Sim Seowoo agreed somewhat with the granddaughter’s expression. The atmosphere of him standing in the darkness happened to be quite bleak, and coincidentally, perhaps his mood was twisted from being ignored by him, his expression was also frowning, strengthening the sharp feeling even more.
The grandfather looked at Cheon Yijae with eyes shaking as if an earthquake had occurred, then barely managed to turn his gaze to Sim Seowoo and said. His voice trembled.
“Uh, uhuh? Th-the d-doll I gave you last time, why? Was there some problem?”
“……No. It was a huge help, so I wanted to thank you. Since it was a doll holding a Four-leaf Clover, it really brought good luck.”
“Huhut, huh! I see. That’s really fortunate!”
The grandfather’s laughter fell awkwardly in chunks.
“I always want to be helpful to our Student Seowoo. From now on too, while living in the house, if there’s anywhere that’s uncomfortable or anything you want me to look after, tell me anytime! Whatever it is, I’ll take care of you in every way possible! Yes, a home should be that kind of space!”
“I’ve already received so much. I’ll definitely repay—”
“Oh no, no. Absolutely not! I’m not helping Student Seowoo to receive something in return! It’s just that I want to look after you because you’re like a grandchild!”
“What, you’re not comparing me saying I can’t be top of the class like that person, right?”
As soon as Sim Seowoo said he’d repay him, the grandfather was startled as if burned by fire and waved both hands and his head together. Somehow it was a creaking appearance like a broken doll, and even without reacting to the granddaughter’s playful complaint, he just pulled up the corners of his mouth to the fullest.
Soon the grandfather turned around.
“I, I remembered something I forgot, hehe, I should get going now.”
“Huh? What is it? Should I go instead?”
“No! I’ll go myself. Ah, right, you come along too!”
The granddaughter also seemed to find the grandfather’s reaction strange and looked at him worriedly, but the grandfather shouted loudly. He cried out loud enough to make the granddaughter shrink for a moment, then grabbed her wrist right away. The momentum of pulling and leading her while shouting “Hurry!” was urgent.
As if this space was so uncomfortable for him, as if he couldn’t stand it without escaping immediately, he acted impatiently.
The granddaughter was bewildered as she was dragged by the grandfather and greeted Sim Seowoo with a nod.
“Phew, why do I keep getting chills……”
Then she pulled her collar together and shuddered her shoulders, and Sim Seowoo’s gaze smoothly moved backward.
During the series of commotion, Cheon Yijae stood with a very leisurely attitude. With both hands stuffed in his pants pockets as if by habit, standing slightly crookedly, he followed the landlord grandfather and his granddaughter only with his eyes, then slowly made eye contact with Sim Seowoo. His ash-colored pupils were just emotionless.
A reaction that seemed very accustomed to this kind of thing.
‘Normally, people get goosebumps just from seeing Sojunim……’
Suddenly, words Jin Gwangmin had said in the past came to mind. He had marveled asking if Sim Seowoo wasn’t scared since he was so calm even after seeing Cheon Yijae, and perhaps the ‘normally’ that Jin Gwangmin pointed out was exactly this kind of situation.
Ordinary people might naturally become intimidated in front of an existence harboring an evil spirit in their body. Since it was said that the living instinctively find ghost energy repulsive and want to distance themselves, perhaps the grandfather also left as if fleeing like that.
But…… there was something strange about simply describing the grandfather’s reaction as just being surprised. It was because his behavior of suddenly emphasizing that he would help in every way possible seemed somewhat theatrical.
So, should it be described as a feeling of listing his own good deeds to avoid being dragged to hell? The analogy that came to Sim Seowoo’s mind had quite an absurd appearance, but he couldn’t find another appropriate one.
Did he really mistake Cheon Yijae for the grim reaper as the granddaughter said? He tilted his head for a moment, then soon pushed the thoughts aside.
Anyway, since he’d come this far, it was time to quickly accomplish his purpose.
“I’ll be right back, so just wait a moment—”
“Do you leave the superior you’re going to respect standing outside?”
However, Cheon Yijae cut off his words and strode into the villa. His steps toward room 202 were very natural, and he even pointed at the door with his chin afterward.
“Open it.”
……Somehow his attitude seemed to have become worse, or was it just an illusion?
It seemed his mood was thoroughly twisted from ignoring his words below the stairs. The expression ‘superior’ came across very awkwardly, but Sim Seowoo nodded after a moment of silence.
Then he opened the door and guided with both hands for Cheon Yijae to enter the house first, then headed to the dining table, pulled out a chair for him, and even operated the electric kettle to boil water.
“I don’t have any fruit juice separately, so I’ll serve you tea.”
Sim Seowoo had about 5 years of part-time work experience.
In other words, it meant he was skilled at dealing with most unreasonable, no, finicky customers. Moreover, when he was trapped in the cult facility, he had a record of enjoying conveniences by catering to the cult leader’s mood. To him, who had seen and experienced humanity’s various types, Cheon Yijae’s behavior didn’t deal much of a blow.
“……Ha.”
Cheon Yijae, sitting in the chair, let out a hollow laugh as if bewildered. Regardless, Sim Seowoo opened the kitchen cupboard and checked the tea bag box.
“The tea I have now is barley tea, pumpkin red bean tea, ah, red bean tea won’t do. Then aside from this……”
“What are you trying to do? Are you picking a fight with me?”
“No. I’m trying to show respect toward Sojunim.”
“That’s picking a fight.”
“That can’t be……”
Seeing Sim Seowoo, who was about to use the strange honorific “Your ordered beverage has arrived” soon, Cheon Yijae pressed his forehead. Sim Seowoo set down a white mug in front of him as he gripped his head as if it ached.
Cheon Yijae chewed irritably without even checking it.
“Forget it, I’m not drinking.”
“I prepared chamomile tea that helps with sleep.”
Not yielding to the sharp tone, or more precisely, completely letting it all flow past, Sim Seowoo said. Yellow tea water slowly spread from the tea bag, gently giving off an herbal scent.
“You seem to not have been sleeping well recently. Chamomile is tea that relieves tension and relaxes the body, so please drink it comfortably.”
Coincidentally, Sim Seowoo, who had experience working part-time at a cafe, skillfully explained the tea’s efficacy as smoothly as flowing water. It was a tone like a promotional staff member, but at that content, Cheon Yijae’s fingertips twitched and trembled.
Slowly lowering his hand, he asked.
“……How did you know I couldn’t sleep?”
“That’s because……”
Because you’re acting so sensitively……
Sim Seowoo appropriately swallowed his words and brought out a different reason.
“Your dark circles have deepened and your eyes are also slightly reddened.”
Actually, Sim Seowoo had noticed Cheon Yijae’s insomnia from the moment they met in the training room today. Fatigue was stuck thickly under his sharply honed impression, and his jawline had also become more sharp, making him wonder if he’d lost weight too. It seemed like he hadn’t been able to sleep or eat properly for the past few days.
At Sim Seowoo’s plain answer, Cheon Yijae pressed his lips tightly shut.
“……”
He seemed a bit flustered by the fact that there was someone who looked closely at his face and noticed the changes. Normally, people would have a fit and distance themselves just from making eye contact with him.
After repeatedly clenching and unclenching his hand on the table dozens of times, Cheon Yijae hesitantly grasped the mug’s handle. He stared intently at the chamomile tea with steam rising from it, then slowly drank the tea.
Strangely, just before swallowing, he furrowed his eyes for a moment as if drinking poison, but in the end he quietly swallowed it down. Afterward, he fell silent, holding the mug with both hands.
It seemed like Cheon Yijae’s momentum had softened considerably.
Sim Seowoo observed that change with fascination. Even the corners of his eyes that had been fiercely raised until now seemed to smoothly lower, so he thought he should offer warm tea whenever Cheon Yijae acted sensitively in the future and walked around the house.
It was his first time returning since he left on the last day of finals, but since he wasn’t the type to make a mess of his house originally, the space was in an organized state. Still, now with the intention of leaving for a long time in mind, he busily cleaned the studio apartment that was like a two-room, and was also packing his things when he felt Cheon Yijae’s gaze continuously following him.
After watching for a while while drinking tea, he asked in a low voice.
“Looks like you’ve lived here for a long time.”
Perhaps confirming the lived-in feeling attached to various places in the house and the furniture, he brought up the topic casually. His voice also settled down more calmly, and Sim Seowoo nodded, evaluating that the tea’s efficacy was better than expected.
