Stranger

if it’s noisy outside.”

He closes the door as he leaves.
Not enough to live in his house, I now even invade his bedroom.

On the whole weekend, Yeon Woojeong stayed in the house, and since I also had nowhere to go, I stayed next to him.
We ate and watched TV together, but it didn’t mean we talked much.
He still hasn’t asked me any questions.
Also, he still hasn’t made any demand.

I slowly feel uneasy.
After staring at the closed door, I shove my head into the bed.
There’s a smell.
A warm scent, the scent of laundry when it is freshly washed.
There’s no damp or unpleasant smell even a bit.

I can vaguely understand why he can’t wake up when he sleeps here.
I take a deep breath.
The fact that I can feel at ease in the personal room of a man I don’t know wrenches and wrecks me inside.
I grab the gray blanket like tearing it apart.

***

The wound has already healed before I know it.
Although it’s hard to say it has completely healed because there are still light bruises left, at least this doesn’t make me reminded of Lee Sugeol when I look at the wound.

It’s already been a week since I’ve lived in this house.
I’m still wasting time without doing anything.
Yeon Woojeong comes home late every night as if filling up the time he had played at home all day over the weekend.
The time I see him is only when I enter his room because I’m irked with his alarm or when I open my eyes for a moment at dawn.
I eat the lunch box that is filling the freezer one by one, and luxuriously, I desire to eat other food. 

I have to look for a job, but it’s a waste to look for it in haste because I’ll have more options once I come of age.
Maybe I think like this because I have someone to lean on.

Yeah, frankly, I’m not desperate.
The fact that I can be out of guard despite knowing nothing about Yeon Woojeong’s scheme is because he looks safe, at least for now.
Safe.
It is a funny word.
Because I don’t know when someone will suddenly change, I have to add the premise ‘at least for now.’

I’m thinking of cleaning and shopping for groceries today.
This house is neat, but dust is bound to accumulate at any time, and the shirts that Yeon Woojeong put in the laundry room have already formed a pile.
Can I just wash his shirts in the washing machine?

I wonder if Yeon Woojeong will get off work after I clean the house and go to the mart.
He didn’t get off work on time for a week, so I don’t think he will come earlier today.

I make the plan inside my head and then get up from my seat.
Suddenly, the bell rings.
There was no one visiting this house this whole week except for the courier who delivered the lunch box.
As I check the intercom screen, there’s someone’s face there.
She’s a middle-aged woman, and she’s wearing something like a uniform.

I look at the intercom, then I try to push the button with the mic shape on it.

“Who is this?”

—Ah, you’re home! I’m from the cleaning company, sir.

Cleaning company? I never heard of that.
I look at the intercom for a moment then I take out my phone and call Yeon Woojeong.
This is my first time calling him.

The dial tone lasts quite a long time.
The person on the intercom says ‘sir?’, looking for the house owner that isn’t here.
When I am about to end the call, I hear a voice.

—Yes, this is Yeon Woojeong.

I quickly close my opened mouth.
Yeon Woojeong’s voice through the phone is more low-pitched, and it tickles my ear.
His first words are very normal which is rather strange.

—Hello?

“….
it’s me.”

—…… ah, I see.

Yeon Woojeong reacts as if he didn’t save this number.
Well, it’s obvious because even though he saved his number on this phone, he didn’t note this number.

—What’s the matter?

“Someone from the cleaning company knocks on the door.”

—Aha, that’s right.
There’s someone who comes once a week.
Please open the door.

For now, I push the key button, then I walk away from the intercom and lean on the wall.
I’m really not happy with someone entering this place.

—If you’re uncomfortable, you can enter my room or go out.

“If I go out, then you’re telling me to leave that person alone?”

—Yeah, it’s normally like that.