Terror (2)
I looked like I’d just rolled out of bed—short sleeves and long pants. The man staring down at me wore an expression that screamed exhaustion and irritation. No matter how hard I peered past the entryway, neither my sister nor Hinami were anywhere in sight.
“Do you just barge in here whenever the hell you feel like it on weekends?”
“Where’s my sister?”
“Friend’s birthday.”
“…And the other one?”
“You think I’m gonna tag along to some girl’s birthday party? I’m just taking it easy since it’s Sunday.”
“…”
I wasn’t sure whether to call it bad luck that only Kang Juhyuk was home, or a relief that at least someone was here. I didn’t know anymore.
Sudden exhaustion hit me like a wave. My legs gave out and I sank straight down onto the floor of the entryway.
“Hey, what the hell?”
“…”
He looked unusually flustered, but I wasn’t in any state to care. I panted hard, forcing my racing heart to slow down, and only then did the terror finally begin to loosen its grip.
The manager really was a psychotic stalker bastard, but just like the director had said earlier, this building had top-tier security. Still, I couldn’t think straight. That cheerleader outfit photo kept flashing behind my eyes.
…I should’ve just stayed holed up at home. There was no reason to come all the way down here.
“You okay?”
“…I’m fine. Sorry.”
I wiped the cold sweat dripping down my forehead with my arm, stood up, brushed the dust off my clothes, and turned to leave. No matter how scared I was, I had zero desire to be alone with this man.
I gave a quick bow and started to walk away—only for my wrist to be seized in an iron grip.
“W-what are you doing?”
“You can’t just turn around and leave without explaining a damn thing.”
“…”
Kang Juhyuk had my wrist locked down so I couldn’t escape. I hated how this freeloader had the nerve to lecture the actual owner of the house about not barging in, but I couldn’t argue. If our positions were reversed, I wouldn’t have let him leave either.
I swallowed hard, trying to decide how much I should tell him, then dug my phone out of my pocket and handed it over.
“What’s this?”
“…This. That’s why.”
It was the tweet I assumed belonged to the manager—packed with photos of me. The moment he saw them, his already harsh face twisted into something even more terrifying. He released my wrist and handed the phone back.
“Stalker?”
“…Yes. The manager from last time.”
“Get inside first.”
“Ah, but…”
“Stop talking nonsense and come in.”
I tried to slip away and head back to my own place, but he gave me a deadly serious look, strode around behind me, and shoved me forward with his body while slamming the front door shut.
…This wasn’t what I wanted at all.
“Did you report it?”
“…Ah, I contacted the director…”
“Do it. Now.”
I stood there fidgeting in the entryway, completely flustered. His reminder snapped me out of my panic. I hurriedly sent the manager’s tweet account to the director and finally relaxed a little when I received a reply saying he understood.
…I’d probably have to file a proper report this time. It was too dangerous to sweep under the rug. There would definitely be articles and ugly rumors, but I had no choice but to trust the agency. Even if Hinami ended up dragged through the press… I’d have to use my sister as an excuse to cover it up somehow. He wouldn’t want the situation blowing up either.
“What a fucking freak.”
“…”
It felt weird hearing those words come from him, but I nodded anyway. He wasn’t wrong.
“Stay here for a while. It’s better than being alone, right?”
“…”
But this was one suggestion I couldn’t simply agree to. The manager was dangerous and terrifying, sure—but so was this man. If anything, Kang Juhyuk was the bigger threat. The manager was roughly my height and physically weak; I might actually be able to shake him off and run. But there was no way I could escape this man no matter what I did.
“Stop sweating like that. Come in and take a shower first.”
“H-huh?”
“Your clothes are soaked. Check for yourself.”
The moment those words doubled my suspicion and I looked flustered, he pointed at his own back and then jabbed a finger at me, trying to clear up the misunderstanding. I quickly reached behind myself and felt my pajama top—completely drenched in sweat. Shame hit me so hard I bit my lip.
…I shouldn’t have been this scared. It was just creepy and bizarre, that’s all.
“Grab some clothes from Haeun’s room and change. I’ll be in my room.”
Honestly, I could have shaken my head and gone home. I could go back to my place, shower, change, and come back later if I still felt uneasy. It wouldn’t have mattered.
…But.
“…Okay.”
The second those words left my mouth to the man blocking the front door, I knew his filthy, disgusting true nature would come crawling out if I said anything else. I couldn’t bring myself to speak.
There was no one here who would help me.
I walked into my sister’s room while roughly drying my soaked hair with a towel. I had already changed in the bathroom, of course. There were way too many weird clothes, but I picked the baggiest ones I could find—a plain black long-sleeved shirt and gray sweatpants. Nothing that even hinted at my collarbones. The underwear was ordinary gray too. The bra was a little big on me, though… so I went with a sports bra instead.
“…Haah.”
…Did I really have to stay here until the director replied? Honestly, maybe he would let me leave if I insisted on going back. Unlike the manager, he had no reason to obsess over me. If he messed with me for no reason, he’d lose both my sister and Hinami.
That logical thought gave me a surge of confidence. The moment I finished drying my hair, I stepped out of the room.
The living room was still pathologically spotless. The kitchen was just as clean. I rummaged around looking for instant coffee, but the only things I could find were green tea and black tea bags. While I was standing there confused—
“What? You hungry?”
“No, I was looking for coffee…”
“There’s whole beans right there.”
Kang Juhyuk had come out of his room and spotted me. He pointed at a white bag to show me where the beans were. …He actually brewed his own coffee? This guy?
I stood there blankly, surprised. He walked over, opened the bag of beans, pulled out a grinder, and started grinding them.
“Never had pour-over before?”
“…I have. I’ve done hand drip and used an espresso machine. I worked part-time at a café too.”
“Why’d you work at a café?”
“For a broadcast.”
“Ah, right. Makes sense.”
He ground the rather light-colored beans with a loud crunch, yawned hugely, then dumped the grounds into a moka pot and started boiling water.
“Ugh, so annoying. Maybe I should just buy a machine.”
“…”
I couldn’t tell if he was talking to himself or to me. I stood across from him as he casually chatted away and listened to the sound of the water boiling. On one hand, the fact that he seemed completely uninterested in me was a relief. On the other, it felt so deliberately performative that it left me feeling uneasy.
“…Hey, where’d you get those clothes?”
“Huh?”
“I’ve never seen Haeun wear that before.”
“…They were just in the closet.”
“Really?”
Maybe he was trying to erase that lingering discomfort. He pointed at the clothes I was wearing and reacted like he genuinely hadn’t seen them before. …It probably wasn’t a lie. Whenever I ran into my sister, she was always showing a ton of skin. So the fact that I deliberately chose something long and modest…
…Ugh. I already had a headache. I didn’t want to have to overthink every single word I exchanged with this man.
“…When is my sister coming back?”
“No idea. She said she’d stay over for the night?”
“What?”
I’d brought up my sister to try and wrap up the conversation, but his answer was completely unexpected.
“Why are you so shocked? She’s an adult.”
“…And you allowed that?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“…”
I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I knew exactly how obsessed this man was with my sister. The way he spoke so casually about her sleeping over felt completely untrustworthy.
“You think she’d go out and meet some guy? What would she even do? At most she’ll drink with her friends and come home. You don’t think there’s even that much trust between us?”
“Shouldn’t you be worried about someone like my sister?”
I could understand my sister trusting Kang Juhyuk, even if I didn’t get why. And I could accept that Kang Juhyuk trusting my sister was just confidence on his part. But there was no way he trusted the people who approached her.
…Maybe he was lying. Maybe my sister had only gone out for a quick grocery run. Maybe he’d told her not to come back after seeing me enter the house.
“That’s… because you didn’t see what she said when she left.”
Contrary to my suspicions, he scratched the back of his neck with an awkward expression and looked away.
“What did she say?”
“If you heard it, you’d lose all respect for your sister. Can’t do that to you.”
“…I don’t have any to begin with.”
“You really want to hear about your sister’s embarrassing sex life from someone else’s mouth?”
“…”
…I could imagine it without him saying anything. My sister’s cutesy, coquettish voice echoed unwanted in my head.
“Just drink your coffee. I didn’t let you in because I like you or anything.”
“…Then why?”
“I’m the landlord, and you’re Haeun’s sister, so… Ugh. Forget it. …Use your common sense. How do you think I see you?”
“…”
Unlike the way he treated my sister, his attitude toward me was pure annoyance. He looked like he was barely holding back irritation, like he was forcing himself to swallow his malice. I took a sip of the coffee—I’d expected it to be bitter, but it was strangely acidic—and didn’t try to run as he trudged back to his room.
At least for now… it seemed like he liked my sister far more than he hated me.