Chapter 140: Juksim's Studio Apartment
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 140: Juksim's Studio Apartment
However, a problem arose.
Neither Ahyu nor I knew where Juksim lived.
“Is Juksim online right now?”
At Ahyu’s question, I immediately checked my phone, but for some reason, Juksim was logged out.
Did she go to the convenience store or something?
I should have gotten her phone number back then, but since we always talked through the game chat, I’d completely forgotten.
...No, wait. Even if I called Juksim, she wouldn't answer anyway.
She was someone who didn’t speak, after all.
“Ah, maybe Naek.”
Just then, I remembered that Naek had given Juksim a piggyback ride home.
I quickly found Naek’s number and gave her a call.
After a few rings, I heard a click as the call connected.
[Who is this? Is it my boyfriend? Ah, right, I don't have one. Haha.]
Naek's voice, sounding somewhat pathetic, continued.
Is this girl really that lonely?
I felt like I really needed to introduce her to someone later.
“Naek, do you know Juksim-nim’s address?”
[Juksim? Why do you need her address? Gasp! Don't tell me, Domi, you're trying to add Juksim to your harem of countless women! You'll get us all killed!]
“...What on earth is this ‘harem’ of mine?”
[I saw it was established by law the other day. That every woman in the world must enter Domi's harem.]
I really couldn't keep up with this girl's energy.
“Stop with the nonsense. Ahyu’s half-brother, Do Hwa, seems to have gone looking for Juksim-nim. We’re trying to go to her place.”
[Ahyu’s half-brother?]
Naek went silent for a moment.
[A guy?]
“Yeah.”
[Is he handsome?]
I glanced at Ahyu.
She tilted her head, looking at me.
“He looks like the Heavenly Demon, but with gentler eyes.”
“Domi-oppa, are you implying I don’t look gentle?”
Honestly, Shin So-ra might, but I couldn’t say Cheon Hong-ryeon looked gentle, even in the best light.
Suddenly, Naek gasped.
[So you’re saying he’s drop-dead gorgeous!]
Do Hwa did have good genes; he was quite handsome.
[A younger-man event has just popped up! Don't you move! I'm on my way!]
“It’s fine for you to come, but I need Juksim-nim’s address first.”
[I’ll text it to you! See you there!]
With that, Naek hung up.
It seemed like she was planning to rush right over.
But at least she sent the address as promised.
“Ahyu.”
“Yeah.”
After meeting Ahyu’s eyes, I immediately called a taxi and we headed to the address Naek had sent.
The taxi took us to Dongjak District.
The area was filled with so many studio apartments that it could easily be considered a neighborhood for college students or young professionals living on their own.
“There are so many apartments here.”
“It’s a neighborhood for people living alone.”
“I don’t think a studio would be so bad.”
As she said that, Ahyu linked her arm with mine.
“Domi-oppa, you said you live in a studio too. Right, right? If we lived together in a studio, we could eat together, sleep together... since it’s so small.”
I watched Ahyu, her eyes crinkling into a smile, and then grinned back.
“Want to live together?”
“Huh? H-Hee, r-really?”
“I’m kidding.”
I got a smack for that.
“A studio is too small to live together. We’d just stress each other out.”
“...But the small space is what’s good about it.”
“Just come visit sometime. I’ll give you my address.”
Seeing her pouting, I said that, and her eyes instantly lit up as she pressed closer to me.
“Then if I visit, I’ll cook for you.”
“...You know how to cook?”
“What do you take me for? I’ve been living on my own for years now!”
Living alone didn’t necessarily mean you were a good cook.
I was a little worried, but since she was offering, I decided to just go with it.
Somehow, just looking at Ahyu, I got the feeling she’d heard somewhere that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
I decided to let it slide since she was being cute.
Together, Ahyu and I arrived at a building.
It was a five-story studio apartment building with a keypad-locked door and an intercom at the entrance.
I checked the game chat, and Juksim was still offline.
“Ahyu, you don’t see Do Hwa around, do you?”
“Nope, no sign of him.”
Hearing her reply, I nodded and pressed the number for Juksim’s apartment on the intercom.
A ringing tone began to play.
As we listened in silence, a click sounded after a short while.
“Juksim-nim? It’s Domi. I’m sorry. Something came up, so I got your address from Naek and came straight here. Can we talk for a moment?”
After I asked, Juksim remained silent.
Right, this person doesn't speak.
Just then, a chime sounded and the door unlocked.
It seemed she was letting us in. I glanced at Ahyu, and we went inside together.
Juksim’s apartment was on the 5th floor, the very top of the building.
As expected of a studio building, there was no elevator, so we climbed the stairs. When we reached the door marked ‘501’, I rang the doorbell.
“Juksim-nim, we’re here.”
As I spoke, the front door opened.
Standing there was the same petite Juksim.
Perhaps because the weather had gotten chilly recently, she was wearing a hoodie that came all the way down to her thighs.
Despite the thick fabric, the hoodie couldn't hide a figure that was surprisingly full for her small frame, and for a moment, my eyes didn't know where to rest.
With both hands on the doorknob, Juksim peered at us cautiously with wary eyes.
Then, upon recognizing my face, she finally, slowly, opened the door the rest of the way.
“Juksim, long time no see!”
When Ahyu suddenly popped her head into view, Juksim let out a silent scream and darted back inside.
“...Is my face really that scary?”
“Anyone can see you’re pretty, so don’t worry.”
After offering Ahyu some half-hearted comfort, I opened the door fully and stepped inside.
Ahyu followed me in, and as I took off my shoes, I looked around the studio.
It was a typical studio layout, with a sink and refrigerator at the front, and a room and bathroom further in.
Inside, I could see Juksim had dived under the covers on her mattress bed.
Though her feet were sticking out.
She looked just like a puppy that thinks it's hidden as long as its head is covered.
I carefully approached and, reaching the front of her feet—which I could easily grasp in one hand—I tickled them with my index finger.
Juksim’s feet twitched and wiggled, and then she poked her head out from under the blanket.
Her face was bright red; it must have tickled.
“Juksim-nim, it’s been a while.”
It had been about a month. I smiled as I spoke, and Juksim waved her hands in the air.
Then she patted herself down before her expression turned into one of realization.
As I tilted my head, Juksim fumbled around and pulled out a phone from inside the bed.
I had no idea how it happened, but the phone’s screen was completely shattered.
“Did you drop it?”
Juksim tried to turn it on, but it seemed the power wouldn't come on.
I had wondered why Juksim, who was always at least in the chat even if she wasn't playing Lord of Academy, had been absent. It seemed her phone was the reason.
This was a problem.
Juksim had lost her way of communicating.
She looked at me with eyes that clearly wanted to say something. I decided I should at least lend her my phone and was reaching into my pocket when it happened.
Juksim’s small hands suddenly cupped both of my cheeks.
“Wh-What, J-Juksim, what are you doing?!”
As Ahyu shouted in surprise, Juksim leaned in close to my ear.
“It’s been a while.”
A voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzzed in my ear.
Realizing that Juksim had mustered all her courage to speak to me, I felt a surge of emotion, almost moved to tears.
Juksim is growing, too.
“Have you been well? Here, you can borrow my phone. Let’s talk with this.”
I unlocked my phone and handed it to her. Juksim carefully took it with both hands.
Then she began to type furiously.
Juksim’s original phone was small, but mine was much larger, so she seemed to be having a little trouble typing.
Then again, with hands that small, just holding it probably wasn't easy.
After she finished typing, a voice sounded from the phone.
[She asks what brings you here.]
Thankfully, Juksim wasn’t upset that we had shown up unannounced.
Feeling sorry for dropping in on her, I apologized and began to explain the situation with Do Hwa.
Juksim listened to our story for a while, then nodded and started tapping on the phone again.
[She says no one has come to see her.]
So Do Hwa hadn’t reached Juksim yet.
“Ahyu, what should we do?”
“Let’s just wait. The silver fox is looking for him, anyway. One of her is much faster than the two of us.”
She was right. No matter how much Ahyu and I ran around, we couldn’t hope to keep up with Eunhyeon, who had sensory abilities.
All we could do was spread our senses around the immediate area.
“Juksim-nim, we were thinking of waiting here a little longer. Would that be okay?”
[She says she doesn't mind.]
Fortunately, Juksim was fine with it.
[But she asks if it's okay to ask one thing.]
“Ah, yes, ask anything.”
Is it about Do Hwa?
When I answered, Juksim looked at me, then averted her gaze slightly.
[She asks if it's okay if she plays a game.]
That was so like Juksim.
*
4
While Juksim played her game, Ahyu and I sat leaning against the wall, watching her play Lord of Academy.
Tucked under the covers, lying quietly on her bed and gaming, Juksim looked truly happy.
How did Juksim get so into gaming?
I glanced around the bleak studio apartment.
There was no TV, and the room, with only a single wardrobe, felt quite empty.
It didn't feel like a place where someone lived.
The only other thing was a small, half-eaten cup of ramen on a small table.
Juksim can’t even finish one of those by herself.
As I was thinking that, Ahyu gently rested her head on my shoulder.
“Domi-oppa, why does my mouth feel so... bored all of a sudden?”
“Ahyu, do you smoke?”
Hearing my words, Ahyu’s hand shot out and squeezed my side.
Ouch.
“I wish someone would fill it for me.”
At this point, it felt less like she came out to find Do Hwa and more like she came out to do this with me.
Regardless, Ahyu’s hand moved from my side and wrapped around my waist, pulling me into a hug.
Her, and all the other women around me... I don’t know why they all love skinship so much.
Not that I mind.
“Domi-oppa, you must be training hard. You feel a lot more solid than before.”
“Glad to see it’s paying off. I’m not scrawny Kang Ha-chan anymore. I’m gym-rat Kang Ha-chan.”
I proudly flexed my arm.
The muscles and prominent veins that popped out on my forearm were clear proof of my gains.
“Hmm, you’re right.”
Ahyu said, stroking my arm with her hand.
That tickles.
“I don’t really have any muscles.”
With that, Ahyu rolled up her sleeve and showed me her arm.
Her pale, white arm indeed looked like it had nothing to do with muscles.
And yet, she was The Strongest Under Heaven.
It made me wonder where all her power came from.
“Heehee, I’m paler.”
Ahyu said, placing her arm next to mine.
“You should get out more, too. Stop staying home and gaming all day.”
“You were gaming with me all the time until just recently, Oppa. Are you in any position to say that?”
“I’m saying it because of how things are now.”
“Hmph. I liked it better when I could play games with you every day, Oppa.”
Displeased that I had a job, Ahyu pouted and lowered her head to rest it on my lap.
When I stroked her hair, she let out a contented hum.
“Domi-oppa.”
“Yeah.”
“Actually, I’ve been really worried lately.”
Hearing the word ‘worried,’ I looked down at Ahyu.
She didn’t meet my eyes, staring blankly at the wall instead.
“I thought I’d thrown away all my guilt a long time ago. But when I see Do Hwa, I keep thinking of his mother, whom I killed.”
Ahyu’s face seemed impassive as she murmured, but somehow, she looked like she was in pain.
“...Could I have done things better? Would it have been okay if I hadn't become the Heavenly Demon? I find myself thinking things like that.”
I brushed a strand of hair from the side of her face.
Her eyes turned toward me.
“Should I have tried harder?”
Looking at me like that, Ahyu probably wasn’t seeking an answer.
She was just voicing the questions she held inside.
I looked down at her quietly, then lowered myself and kissed her.
Perhaps because of my unexpected action, Ahyu’s eyes widened, and her face slowly began to turn red.
And yet, she smiled blissfully, which was just like her.