Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 121. Heart-to-Heart
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I blocked Jang Chaeyeon as she pressed a cola can to my cheek, lost in thought.
How did things end up like this?
*
Jang Chaeyeon's house, surprisingly, wasn't an apartment.
"...A private home?"
"I'm on the Containment Team."
"But you said C Building Apartments."
She definitely mentioned that on the last broadcast.
"It's so people won't feel relatively deprived if they find out Containment Team members or field agents live in houses."
"You go that far...?"
Jang Chaeyeon explained to me in a tone like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Look, Jaeheon. There's even a yard. Wow, it'd be so pretty with a fountain!"
"The water bill would be insane. And you couldn't keep up with the maintenance."
"That's a pretty realistic reason..."
Song Arin walked past me and Yoo Daon—who were staring at the house in stunned silence—as if it were no big deal and headed inside.
"...There are downsides to being office staff, huh."
"B-but... apartments aren't so bad either."
Yoo Daon responded comfortingly to my mutter and followed Song Arin inside.
"Not going in?"
"Ah, yeah. Of course. Gotta go in."
Soon, Jang Chaeyeon's low voice asked from behind me, and I hurriedly answered as I stepped into her house.
"...Wow..."
"...This is even fancier than our place."
The moment we entered, Yoo Daon looked around with sparkling eyes, while Song Arin muttered jealously with her arms crossed.
It was a house that perfectly matched the word "lavish."
Polished marble floors shiny enough for me to see my reflection in, and ceilings so high it was impossible to gauge their height.
The kitchen had cookbooks neatly arranged on the shelves, and the sofa showed signs of actual use.
It felt like the home of someone who lived alone but kept everything impeccably tidy.
"You live here by yourself?"
Jang Chaeyeon stopped walking at my question and stared straight at me.
"If you want, you could live here with me."
"That's a bit much."
"..."
How could a guy just move into a grown woman's house? It'd invite all sorts of misunderstandings.
"Honestly, I thought your place would be super barren."
I approached the kitchen, touched the cookbooks, and looked at Jang Chaeyeon.
"Because I'm so quiet?"
"...Not exactly."
It wasn't wrong.
Jang Chaeyeon, with her subdued emotional expressions, had seemed like the type to live in a stark, empty house. Surprisingly, though, she lived in a place that felt perfectly lived-in.
"And you're practicing cooking too?"
"..."
At my words, Jang Chaeyeon lowered her eyes slightly.
Come to think of it, when I was first hospitalized, she'd said she wasn't good at cooking.
I recalled our conversation.
'Aren't you hungry for anything?'
'Why? You gonna make it for me?'
'........If you want.'
'It might take some time...'
"...It didn't take as long as you thought, did it?"
While I was lost in thought, Jang Chaeyeon lifted her eyes and looked up at me.
"... "
"You said it was tasty back then. That felt good."
She was talking about the cooking she'd done at my place.
"Ah, that... um."
I couldn't bring myself to meet Jang Chaeyeon's gaze for some reason.
Maybe because I could feel her feelings in it.
"...What are you two doing."
A chilly voice came from beside us. When I looked, Song Arin was standing there with her arms crossed, glaring at us with fierce eyes.
"Did you rent this place?"
"It's my house. Bought it outright, not rented."
"You trying to pick a fight over words?"
Song Arin narrowed one eye at Jang Chaeyeon's retort and glared back. Sure enough, a verbal spat broke out.
These two never let up.
As I thought that, the manual slipped from my pocket and flipped open.
[Manual for Office Workers]
[How to Make Rolled Omelet]
1. First, crack 4 eggs into a bowl.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt.
3. For a soft rolled omelet, add 4 tablespoons of milk (one per egg).
4. If you don't have milk, water works too, and a pinch of pepper helps remove any eggy smell.
Since when were you a cookbook?
I snapped the manual shut with a loud thud and stepped in to break up the fight.
"Come on, you two, cut it out. This is Chaeyeon's house."
"You taking the white-haired kid's side?"
"It's my house."
Fortunately, their bickering stopped quickly.
*
Dinner was cooked by Jang Chaeyeon herself.
I suggested ordering in, but she insisted on cooking with a determined look on her face.
She even refused any help, leaving the three of us awkwardly sitting around, cracking open beers.
"I never knew Chaeyeon was so domestic."
"...This is weird..."
Song Arin furrowed her brow at Yoo Daon's murmur as she looked around.
"Why?"
"If my memory's right, that's not the kind of life she leads."
"What do you mean?"
"She ate every meal at the office. If there was no food around, she'd starve."
"For real?"
"Yeah. She's not the type to cook for herself... but somehow..."
Song Arin and Yoo Daon's eyes turned to me.
"Somehow..."
"...Why."
"I get the somehow..."
"Ah..."
Song Arin sighed, and Yoo Daon let out a lament.
"It's not because of me, right?"
She practiced cooking just to make food for me?
That'd be overthinking it. And that kind of self-consciousness usually leads to social suicide.
'Chaeyeon, did you learn to cook for me by any chance?'
'No.'
Just imagining it was horrifying.
As I was lost in those thoughts, there was a clatter, and Jang Chaeyeon set the food on the table.
"Here."
"Wow, thanks for the... food?"
Eel, chicken feet, pork stir-fry, rolled omelet.
"...Drinking snacks?"
Song Arin muttered with a furrowed brow just as—
-Thud!
A crate of soju bottles landed on the table.
"You're not leaving till it's all gone."
"You psycho..."
"Wow..."
Song Arin sighed at the sight, and Yoo Daon stared at Jang Chaeyeon in horror—
*
"Drink."
"Okay."
The cola pressed to my cheek snapped me out of my thoughts.
"... "
I cracked open the cola and drank as I looked at the two, completely out of it.
Song Arin retching miserably, Yoo Daon passed out cold.
Jang Chaeyeon glanced at them and flicked her finger.
"Urk..."
"... "
The two flew straight into the bedroom with a crash.
They're not dead, right?
"...Ugh."
I'd drunk a fair bit myself.
No one could say I couldn't hold my liquor. But against Jang Chaeyeon? No confidence there.
"Drink that, and you'll snap out of it."
"...Got it."
I glanced at Jang Chaeyeon.
Maybe because it was hot, she'd unbuttoned her dress shirt and was fanning herself.
I had no idea where to look.
"It's fine to look at me."
"I'm the one who's not fine."
Jang Chaeyeon pouted briefly at my words, then got down from her chair onto the floor and patted the spot next to her.
"Come here."
"No, not right now... Hold on, Chaeyeon. Don't use your powers..."
I politely refused, but my body floated up and drifted over to her side.
If it were a mental attack, I could resist. But this? No defense at all.
And so, I was carefully placed next to her.
I sipped the cola and blankly looked around the house.
Way too big for one person.
She probably hadn't lived an easy life either.
As I thought that—
-Plop.
Something rested on my shoulder.
Her hair tickled my cheek with a soft rustle.
"Chaeyeon?"
"...Can we stay like this just for a bit?"
Was she a little drunk too? She murmured in a slightly husky voice.
"Sure."
And I wasn't the kind of person who couldn't even manage that much.
"... "
"... "
Silence filled the quiet house.
"Hey."
"Yeah."
Still resting her head on my shoulder, Jang Chaeyeon spoke up abruptly.
"Aren't you scared?"
"Of what?"
"Losing things."
"... "
"Being in a place like this... you end up losing a lot."
"Probably."
It was life-or-death work, after all.
"Let me turn it around."
"... "
"Aren't you scared, Chaeyeon?"
"I..."
She paused for a moment.
"I'm scared."
"... "
"But that's exactly why I can't quit."
She lifted her head to look at me.
"I don't want someone else dying because I'm not there."
Her voice was full of regret.
She surely hadn't lived a long life, so what had made her like this?
"That's why."
She murmured and pressed closer to my side.
I could feel her lukewarm body heat.
"Don't worry."
"... "
"I'm not gonna die."
"You sure?"
"Dead sure."
Our eyes met.
Close enough to hear each other's breaths.
"I've got a spare life."
"...Boring."
"It's true."
It really was.
But she took it as a joke and chuckled softly.
"...By the way."
"Yeah."
"This is a serious question."
"Yeah. I'm listening."
I wondered what she'd ask.
I focused on her words and looked at her. She stared back, pouting sulkily.
"...You really don't have any thoughts at all?"
She flapped her open shirt.
"... "
My eyes involuntarily went there, and Jang Chaeyeon's expression changed when she noticed.
"...Heh heh."
Jang Chaeyeon laughed out loud—uncharacteristically.
At this rate, I'd turn into trash.
"Hold on, Chaeyeon, this is—"
"No need to say it."
Jang Chaeyeon stood up, smiled softly, turned around, and looked down at me.
"I heard your answer."
With that, she slowly walked into her room.
"... "
This is driving me crazy.
"...Time for bed."
I let out a sigh I couldn't hide and went to sleep.
*
The next day, after barely stopping Jang Chaeyeon from suggesting hangover drinks, we somehow pulled ourselves together and headed to Yoo Daon's place.
"...Haha..."
Unlike my expectation of something cute and cozy, an empty house with just a bed, dining table, and sofa greeted us.
"...I-I live pretty minimalistic."
"Minimalism, huh?"
Yoo Daon smiled awkwardly at Song Arin's words, and I was at a loss for them too.
My eyes drifted to the top of Yoo Daon's head without thinking.
[Name: Yoo Daon]
[Age: 23]
[Specialty: Immortality]
[Talent: Regeneration (Undefined)]
[Background: She is sincerely regretting it now. If only she'd known, she'd have bought some display furniture for the house.]
[Weakness: Tell her "Your place is really a mess," and you can make her cry on the spot.]
"... "
Mountains beyond mountains, am I right?