Trrrr- Trrrr.
When they had almost finished cleaning the floor, Soohyun’s phone vibrated. Soohyun asked Seojun for understanding and pressed the call button. It was a call from the real estate office Soohyun had contacted.
“Hello?”
While Soohyun was on the phone, Seojun finished cleaning the floor and stood up. He noticed the face of Soohyun talking on the phone with a quite serious expression. The shadow cast over his smooth forehead was deep.
“Is that so? Then could I view the place around 4… no, around 5 o’clock?”
The word “place” stuck in his ears. Seojun waited for Soohyun to finish his call and then spoke to him. He definitely hadn’t tried to eavesdrop, but the person Soohyun had just been talking to seemed to be a real estate broker.
“Are you… moving?”
“Yes. I have to vacate the place I was living.”
Soohyun looked at the clock with an anxious face. How long would it take to walk to the real estate office? An hour? About an hour and a half? The problem was that too much time had been wasted washing up and cleaning the flour.
“Are you moving? Around when?”
“Well…”
In truth, he wanted to appeal to Seojun that only ten days were left so he felt rushed. He might be able to hold out if he tried, but he didn’t want to treat badly the landlady who had been considerate of him for five years.
“I have to move within ten days. I’ll leave right after cleaning this up.”
“Ten days? You’re saying you’re moving within ten days?”
Soohyun briefly answered yes and went into the utility room holding the rag. Seojun wondered if it was possible to move within ten days, then suddenly opened his eyes wide.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“Wait, Lee Soohyun-ssi.”
Seojun grabbed the arm of Soohyun, who was urgently trying to leave.
“Lee Soohyun-ssi. How about living at my house?”
“…What?”
Soohyun couldn’t understand Seojun’s words. But there was no hesitation in Seojun’s voice, who had already made up his mind.
“I’m saying, what if we change to live-in format? Then you can eat and sleep at my house, so it’ll be much easier than now. And you won’t have to find a place.”
If it had been the previous Soohyun, he would have naturally refused his proposal. But now was different. How could he find a place to live right away within ten days? No matter how much he thought about it, the only place he could move into that urgently was a goshiwon.
“Is it… a refusal?”
He hadn’t expected Soohyun to accept right away. Seojun had more of a mind to just give it a shot. It would be good if he accepted, and if not, it couldn’t be helped—it was light like that, essentially no different from gambling.
“Could I… think about it?”
“Uh… what?”
“It seems difficult to decide right away. Could I think about it and let you know?”
“Of… of course. Take all the time you need.”
At the postponement rather than the refusal he’d braced for, Seojun’s face brightened.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“Yes! Then please, contact me.”
Soohyun bowed his head toward Seojun and left his house. His steps toward the real estate office quickened.
* * *
‘If Lee Soohyun-ssi… ends up living at home with me….’
After Soohyun left, Seojun paced the living room anxiously, unable to sit or stand. He had never once thought about living together with anyone, but with him, it seemed like it would be okay. What are the working conditions for live-in format at Omega Home Care Center? Should I consult with Jinwoo? If Jinwoo finds out I’ll be living with Soohyun-ssi, he’ll make a huge fuss….
Seojun held his phone and pondered for a moment, then searched for “Omega Home Care Service Center” and made a call. He planned to consult as an employer without revealing his identity.
[This is Omega Home Care Service Center. How may I help you?]
“Hello, actually I’m currently an employer.”
Seojun slowly explained his situation. That he was originally employing someone in commute format, but now wanted to change to live-in format, and asked in detail how to do that.
[In that case, you can rewrite the contract. Or you can discuss with the employed person and modify the existing contract content.]
“Is that all? Isn’t there a separate contract form?”
[The initial contract is the same for both commute and live-in formats. Since the employment type is changing midway, you can just add it to the special terms section at the bottom. Have all your questions been resolved?]
“Yes? Thank you.”
As soon as Seojun hung up, he brought out the contract he had stored. Reading through the content carefully, he discovered several blank spaces in the special terms section at the end and began contemplating what to put there.
‘But aren’t I worrying too far ahead? Lee Soohyun-ssi might say no. But why is my heart racing like this and why do I feel so good?’
* * *
“Are there really… only rooms like this?”
“It’s so different from before. Honestly, even rooms like this are barely available.”
Standing in front of a semi-basement room full of mold, worry bloomed on Soohyun’s face as well. Even though it was a room with a 5 million won deposit and 400,000 won monthly rent, it had a musty smell because it wasn’t well-ventilated. The bathroom was full of mold, and a foul sewer smell rose from the kitchen sink.
“I understand. Thank you for showing me.”
The broker looked over Soohyun with a displeased face and left. He had seen three rooms, but not one of them was to his liking. He had wanted a more open place with a bit more sunlight… It wasn’t presumptuous greed. It was a matter of survival. Sick Soohyun couldn’t live in a stuffy place closed off on all sides.
“There’s no way.”
All the way home, Soohyun fiddled with his phone. Seojun’s words echoed in his ears, and at the same time, Chaeho’s face flickered before his eyes.
“I can’t. Chaeho is still…”
He had pushed him away while hurting that child, but if he told him about this situation, Chaeho would definitely pester him to live together. If the time they spent together grew longer, he would surely waver pathetically toward that kind child, that child who liked him.
“Soohyun-ssi, you’re back? How did finding a place go?”
“Ahjumma…”
She approached with a face that seemed to have been waiting just for Soohyun to return.
“Yes, I’m… looking for one now.”
“I feel so sorry. So suddenly…”
“It can’t be helped. I’ll find one as quickly as possible.”
“Okay. Thank you so much, Soohyun-ssi.”
Had she thought Soohyun might hold out saying he couldn’t leave? Feeling clear anxiety on the face of the woman who always seemed warm, Soohyun steeled his heart.
“Choi Seojun-ssi, this is Lee Soohyun.”
[Yes. Soohyun-ssi.]
“If it’s okay with you… I’ll change to live-in format.”
[Of course I’m okay with it. Then when will you move in?]
The day he moved into Seojun’s house would be the day he left this house that had protected him—no, imprisoned him—for the past five years. Soohyun hesitated for a moment, then parted his lips.
“Would tomorrow be okay?”
Seojun’s answer couldn’t be heard. Was tomorrow too soon after all? Soohyun tried to change his words to say he’d move in within this week, but,
[Are you really coming tomorrow? But to move, your luggage…]
“There isn’t much to pack. But if it doesn’t work with your schedule, Choi Seojun-ssi, I can just come within this week…”
[No! I mean, I’m really okay with it. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.]
“Yes. I’ll… see you tomorrow.”
After finishing the call with Seojun, he entered the house. The bedding, clothes—there wasn’t a single thing that was proper, only things that wouldn’t be a waste to throw away immediately. Soohyun took out a bag from the closet and packed only the essentials. The kitchenware wasn’t Soohyun’s either. They were things he’d borrowed with the landlady’s consideration, so there weren’t many things in this house that could be called Soohyun’s.
“This is all there is.”
He’d lived here for five years, and this wasn’t going on a trip but leaving home, yet this was all he could call his belongings. It was actually fortunate. If he had too much luggage, he wouldn’t be able to move it alone. He felt momentarily dazed at the thought of walking to Seojun’s house carrying his luggage bag, but if he went slowly and took breaks, it wouldn’t be impossible.
“Thank you for everything.”
Soohyun spoke to his rooftop room. The cast moonlight seemed to answer in return.
* * *
“You’re here? What about your luggage?”
“This is all of it.”
Seojun had been waiting at the front door after receiving contact that Soohyun had arrived in front of the officetel. Fortunately, it was a day with no schedule.
“This is really everything?”
