me into giving her something, she would have at least changed out of those clothes.
And while I didn't know Unit 301 all that well, she wasn't the type to harbor those kinds of ulterior motives. Even back when we'd never spoken a word to each other, she was the kind of person who picked up trash left on the studio stairwell and helped elderly neighbors carry their bags—behavior about as far from gold digger as you could get. When I'd gone after that thug in 402, she'd even tried to help, worried I might get hurt.
"I-I'm so sorry! Then I'll just be going for today..."
"Hold on a second."
"Yes...?"
I stopped Unit 301 just as she was turning away, her face beet red, bowing at the waist.
"Did you pay the back rent?"
"Yes... thanks to you..."
"What did the landlady say? Will she let you keep living there?"
"......"
Looking like she was about to cry, she stuck out her lower lip and shook her head.
Surely she hadn't been kicked out already? Right—if she'd been evicted, her entire life wouldn't fit into a single suitcase.
"When did she tell you to leave?"
"I left... three days ago..."
"What?? And that's all the luggage you have??"
"Yes... this is everything..."
I knew it was rude, but I couldn't hold back my curiosity. After getting her permission, I opened the suitcase. Inside were a single black plastic bag, one set of formal clothes, a pair of dress shoes, and a whole pile of books.
"What's that?"
"Th-this is... underwear...."
"Ahem!! Sorry."
"It's fine..."
That bag looked like it held maybe a few triangular kimbap. That was her underwear? Was she seriously changing it once a week or something?
"I wash them every day!"
"Huh??"
"M-my underwear... I wash them every day and change into clean ones... I have three pairs, so...."
"Ah... right..."
Definitely not a gold digger. She didn't look like someone with any shady designs on my money, either.
"If you left three days ago, where have you been staying since then?"
"At a jjimjilbang... waiting for your call..."
"......"
Fine. As long as I was careful, it would be fine. A kind girl like her—if I just kept myself in check, living together wouldn't cause any real problems. Honestly, the place was way too big for one person anyway.
"Alright. Stay here. Work, study, whatever you need."
"R-really..?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!!"
"And about the salary—"
"The salary is fine! Just give me what we agreed on! No—you can even cut it more!!"
"Are you sure you're okay with that?"
"Yes! If I live here, I don't have to pay rent, I don't need a deposit, there's no noise from upstairs neighbors, and also... ah! I'll cover living expenses! Just deduct those from my monthly pay!"
One million eight hundred thousand won for working twenty-four hours a day, all month long. Of course I only planned to have her work four hours, but living under the same roof, things never stayed that clean. The moment I tried to do something myself, she'd notice, come out, insist on doing it for me—and just like that, her working hours would balloon to twenty-four. She'd be on edge the whole time. So I had no intention of cutting her pay. If anything, I'd raise it.
"Um... then, would it be alright if I looked around the house a bit..?"
"Sure. Make yourself at home."
"Then..."
She bowed at the waist, turned around, and began creeping through the house, inspecting every corner. After searching for a long while like she was on a treasure hunt, Unit 301 came back looking thoroughly shocked.
"Wh-what's wrong..?"
"There isn't one..."
"Isn't what..?"
"A maid's room..."
"......"
That was what she'd been hunting for so thoroughly? Incredible.
"I heard houses like this usually have a maid's room next to the laundry or kitchen..."
"This place is only about twenty-four hundred square feet, so I guess it doesn't have one."
"Ah... i-it's fine! I can just sleep over there!"
She suddenly started dragging her suitcase toward the secondary kitchen tucked away off the main kitchen.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
"Th-this is the smallest room, so... if this doesn't work, the entryway or the terrace is fine too!"
"What are you talking about..! Give me that!"
"N-no! Please don't throw me out! I have nowhere to go... hng....!"
The rooms were all similar, but the big ones would probably overwhelm her, and anything too close to the master bedroom would make her uncomfortable—so I hauled the suitcase to the room tucked farthest into the corner. It was the smallest, sure, but it had its own bathroom attached. That made it the best option.
"From now on, this is your room."
"Really... is that okay..?"
"Yeah."
"Ah....."
It was a modest little room with just a system air conditioner and a single built-in closet. Modest by this house's standards, of course.
"Ah, can you step out for a second?"
"I knew it... this is too much, right..?"
"That's not it..! Just come out real quick."
"Okaaay..."
I left the dejected Unit 301 standing by the door and stepped out for a moment.
"Hold this."
"......"
What I handed her was a measuring tape. I had her hold the end, went inside, and measured the length. Width, depth, then a few photos of the room.
"Alright, let's go."
"Where..?"
"You're going to need a blanket to sleep under, aren't you?"
"Ah... I-I'll come with you! Master!!"
"M-Master?!"
"I mean... you're my employer, so..."
What the hell kind of scenario had this woman imagined when she came here?! And stop turning red around the ears!!
"Don't call me that..! People will get the wrong idea..! Got it?!"
"Yes.. I'll be careful in front of people..."
"In front of people or behind them! Don't call me that at all!!"
"Ah... yes...."
What was this feeling? Like I'd just let something into the house that I really shouldn't have...
Since the house was in Cheongdam-dong, the department store was only about a kilometer away. We went straight there—in my used Porsche Cayenne. If the wait for a new one hadn't been so long, I would have bought brand new. Still, your first car is supposed to be used anyway.
"Um..! W-weren't we here to buy a blanket..?"
"We are."
"Then why are we..."
"They sell blankets here too."
"I know that, but it's so expensive..!"
I'd thought the same thing at first. Did you really need to drop serious money on something like a blanket? That was only because I'd never actually slept under a good one. Once you cover yourself with an expensive blanket, you can never go back to the cheap stuff they sell online.
"Aaaah.... so soft...."
Exactly like that.
"You like it?"
"Yes... it's so go— hup?! N-no! I don't need such an expensive blanket..."
Tap—
"It's so nice...."
I pushed Unit 301's head back down onto the blanket the moment she sat up, and she melted right into it.
Basic bedding: about thirteen million won.
"Ah... like lying on a cloud... hup?! I don't need such an expensive bed..."
Tap—
"It's so goooood...."
A bed that looked like it had become one with Unit 301: about one hundred twenty million won.
"It's just a desk! For the desk, at least, I'm buying something normal!"
"Come on, just picture yourself studying at a desk like this."
"....It'd probably feel the same?"
Huh? That was a different reaction from everything so far.
"I'll buy the desk online myself. The advance on my salary is more than enough."
"No, you don't need to—"
"And for the chair, I'll take this one. Chairs matter. And I'm buying this chair myself. With my own money."
"Did you check the price tag?"
"How expensive can a chair— e-excuse me! We need to leave right now...!! This chair is over two million won..!!"
"Haa... just give us this one. And that desk over there too."
Desk, chair, vanity, recliner—basic furniture: about ten million won.
Last item on the list: underwear.
"Th-this one I really will buy myself! You don't have to get it for me! Please...."
"Ahem..! If she doesn't buy anything by the end, force a size measurement and send over twenty sets of whatever."
"Yes, sir."
"Ma'am, if you'd come this way?"
"I-I-I really....!!"
Even so, rotating three pairs of underwear was just too much. There was a hygiene angle too—this was an unavoidable expense as a roommate.
That covered everything we needed, right?
Everything from the department store was delivered to the house. Naturally, there were no delivery or installation fees. I'd spent close to a hundred fifty million won, after all.
"Um...."
"Yeah?"
"Why are you... being so good to me..?"
"About what?"
"I really don't need things this expensive...."
"......"
This woman really did specialize in misunderstandings.
"I didn't buy them for you, Miss 301."
"Huh..??"
"They're mine. My things, for use in my house. Once you get a job and move out, I'm planning to turn this room into a guest room."
"Ah....."
"So don't feel burdened. Ah! The underwear really was a gift, though—so don't leave it behind when you go."
"......"
I turned away after making Unit 301's face go red again. Something about teasing her was oddly satisfying.
Ah—but I still hadn't asked her that.
"What's your name? We still haven't even introduced ourselves. I'm Yoo Eunho."
"....Han Iseul... is my name...."
"Iseul... pretty name. Get some rest, then."
"Yes.. Master Eunho...."
There she went calling me Master again...!
Click—
Before I could say anything, the door shut. I lowered the hand I'd raised to knock.
Fine. She was probably just messing with me the same way I had with her.
Ah, I'm thirsty...
I sat up to go get some water and let out a sigh.
"Ugh... having a big house makes stuff like this inconvenient... maybe I should put a mini-fridge in the bedroom..?"
Getting from the master bedroom out to the living room and into the kitchen took forever. The actual time wasn't much, but waking up in the middle of the night and having to trek all the way to the kitchen was a real pain. Back in the studio, I could reach the fridge just by stretching out my hand.
"Aaahh...!!"
A sound that was half yawn, half sigh slipped out as I left the master bedroom. I trudged along, finally made it to the kitchen, set down a cup, and pressed the water purifier button.
Glug-glug-glug—
While I waited for the cup to fill, I glanced toward the living room terrace.
"It's pouring out there..."
The living room windows must have been well soundproofed—I could barely hear the rain. No, I basically couldn't hear it at all. If it hadn't been for the thunder, I wouldn't even have known it was raining.
Well, since I was already awake, maybe I should enjoy a little romance? A rainy Han River view...
I grabbed the filled cup and walked toward the terrace. Through the floor-to-ceiling living room windows, I sipped water while watching the glittering Yeongdong Bridge and the rain falling over the Han River.
"......"
What kind of pretentious nonsense was I pulling after waking up in the middle of the night? Enough of this. Time to go back to slee—
Flash!!!
A massive bolt of lightning struck. Thanks to it, I could see my own reflection in the living room window.
And....
KRA-KA-KA-KA-BOOM!!!!!!
The ghost standing right behind me...
"Do you need anything..?"
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"