Chapter 17
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 17: Living Alone (2)
The next morning.
Year 2020 AD.
"Unfamiliar ceiling."
Just something I wanted to say once. Not even a robot anime protagonist, talking about unfamiliar ceilings.
But it's not empty words. Unfamiliar wallpaper, unfamiliar smell, and even the unfamiliar noise of the university district coming from outside the window. The first morning in the studio apartment dawned.
I got up from the bed and headed straight to the bathroom. Turned the shower lever to cold water. Whoosh— The pouring cold water snapped me awake.
"Ha... F*ck."
Shaking my wet hair with a towel, I looked in the mirror. Puffy swollen eyes. The price for wandering in the Storm of the Vortex until dawn yesterday.
I took out a bottle of water from the fridge and drank while falling into deep thought.
Rice cakes. Should I buy those moving rice cakes or not.
Honestly, it's annoying. In this day and age, who distributes rice cakes for moving in.
But if I don't distribute them and later bump into them in the elevator, getting chewed out like 'Oh my, the bachelor next door has no manners? Did he self-study home education?' is even more annoying. A man's reputation is easier to break than glass shards.
Above all, I wanted to check the mugs of my neighbors once. I need to know what kind of humans inhabit my surroundings to prepare.
"...Let's just go."
Better to get the beating over with, better to distribute rice cakes quickly.
I roughly threw on a hoodie and pulled my hat down deep. Dragged slippers and went outside. The destination was the place I saw on the way to the convenience store yesterday.
Rattle.
As soon as I opened the sliding door and entered, the thick smell of sesame oil, so savory it made my head spin, hit my nostrils.
Inside the shop filled with white steam, the auntie owner who was slicing rice cakes sensed a presence and looked up.
"Oh my, welco... Huh?"
The owner's hand stopped in mid-air.
She opened her eyes round and scanned me up and down. An expression like encountering a Bengal tiger escaped during a safari tour. Rather than wariness, it was a gaze mixed with pure shock and curiosity.
"...Are you a male student?"
"Yes."
I answered nonchalantly. Then the owner, as if she couldn't believe it, wiped her hands vigorously on her apron and ran out to the counter.
"Oh my god... What a surprise. A man coming to a rice cake shop in the morning?"
The owner's voice flipped.
"Running an errand? Where is your guardian? Your mom?"
"No. I came alone."
"Alone?!"
She shouts loud enough for the shop to ring.
In this world, a man, and without a guardian at that, coming bare-bodied to order rice cakes seems as rare as a unicorn tap dancing in Gwanghwamun Square.
"Aigoo, oh my god... How can you be so commendable! Boys these days try not to get a drop of water on their hands, but you're so brave not even pretending to be naive about the world!"
Honey started dripping from the owner's eyes. I instinctively sensed danger.
'If I get caught up in this wrong, I'll be held for 30 minutes listening to a sermon.'
I hurriedly brought up the main topic to cut the flow.
"...Do you sell Siru-tteok (steamed rice cake) by any chance?"
"Siru-tteok? Why that?"
"I moved in. I plan to distribute some to the neighbors."
"Oh my, oh my! Even moving rice cakes?!"
The owner covered her mouth overwhelmed with emotion. Eyes like she saw a hero who saved the country. No, I just came to buy a rice cake.
"Okay, okay! I'll slice it really nicely for you. Just wait a moment! I'll give you the best ones!"
Chop, chop, chop!
The owner started pounding the cutting board excitedly. Steaming Siru-tteok was sliced nicely and packed into containers one by one.
But then.
"Here, this is service."
The owner tossed a pack of honey rice cakes into the bag.
"This is Injeolmi made this morning. It's tasty. Eat this too."
One pack of Injeolmi added.
"Giving this because the bachelor is so handsome. Take some Garae-tteok too and grill it to eat."
Two rows of Garae-tteok added.
In an instant, the bag became heavy. I ordered half a Mal (unit) of Siru-tteok, but the service rice cakes seem to be more than the main product. Is this what they mean by the belly button being bigger than the belly.
"...Excuse me, owner. This is a bit too much."
"Aiyoo, it's fine! It's because you're like my own child. Eat lots and grow up strong."
I'm already all grown up though. The owner held my hand tight and wouldn't let go.
"Right, where do you go to school? Around here?"
Census taking start. I avoided her gaze and answered shortly.
"...Hoyeon University."
"Oh my! Hoyeon University?!"
The owner's voice soared to a high tone, threatening to pierce the ceiling.
"That prestigious university? Aigoo, oh my god! Handsome face and good at studying too! My daughter couldn't even get close even after retaking the exam! As expected, a man has to be smart for the household to rise!"
Praise bombing poured down. I felt even the customers passing in front of the shop glancing. My face burned. I felt like dying of embarrassment.
'...Please, I just want to buy rice cakes and go.'
But if I ignore her and leave here, it's obvious I'll be called rude. I put on a forced smile and acted humble.
"No... I was just lucky."
It is luck. Born with a d*ck and free-passed through the male quota.
"What luck! It's skill! Here, it's all done."
"······."
The owner held out two heavy black bags. I handed over my card as if fleeing and finished the payment.
"I'll eat well. Please sell lots."
"Okay, okay! Come again! If older sisters bully you, run here! Auntie will hide you!"
Even if I run, I'll run to the police station, never coming here again... But the service is definite. If I want to eat rice cakes later, should I brave the embarrassment and come?
"...Yes... Goodbye."
Leaving behind the owner's booming send-off, I ran out of the shop.
Jingle—
As soon as the door closed, cold wind hit my cheek. Hands full of rice cakes, a streak of cold sweat on my back.
"...Drained of energy, really."
Exhausted from the morning.
Arrived back at the studio apartment building. An 8-story new officetel with an elevator. I stood in front of the 1st-floor entrance, adjusted my grip on the luggage, and checked the time on my phone.
"Phew..."
I lifted my head and looked up at the building. Come to think of it, the building is f*cking huge.
"Distribute to all of this? That's crazy."
For now, I'm Unit 603. I have about 30 servings of Siru-tteok.
This officetel has 10 units per floor. No need to tap a calculator. It's perfect. If I distribute to the floors above and below that could be involved in floor noise, and my floor, the quantity roughly matches. I can eat the remaining one.
"Let's crush Unit 501 first."
I picked up a Siru-tteok box and went up to the 5th floor.
In front of Unit 501. Pressed the doorbell.
Ding dong—
Waiting but no response. Went to work maybe.
"Guess no one's home..."
Well, I should just hang the rice cake bag on the doorknob with the memo I prepared roughly.
Next, Unit 502... No one here either.
Next, Unit 503.
Ding dong—
—Yaaawn... Just a moment...
A rough yawning sound came from inside. A moment later, with the sound of the door lock unlocking, the door opened.
Creaaak.
Some slob came out. Hair a messy bird's nest, sleep crust still in eyes, gray pajamas. Clearly just woke up. Is she a college student? Looks like a young older sister (Noona)... 10:30 AM. If she's a college student, it is indeed time to travel dreamland.
"Hello. I moved in upstairs, came to distribute rice cakes."
"Ah.. yes... thank you. I'll eat well."
The woman couldn't even open her eyes properly and accepted the rice cake mechanically. She seems unable to distinguish if I'm a man, a rice cake delivery man, or a hallucination.
"Yes, I'm right upstairs so if it's noisy please tell me, then goodbye."
"Yes..."
Bang.
The door closed.
"More indifferent than I thought."
Well, gave a rice cake anyway so it's done. If she's that much of a slob, she won't be coming upstairs to complain about floor noise.
Anyway, roughly distributed to everyone from 504 to 510. No one's home. Indeed, since it's a weekday, office workers wouldn't be here at this time. Or they might have gone out. Was only my downstairs neighbor 503 a college student earlier.
"Now the 6th floor where my house is."
Start with 601...
Ding dong—
None. 602, none. 604 to 605 all absent in a row.
Next, 606.
Ding dong—
"Just a moment.. Who is it?"
A childish voice came over the intercom. A child.
"Ah.. Is your mom not home by any chance?"
Not a parent insult. Just purely asking for guardian presence.
"Ah.. She went out."
"I see. Hyung... no, Oppa is the person who moved in yesterday and came to give rice cakes. If you're uncomfortable opening the door, I'll leave it on the doorknob."
"Just a moment, I'll come out."
Click.
The door opened. Standing at the entrance was a small little girl wearing a mask as if she had a cold. Looked about lower grades of elementary school.
The kid saw me and opened her eyes round.
"Hello...? Uh... Oppa?"
"Hi? Here, take the rice cake."
I held out the rice cake box and grinned. But the kid stopped trying to take the rice cake, and stared intently at my face. As if seeing a fascinating creature.
"....Thank you."
"I'll be going now. And when there's no guardian, don't open the door to strangers."
"Yes..."
Unit 606 Clear.
Cleared the rest of the 6th floor people too. Now what's left is the long-awaited upstairs, 7th floor.
I thought while climbing the stairs to the 7th floor. Honestly, pressing the doorbell ding-dong for every unit is burdensome and annoying. I'm not a rice cake seller.
I should just stick memos and run for the upstairs units.
Except for Unit 703.
The owner of the unit above my head who holds my right to sleep, who might stomp above my head. Checking that mug is a matter of survival.
7th floor hallway...
I moved swiftly like a ninja. 701, 702... Hand movements hanging rice cake bags and memos on doorknobs were not ordinary. It's tiring to meet face to face and hear "Oh my, it's a man?" anyway.
But this place is an exception.
Above my head, the place holding the life and death power over my right to sleep. I absolutely had to check who the owner of this place was.
If it's a 'foot hammer' villain (heavy walker), or an insider who calls friends every dawn to throw a drinking party? I need to break the ice in advance and lay the groundwork saying "I'm a bit sensitive to noise...".
"Phew..."
Took a deep breath once, and pressed the doorbell.
Ding dong—
Please be a normal person. Be a kind normal person who lives quietly breathing only like me.
"......"
No reaction.
Pressed it again.
Ding dong— Ding dong—
"Excuse me, anyone home? I came from downstairs."
Beyond the door was silent. Not even a presence was felt.
'Not home?'
That's a shame. Wanted to see the mug once, and judge physiognomically if this human has the face of a floor noise culprit.
If absent at this time... probably an office worker or college student. Should I call it fortunate that at least they aren't a jobless bum.
"Can't help it."
I wrote a phrase on the prepared memo and stuck it to the rice cake bag.
(Please be careful about floor noise^^)
The content in the parentheses... I wrote and erased it. Seems like picking a fight from the first meeting. Just left a plain greeting and hung it on the doorknob.
"I'll run into them later I guess."
I turned back without lingering attachment. No reason to loiter in front of someone's house waiting for a person who isn't there.
Coming down the stairs, I prayed and prayed inwardly.
'...Please just don't be a crazy bastard...'