Chapter 22
Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: A Day Without Si-eun
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Knock knock.
The room was so quiet that even the hum of the cooler stood out, and then the sound of knocking slipped in.
Ever since the naughty video incident, Si-eun had started knocking whenever she came to my room. The event itself had been unfortunate, but in the end, it left behind a good lesson.
I said, "Come in," and the door slid open gently.
Peeking through the gap was Si-eun in her maid outfit.
Today was Friday. The day she regularly wore her maid uniform.
"Can I come in?"
"Yeah."
At my response, Si-eun walked right up to me.
I figured she'd brought a snack like usual, but her hands were empty. Then what was it? When I gave her a questioning look, Si-eun finally parted her lips.
"Um."
"Yeah."
"W-well."
She fidgeted. She hemmed and hawed. Si-eun, who never filtered her words around me, was somehow unable to open her mouth.
What could she be trying to say? With mild curiosity, I waited, and after a moment, she spoke in a small voice.
"This weekend... could I go home?"
I answered right away.
"Sure."
"Huh...?"
Maybe because I'd answered so quickly, Si-eun blinked at me with a dazed expression.
"Really, it's okay?"
"Yeah. It's fine."
Everyone has their own circumstances.
Unlike me, the utterly unfilial type who never went home during the semester, Si-eun had a sick mother. It wasn't like she was going every week—just for two days. No reason to stop her.
"But why are you going?"
I asked without much thought, and a shadow fell over Si-eun's face.
"Well, actually, Mom..."
Mom—meaning Si-eun's mother.
I finished for her since she trailed off.
"She's not feeling well?"
"Yeah."
She nodded slightly as she replied.
"The hospital called. Her test results came back a bit worse. Mom told me not to come and just focus on studying, but I thought I should at least see her face."
"Mm."
It was heavier than I'd expected. With a situation like that, there was even less reason to hold her back.
"Okay. Go and come back safe. Oh, if you're leaving today, you should hurry. It's getting late."
"Yeah."
Her response felt oddly hesitant.
"What's wrong?"
When I asked with some suspicion, Si-eun averted her gaze and started combing her hair with her fingers.
"What are you going to do over the weekend?"
"Boil some ramen or something."
"Ramen's not good for you."
"But it's tasty."
So it's better to eat a lot while you're still healthy. Of course, if I had to choose between that and Si-eun's cooking—which was both delicious and good for you—I'd pick hers.
Still avoiding my eyes, Si-eun said,
"I was hired to stop you from living like that. And the weekend's when you're home the most. It feels like a waste if I'm not here. As your employee, I feel a little guilty."
She wasn't wrong. Even now, she looked apologetic.
With her sense of responsibility, it must be hard for her to abandon her duties. If I told her not to go, she might really stay. Si-eun was the type who couldn't live owing anyone anything.
That must be why she'd hesitated before coming in.
Parents are precious to me too. Especially if you'd lost one and the other was ill—they'd be even more so.
I cleared my throat dramatically and spoke in an exaggerated tone.
"Ahem, this is an order."
"What?"
"As your master, I'm ordering my maid. Go home this weekend."
"...Are you joking?"
"No."
I answered firmly, and Si-eun met my eyes for a moment.
We held eye contact for a few seconds, and finally, she bowed her head.
"Got it. I'll go. Since it's an order."
Then, in a voice so soft it was barely audible,
"Thanks."
She left those words behind and exited the room.
Well, that should put her mind at ease. Hoping so, I turned back to my computer.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ And so, Saturday morning arrived.
When I opened my eyes, the room was dim.
I grabbed my phone from the bed and checked the time: 11:30. It should have been bright out, but the blackout curtains blocked all the sunlight perfectly.
Normally, I'd hear the sizzle of something cooking through the slightly open door. But today, it was dead silent. The door was firmly shut too.
Last night, after I gave Si-eun permission to take the weekend off,
she'd said she'd leave early this morning. She wouldn't be back until Sunday evening, so I'd have to fend for myself at least through lunch.
What was she so worried about? I was used to living alone. Before she came to this house, I'd survived two years on ramen and delivery food. Two years becoming two years and two days— no big difference.
I left my room, took a quick shower, and headed to the kitchen.
Standing at the sink, I surveyed the area.
It had been a while since I'd stood here, having left all the cooking to Si-eun. Knives, bowls, seasonings, and cooking oil were all neatly organized—easy to spot at a glance.
Everything within arm's reach, without obstructing the workflow. It really showed Si-eun's tidy personality.
Alright then.
Time for ramen.
There was a stockpile of instant noodles somewhere in the cabinets. Si-eun, who cared about health, wouldn't have bought them—I did. Back when I had no plans to hire a housekeeper, I'd ordered a whole box.
Where were they? I started opening cabinets from the left.
Every one was impeccably organized inside. Spotless too—no grease, not even dust.
I finally found the ramen in the far-right cabinet.
Various types were stacked by kind in the back, and up front was my favorite, sitting all by itself.
I reached in, grabbed it, and set it on the table.
But... for some reason, there was something odd stuck to the packet.
A Post-it note?
I picked up the packet and read the note.
[I told you not to eat it because it's bad for you!
I'll check the count when I get back.
If even one is missing, you're in trouble.]
Along with the warning was a drawing of a bunny-like character looking angry.
Harsh words in pretty handwriting. In trouble for what? I wasn't a kid.
And she knew me too well. She didn't even suspect I'd buy more to replace them. Someone as lazy as me wouldn't bother.
She'd prepared this before leaving? Imagining her diligently writing it to tease me brought a hollow laugh.
Fine, whatever. If Si-eun insisted this much, it felt wrong to boil ramen anyway.
I put it back and opened the fridge instead.
Si-eun had said there was rice ready in the cooker for a meal or two. I could just grab some side dishes. She always prepped a variety, so the fridge should be stocked.
Alright then.
Time to eat only my favorites.
With that thought, I pulled out the side dishes from the front.
First was jellyfish salad, second stir-fried kelp stems, third eggplant salad...
They were tasty thanks to Si-eun's skill, sure. But she wasn't here today. I wanted to pick only the best ones.
I checked deeper inside.
In the very back glass container: stir-fried squid strips. This alone would finish a bowl of rice in no time. I was thrilled, my mouth practically watering.
Excited, I pulled it out.
And sure enough, another Post-it.
[Eat a variety of side dishes too.]
"Huh..."
She had me pegged.
At this point, it was impressive. Had she rearranged the containers just for this? What was the point of going to such lengths?
I was totally in the palm of her hand.
In the end, I hung my head and obeyed Si-eun.
I portioned out a bit of everything onto a plate with the rice. It didn't take long to finish the bowl.
Si-eun's cooking really was amazing.
In this day without her, I felt it once again.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The house was quiet in the evening too.
Normally, I'd eat while chatting with Si-eun. Today, I had delivery alone. I silently tapped my phone and shoveled food in.
The food was tasty after so long, but it felt too salty. Probably because I'd gotten used to Si-eun's balanced cooking.
Back in my room, I tapped away at the keyboard alone.
No vacuum cleaner hum, no washing machine.
No one brought snacks to my door.
Even when I went to the kitchen for water, the house was dark and empty.
"Mm."
I consciously let out the sound in the now-solo house.
I'd lived alone far longer than with Si-eun. I'd never felt lonely then—in fact, there were times I'd found her visits annoying.
Yet the house without her felt... somehow boring.
I'd never cared about anyone before. No one hating me or avoiding me had hurt. No one fussing over me had made me happy.
You don't miss the spot that's filled, but you do when it's empty. It was true.
Only after Si-eun left did I realize what she meant to me.
What did this feeling mean?
Then my phone buzzed suddenly.
I pulled it out and saw a message from Si-eun.
[You okay?]
Short and sweet. It hadn't even been a full day since she left. What could happen?
[Doing fine.]
I replied, and the unread mark vanished right away, followed by another message.
[You weren't planning to boil ramen, right? You wouldn't if you read the note I left.]
Uh, um...
[Note? What note?]
[Never mind then.]
My conscience stung. Good thing I hadn't eaten it.
Instead, I sent,
[I ate a bit of all the side dishes.]
The reply came quick.
[Good boy.]
Good boy? She'd threatened to scold me over ramen, and now this. Was she treating me like a kid?
But thinking about it, didn't I act just like one? Yeah, that tracked.
That wasn't the point, though. With some concern, I typed,
[How's your mom?]
The reply took a bit longer this time.
[She's fine. Looks healthy. Thanks for worrying.]
Relief washed over me. If something bad had happened, I'd have felt uneasy too.
Nothing much else to say. All I'd done since she left was eat and code. No exciting stories. We'd checked in, so time to stop bothering her.
[Okay. Night.]
Si-eun should be heading to bed soon. I'd be up late, but whatever.
But the reply that came back had something unexpected.
[Can we talk a little more?]
I startled at the message.
Well... she'd been sleeping here every night, now back in her own bed. Maybe she couldn't settle. It had taken her a few days to adjust when she first came too.
If that was it, no reason to refuse.
[Do whatever.]
I sent back.
And for the next hour, we exchanged trivial messages.
Chatting without seeing each other's faces felt different from usual.
I felt a slight tickle, but also like something was caught in my chest.
Maybe this feeling is...
Could it be... I like Si-eun...?