Chapter 80
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Don't Let Hana Leave
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Really, I hope it's just a misunderstanding. But if it's not?
The moment I entertain that thought, my neck already stiffens up. The smile I'd carefully prepared is useless now. My mouth is probably hanging open down to my chin by now.
Prevent Oh Hana from Leaving the Apartment
📍 Progress: 0/1
🎁 Rewards: 1,000,000 KRW, Strength +1, Stamina +1, Random Skill
What if the reason this quest popped up is actually because of what I just heard? Keeping tabs on Oh Hana? Why?
Could it be an ex-boyfriend or something? Or maybe it's not Han Ae-bom at all—maybe Oh Hana's some young lady who ran away from a prestigious family. Come to think of it, considering the money she spends on her fandom... how the hell did she afford that designer bag she brought when she first moved in?
'Damn. This is driving me crazy.'
My head was spinning. It hadn't been long since I'd resolved to boost my own value to keep her from leaving the apartment. Already, countless assumptions were popping in and out of my mind.
She couldn't be a wanted criminal or anything, right?
'Nah, no way. Fuck.'
That was jumping the gun way too far. Unless every single thing I'd seen of Oh Hana so far was all an act, she was definitely not the type. She was the kind who kept her promises, no matter what.
"Um... are you okay? Eek!"
"What's wrong?"
"No, it's just... your face looked so serious."
What kind of expression was I making for her to freak out like that? Probably something terrifying. All sorts of words were swirling in my head right now. And the one that kept coming up the most was, of course, "ex-boyfriend."
Hell, just adding a single syllable like "s" to make it "ex-boyfriends" was enough to spark a full-blown war in my mind all by myself.
"You really seem to think Hana's some kind of monster."
"Ah. Well..."
"It's fine, it's fine. I get it. What can you do when our Hana's just so damn charming?"
It wasn't wrong, but hearing someone else say it made my face heat up for no reason. At the same time, a pang of conscience hit me.
I had feelings for Oh Hana, yet I'd been boldly messing around with other women. In a way, I might be even trashier than whoever was supposedly spying on her.
And right now, I was casually weaving half-truths and lies in front of this lady boss without batting an eye.
'I haven't lied since sixth grade, when I botched a lie to Dad and got the beating of my life.'
Maybe Dad had seen the rotten seed in me early on and used all that violence to stop me from turning into a bad person? Hmm. Could be. That day, I'd thought he came home late, but I found him later sitting alone on the church railing, crying by himself.
'Dad, I'm sorry.'
Dad always told me never to lie, to always be someone I could be proud of. But right now, I had no choice.
"Maybe... it's her ex-boyfriend."
"Ex-boyfriend."
The lady boss nodded more readily than I'd expected. Made sense—she could easily buy that someone like Oh Hana would have exes swarming like flies.
Just thinking of that damn "ex-boyfriend" word brought a bitter taste and a choking wave of frustration from deep inside. Is this why unicorns obsess over virgins? But on the flip side, knowing she'd had exes only made me want to claim her even more fiercely.
"Hang in there!"
"Pardon?"
What the hell was that out of nowhere?
"What matters is now. You shouldn't dwell on the past. No guarantees it'll work out right this second, but from what I've seen up close, Hana looks the most relaxed when she's with you."
"She smiles brightly at customers too, though."
"Pfft, that's just her business smile. How do I put this? The smile she gives you is like one she'd give real family. Whoops, that sounds weird. Anyway, if I had to bet, you're her best shot right now!"
It was the clumsiest pep talk I'd ever heard. But somehow, even that awkward encouragement lifted my spirits a bit. Guess that means I really like her that much.
Or maybe it's weirder not to like a woman with that kind of appeal.
"Just in case, could you describe what that guy looked like, anything you remember?"
"Oh, sure."
The lady boss wracked her brain and gave me what she could recall. He mostly wore oversized black hoodies and black track pants, black sneakers, and always had the same black Major League black socks cap pulled down low.
Pretty big guy, she said. Hearing that made me tense up for some reason.
"I'm..."
"Yes?"
"...a little worried."
"Worried?"
"Yeah. It's not just that she had bad breakups with exes—her luck with guys is pretty rotten overall. Bad ones tend to stick to her."
The lady boss gasped and nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Exactly! Pretty girls like that always attract more jerks than nice guys. Good guys like us just can't muster the guts to approach someone as stunning."
Why'd it suddenly become "us"? I didn't call her on it. No harm in it. And I didn't think the white lie I'd just told was completely fabricated either. Fate had led her right to me, after all.
"So, here's the thing. I know it might be nosy, but if it's okay..."
"Sure."
I made my request carefully.
"If Oh Hana says she's quitting her part-time job, could you let me know?"
"Of course! I'll tell you right away. Give me your number."
The moment the lady boss nodded...
I smiled. Wide.
I let out a small sigh at the unfamiliar uneasy feeling. Lying left a bad taste in my gut. Guess I do have a conscience after all.
What's funny is, feeling this discomfort just makes me crave a smoke even more. Come to think of it, how many days has it been since I quit?
"......"
What if this emotional instability and these random impulse surges are all because of quitting smoking? Maybe just one cigarette would fix it all.
Yeah. How many people in the world actually quit cold turkey after deciding to? Most relapse or need breaks along the way.
Not even a whole pack. Just one. One single cigarette to unravel this tangled mess of irritation and complicated feelings?
'Ugh.'
Thinking about it made my mouth water even more. My throat felt dry and scratchy. Just like Oh Hana said, one satisfying drag would feel amazing right now. The smoke hitting would make my head spin for a second.
As I walked past the convenience store in front of the apartment, lost in those thoughts, my feet—habitually passing by—suddenly stopped dead. Like magnets were pulling me back. My feet wouldn't go forward; they wanted to retreat. And my hand was punching in the PayPay card PIN for some reason...
"Oppa!"
Whatever mysterious magnetic and hypnotic spell had dragged me toward the store halted abruptly. I scratched my cheek and looked ahead. There, in the alley next to our familiar one-room building, Oh Hana was grinning at me. Damn it.
"Why are you out here?"
"Hehe. I figured you'd be hitting your limit by now, craving a smoke. Can't have that! You finally quit—we can't let one slip turn it all to nothing!"
A hollow laugh escaped me. Who was lecturing who here?
"Shameless. Weren't you the one about to sneak one and get caught?"
"What? If that were me, I'd just smoke one before you head to work or before I do."
"Fair point. Then why're you out here?"
At my question, Oh Hana rummaged in her pocket. The familiar pack of quit-smoking candy made me sigh already. That stuff tastes like crap.
"I felt bad for suggesting we quit and then sneaking puffs behind your back."
"You should. You bitch. I'm still going nuts."
"That's why I'm here to help. I did some research on quit-smoking tricks. We're the stimulation-addiction type, I guess? Anyway, they say you can curb cravings with other stimuli."
"So your big plan is quit-smoking candy? That'll work wonders."
"Pfft, can't rely on just this."
She popped the candy she'd been about to give me into her own mouth instead. Seeing that instantly brought candy kisses to mind.
Guess I'm used to it now.
Seeing my less-than-thrilled face, Oh Hana grinned and lunged in for a kiss. Candy kiss as expected...
"Mm."
"Smack, muah."
Oh Hana nibbled at my lips like she was biting into them, kissing aggressively. Somewhere in there, the candy from her mouth slid into mine with her saliva.
"Hey... you startled me."
"Hehe, but you were surprised, right?"
"Yeah, I was."
I rolled the candy in my mouth as I spoke, and Oh Hana tossed one into her own mouth, stretching languidly.
"You've grown a ton too, oppa? You take my kisses like they're a given now! Eung? If I wanna make your eyes go wide, guess I need to up my game. So cool, so awesome."
Easy for you to say.
Doesn't even have to be sexual—everything about you lately is so damn stimulating it's messing with my head.
The quest, the lady boss's words... there's just so much nagging at me.
It wouldn't be weird if quests popped up for Han Ae-bom or Yoon Soo-ah next. It's so quiet otherwise, it feels like the system is playing favorites with Oh Hana.
"No need to overthink it."
"Huh?"
"One thing my mom always said was to make the most of the moment. You don't need anything more stimulating—just having you live here with me is plenty satisfying. Got it?"
"......"
Oh Hana blinked a few times. Watching her, I thought it over—and saying it out loud just confirmed it for me again.
I could never go back to a life without her. Ex-boyfriend or whatever—if something was gonna make her leave here, I'd do worse than what I did today...
"Ooh. Goosebumps."
"......"
"But it's sweet. Hehe! You're right—make the most of it while it lasts! Not bad at all! Heehee!"
We headed into the one-room side by side, her grinning like an idiot. At the entrance, I noticed the calendar marked with a red circle.
[4/19 (Sat)]
[Jumin & Hoi Official Birth Cafe Day!]
It was adorable, with five little stars drawn around the schedule.
Birth cafe, birth cafe... I dredged up the fandom terms Oh Hana had mentioned. Birthday cafe—an event to celebrate an idol or character's birthday.
"Hey, Oh Hana."
"Wassup, bro?"
"That birth cafe this Saturday... mind if I tag along?"
At that moment, Oh Hana let out a small cough. At the same time, the quit-smoking candy in her mouth dropped to the ground with a clack.