Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Episode 29. Picture Diary (3)
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⋯ Ugh... What kind of enchantment is on this thick skull of hers?
Why does she keep crossing my boundaries without any resistance?
Before I knew it, I found myself absently stroking her head, only for harsh reality to slam into me.
"Who are you, and why are you hugging me?"
"What are you, a dog? I just stepped out for a bit, and you come running to the entrance like that, clinging to me? No more chit-chat. Get off on your own."
"Tch, the duration is so short. Kwon Seonghyeon, you trash character, trash."
"I'm a person with dignity too, you know. Don't treat me like a summoned beast."
"Yeah~ Whatever. You can't even move in bed anyway."
What the hell is she saying?
Gives me the creeps.
Does she even know how that sounds?
"You... don't say stuff like that carelessly anywhere else. People might think we're married."
"Whoa. Honey... How can you say something so hurtful..."
"I'm serious, stop it. Or I'll smack you."
"Heehee. Come on in quick, Seonghyeon. You must be tired."
After bringing in the boxes, I noticed the atmosphere in the house had changed a bit.
Things seemed subtly rearranged, and there was a smell wafting around.
Curry? Is that curry I smell?
"What's that smell?"
"Whoa, a smell? Must be stuck in your nose from cooking. Why can't I smell it?"
"Cooking? No way, you made curry? By yourself?"
"Yep! Saw online that we had all the ingredients at home, and it seemed easy if I just chopped stuff up."
In the kitchen, one pot was simmering, and the sink was slightly damp.
Looks like she tried her best to clean up after cooking.
Come to think of it, there's laundry hanging on the balcony too.
And the vacuum cleaner's in a different spot—did she even clean?
All that in the three hours I was gone?
Considering Park Dahye's half-baked housekeeping skills, she must've kept going without a single break.
She should've just rested and played games.
Old hag.
"Muscle pain okay? You did all sorts of stuff."
"No... It hurts like hell, but I took it slow."
"Good job."
I gave Park Dahye a thumbs-up and immediately turned away.
Impressive that she tackled the chores, but she obviously has an ulterior motive anyway.
Lately, I've been realizing more and more that warmth monsters get fiercer the more you feed them.
So,
— Do not feed the animals. —
I'd better avoid eye contact and just unpack.
"Hey, you."
"Let's unpack the boxes first. Clothes go in the small room's closet, trash gets set aside now."
"Hey... The reward..."
"Oh, gotta display the figures too. There's a case in the computer room."
"Kwon~ Seong~ hyeon~."
"What!"
"I did the laundry, cooked... and cleaned."
"Aigoo, you did great. Our Dahye is such a good girl."
"No reward?"
"So brazen? Did I ask you to?"
"I won the bet. Pay up quick. In this house, I'm the rule."
"The hug at the door broke the rules, so that settles it."
"That was your fault for letting your guard down. Pay up."
Shameless in the face of desire.
No way in hell.
Common sense says landlord and tenant don't stroke heads.
It's a relationship of money, contracts, and rights—with suppressed anger in between.
But no matter how much I ignored her and focused on work, Park Dahye's head kept inching closer.
Even though her legs were trembling from muscle pain.
Push, push, and she just shoves right back in.
You think I'll give in if you cling like that? Do I look that easy?
No way, hurts my pride. Absolutely not.
But...
She's nagging at me weirdly.
Why's her pose different today?
Now Park Dahye wasn't pushing her head at me—it was her face.
New pattern.
"What's with that pose?"
"What?"
"Why are you lifting your chin?"
"You already patted my head earlier... so maybe another reward?"
"Not curious about that reward at all, so buzz off."
"You said I was like a dog. So scratch my chin."
What?
Did I hear that right?
Do normal humans ask for their chin scratched...?
Or is there some new communication system in this world I don't know about?
A massive mental shock hit me all at once, and I tasted metal at the back of my throat.
My head's ringing.
"Dahye. Are you... serious?"
"Yep!"
Okay, now I'm convinced.
Our relationship being weird is absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not my fault.
This girl's the crazy one.
Park Dahye... throwing away her dignity for warmth.
Just earlier, I was tearing up in her old room.
Thinking about how she'd struggled alone in that inhuman space made me proud and pitying.
I'd even vowed to let her live like a proper human from now on.
But seeing her toss her dignity like trash for a bit of skinship...
Makes me wanna cry for a whole different reason.
Wipe my tears.
"Seeing you like this makes me so sad, Dahye. How low are you willing to go?"
"No one's watching anyway. Hurry up. Meow! Meow!"
Wow.
Impressive, Park Dahye.
Now she's even barking.
Amid the whirlwind of emotions, a certain Wonseok hyung's words popped into my head.
[Please don't do any weird plane stuff in the name of partying.]
Sorry, Wonseok hyung.
When you said that, I was thinking inside...
What nonsense... if only.
But my reality's turned out like this.
The nonsense is coming from Pokttal, not you.
What's happening in my life?
I...
Don't even know anymore.
"Hurry~ Meow! Meow!"
I squeezed my eyes shut and scratched her chin, and now a different sound came out.
"Nngh~ Nngh~."
Scary.
Hand on my heart, I swear I don't know relationships like this.
Friendship? Sure, had friends.
Love? Dated before.
But one barking like a dog and one scratching chins? No clue.
She seems to love it, but is this okay for me?
Can't be legal.
"Done?"
"Yep! Thank you."
Her face is red, so she's embarrassed too, I guess.
What even's the point of this?
No, better not think about it.
Park Dahye's desires and shame aren't for me to understand anyway.
Just endure this moment, Kwon Seonghyeon.
Hang in there.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I put Dahye's clothes in the small room closet and cleared a desk for her cosmetics.
She'll need a mirror for makeup, so maybe buy a vanity later.
Then in the computer room display case, I placed my figure next to Dahye's.
Side by side with rail lights from below—total badass vibe.
But then Dahye, who'd been excitedly bustling around, came into the room, saw it, and suddenly burst into tears.
"So cool... My awesome baby... I just shoved you in a room... Huwaa... Sorry... My fault..."
Worry about your life turning dog for skinship before the figure.
Almost said it.
Lots to say, but won't.
Her crying face is cute anyway, so maybe snap a pic for the record.
"Dahye, stand in front of the figure. Let's take a photo."
"Huwaa... Like this?"
"Yeah, yeah. Ready? Smile with a V."
"V..."
Click!
And with that, the move was done.
Packed Dahye's stuff, took boxes out—house looks exactly like before, no trace.
Her stuff was so minimal, no way it'd show.
But the vibe's different.
This house doesn't feel like just mine anymore—it's Dahye and mine. Hits hard.
Proud.
After moving, late lunch was her curry.
Dahye's curry was undersalted, potatoes crunchy undercooked, onions overfried and overly sweet, carrots overwhelming with orange menace.
Overall taste...
"How is it, Seonghyeon? Not too bland?"
"Nah? Perfect. Freaking delicious."
Insanely good.
One spoonful, and fresh flavors spark weird visions from the freshness.
Clutching aching legs, groaning.
Dahye's silhouette darting around the house.
Dahye hanging laundry on the rack.
Dahye straining with both arms under the heavy vacuum.
Dahye silently chopping veggies with newly familiar knife work.
And finally, tasting curry with a head tilt.
These visions mean this house is hers now too.
And one certainty:
That silhouette is definitely smiling.
Probably imagined my praise and worked hard.
This insanely tasty curry? Mine, all of it. No sharing.
Snap a pic first.
Click!
"Ack! Why take that! Embarrassing!"
"Yeah, 'cause I want to."
"Nooo! You'll tease me later!"
"Gonna show your husband when you marry. You'll never wed."
"I'm not marrying! Still, don't~ I'll do it right next time!"
No chance.
Out of Dahye's sight, I held my phone high and captioned below.
[Twisted Netherworld Curry Rice]
[Warmth Monster's first dish. Boosts strength by 20 on consumption. Stupidly delicious.]
Hmm. Soul Bond Ring-level item.
Perfect for first record.
Dahye secretly chronicled our life for 8 years, so I'll do it too.
Can't draw, so photos of real life it is.
Dunno how many years we'll be together.
But from now, every happening goes in this phone.
And someday, when you leave this house, and I'm nothing in your memories.
I'll look at these records and nod.
Every moment with you, I was smiling.
Realizing that anew.
But...
Pokttal.
Please, no records of me scratching your dog-turned chin.
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