The languidly drawn-out voice made Gyeoul tense up. She stumbled backward in alarm.
That aside—
“W-what? How do you know my name?”
“There are ways to know everything.”
“……”
“So tell me. Should you be messing with me, or not?”
The man spoke with his eyes closed, and something about him suddenly felt chilling. Gyeoul bolted for her room and slammed the door behind her. A moment later, the lock clicked into place.
Still reclining with his eyes shut, Eunwoo burst into suppressed laughter.
She was a woman who reacted instantly to the slightest poke. That made her all the more tempting to tease and provoke, again and again.
Eunwoo suddenly opened his eyes wide, scanning the room as if someone had just overheard his thoughts. He cleared his throat loudly, then closed his eyes once more and began humming the melody he had remembered that morning.
And he thought: if he wanted help, it might be better to keep the truth about the parcel thief hidden for a little while longer. Having at least one of the woman’s weaknesses in his grasp could prove useful.
__________⋆ 𖤓 ⊹₊˚࿔ ❄︎ᝰ.________
Maybe she’d eaten too much salt at dinner.
In the early dawn, parched by thirst, Gyeoul pushed herself upright in bed. Scratching the back of her neck, she twisted the doorknob. The lock clicked open—and she remembered the presence in the living room.
“Ms. Gyeoul. Lock your door before you sleep.”
That voice replayed in her head, and for no reason her nape flushed hot. It was her own home, yet she felt increasingly uneasy.
Lingering by the door, wavering over whether to go out, she finally turned the knob quietly.
A cool, damp air filled the living room, left behind by the brief rain that had fallen near dawn. On tiptoe, Gyeoul crept into the room, stealing a glance at the man stretched out on the sofa.
Who cares. Let him catch a cold.
She poured herself a glass of water at the table, drained it quickly, and set the glass down again with care. But when she returned to her room, she found she could no longer sleep.
“Ugh, seriously!”
That man was bothersome in every way.
Pulling out a thin blanket, Gyeoul tiptoed back to the sofa and gently spread it over him. Watching him sleep so quietly, she felt an unexpected pang in her chest.
↳ Did you ever think about why he ran away in the first place? You worked him to the bone for money, of course he’d run. It’s only been a month since he collapsed from exhaustion.
He didn’t seem like someone who would abandon everything and flee irresponsibly.
After quietly studying his sleeping face for a while longer, Gyeoul turned away.
When she awoke in the morning, he was gone. The blanket she had laid over him was neatly folded on the sofa. She glanced up at the wall clock.
Ten a.m. A bit later than usual, thanks to her restless night, but not too late.
“Did he go home?”
She didn’t know why it bothered her. Why it mattered whether he was here or not.
“Were you looking for me?”
“Ah! You scared me!”
“Why are you always so jumpy?”
“You can’t just appear like that—!”
Spinning around, Gyeoul froze like a statue, words caught in her throat.
Her eyes traced over the sharp lines of his abs, then his firm chest, trembling at what she saw.
Sensing her gaze, the man leisurely lowered his eyes to his own body, then raised his lids slowly to meet hers.
“So? How does it feel to watch from the front row?”
Only then did Gyeoul realize he had caught her staring. With a shriek, she slapped her hands over her eyes.
“Eek!”
“You should have screamed earlier.”
“What—what do you think you’re doing?!”
“You’ve got a strong voice. The neighbors will hear.”
Great. She had tried to hide him, and now her shrieking would give everything away. Eunwoo blocked his ear with a finger, wincing.
“P-put on some clothes! What do you think you’re doing, half-naked in someone else’s home?!”
“Technically speaking, it’s not exactly someone else’s home.”
“What nonsense are you spouting now?”
Unlike Gyeoul, who was fuming, his face looked calm. Even happy.
“I get that you really like this place, but you should have read the lease agreement more carefully.”
“The lease…?”
No way.
Her pupils shook violently.
“You signed three months ago, right? I was so busy I delegated it through an agent, then completely forgot.”
He muttered irritably about how he had only learned later that he’d rented out the place, when he had originally bought it just to have somewhere quiet to live.
Gyeoul swallowed hard, staring at him. At last, she understood why his name had felt strangely familiar.
The landlord was her next-door neighbor.
During the contract, she had only dealt with the agent, since the owner lived far away and was too busy. When she told the agent she was looking for a permanent home, he had assured her there was nothing to worry about.
Still, why did she suddenly feel like he might kick her out the moment the lease ended?
Just a fleeting memory of the landlord’s name resurfaced, and she realized she should have known sooner.
As her face fell under a wave of unease, Eunwoo chuckled lightly.
“Do I look different to you now?”
“A-anyway! You rented it out. So right now it’s my house!”
“Did I say you had to leave?”
He pulled on the T-shirt draped over the chair and headed back to the sofa.
The memory of her chaotic first moving day flashed in her mind. Two years. Did that mean she’d have to move all over again in two years? She couldn’t bear the thought.
Shuffling awkwardly, she followed him.
“S-so, about those parcels… I guess I must’ve been a bit out of my mind. I don’t even remember what I took from the courier, but if you want to claim damages—”
“Forget that. Just check if the car’s been moved.”
At that, her face brightened.
“Of course, of course. That’s easy. Please, just relax, I’ll check right away!”
She smiled wide, hurried to the entrance still in her pajamas, then darted back to grab a coat before running outside.
Watching her, Eunwoo laughed aloud.
She looked even prettier when she smiled like that.
…Not that he was at that point yet.
“Don’t get carried away, Seon Eunwoo.”
__________⋆ 𖤓 ⊹₊˚࿔ ❄︎ᝰ.________
When Gyeoul stepped outside, the man who had broken into the neighbor’s apartment was leaning against the railing, talking on the phone.
“Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it, Representative.”
Meeting her eyes, he greeted her with a polite nod, and she returned the gesture.
He’s still here, waiting. He really must be planning to take him away.
What should she do?
Before she could decide, the man ended his call, slid his phone into his pocket, and spoke first.
“Hello. We’ve met before, haven’t we? Do you live here?”
“Yes. But it doesn’t seem like you do.”
“Do you know the person who lives here? Tall, broad-shouldered, always wearing a cap and mask. Pretty eyes.”
“Oh, yes. I’m his… well, I’m a close older brother figure.”
I see.
Unimpressed, Gyeoul turned back toward her own door. Just before slipping inside, she poked her head back out.
“By the way, he hasn’t been home for almost a week.”
“Really?”
Damn it. The man ruffled his hair, pulled out his phone again.
“Yes, sir. I don’t think Eunwoo is here. They say he’s been gone for over a week. Maybe he realized something and moved elsewhere. Yes… I’ll head up to Seoul right away.”
Smooth. Very smooth.
Gyeoul caught fragments of the conversation as she stepped inside.
“He’s still outside, but I think he’ll leave soon…”
Her eyes met Eunwoo’s in the kitchen. He was grinding coffee beans with a hand mill.
“Since it was here, I thought I’d use it. Hope that’s okay?”
You already used it, didn’t you? Asking permission after the fact, huh?
Forcing her lips into something resembling a smile, she answered, “Of course. Go ahead.”
The fragrance of freshly ground beans filled the air.
“Hmm, that doesn’t smell like my coffee, though.”
“I’m their exclusive mus—” He cut himself off with a long sigh.
“It’s from a café I like. They do their own blends.”
Gyeoul let out a small laugh. Sitting across from him with arms crossed on the table, she asked,
“Don’t you think, as intelligent humans, we should enter through the door? I didn’t say anything before, but that night, and yesterday too—I was so shocked I nearly fainted.”
“If you were that shocked, why don’t you lock your terrace door?”
“Don’t misunderstand. It’s just a habit.”
“Then break it.”
“So if that man shows up again, just ring the doorbell and ask for help, alright?”
“My ears are going to bleed.”
He pushed a steaming cup of coffee toward her. A silent order to shut her mouth.
__________⋆ 𖤓 ⊹₊˚࿔ ❄︎ᝰ.________
The next morning.
After cleaning up the broken flowerpot, Gyeoul stepped onto the terrace. Just then, the doorbell rang.
“Who could that be?”
Still wearing gardening gloves, she checked the intercom—and her face instantly twisted.
Him again. The neighbor.
“Ugh…”
Grinding her teeth, she pressed the call button.
“What is it, this early in the morning?”
[Help me.]
What? Already? Did the trick not work?
Rushing to open the door, she found him leaning casually against the frame, smiling.
Whenever he came over the terrace, he had always looked rushed, breathless. But now, he looked almost leisurely.
“What is this? You don’t seem to need help at all.”
“You said we should enter through the door like intelligent people. So I rang the bell and came in through the door. What’s the problem?”
Well… he wasn’t wrong. But still, something felt off.
Wiping the sweat beading on his forehead with the back of his hand, he tapped the door.
“Open up a little more.”
