No! Jun! I'm Fine!

Rin hurried into the house. I followed close behind, scanning the building's layout as we went.

No way. Why the hell is the heroine living in a dump like this? This is guaranteed to pile on the regret points! She's suffering through blood, sweat, and tears in a place like this, so of course she'll regret everything and go back later! Fuck!

“...Um. ...Rin?”

“Yeah?”

“Did your family originally have it really... really rough or something?”

I asked as carefully as I could. Rin frowned.

“Jun. That’s a rude thing to ask.”

“But... there’s no reason for you to be living somewhere like this.”

“If it’s not a place like this, it’s not safe...”

I had no idea what she was talking about. Not safe? What kind of nonsense was that?

Sleeping rough at Seoul Station would be a hundred times safer than staying in this house.

Or would it? With her looks, even Seoul Station might be dangerous... Ugh, nothing makes sense and my brain’s just spinning in circles.

I shook my head hard to clear out the useless thoughts and took a slow look around Rin’s place.

Aside from the faint moldy smell typical of semi-basements, it was just an ordinary home.

There was a TV, a fridge, and all the usual things you’d find in a place where someone lived alone.

I’d lived in a semi-basement myself in my previous life, so I understood. But it still wasn’t safe. Especially not for a girl.

While I was lost in thought, Rin took an orange juice from the fridge, poured it into a cup, and set it in front of me.

Then she sat down politely across from me.

“Rin. First, why did you bring me to your house?”

“I was just happy to see you... Aren’t friends supposed to invite each other over?”

...Are they? I thought Japan had a strong lone-wolf culture.

In this novel’s world, girls just casually invite guys over? What kind of plot-hole-riddled setting was this?

Wait, was this supposed to be a 19+ novel? No, I’m sure it didn’t have the red label...

My head was too tangled to keep thinking straight. What the hell was going on?

“Ah... I see. But in Korea it’s not like that, Rin. When a girl invites a guy over, especially to a place where they’ll be completely alone, it can cause misunderstandings.”

“What kind of misunderstandings?”

“Well... in Korea, a girl inviting a guy to her house usually means... she likes him. That she wants to spend time alone together.”

That sounded right... Now that I thought about it, it made sense. No girl had ever invited me over in my previous life.

The moment I finished speaking, Rin’s face flushed bright red.

“Oh, really? I had no idea... That was close. Thank you for telling me, Jun.”

“It’s nothing. Anyway, this place is too dangerous. I’ll get you a hotel room for tonight. And I’ll find you an apartment right away.”

“No! Jun! I’m really fine!”

“No, I’m too worried to let this go. If I let a friend from back home sleep in a place like this, I won’t be able to sleep at night.”

Rin’s heart ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was pounding so violently she could barely think straight.

In Japan, it was completely normal for both guys and girls to visit each other’s houses, so she had never dreamed Korea would be this different.

Then... Jun knew that and still came to my house?

Rin’s face burned so hot it felt like it might explode.

On the other hand, my mind was spinning with practical calculations.

The Japan I knew and the Japan in this world were completely different.

Japan was supposed to be a culture that valued living alone and not bothering others.

But here, people invited friends over regardless of gender?

Korea’s culture hadn’t changed, so it seemed like only Japan’s cultural setting had been altered.

The author bastard must have forced the otaku and the heroine together to satisfy his own twisted desires.

Whatever. I’d look into that later. The priority was moving Rin somewhere safe.

We’d already been stuck together inside and outside the classroom on the first day, so people probably already saw us as halfway into a fling.

If a rich guy like me left the girl I was rumored to be seeing in a dingy semi-basement, I’d instantly be labeled the world’s biggest scumbag.

And if something bad actually happened... I didn’t even want to think about the consequences.

Either way, I needed to get her out of this gloomy room as fast as possible and set her up in a decent apartment.

Maybe I should just move her into the unit next to mine?

Rin, who had been sitting with her eyes closed in thought, finally spoke in a tiny, hesitant voice.

“...Okay. Then... could I trouble you just this once? I’ll definitely pay you back later!”

“Uh... you really don’t have to pay me back, but... yeah. Sure! In return, leave everything to me. Everything about you. I’ll make sure to send you back safely.”

“Send me back where?”

“Haha. Obviously, once you graduate I’ll send you safely back to your home in Japan. You’re not planning to stay here forever, right?”

Rin tilted her head at my words. Her expression seemed to say, I am planning to stay here forever.

No! Please go back! Don’t make that face! I just want to live comfortably sucking on honey!

“I’m going to live here forever. I don’t... want to go back to Japan, Jun.”

There was clearly some serious reason behind this. Refusing to return to her home country where her family lived?

Had something major happened in the original story that I didn’t know about?

“Anyway, let’s go now. It’ll get harder to book a hotel if we wait any longer.”

“Okay. Got it.”

I practically dragged her outside. The housewarming visit had ended in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠less than thirty minutes.

Once we were outside the building, I called my personal driver and gave him the address.

While we waited for the car, I looked around. The area was already dark.

Only a few scattered streetlights barely illuminated the alleys.

This really is a dangerous neighborhood.

When Rin finally came out pulling her suitcase, I spoke to her quietly.

“Just wait a little longer. The driver will be here soon.”

“Yeah. Thank you, Jun.”

We were having a light conversation while we waited when it happened.

From the dark corner of a distant alley, several drunk men came shouting and yelling at the top of their lungs.

Tsk. The neighborhood is a complete mess. Good thing I’m not leaving her here.

The moment I clicked my tongue internally, Rin quietly slipped behind my back and grabbed a fistful of my clothes.

“......?”

Startled, I turned to look at her and froze.

Rin’s face was deathly pale, completely drained of color. She was breathing hard and fast.

Her unfocused eyes were shaking violently.

Her small hands clutched my shirt so tightly it felt like the fabric might tear as she pressed herself desperately against me, like I was her only lifeline.

“...Haa, ngh... haa...”

She buried her face in my chest, trembling like a leaf in the wind as if she had seen a ghost.

“What’s wrong, Rin! Are you okay?”

“Jun... I’m scared... please...!”

I was confused by her sudden behavior, but I wrapped my arms around her slender body first.

Then I looked around warily. But the only people passing through the alley were ordinary drunk guys.

“Wahahaha! Manager! Let’s go for round two! Round two!”

“Yeah, Kim! Let’s go for round two! Where should we go next!”

What? They’re just normal drunk office workers you see anywhere.

I gently patted her trembling back until their voices faded into the distance.

The shaking I felt through my fingertips was exactly like someone who had seen something terrifying.

What the hell happened...? Is this trauma?

A girl who had lived like a princess in Japan, adored for her unmatched beauty, had come to Korea—a place with no connections to her. If she had experienced something traumatic...

The questions multiplied, but that wasn’t important right now.

I simply stayed silent and softly stroked her back until her ragged breathing gradually calmed down.

“Thank you, Jun... I’m sorry...”

“It’s fine. Let’s get in the car first.”

Just as Rin’s breathing finally returned to normal, the driver arrived at the perfect time.

I loaded her suitcase into the trunk, helped her into the back seat, and sat beside her.

As I sat quietly thinking, the way Rin had acted earlier kept replaying in my mind.

Even if it was a luxury hotel, leaving her alone in that state felt too uneasy.

“Rin. Would you... want to stay at my place tonight?”

“...What?!”

Rin’s round eyes widened even more. I could see her face turning scarlet in real time.

Crap. I literally just explained why inviting someone home in Korea causes misunderstandings.

“Don’t misunderstand. I just feel like I shouldn’t leave you alone tonight. My place is huge, so I can give you a guest room. Just stay there for one night.”

“...No. I’ve already troubled you too much. I’m sorry, Jun... for keeping causing you problems...”

The sly fox from earlier had vanished. Rin kept her head down, her voice growing smaller and smaller. Her ears probably would have drooped if she had any.

My personality wasn’t cold enough to watch her beat herself up like this.

I deliberately answered in a casual, offhand way.

“What’s there to be sorry about? How could I ignore you when you showed me a face like that? I’d be too worried to sleep. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“...Yeah. We’re friends. Thank you for caring, Jun...”

Rin felt a little relieved as she looked at Jun, who was taking care of her in his usual calm way.

Ever since those hellish days, just hearing a man’s voice or presence in a dark place made Rin’s heart clench like it would burst.

But earlier, the chest she had instinctively burrowed into when she lost control was different.

The embrace that brought back memories of that day felt warm, comforting, and vast—like her only sanctuary.

She hadn’t been able to say a proper word to him back in Japan. She had been the one to approach him first after coincidentally finding him in Korea, but she never imagined he would treat her so deeply as a friend in just a single day.

Could it be... that Jun has feelings for me too?

For a brief moment, that suspicion made her sneak a glance at his face.

Jun, watching the night view flow past the window, only looked worried.

...It’s the same as back then.

The casual kindness he had tossed her way in high school.

It was exactly the same gentle attitude from that time—pretending it was nothing, asking no questions, and quietly looking after her.

“Rin, just rest well here tonight. See this door lock? It’s basically completely separate from where I am, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Okay. Thank you, Jun.”

“Good. Let’s talk about tomorrow... tomorrow.”

I showed her to the room, closed the door, and came out.

As I walked into the living room, I remembered the stunned reaction Rin had when she first saw my place and let out a small laugh.

Jun! You call this just a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠house?! This is the penthouse of Seoul’s tallest building!

Yeah. As you can see, my family’s pretty well-off. There’s plenty of space, so make yourself comfortable.

Yeah, it was total money flexing. I had bought the Jamsil Lotte Tower penthouse in cash the moment I arrived in Korea.

It still felt like a dream sometimes that this ultra-luxury home was in my name—a place I couldn’t even tour in my previous life.

I decided to give the author bastard a rare compliment for this insane wealth.

But I couldn’t just enjoy it. After seeing Rin’s reaction, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had to find out what had happened to her.

Staring at Seoul’s nightscape, I immediately made a call.

My eyes grew cold as I stared down at the phone screen.

Tsk. So I end up getting tangled in this after all? Compliment revoked. You fucking hack author.