Chapter 43: Miju’s Stalker
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43: Miju’s Stalker
It was past midnight.
The moment I heard Miju’s sobbing voice over the phone, I bolted out the door.
I ran like a madman to the address she gave me. I don’t think it even took five minutes to reach her place.
I was gasping for air.
I’m glad I’ve been working out, I thought.
If I hadn't been training my body, I wouldn't have arrived yet; I’d still be wheezing somewhere on the street.
“Huff... huff...”
Catching my breath, I looked up at the building where Miju’s studio apartment was located.
She said Room 305.
The lights were off.
She definitely said she was home. Something was clearly wrong.
I knocked on the darkened door.
“Miju? Are you in there? It’s me, Jae-ho.”
There was no answer. However, I heard a faint rustling from inside.
A moment later, the door creaked open.
“Jae-ho...”
Miju stepped out, her eyes brimming with tears.
Without a word, she threw herself into my arms and began to sob. I could feel her body trembling against mine. She looked incredibly fragile, shaking as if she were terrified of something.
“Let’s go inside and talk first.”
She was in no state to have a conversation out here.
“I-I’m sorry, Jae-ho.”
“It’s okay. Just try to calm down. You can tell me everything slowly.”
Once inside, I guided the shivering Miju to a chair.
“Should I leave the lights off?”
“No... It’s okay now that you’re here.”
Click.
As the lights flickered on, Miju’s small studio apartment came into full view. It was a tidy place, without a speck of dust. The faint scent of a girl’s cosmetics wafted through the air.
Unfortunately, I wasn't in the right headspace to admire her room. My priority was calming Miju down.
I poured a cup of water and handed it to her. After taking a sip of the warm water, her expression settled slightly, and she finally spoke.
“Thank you for coming right away.”
“What happened?”
“Well... for the past few days, I’ve felt like someone was watching me. I tried to tell myself I was just imagining things, but...”
She faltered for a moment, wetting her lips before continuing.
“I saw him yesterday. A man was standing in the corner of that alleyway, staring at me.”
“A man?”
“Yes.”
Miju pointed toward the alley outside.
“I could feel him watching me from there every single day.”
“...”
Looking down from her window, the alley was clearly visible. There was a utility pole and several illegally parked cars along the curb—perfect spots for someone to hide. It was so dark that even if someone were standing there, it would be nearly impossible to see them from inside the house under normal circumstances.
Right now, the alley looked empty.
So that’s where she saw him.
“He probably saw you come in, too. I turned off the lights the moment our eyes met... but I could still feel his gaze until just a moment ago.”
“Do you have any idea who it might be?”
“Yes... There’s only one person who would look at me with those eyes.”
Miju spoke with absolute certainty.
“It has to be Joo Yeon-seok.”
The face of Joo Yeon-seok from school flashed through my mind. He always had a smile on his face, but his eyes were as sharp and cold as a viper’s. He was the kind of man who seemed to hide his true intentions while plotting something behind your back.
I remembered how he had made excuses about student council business when we ran into him at school.
Was that just a cover?
It occurred to me that he might have been looking for Miju even then.
But why? Did he like her? Or was there some other reason?
“Why would he come after you? I thought Ye-seul made sure he wouldn't get near you anymore.”
“That’s what I thought, too. He didn't show up once during the break. But then, a few days ago...”
A few days ago.
What could have caused the dormant Joo Yeon-seok to suddenly snap and start stalking Miju?
Is it because of me?
I remembered introducing myself as her boyfriend when I blocked him before. The look in his eyes back then had been unsettling. Rage, jealousy, a sense of betrayal—a storm of negative emotions had swirled in his gaze.
“I don’t know why he’s doing this. I just wanted to forget all the bad memories and live my life...”
Perhaps the thought of Joo Yeon-seok terrified her, as Miju wrapped her arms around her own shoulders.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to think about it anymore.”
I pulled her into a hug. There was no need for her to clutter her mind with such dark thoughts.
“Jae-ho.”
“Yeah?”
She stopped sobbing and looked up at me.
“Would it be okay... if you stayed the night?”
“Huh?”
“I’m just so scared... I feel like if I’m alone, he’s definitely going to break in.”
It took me a second to process what she had just said.
“Is that... not okay?”
Miju’s voice was so small and fearful that she reminded me of a tiny puppy. A vulnerable little creature that looked like it would shatter if I didn't protect it.
“Alright. I’ll stay here with you tonight.”
I had agreed, but as the reality set in, I realized how big of a deal this was.
Staying the night at a girl’s house. Just the two of us in a studio apartment!
It was a situation where anything could happen. My heart began to race like crazy.
Thump-thump.
“Okay.”
How could I leave a girl who was suffering like this? My intentions were pure, without any ulterior motives. Truly.
I thought about heading home for a moment to grab a change of clothes, but...
“Please don’t go.”
It seemed she couldn't even bear for me to leave her side for a moment. Miju clutched my sleeve, pleading with me to stay.
“I don’t know when he might come back.”
Faced with her tearful plea, I had no choice but to stay. I didn't have a change of clothes, but oh well. I’d figure it out.
“You can sleep here.”
While I was lost in thought, Miju had already spread out the bedding. There was only one set.
“We’re... sharing the same blanket?”
“...Ah!”
She seemed to realize it late, her face turning bright red as she clapped her hands together. She hurriedly looked around the room, but her hands came up empty.
“I don’t have another set of blankets, so I think we’ll have to sleep like this. But it’s okay! I don’t have any weird intentions. It’s just that... I feel like I can trust you, so...”
She waved her hands dismissively, then hesitated.
“Is that... not alright?”
How could I refuse when a girl as beautiful as Miju was asking so earnestly? Still, lying under the same blanket felt like it would trigger a sense of guilt.
“Just give me a small throw blanket.”
I took a thin throw and lay down beside her. Even though it was a studio apartment, there was plenty of room for two people.
“Goodnight.”
We turned off the lights and lay down.
I couldn't sleep. My eyes wouldn't stay shut, and my mind was wide awake. I tried to brainwash myself into thinking we were sleeping under different covers, but it was useless.
Was Miju feeling the same way? I could hear her tossing and turning beside me.
“Are you still awake because of the stalker outside?”
“Oh, no... I’m okay.”
Her voice sounded much more relaxed than before. However, she hadn't completely shaken off her anxiety; there was still a slight tremor at the end of her words.
“I’m right here. Don’t worry too much.”
“Yes... Thank you, Jae-ho. For agreeing to such a difficult request.”
“Hey, it’s nothing.”
I tried to keep my voice calm and steady.
Thump-thump.
But I was more nervous than anyone. A girl had asked me to sleep over at her place. Of course, I knew she didn't mean it that way, but I couldn't control my racing heart. I was worried she might even hear it.
Sleep remained elusive. As the night grew deeper, my mind only became sharper. I opened my eyes, which I had forced shut, and glanced to the side.
Miju was awake, staring at me. Our eyes met instantly.
“Ah...”
The moment our gazes locked, we both looked away simultaneously.
“I-I just couldn't sleep. It’s my first time having a man sleep over...”
Miju’s voice trailed off.
“Don’t worry too much.”
I reached out and stroked the hair of the flustered Miju.
“Nothing is going to happen. I’m right here. As long as I’m by your side, no one is getting in.”
“Okay...”
Even as she answered, she couldn't meet my eyes. Was it my imagination? Her face seemed slightly flushed.
“Um, Jae-ho...”
She asked, still avoiding my gaze.
“Yeah?”
“I’m still a little scared... could we sleep a bit closer together?”
“Closer?”
“Yes... I’m frightened. And even though it’s summer, you’ll catch a cold if you sleep on the bare floor.”
Miju lifted the edge of the blanket. The way she spoke, clearly embarrassed, was incredibly cute. Refusing after she went that far wouldn't be manly.
She probably didn't mean anything else by it. I decided to push aside my lewd thoughts and the fear that she’d hear my heartbeat. My priority tonight was making Miju feel safe.
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“O-Of course. Since it’s you...”
I gave a light smile and slid under the blanket she was holding up.
“It’s okay. Nothing’s going to happen.”
“Um, Jae-ho...”
“Yeah?”
“Would it be okay if I held onto you while we sleep?”
“What do you mean?”
“I have a habit of hugging a doll when I’m anxious... but I didn't bring one from home...”
She really doesn't have any other intentions, right? It felt wrong to refuse at this point.
“Do whatever makes you comfortable.”
I nodded.
“Thank you. Hehe.”
Miju pulled me into a tight embrace. Her soft chest pressed against my body. Her warmth transferred to me.
Thump-thump.
I felt a heavy heartbeat. I couldn't tell if it was mine or Miju’s.
“Thank you, Jae-ho.”
Her slightly damp, sweet voice tickled my ear.
That night, I didn't get a single wink of sleep.
*
I must be crazy.
Holding Jae-ho tightly, Miju belatedly realized what she had done.
It was true that there was a stalker. She had definitely made eye contact with the man. She didn't have the courage to call her parents or the police, fearing she might be wrong or that she’d just worry them for nothing.
The first person she thought of was Jae-ho, and she had called him immediately.
He had come running right away. She was so grateful that he had rushed over in the middle of the night without a second thought. He had even readily agreed to her request to stay over.
She was embarrassed to have a man sleep over, but she was more afraid of the stalker.
She had laid out the bedding and lied down to sleep, but her eyes kept drifting toward Jae-ho, who was sleeping with only a thin throw blanket. It wasn't just because she was worried about him sleeping on the cold floor.
Her eyes just kept wandering.
At first, it was the relief of having a man she could lean on when things were hard. And then...
Jae-ho has such a good body...
Through the gaps in his blanket, she could see his collarbones, his chest muscles, and the muscles in his forearms. Her gaze was drawn to his masculine physique. Not long ago, he hadn't had any visible muscle, but at some point, his body had grown significantly.
He must have worked so hard to get like that.
She admired his willpower. And she became more curious. What did the muscles underneath look like? What kind of person was Jae-ho? What would those muscles feel like to the touch...?
And then, their eyes had met. Even in the darkness, she could see it clearly. Those solid muscles.
A desire to touch him took hold of her. That was why she had pulled him under the same blanket and hugged him, pretending it was for comfort.
She could feel his hard muscles vividly against her soft body. The moment she embraced him, the masculinity he had been hiding was fully revealed—every contour of his muscles.
Amazing...
For the first time, Miju felt a desire to be held by a man.
“Haa...”
However, as a virgin, she couldn't bring herself to say those words out loud. She simply blushed.
Thump-thump.
She tried to suppress her racing heart while savoring the feel of Jae-ho’s body.
Jae-ho wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep during that long night.
*
After spending the night wide awake, I left Miju’s place.
“I’ll head out first, then.”
Miju also headed to school, her expression much softer. Even though a prime suspect like Joo Yeon-seok was at school, she couldn't just skip her classes.
I was worried about the dark circles under her eyes. I wondered if she’d fall asleep during a lecture.
I’m sure she’ll manage, I thought, letting it go.
Since I had an afternoon class, I planned to go home and sleep for a bit.
But on my way back, something caught my eye.
It was the alleyway Miju had pointed to last night.