Chapter 44 (1/2)

Seol Ji-Hu couldn't remember how he got back to his room. He staggered up the stairs and with an emotionless face, opened the front door.

The light of dusk drew a lengthy shadow and hid his aged laptop below the window that was framed in dying orangey glow.

He leaned against the wall and fell to the floor without an ounce of energy, before he closed shut the laptop he left on in the morning. He suddenly felt like a fool, thinking back to when he was busy calculating all those sums.

….Just a little bit.

It'd be a lie if he wasn't just a tiny little bit expectant. However, the gap between reality and his imaginations proved to be too wide for him to bridge. The reality was cold and harsh, as if it occupied the opposite end of the scale from where his imagination sat.

His old habit reared its head; he pulled out a cigarette and began puffing out blue smokes.

Cough, cough.

His throat felt scratchy. His eyes stung. Maybe because of that, the tears he'd been holding back began streaming down.

[You think I'll fall for your lies again?]

How could he resent anyone….

[….Horse racing? Or sports betting?]

Or, how could he blame anyone?

[Please take it, if you are truly being honest.]

The view of the entire world seemed to have turned 90 degrees. His temple hit the floor, and Seol Ji-Hu stared at the tilted room in a silent daze.

His head was too chaotic to feel the pain. His breathing too was unsteady.

Everything felt wrong. It was as if everything was telling him that he shouldn't be here.

‘I've no place left here.'

The moment this thought entered his head, his fuzzy, unfocused eyes regained some of the lost clarity.

He did find a place he could go not too long ago, didn't he?

‘The Lost Paradise.'

Indeed, if it was that place….

His hand rummaged through his pockets until he found a small slip of paper.

For a while, he fidgeted around with it. He wanted to rip it up right away, but… he was still waiting for a certain woman to give him a call first.

Now that he took a look at himself, his condition wasn't so good as well. Seol Ji-Hu's body shuddered from the sudden coldness rus.h.i.+ng into his bones. He figured that he'd feel better after getting some sleep.

Sniff, he sniffed slightly as he crawled on the floor and dug underneath the worn blankets.

Within this cold room, only the deathly stillness kept him company.

‘….I'm…. lonely.'

He pulled the blanket over his head and quietly closed his eyes.

On the other hand….

– ”The number you have dialled is not available at present. Please leave your message after the beep….”

”And why is this guy not picking up his phone?!”

Kim Hahn-Nah angrily switched her phone off and frowned in unhappiness.

”Could he have dined and dashed? No, he didn't look that stupid to begin with….”

She licked her lips and contemplated for a little while longer, before picking up her handbag to leave her residence.

”You think I won't be able to find you because you hid yourself?”

Kim Hahn-Nah arrived outside his house. She pressed the doorbell and knocked on the door, but the whole place was eerily quiet.

‘He's not home?'

Kim Hahn-Nah closed her eyes and concentrated. She then clearly sensed his aura coming from the inside. Her expressions crumpled in an instant.

Knock, knock!!

”Hey! Open the door! I know you're in there! Seol Ji-Hu!”

Kim Hahn-Nah's voice rose up as she knocked on the door. She even began chewing on her lower lip.

Oh, so he was playing hard to get, was that it?

Seething with anger, she grabbed the doork.n.o.b and turned it, hard.

”Maybe I shouldn't have given him the money?”

….But then, the door opened up without offering any resistance.

‘….It was open all this time?'

Rather than surprised, she suddenly felt foolish for wasting the last five minutes standing outside the door while doing stupid little things. Kim Hahn-Nah entered while looking around, only to cover her nose in a hurry as nausea viciously a.s.saulted her.

A truly disgusting odour, formed from the combination of stale cigarettes, rotting food, clothes that hadn't been washed in ages, as well as other unidentifiable smell, attacked her senses.

When she took a look around the state of the room, she found it to be a truly disgusting sight to behold. The cigarette b.u.t.ts piling up high atop a plate reminded her of a hedgehog, for instance.

Kim Hahn-Nah felt an urge to vomit rush in, so she quickly made her way to the kitchen sink, only for her eyes to open even wider in shock.

”Blergh….”

In the end, she began retching. For someone like her who obsessed over her hygiene like a maniac, this room was a trash pit that made her feel disgusted and uncomfortable.

”Blergh, bleeeergh….”

She continued to retch several times more, before s.h.i.+fting her tearful eyes to look behind her. Only then did she spot Seol Ji-Hu sleeping on the floor with a blanket covering his entire body.

”Y, you crazy b*stard!”

Kim Hahn-Nah strode angrily to where he was.

”Hey, wake up!”

She used the tip of her feet to push the blanket off, but froze still afterwards.

”Groan…. Moan…. Groan….”

She heard him moaning out in pain. He was breathing with much difficulty as well. His hair was soaked with sweat and clung to his scalp, and she spotted large sweat drops on his neck, too.

”What on earth….”

Kim Hahn-Nah's anger cooled down in an instant. She squatted down and placed her palm on his forehead, and felt his temperature. He was boiling hot.

”…………….”

She had no idea that he was sick, so she felt foolish and apologetic for suspecting him.

”….Idiot. How can you not get sick when sleeping in a room like this?”

She muttered out in defeat and quietly sighed out. She took another sweeping look at the place and then, shook her head.

”Uh-whew…. You were fine back in Paradise, but why are you like this on Earth?”

She spoke to herself as if she couldn't help it, and stood back up.

”Even if it's cold, endure it for a while. Let me start by getting some fresh air in here. I might also get sick from this room if I don't do something right now.”

She proceeded to fling open the window as wide as it could be opened, and rolled up both her sleeves. As if she was getting ready to exert some effort after a long while of not doing so, she stretched her back and loosened her neck muscles.

”Okay, let's see…. Where should I get started first?”

Seol Ji-Hu had a dream. It was a kind of a dream that he hadn't had in a long time. But it was a good one.

Yu Seon-Hwah came to see him and began nursing him. She even scolded him for the messy state of his room. She dragged him to the corner and then began cleaning the mess.

While the was.h.i.+ng machine did its thing, she went out and bought stuff like the dishwas.h.i.+ng soap, air freshener, and some other cleaning products. She washed his clothes, then tidied up the kitchen, washed all the dirty dishes, threw away the rotting rubbish, cleaned out the fridge, mopped the floor, wiped the windows clean, and even got around to cleaning the bathroom.

She spent the next several hours on completely transforming his entire residence. Then, saying she was hungry, she cooked ramen. Seeing her stand in the kitchen with her ponytail gently swaying about, Seol Ji-Hu felt warm and fuzzy inside. It was as if he had went back in time, back to when everything was okay.

If there was one thing he couldn't quite understand, then that would be her wearing a business suit. Why wasn't she in her uniform? Yu Seon-Hwah had never once wore a business suit until now….

Suddenly, his nose picked up on the spicy but delicious smell. Saliva began pooling on the tip of his tongue.

Seol Ji-Hu swallowed his saliva as the sleepiness left him, and he blinked his eyes several times.

‘It wasn't a dream?'

He quickly raised his upper body.

”Oh, will you look at this guy?” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

A rather particular prim tone of voice entered his ears. Kim Hahn-Nah narrowed her eyes and stared at him while carrying the tray with ramen on it.

”You sure can smell food like a sniffer dog, can't you?” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

”Kim Hahn-Nah?!” (Seol Ji-Hu)

”If you're up, then come and have some.” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

”What are you doing here…?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

”I told you, didn't I? If you don't answer my call, then I'd come barging into your place.” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

Kim Hahn-Nah replied matter of factly.

Seol Ji-Hu dazedly surveyed his surroundings. And his jaw nearly hit the floor after realising that his trash pit room had been transformed into a spotless living quarters.

‘Was my place this s.p.a.cious?'

He spotted plates neatly arranged on the shelves, and the floor seemed to glisten like marble. There was an unfamiliar but nice scent permeating in the air too. This place was well past the level of being a nice place to be in, and straight into the territory of ‘My Sweet Home'.

”….You thinking of starting a new career?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

”What are you even talking about?” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

Kim Hahn-Nah sourly retorted to his question.

Seol Ji-Hu ma.s.saged his forehead.

”So, it was you….” (Seol Ji-Hu)

He thought it was Yu Seon-Hwah, though…

”That's right, you idiot. Have you any idea how many trash bags I…. Wait a minute? What is up with that slightly disappointed tone of voice?” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

”N, no ways. You're mistaken. I'm grateful. Really.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

He flinched and quickly denied it while waving his hands around. Kim Hahn-Nah snorted once.

”That's right. You better be grateful. How can you even think about sleeping in a place like this? It was probably full of germs and stuff. Euh!” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

She shuddered as if just imagining it gave her the chills and put the tray down on the small table. She then sneaked a glance at him.

”You don't want? I cooked two packets, you know?” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

Warm steam invitingly rose up from the pot. And after a pair of wooden chopsticks were placed before him, there was no way he could refuse now. And when he thought about it, he hadn't eaten anything since the morning.

Indeed, he was feeling hungry. So, he decided to fix that first before thinking about anything else.

Sluuurp.

‘It's good.'

The noodles were perfectly chewy, and the soup itself was on the right side of being spicy, with the chopped spring onion bits adding a layer of refres.h.i.+ng aftertaste as well.

Kim Hahn-Nah began giggling after seeing the youth focus on wordlessly hoovering up the ramen.

”You like it?” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

”Yeah.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

”Well, I've got some skills when it comes to making ramen. Anyways, enjoy yourself.” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

”Okay, thanks.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

The two of them concentrated on the meal at hand for a while. And sure enough, the noodles were finished pretty quickly.

”It's not really enough for both of us, right?” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

Kim Hahn-Nah licked her lips and with an unsatisfied face, she looked at Seol Ji-Hu enjoying the spoonful of the ramen soup.

”How about some rice to go with the soup?” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

”Yeah, that sounds…. Ah, but there's no….” (Seol Ji-Hu)

”I've already bought some instant rice. I got them when I went out to buy extra trash bags, you see.” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

Kim Hahn-Nah went to the kitchen and brought out packets of instant rice. She must've had them warmed in the convenience store, because they were rather cold to his touch.

They dumped the rice into the ramen soup and shared the rest of the meal among themselves. (TL note at the end.)

Once his stomach was full, he felt sated and a bit sleepy as well. Even though he just woke up, his eyelids felt like they weighed thousands of tons. Seeing him like this, Kim Hahn-Nah smirked.

”You aren't a kid anymore, but you're getting sleepy because you're full?” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

She then took the tray with the empty dishes away, before bringing a bag of medicine.

”Hey, let me do that.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

”Don't bother. You're still sick, you know. I bought some medication, so take those and rest up. We'll talk tomorrow.” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

Seol Ji-Hu closed his mouth. The thing he hated the most was needles, and the thing he hated the second most was taking medication. It might have something to do with a trauma from his childhood.

Kim Hahn-Nah hummed as she washed the dishes, only to get royally ticked off when she found out that he didn't even bother to take a single medication. She forced him to take some pills, and after that, she said she'd talk to him tomorrow, then turned around to leave. It was getting late and she also needed to get some rest, too.

”I'll be going now. Get some rest, okay? And don't you dare not answer my call again.” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

Just as she was about to leave, she felt him suddenly grab her hand.

”Kim Hahn-Nah.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

”What?” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

”Don't go. Please.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

”…….What did you say?” (Kim Hahn-Nah)

Kim Hahn-Nah couldn't help but flinch after hearing his pleading tone of voice.

Well, it was already in the middle of the night, so….