Debt Assumption (5)
“Haeun, come eat. It’d be a waste if you don’t touch it after I went to all this trouble.”
“…You bastard.”
Even after we got home, Seo Haeun showed no sign of softening. I’d transferred the two million won straight into her account and cooked dinner myself, so what was the problem? Having such a considerate roommate and still staying this pissed off made her a real pain to live with. This was the moment she needed the most attention, so I figured I might as well enjoy it.
“If it hurts, take some painkillers. You need food in your stomach first. Sit down.”
“It’s not that I’m in pain…! How could you just make that promise in one day…?”
“You were sprawled out on the gym floor. Was I supposed to leave you there? I touched your ass. I touched your chest.”
“…You son of a bitch…”
Seo Haeun, who had been whining face-down on the sofa, finally sat at the table while still cursing. Instead of eating, she furiously tapped at her phone, then shoved the screen in my face.
“If you ever pull that shit again, I’m reporting you. I’m recording right now. Touch me one more time and I’ll kill you…”
“Fine, fine. Just sit and eat. From the way you’re whining, your muscle pain must be gone.”
“You say that, but then you go and grope my chest right in front of me—!”
“I’m not even allowed to look now? I already know exactly how they feel, so how am I supposed to pretend I don’t? Be grateful I’m holding back instead of jumping you.”
“You crazy bastard!”
Seo Haeun, all bark and no bite, slammed the table and stood up just as the front door beeped open.
…Probably not the best timing to be yelling like that in front of her roommate, but the voice that followed was sweet, and the woman attached to it had the kind of looks that screamed sex. The shameless girl who’d peeked at my body yesterday and run away walked into the kitchen in loose clothes.
“…What the hell. Again.”
She looked down at us with a face mixing embarrassment and contempt. Thanks to the mole under her eye, even the baggy outfit couldn’t hide how lewd she looked. My first thought was that she really was an idol, and my second was that the two of them really were sisters. If I had to say who was prettier right now… the made-up little sister obviously won.
“Ah, Jia…”
“Unni… what is this?”
Seo Haeun stood up, fidgeting as she awkwardly turned to greet her sister. The landlord and creditor. They shared blood, but the age gap wasn’t enough to make their relationship easy. No wonder Haeun had been secretly badmouthing her on that private account. This was the angelic little sister who let her live in a high-rise overlooking the Han River for only five hundred thousand won a month. If it were me, I’d at least lick her tits even if I couldn’t lick her feet.
“Ah, you must be the younger sister. Hello. I’m—”
“The introductions can wait. Answer me first. Why have you been coming here two days in a row?”
I tucked away my less-than-pure thoughts and greeted the landlord politely. But our idol-slash-owner of two high-rise apartments cut me off without a shred of manners, speaking to someone who might be her sister’s boyfriend.
…I didn’t know this woman well, but one thing was clear: she was definitely Seo Haeun’s little sister. How could she act exactly like Haeun a few years ago? Except she was a lot taller.
“Well, there are circumstances—”
“Don’t dodge the question. …Are the two of you living together?”
“Yes. That’s the plan.”
She didn’t seem like the type I could easily fool whether I played nice or tried to talk my way out, so I dropped the act and answered straight. Unlike Seo Jia, whose brow only slightly furrowed, Haeun stared at me in horror like she wanted to kill me. Honestly, Seo Jia looked far more intimidating. No matter how much I sweet-talked Seo Haeun, if the landlord told me to get out, I’d have to leave. I had no desire to go back to some dingy studio when I could stay in an apartment that at least had a view of the river. Not unless she kicked Haeun out with me.
“Unni.”
“…Ah, yeah. J-Jia.”
“Is it true?”
“……”
With a sour expression, Seo Jia immediately started interrogating her sister without giving her time to think. She was much younger than either of us, but unlike Haeun—who had a bit of a loser vibe that made her oddly cute—her voice carried real weight. She really was an idol, or rather, a singer. Even in this short exchange, the difference in vocal projection was obvious.
“I already told you, didn’t I? Haeun and I—”
“I didn’t ask you. …Please be quiet.”
Still, she was just a twenty-year-old girl. Charging in like that, talking down to her sister’s boyfriend without any hesitation, didn’t make her look particularly smart. She’d clearly gotten too used to being fawned over because of her popularity and money, and forgotten basic manners. Being famous and rich didn’t mean she had no enemies.
“Unni. Are you really living together? With a guy? Since yesterday?”
“……Uh, yeah…”
“Say it clearly. Yes or no. I took time out of my schedule to come here.”
“…Yeah. We’re living together…”
It would’ve been smarter for Haeun to just look terrified and clam up instead of trying to lie. Normal people grovel to the strong and act generous to the weak. That’s how Haeun got caught by me in the first place—she couldn’t do it back then either.
“Are you dating? The two of you?”
“Th-that’s…!”
“Yes.”
I stepped beside the trembling Haeun and answered for her. There was no point begging someone who only looked straight ahead. The only way to get through to them was to step on the gas and keep talking right beside them. People like Haeun, who groveled in front and grumbled behind, just got treated like idiots. Look at the way her sister was staring at her now.
“Hey…!”
“If we’re dating, of course we’d live together. What other reason would there be?”
“Wait, I’m just checking. Your name is Kang Juhyuk, right? The baseball player?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Unni told me. She said the two of you didn’t get along.”
That was the look she gave her sister’s boyfriend? Honestly, until a moment ago I’d been unsure, but now I understood why Haeun hated her sister so much. If your little sister talked down to you like that even though you were the older one, you’d want to slap her. On top of that, the sister was succeeding at what Haeun had wanted to do, and Haeun was even living off her. The inferiority complex must be suffocating.
“She even told you we didn’t get along? Well… most of it was a misunderstanding. I retired and we cleared things up. They say even bad blood can turn into fate, right?”
“Is that so. …Then, excuse me for asking, but what exactly are you doing now?”
“Haeun said she wanted to try something, so I’m acting as a sort of manager.”
“…A manager?”
“Ah, the details are confidential. Haeun told me not to say anything.”
She was the type who made me want to tie her up and fuck her until she passed out from frustration, but her status was too high for that. Still, I didn’t need to touch her to use her. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all. If I sided with the tenant when the landlord and tenant fought, she’d feel grateful no matter how much of an asshole I was.
“I see… I didn’t know.”
“Well… we’re even thinking about marriage. We figured we might as well live together while working. I was planning to tell you when I had time.”
I could feel Seo Haeun shaking behind me, but I pushed her back with my hand so her reaction wouldn’t give us away. We’d already agreed to introduce ourselves as a couple, so there was nothing to argue about. The manager thing wasn’t a lie either—I had plans.
“You know this apartment is under my name, right?”
“I do. Haeun moved in first and said she’d get permission later.”
“…Haa. Of course she did.”
“I had to leave my old place and had nowhere else to go. She said there was an extra room, so it’d be fine.”
This part was mostly true—I really did plan on moving out eventually. Haeun suggesting I move in first was the lie, but the fact that she agreed to cohabitation was real, so it was half-truth. I hadn’t told a single lie this woman could actually catch me on. If she still kicked me out because she didn’t like it, there was nothing I could do.
“So how long are you planning to stay here? I’m thinking of selling this place eventually.”
“About six months. We’ll probably split living expenses and rent. We’ll be earning money together anyway.”
“Unni told you about the place upstairs too, right?”
“Yes.”
“God… Kang Juhyuk-ssi. If you tell anyone else where I live, or bring anyone else here besides Unni and yourself, I’ll kick you out immediately.”
“Ah, of course. You’re famous.”
Her personality was a real pain, but her fame actually worked in our favor. An idol who heartlessly kicked out her own sister? There wasn’t a juicier story than that. Whether we had that intention or not, Seo Jia—who knew her sister’s financial situation—would have no choice but to stay on guard. This woman would have nowhere to go without someone looking after her.
“You catch on quick. Makes things easy. …There could be weird articles, so please don’t act like you know us in public if possible.”
“Understood.”
“If we’re done here, I’m leaving. I’m tired after work.”
Having made her point clear, Seo Jia shot me one last sharp look and disappeared. Her attitude was far too rude for someone who’d just given permission, but whatever.
“……”
Instead, Seo Haeun stayed behind, looking like she was one second away from hitting me.