Is This the Green Light?

Is this that green light thing or whatever? The air in the room froze solid. The words that burst from Han Choyeun's mouth. And my sigh overlapping hers at the exact same moment. Her face turned beet red in an instant.

"Ah, no, no! That's not what I—!" She waved her hands frantically in the air, rushing to add more. "I already... y'know, been in... that floor! The same floor! That's what I meant!"

"......"

An excuse even a three-year-old wouldn't buy. I quietly set down my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠can. My heart had already dropped once, but now it was strangely calm. Had I really not been caught? Or did she drop it on purpose?

Han Choyeun averted her eyes and muttered, "I didn't mean it like that... for real..."

"Yeah."

"You didn't get the wrong idea, right?"

"...Who knows."

What the hell did you mean then, woman? If you're gonna explain, do it right... Oh, right, she's drunk. Han Choyeun's shoulders twitched. Seeing that reaction confirmed it for me. This wasn't suspicion—it was certainty that she knew I'd been in this room. For some reason, she was pretending not to know.

...Because I did such a good job cleaning? Whatever. She didn't seem inclined to call me out on it. Why? I deliberately kept my face neutral as I lifted my glass.

"We're on the same floor, so it's basically the same as coming in."

"...Huh?"

"Riding the elevator, walking the hallway. Yeah, we've all been here before."

Han Choyeun's eyes slowly turned to me. A beat. Silence. Then...

"...You're right!!" She chimed in exaggeratedly, like she'd just had an epiphany. There was a subtle hint of relief mixed in her reaction. I didn't press further, and Han Choyeun didn't say more on it either. Instead, she refilled our glasses. Her hands trembled a little.

...The air ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was unbearably awkward. If I stayed any longer, my introverted ass would seriously explode. So I stood up.

"W-Well, I should head out then."

"Huh? Already?!"

"Uh, yeah... Got something tomorrow, y'know."

"Oh... oh!" Han Choyeun, who seemed a bit disappointed, suddenly perked up like she'd remembered something. "Then let's at least exchange numbers! Since we're neighbors...?" She shyly held out her phone.

"...Sure."

I answered with a blank expression—god knows what I was thinking—but my head was already a mess. Number exchange. At this hour, after drinking, in her place. Is this... that? The green light? No, hold up, calm down. I've spent most of my life rolling around in male-dominated environments. I've never even exchanged numbers with a girl, obviously. So I couldn't tell.

'Since we're neighbors...?' Yeah, neighbors. Makes sense for neighbors to swap numbers. For noise complaints, wrong deliveries, emergencies. Right. Totally reasonable. Super social move.

I stared blankly at the phone she held out. My fingertips trembled slightly. Could be the booze. ...Nah. For someone drunk, I'm way too aware right now... Even a total nerd like me can't miss this obvious signal.

"Uh... for emergencies, y'know, contact..."

"Ah, yeah. Emergencies."

"Same floor and all... next time, maybe dinner or..." Her last words ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠trailed off so quietly I barely caught them, but I pretended not to hear and tilted my head.

"Huh?"

"N-No! I mean... just for emergencies, yeah."

Her voice scrambled to recover. Her earlobes were red. Eyes darting away again. ...At this point, playing dumb would be a talent. I cleared my throat awkwardly and took her phone to input my number. As calmly as possible. Like I felt nothing. Don't shake, you idiot. Like you're frozen at -50 degrees. Type the damn number, moron. Parkinson's?

Han Choyeun quickly saved my number and sent hers via text. Ding. Vibration. I checked the message on screen and added her contact like it was no big deal.

"...You okay?"

"Huh? ...With what?"

"Pfft... N-Never mind."

What the hell? She stared right at me, and her attitude flipped suddenly. Probably nothing. Anyway, time to wrap this up. I'd already used the tomorrow excuse—couldn't linger forever.

"Well... I'll head in then."

"Yeah! Be safe."

Right before stepping out, she added one more line. "I'll text you? Hehe."

"..."

The Han Choyeun who'd been blushing furiously had transformed into something seductively alluring by the time the door clicked shut.

The next day, like always, I was digging into info on hunters and awakeners. Knowledge is power, after all. No sign of Han Choyeun heading out—maybe her day off—and no quests all day. Even though I'd only awakened Snail Husband recently, there'd been at least one quest daily. Just as I thought today might pass quietly...

Beep-beep!Click! Sounds leaked through the shitty insulation—someone next door heading out. Right on cue, a quest popped up.

"......"

Prepare dinner in under six minutes. Not instant ramen—they obviously meant use Special Meal. "Ha." I'd already realized from yesterday's chat that she knew about my antics for some reason. So I decided to go full shameless.

If the person herself is turning a blind eye, what's the harm? Short timer meant she probably ran to the nearby convenience store. No risk of getting caught—just whip up a fancy Special Meal. One caveat: don't pass out like last time. Can't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠predict her reaction, and collapsing back in my room is a no-go.

I already had a plan, so no hesitation—I activated Phasing and slipped through the wall into Room 305.

"......"

The table where we'd shared drinks less than a day ago—snacks and booze scattered yesterday. Not as big as last time's spread, but the skill would handle portions.

'Special Meal.'

I allocated mana and stamina by will, activating the skill. That familiar drain pulled energy from my body, gathering into a glow above the table.

"Phew... Better than last time."

Smaller portion, better efficiency—didn't wreck me as bad. The light particles faded, revealing truffle cream pasta on the table. I muttered to myself.

'At this point, A-rank Phasing that barely touches stamina or mana feels god-tier.' Felt like I should worship it or something. ...Anyway. Shaking off random thoughts, I phased back to Room 306. Then curiosity hit.

"...Wonder what she'll say?"

What reaction would Han Choyeun have, coming home to truffle cream pasta on her table after a quick errand? Direct grilling this time? Or play dumb again? I checked my phone clock obsessively. Just minutes, but it dragged.

Then—footsteps in the hall. Tap, tap, tap. Light slippers approaching slowly. Pause. ...In front of Room 305. Plastic bag rustle, then beeps. Beep-beep-beep—ding! Click! Door opened, click—closed.

...Silence. I held my breath, standing still, then randomly opened and shut the fridge. Strained my ears, but nothing from 305. Walls weren't that thin—no tiny footsteps or movement. Tried to relax since she wasn't storming over right away—but

KakaoTalk! "Fuck, startled me." Nearly swore aloud at the sudden notification from my bed. Probably sis or Raen. Casually unlocked to check.

"......"

My expectations missed spectacularly—the sender was Han Choyeun. The photo showed the exact scene I'd witnessed minutes ago: tiny table, truffle cream pasta that clashed with the vibe. No doubt—it was the one I'd just made.

"...Ah."

Now I get it. This girl. She's teasing me right now. The moment certainty hit, tension melted away. Still caught, but at least no interrogation. Relief, kinda. But...

Something felt off. Like she had dirt on me. She knew exactly what I was up to but danced around it without saying outright. She didn't seem the type... but damn, she had a knack for toying with people. Safest to play along and ignore, but my rebellious side stirred. Can't just take it lying down.

"What the...?" The message cut off abruptly. Another minute wait for the rest.

"Aha." Tasted the double-stat explosion, huh. Deeply impressed, even bringing up repayment unprompted.

Wasn't expecting anything anyway—preserving my spine for decades was reward enough. Dodged the question.

...What’s this girl planning? Her last message mixed anticipation with a predator's scary vibe—like I was about to get devoured. Of course. If it's literal, for me it's fucking great.