Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Clashing Roommates
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I wonder how this'll play out. I had a rough idea, but it felt like the tense anticipation right before a movie's big highlight—the kind you can't predict.
Thankfully, she didn't cover her eyes with her hands, but she gulped hard, and curiosity about what came next chased away her sleepiness once more.
"Eut, ugh... Uwoooo!"
Did she always come home from work making sounds like that?
In a totally different sense, she seemed like the type overflowing with energy even on her own.
...No, wait—what the hell was she holding in both hands?
She usually grabbed takeout drinks from the cafe on her way home, but at most two cups. Today, though, she had over twelve in her grip.
Somehow managing to carry all that here—and even trying to squeeze through the door with them—that took real guts.
"Hey, hey! You'll hurt yourself."
I jolted up in alarm, rushed over to open the door, and took one of the takeout carriers from her hand—the one with two cups in it.
Only then did Oh Hana let out a sigh of relief as she stepped inside.
"Ah, thanks, oppa. Wait, more importantly—you're still up? What's the occasion?"
"Eh, it just worked out that way."
...I said, subtly flicking my eyes toward Han Ae-bom, who had already risen from the computer chair. Oh Hana finally noticed her, and her eyes went wide.
"Gasp! Who's this? Someone here to check out the place?"
"Not just checking it out—she's moving in with us starting today."
That was that.
...I put it lightly, like it was no big deal, and Oh Hana just nodded casually, like, got it. She really was maxed out on life skills in every way.
She could probably survive if you dropped her in the wild with nothing. That made her feel like the total opposite of Han Ae-bom.
"Whoa! A super pretty lady's joining us? Amazing. Hi! I'm Oh Hana. Looking forward to living together. Oh my god, oh my god—I never imagined someone this gorgeous would move in. Ah, let me stick these drinks in the fridge first. Want one? Pick whatever. There's mint choco, orange smoothie, strawberry smoothie..."
Oh Hana's energy was way higher than usual today. Probably tied to all those drinks crammed in her hands. Sure enough, the Genesis Eleven faces were plastered huge on the coffee carriers.
Looks like her cafe was doing a collab or promo with them.
No wonder she's hyped.
"...No thanks on the drinks. Anyway, I'm Han Ae-bom, twenty-four. Since we'll be roommates from now on, I'd like to say nice to meet you too."
"Ooh, you have this classy vibe... Amazing. You seem like such a proper young lady! Unnie! I'm Oh Hana, twenty-two. Feel free to talk casually? Hehe."
Hmm, so my bad feeling was just paranoia?
Well, considering Han Ae-bom's impeccable manners and polite demeanor, it might be weirder if something didn't happen.
Guess I can relax and sleep easy.
"Ah, I prefer formal speech, actually. But, Oh Hana-ssi."
"Yes?"
"Do you always suck the energy out of everyone around you like that? And maybe run your thoughts through a filter before blurting them out? Do you think calling someone a 'young lady' is a compliment or an insult? Plus, I never said you could call me unnie on your own."
Whoa... It felt like getting scolded by my high school ethics teacher. Or not—more like something out of an old drama.
Ah, yeah. To put it precisely: a noble young lady reprimanding a maid for screwing up.
What can I say? It hit even harder because of that.
Han Ae-bom wasn't wrong, exactly—and that made it grate more, like it was picking at your nerves on purpose.
"And you said you're twenty-two? At twenty-two, wouldn't it be better to act a bit more like an adult?"
"Whoa..."
A gasp escaped Oh Hana's lips, but I nearly choked. No idiot would miss that her "whoa" wasn't admiration.
Plus, I'd spent a solid 121 hours deep in her fandom. And 121 hours isn't just 121 hours—factoring in breaks at home or my out-of-town trips, I knew her inside out.
Oh Hana wasn't the type to just take hits lying down. This might be different, but if she felt attacked... well.
Is it gonna blow up, or not?
It was gonna blow up.
"...You're kinda bitchy, unnie?"
"Bitchy? What's that supposed to mean? Is it in the dictionary?"
"Whoa... Haha, what? Did you just teleport from some other country? Is this a drama shoot? Aren't you acting kinda weird, unnie?"
"Are you mocking me right now?"
"If that's how you take it. Not totally off-base, though."
"Sneaking in casual speech now? Trying to act all equal?"
"Ugh... Argh!"
Right then, Oh Hana swung a fist at the air and bit her lip hard. She probably wanted to deck Han Ae-bom with it.
"Swinging at empty air like that. Anger issues? If so, maybe don't live here—go to a hospital instead."
"Guh, guaaah...!"
Oh Hana screamed like she'd been hit by some magic blast, her fingers clenching and unclenching on their own.
If I weren't here, she might've lunged and grabbed Han Ae-bom by the hair.
"Oppa! I hate this unnie—no, this woman! What the hell! Who even is she?!"
"No need for me to tell you who she is. Honestly, I can't stand types like you either, Oh Hana-ssi. If this were work, I'd fire you on the spot."
"I'm not your subordinate—what firing bullshit is this! Seriously... Argh! And if not unnie, what should I call you? We're living under the same roof—can't we get a little friendly?"
"'Can't we' is casual speech. You keep doing it. Bad habit. Fix it."
Whoa... I nitpick sometimes too, but I'd usually laugh it off. Han Ae-bom? Never let it slide.
She had a point, though—Oh Hana did have those habits.
Stuff like what'd you do, how's that?—vague jabs or casual slips. It showed. And if I let it pass casually, she'd probably slide into full informal speech.
I'd seen it in the army too—guys pretending to be buddies to subtly level up.
Personally, I don't sweat it much.
But Han Ae-bom clearly couldn't let it go. Or rather, I'd sensed it from the start.
"And getting friendly? I don't mind in principle. But rushing it with someone you might not even see long-term? Not smart. It'll blur personal and professional lines later. Ah, though I doubt that'll happen with you, Oh Hana-ssi."
Is this what they mean by softly chiding?
A bit of relief hit me too. I'd read the room around Han Ae-bom and kept my manners.
Types like her obsessed over first impressions—or any little annoyance.
How to put it? Inflexible. Spot one flaw, and everything after looks bad.
Oh Hana's the total opposite.
Forget a wrong, turn your back, and it's gone.
She laughed easy and befriended anyone quick. Except those fellow fans she fought with every time they crossed paths.
"If you hate me that much, why don't you leave, Oh Hana-ssi? Never thought I'd say this, but how is it a fellow woman like you seems less trustworthy than a guy like Kim Hyunwoo?"
"Y-You...! If you were my boss, I'd beat your ass."
"You'd go to court. Life in the gutter. Think legal teams exist for show?"
"It's just a figure of speech!"
"There, there! I just said it's a bad habit. When someone points out your flaw, you should work on it."
"You my mom or something! You fucking..."
Their parallel bickering dragged on, and as Oh Hana's frustration boiled toward an f-bomb,
I grabbed her quick.
"Whoa, whoa—enough. Those drinks are melting. Precious Genesis Eleven ones, right? C'mon, as a fan, drink 'em proper. Also, twelve cups? Guess that's dinner."
"But they didn't have Riki poka... Had to. And since I was collecting, figured I'd get the whole group."
"Yeah, yeah."
I stroked her head like soothing a little sister.
Finally calming a bit, Oh Hana grinned at the Genesis Eleven faces on the drinks, then loaded them one by one into the fridge.
That tiny fridge was stuffed now.
No room for water. Eh, cold water's bad for you anyway.
"No, but seriously, oppa—that woman's weird."
"She's not a bad person."
"She seems bad. All that firing and legal team talk. Straight-up enemy of the people. What, is she some real noble lady? Why'd a noble lady come here?"
"Excuse me—if you're gonna talk, say it to my face."
From the look on her face...
...I held Oh Hana back from round two and popped one of my cigarettes in her mouth.
"Anyway, I'm dying for a smoke. You just got off work too—join me."
"Sure. Post-work cig's life's little joy."
We both slipped on slippers like it was routine, then locked eyes with Han Ae-bom, who was watching us with some odd look.
"I'll head out first, oppa."
"Yeah."
I cautiously asked Han Ae-bom.
"Uh, do you... smoke, by chance?"
"No, I don't."
"Ah... Okay, Hana and I will step out for a quick smoke."
"Go ahead."
I scratched my head and headed to the alley next to the one-room. What was that look just now?
Oh Hana was already there, chain-smoking furiously to cool her rage, puffing out clouds.
"Uwaaah! What the fuck is her deal? That boomer with zero social skills—I'd elbow her right in the back of the head... Argh!"
"She's not a bad person, I said."
Yeah, neither Han Ae-bom nor Oh Hana was bad.
Just watching from the sidelines made their awful compatibility crystal clear. Oh Hana loved getting chummy quick, with sneaky touches and all.
Han Ae-bom stressed strict etiquette and judged on skills or looks.
Probably hated Oh Hana's blonde hair and flashy style.
"Personally, you two both..."
"What, oppa?"
"Nah, your blonde's fading a bit."
"Oh, yeah. Hmm, redye it? Or too lazy—back to black?"
"Dunno. Both'd look pretty, I bet."
"Really? Guess I'll keep the blonde. Stands out. Catches Genesis oppas' eyes too. Plus, same hair color as that bitch? I'd lose my mind."
"Lose your mind—what's that?"
I asked about the unfamiliar term, and Oh Hana lit her second cig right away.
"Blood rushing backward."
"......"
Don't say that in front of Han Ae-bom.
"Ah, but oppa."
"Yeah?"
Oh Hana flashed a bright, innocent smile.
"Sex is gonna be tough from now on, huh?"
I immediately lit my second cigarette too.