Chapter 20 — Friday Night (3)
Han Jia was angry.
‘Why did you wash me while I was sleeping yesterday?’
‘I told you, you were crying and begging me to wash you! I even recorded it!’
‘Even so, how could you actually wash me! And you even brought me to your one-room! I can’t forgive you, Oppa!!! If you don’t listen to me, I’m going to sue you!’
‘Wow. I saved you and now you’re asking for a reward? What do you want? Money?’
‘Please date me!!!’
‘Suddenly romance? This is too much of a mess.’
‘If you don’t date me, I’m really going to sue you!!’
‘This is straight out of a trashy drama!!! And in this life, I don’t want to become your slave!’
“I don’t want to become your slave!!!”
I shot up from my spot.
The sunlight from the one-room window shone on me.
“It was a dream.”
Cold sweat covered my entire body.
It was such a terrifying dream just to think about.
“To the point where I have to worry even in my dreams… What kind of person is she exactly?”
Han Jia, who would use any means necessary to reach the top.
Perhaps the dream could really come true. I might end up having to play the role of her tall, handsome, but socially awkward boyfriend.
If she was the same person I knew in my previous life, it was entirely possible.
The changing times also added to the delusion.
In an era where one wrong move could lead to false accusations, I might have already put the shackles on myself.
“Damn it. I’m already regretting it in the morning. All because of old feelings.”
I should have just left her in Gangnam.
Because I knew her from my previous life, I wanted to at least maintain some decency. That’s why I meddled, and now I was in a situation where my stomach was churning.
“This is not the time.”
I needed to settle things with Han Jia about yesterday.
I had to tell her clearly that I only washed her because she was crying like a baby.
I even recorded it. With evidence, I was going to get confirmation that I had no responsibility whatsoever — when suddenly.
“Where did she go?”
The bed was empty.
The bathroom was also empty.
Did she really just go home like that?
Hey! If you’re going to leave, at least sign that yesterday happened because of you!!!
I hurriedly tried to call her to ask where she was, but… huh? Her suitcase was still here.
“Did she just step out for a bit? What’s going on?”
I couldn’t figure out her movements. I was about to call when—
Beep-beep-beep.
Along with the sound, the one-room door opened.
Han Jia walked in, now changed into her own comfortable clothes instead of mine.
In one hand, she was carrying groceries, apparently from a morning market run.
“Oppa. You’re awake?”
“How did you know the password to my one-room?”
“I asked while you were sleeping, and you told me in your sleep? Hehe. Now I know Oppa’s one-room password.”
She smiled brightly, as if nothing had happened yesterday. Like she wanted to just gloss over it.
No chance!
I immediately brought up what happened yesterday.
“Hey! Do you remember what happened yesterday? About yesterday—”
“Why? What about yesterday?”
“First of all, the usual thing that happens between a man and a woman after spending the night together didn’t happen, but— wait, why am I the one explaining this to you? Shouldn’t you be the one asking me? Why your clothes changed, why your body is clean—”
“Can we eat first and talk later? I went out to buy ingredients for breakfast.”
Han Jia shook the plastic bag in her hand. It was full of green onions and various other things.
“We could’ve just ordered delivery.”
“Delivery food isn’t good for your body. I’ll cook for you. I’m good at cooking.”
“Then go ahead.”
She was making breakfast.
At least it didn’t seem like she was going to sue me.
My mind felt a little more at ease.
***
That relief lasted only a moment.
Han Jia finished cooking and placed the results on the small table.
Dried pollack soup and stir-fried pork.
The moment I took one bite, my heart danced with joy.
My stomach had been hurting from all the alcohol yesterday, but Han Jia’s dried pollack soup was like an elixir.
The moment it went down, my stomach calmed and vitality spread throughout my body.
The stir-fried pork was the same. If Baek Jong-won had tasted it, he would have shouted, “You did well~”
Han Jia smiled while watching me eat deliciously.
‘See? Your body is honest.’
She was right. It was so delicious that I finished every grain of rice.
Once my stomach was full and settled, the headache disappeared.
The paranoid worries I had because of the Han Jia I knew from my previous life also vanished cleanly.
I felt much more relaxed.
So instead of pressing her, I waited.
“Oppa, would you like some water?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
But why are you being so nice?
After we finished eating, she brought me water. And she didn’t stop there.
Next, she brought coffee.
“I’ll make you some coffee.”
“Huh? Uh, sure.”
“And just sit for a bit. I’ll finish the dishes quickly.”
“Okay.”
She even made coffee and did the dishes.
She looked like the ideal daughter-in-law that uncles from my uncle’s generation would rave about.
Wait, don’t tell me…?
Is she going all out because she wants to be the perfect girlfriend?
So she treats male friends like slaves but treats her boyfriend like a king?
In my previous life, I was a pushover because I was short and ugly, but now that I’m handsome, I’m receiving this kind of royal treatment?
Yeah, yeah. The old me really was pathetic.
Suddenly, Han Jia started looking very attractive.
-You idiot pushover! Don’t fall for it!
‘God of Losers. Even you have to admit she looks lovable right now.’
-That’s true. She’s doing everything so you don’t have to lift a finger. But let me ask you this. What if this is all to gain the upper hand in negotiations?
‘Ah!!!’
I snapped back to my senses.
Right. This was the wicked fox’s evil plan to let her guard down, steal my liver, and solidify the narrative that I did whatever I wanted to her while she was drunk.
I was about to reignite my fighting spirit when Han Jia sat down in front of me.
She lowered her head with a demure expression.
“Oppa. I’m sorry about yesterday. Actually… I remember everything.”
This was the first time. I had never seen her apologize before.
And instead of her usual bright smile, her face was full of guilt and sadness.
While I was feeling strange about it, Han Jia continued.
“Can’t we just say yesterday was a mistake for both of us and forget about it?”
I shook my head immediately.
“It might have been a mistake for you, but it wasn’t for me. I could have abandoned you drunk in Gangnam, but I brought you here. I could have thrown you in the bathroom when you begged to be washed, but I washed you. Those weren’t mistakes — they were conscious decisions and actions. So I do have responsibility.”
“Ah……”
“However, that responsibility isn’t entirely mine alone. If I hadn’t listened to your request, you probably would have cried loudly enough for the neighbors to call the police. Because of things like that, I chose the quickest way to resolve the situation, even if it might have been humiliating for you.”
“No, it’s not like that.”
“What I’m trying to say is… If my actions made you feel bad, I’ll take responsibility. But I also mean that you should take responsibility for causing those actions.”
“How?”
“You decide. You can sue me and leave this place, or you can record that nothing happened. Depending on your decision, we’ll decide what to do next.”
Depending on how you looked at it, it was pathetic, reasonable, wise, or cold.
In truth, the risk of her suing me had already disappeared the moment we ate breakfast together.
But because of the PTSD from being her slave in my previous life, I acted harshly.
If it was Han Jia, she would understand exactly what I was saying.
So I gave her the choice and watched.
Drip.
Huh? Was she still drunk?
A single tear rolled down.
I stared at her blankly, not understanding her intention. Han Jia smiled and wiped her tears.
“I’m sorry. I’m not crying because of you, Oppa.”
“Then why?”
She showed me her smartphone.
On the screen was the call log from when I spoke with her father yesterday.
“You talked to my dad yesterday, right? What did he say?”
“Want me to be honest?”
“Yes.”
“He just told me to handle it myself. That’s why I brought you here. Dobong-gu was too far.”
Another tear fell.
“As expected…”
“If it was expected, was he always like that?”
“Yeah. I’m not really that important at home. No, never mind. Just pretend you didn’t hear that. I don’t want to burden you with my circumstances.”
“Good choice. I’m allergic to melodrama. I almost passed out just now. So what are you going to do?”
“I’ll record it for you. I’ll say that everything that happened yesterday was because I wanted it and that you have no responsibility at all.”
I stopped her as she reached for her phone with her white hand.
“It’s fine. We already ate breakfast together. Showing me your sincerity is enough.”
Han Jia was 24 years old. She was still just a kid who had recently entered society.
Asking someone who had been abandoned by her family to record a confession like that didn’t sit right with me, so I stopped her.
She would probably become a hundred-billion-won rich person later anyway. If any problems arose, I could just hire a lawyer to handle it.
In this life, she hadn’t caused me any harm yet.
And because I had been looking at her through the tinted glasses of my previous life, I decided to give her one chance.
It was a kind of test.
If she tried to take advantage of today’s events, then I would crush her mercilessly.
With that thought, I let it slide this once.
“Go home now. You’ve eaten breakfast.”
I was about to stand up when Han Jia fidgeted.
“Um… Oppa.”
“What?”
“Can I… stay here and hang out for today?”
“What are you talking about?”
“If I go home, I’ll just get nagged by Mom and Dad.”
“Won’t they nag you more if you don’t go home?”
“My parents don’t really care whether I come home or not. It’s just… Never mind. I have some things to take care of, so can’t I stay a little longer?”
I looked at Han Jia’s face.
There was no signal light above her head.
She genuinely seemed to not want to go home.
“Instead, I’ll cook you delicious lunch and dinner. I’ll clean too. I need to wash the clothes I wore yesterday anyway, so I’ll wash yours together.”
“You don’t have to do all that. I’d rather you just go home.”
Sharp as ever, Han Jia noticed the sincerity in my words and nodded.
“I’m sorry. I’m being a nuisance again.”
“Good that you know. Ugh!! Uwaaaaack!!!”
Wait, why does she look so sad all of a sudden?!
You’re supposed to act like a fox and say something like ‘Can’t I just cling to your arm?’ instead!
When an extremely strong person sheds tears, it stirs up sympathy.
When an extremely cold person shows warmth, it stirs up affection.
Han Jia was similar.
The fox-like girl from my previous life had turned into a whimpering puppy, and my heart moved.
“Do whatever you want.”
“Hehehe. Thank you!”
Han Jia smiled brightly.
She was ridiculously pretty.
***
Han Jia kept her word.
Unlike when I had cleaned, she made the one-room sparkle.
I lay on the bed, scratching my stomach while watching her, when she came over to me.
“Oppa, move aside for a second!”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Lift the blanket so I can hang it outside to dry. It smells like a middle-aged man.”
“Yes!”
I did as I was told.
It felt like we were a newlywed couple.
……Is this what it feels like to be bewitched by a fox?
The two of us swept, wiped, and cleaned the one-room that I hadn’t properly cleaned in nearly three weeks.
She even cleaned the bathroom. She picked up the toilet brush and glared at me.
“You used this on me yesterday.”
“I don’t remember that.”
“I was a little hurt.”
“Sorry.”
“Hehe. I’m joking. I’ll clean the bathroom.”
“That part feels too burdensome for you.”
“Oppa! You have to clean underneath where you can’t see properly. Give it to me.”
“Yes ma’am!”
She cleaned every corner of the bathroom.
It became spotless in no time.
By the time we finished organizing, it was around 2 PM.
Han Jia looked at me.
“What do you want to eat? I’ll make whatever you want.”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Huh?”
“You’re being too good to me.”
“You were good to me yesterday too. Hmm… Should I make braised short ribs?”
“You can make that too?”
“Yes. But we need to go to the mart.”
“Let’s go. There’s one nearby.”
“Okay.”
The two of us left the one-room.
As I walked ahead, Han Jia quickly caught up and linked her arm with mine, smiling.
“Let’s go together.”
I matched my pace with hers.
***
We arrived at the mart.
It was just a regular neighborhood supermarket. We walked around like a newlywed couple.
More precisely, I followed her around.
Han Jia skillfully picked out ingredients. After buying everything needed for braised short ribs, she glanced at me at the meat section.
“Oppa. What do you usually eat?”
“Me? I usually just boil ramen or fry some ham.”
“That’s bad for your body. I should make some braised beef and marinate ribs so you can eat well when you’re alone.”
Are you a devoted wife?
Han Jia picked out the necessary ingredients without hesitation.
While following her, I saw spam on sale. I casually picked it up and put it in the cart, but Han Jia glared at me.
“That’s not good for your body.”
When I tried to put it back, I stopped her.
“I can’t compromise on spam.”
“I’ll make something better for you instead.”
“But spam is so delicious.”
“It’s unhealthy.”
Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind.
“Juchan wants ham.”
I copied exactly what she had said yesterday. I was curious about her reaction and felt like teasing her.
Han Jia burst out laughing. With a bright red face, she slapped my arm.
“Don’t do that! Seriously!!”
“Why? Who was copying someone yesterday? Juchan wants spam!”
“Ahahaha! When did I ever say it like that?”
“Ack!!!”
Pouting, she pinched my arm.
“Stop teasing me.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Ugh! You’re really like a kid.”
“Who was the kid yesterday?”
“Fine. We’ll buy spam like you want, Oppa. But I’ll make budae jjigae seasoning, so you have to eat it with that.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Han Jia smiled and put the ham into the cart.
We must have looked good together.
People around us watched us with warm expressions.
“They look like newlyweds.”
“They got married so young.”
“They look nice together. We were like that once.”
Everyone was smiling contentedly.
Huh?
Why am I enjoying this moment?
I feel like I’ve been bewitched.
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