Chapter 16
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 16: Living Alone (1)
Unpacking was over in an instant. All I brought was the computer tower, monitor, and a few bags of clothes anyway.
The problem was the contract process.
"Owner-nim, our kid is a bit sensitive and easily scared. He gets scared at night if the hallway sensor lights don't turn on, you know? Please check that..."
"Oh my, don't worry Mother. The CCTV here runs 24 hours with no blind spots. Since a male student is living alone, I'll pay special attention."
"Yes, and if any suspicious women snoop around, please contact me immediately."
"Of course, of course. I'll keep my eyes peeled and watch."
The conversation between the landlady and Mom rang through the living room. I stood in the corner staring at a distant mountain.
'...Am I an elementary schooler.'
Sensitive kid, easily scared... listening to it made my fingers and toes curl up and refuse to straighten. Does a giant like me look like I'd be scared of hallway lights going out?
Anyway, after Mom's earnest request (read: threat) ended, it was finally time for the family to return.
"Brother... will you really be okay?"
Seol Ji-hye, putting on shoes at the entrance, looked back with a tearful face. The punk looked like she would burst into tears any moment.
"Call me immediately if anything happens... call if you're scared at night... don't skip meals..."
"Ah, stop worrying."
I waved my hand.
"I'm dozens of times stronger than you. Would I call you because I have no one else to call? If it's really urgent I'll call the police first, I won't have reason to call you first."
"Still..."
Ji-hye still looked anxious. Indeed, by the common sense of this world, I would look like a 'rabbit thrown into a beast's cage'.
To reassure the punk, I shrugged my shoulders and threw a joke.
"Hey, don't you remember when I fought 17 to 1 in the past and won them all? No, was it 24 to 1? Memory's hazy."
The legendary construction site battle. Of course, I just said it for a laugh.
"......"
The punk opened her eyes round and stared at me blankly.
"You... did?"
She's not asking because she believes it. It was a gaze mixed with pity and absurdity, like 'Did my brother finally go crazy?' or 'Did his mythomania flare up?'.
Indeed, a hikikomori who didn't even come out of his room winning against 17 people. It's a sound even a passing dog would laugh at. Doesn't work at all.
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
"...Sorry. It's a lie."
"Tch, what the... You surprised me."
Only then did Ji-hye chuckle. Tension seems to have eased a bit.
"Anyway I'm going. Tell me if you run out of side dishes! I'll pack some for you!"
"Okay. Go safely."
Only after confirming Mom and Ji-hye went down the elevator did I close the front door.
Clack- Beep-click.
The sound of the door lock locking. And the perfect silence that followed.
I stood in the middle of the empty living room.
"...Wow."
The corners of my mouth went up smoothly.
"Freedom, f*ck."
Finally, my own fortress is complete.
Unpacking is roughly done. First thing to do... should I distribute moving rice cakes? Wondering what rice cakes in this day and age.
Still, they are neighbors I'll encounter for 4 years at longest, throughout college life. If I want to get some crumbs later, or prevent knife fights over floor noise, shouldn't I break the ice in advance?
It would be quite awkward to bump into them in the elevator every time I go out if I do nothing.
Of course there is a risk. Men are precious in this world. If I press the doorbell to give rice cakes, it's obvious some strange person will come out and make a fuss saying "Oh my, a man lives alone?".
If I'm not careful, it could be like advertising "Come eat me".
But...
'Since when did I care about such things.'
I didn't move out to hide. I came out to live confidently. Whoever the neighbor is, what reason do I have to be scared. If I get eaten just for distributing rice cakes, then I'm just a scrub.
"Yeah, let's distribute. Whatever."
I don't avoid. Frontal breakthrough. That is Seol Jin-hyuk's way.
"First let's think about rice cakes later..."
I flopped down on the floor and turned on a delivery app. Determination is set, but fuel is needed to move the body.
"Should order Jajangmyeon. And Tangsuyuk large size."
On moving day, following the national rule is a must. Rice cakes can wait until I fill my stomach and go leisurely to a rice cake shop to order.
。 。 。
Burp...
I let out a burp that echoed in the living room. With Jajangmyeon and Tangsuyuk filling my stomach, I have nothing to envy in the world.
"F*cking full..."
Everything is annoying when full. Among the 3 major desires of humans, appetite is filled, so now only sleep desire remains. Sexual desire is unfulfilled due to the Trauma from the Sperm Donation Center back then.
Distributing rice cakes... tomorrow. Let's leave it to tomorrow morning's me. Moving is originally done over 2 days and 1 night. No rush.
I roughly put away the delivery containers to one side and threw my body onto the bed. Unfamiliar ceiling. Unfamiliar air. But a perfect space of my own, with no one's interference.
"Should take a nap."
A reward for me who suffered moving. Consciousness cut off as soon as I closed my eyes.
5 hours later...
"Mmm..."
When I opened my eyes, the room was pitch black. My neck is stiff. I fumbled for my phone in a daze and turned it on. The light of the screen stabbed my eyes.
"...What time is it? F*ck."
7 PM. I meant to just close my eyes for a moment, but passed out for a whopping five hours.
"Time for dinner..."
A growling sound came from my stomach. I ate Jajangmyeon and Tangsuyuk until I burst and slept, but hungry again as soon as I wake up.
"Eat sleep eat sleep... Am I a newborn, or a pig."
Dumbfounded, but instinct cannot be beaten. Sick of delivery food, and no tools or ingredients to cook.
"Hmm... Hmm..."
I sat on the edge of the bed pondering for a moment then got up.
"Just grab kimbap at the convenience store, take a walk around the neighborhood to digest... and come home to spin the Vortex."
Perfect plan. While out, I should scan if there's a rice cake shop nearby to distribute tomorrow, and learn the geography of this neighborhood where I'll live.
I roughly threw on a hoodie and pulled my hat down deep. Dragged slippers and left the front door.
Trudge, trudge.
I took the elevator down to the 1st floor. Coming out of the building, the noisy buzz unique to university districts hit me.
Neon signs flashing, and toast chants already ringing out from bars. Of course, the subjects are mostly women.
"Hey! Drink, drink! We die today!" "Unni, that guy is looking? Should I go get his number?"
Between the husky voices, I walked leisurely with hands in my pockets.
'Certainly... the gazes are stinging.'
A man alone on the night street. And a giant figure wandering around, it can't help but stand out. Passersby glanced, and drunk groups whistled, but I pretended to plug in earphones and ignored them.
'Let's see... Rice cake shop...'
Walking while looking around, I saw a sign [Morning Star Rice Cake Mill] in the corner of a shopping arcade. It's closed now, but location confirmed. Can stop by tomorrow morning.
1st goal achieved. Now time to fill the stomach.
I entered the convenience store visible in front of my eyes.
Jingle-
"Welco... Oh?"
The female part-timer stopped while trying to greet. Seeing a suspicious man with a hat pulled down enter, she seemed momentarily tense. Thought I was a robber?
I didn't care and headed to the triangle kimbap corner. One tuna mayo, one Jeonju bibim. And a small cup ramen Yukgaejang. This is a splendid late-night snack... no, dinner.
As I put the items on the counter, the part-timer hesitated and scanned the barcodes.
"...Bag, do you need one?"
"Yes. Please put them in."
"Ah, yes! Here..."
The part-timer couldn't even meet my eyes and frantically packed the items. They said men in this world come to convenience stores with guardians too, is a man alone that fascinating.
I left the convenience store dangling the black plastic bag. The cold night air was refreshing.
"Now, go home and into the Storm of the Vortex..."
My steps were light as a feather.
. . .
Arrived home.
As soon as I locked the front door, I threw off my clothes roughly. Put water in the coffee pot, and turned on the computer power.
Whirrr—
The sound of the tower fan turning sounded sweet like an orchestra tuning. While water boiled, I peeled the triangle kimbap, poured water into the cup ramen, and stuck chopsticks in. Setting complete.
I buried my body deep into the chair and put on the headset.
"Good, let's go in."
It was from then. Like entering the Room of Spirit and Time, space-time began to twist.
Clack-clack-clack! Clack!
"Ah, throwing that! Hey you Stitches son of a btch!" "Nice, heal was good! That's a healer!" "Why split the sword!! Barbarian you fcking bastard!!!!!"
The Storm of the Vortex where joy and sorrow cross.
I ran crazily without knowing the ramen soup was getting cold, or the triangle kimbap seaweed was getting soggy. Defeat, Victory, Victory, Victory.
When I came to my senses, it was already 3 AM.
"...Haa."
I took off the headset and sprawled on the chair. Full stomach, warm back, played games to my heart's content. No one nagging, and no need to wake up early tomorrow for roll call.
"Wow..."
Exclamation came out automatically.
"Low-life life... is fun..."
I'm happy to the point of wondering if this is okay. Not going to the army, getting support funds, and even living alone? This is a reward possible not by saving a country in a past life but saving the whole universe.
I one-shotted the swollen ramen soup and threw my body onto the bed.
"Tomorrow, and the day after... I just want to live like this and die."
I glanced at the calendar before sleeping. A date circled in red pen caught my eye.
"......"
3 days until the University New Student Welcome Party.