CH 2.2

The same sound continues to ring. It’s not close to me, but behind the door. I pull the blanket to the top of my head, but I can’t endure it anymore so I get up from the sofa.

Even though this is a place with good soundproofing, the sound coming out all the way here means that the alarm sound was not set the normal loud. Now it is 6:30 a.m. The normal time for people to clock in is 9 a.m., and considering the distance from here to the prosecutors’ office, this is a bit early to wake up. Well, taking note of the time Yeon Woojeong washes up, I think it’s fitting.

I suppose it is better to just open the door and wake him up or turn off the alarm instead of enduring the noise and watching Yeon Woojeong late to work. As I kick the door in, there’s a cocoon on the bed. Even though the phone on the bedside rings passionately, Yeon Woojeong doesn’t budge even an inch.

After approaching the bed and turning off the alarm, I pull the blanket. Yeon Woojeong’s eyes squirm.

“Wake up.”

When I hit his arm, he creases his forehead and lets out a small sound. The wet-looking tongue inside the lips that is open in a defenseless state comes out slightly and licks on his lips. His eyes open when I hit his arm once again.

“Wake up, I said.”

“What time is it…?”

“Half-past six.”

“It’s still… not the time to wake up…”

“Then why did you set the alarm?”

Yeon Woojeong lets out a sigh and gropes the bedside. As I hand out his phone in my hand because he seems to be looking for it, he taps on it with squinted eyes then shows the screen to me.

This is ridiculous. There are about ten alarms set, and the last alarm is set right at 7:30 a.m. 

“You won’t wake up? It’s noisy.”

“You have sensitive ears, huh.”

With his eyes closed, Yeon Woojeong chuckles. He opens his eyes again. He blinks his eyes as if he is blinded, then suddenly pulls my wrist. Thanks to that, I end up sitting on his bed.

“Then turn them off and wake me at half-past seven…”

As he closes his eyes again after making such a brazen request, he becomes quiet again. Force leaves my grabbed wrist. The skin touched by his hand is hot, so I clench my fist.

Somehow, I feel angry. I try to imagine what will happen if I choke his white neck. Imagining the skin with handprints and horrible bruises, I slowly close my eyes and open them back. Come to think of it, he is the owner of this house, so I have no right to order him.

Looking down on Yeon Woojeong who sleeps peacefully when his hair is messy, I take his phone and turn off all the alarms except for the last one.

Whether he is late or not, I have no plan to wake him up. I can just get up and leave, but because my wrist is trapped inside his clutch, I feel like I have to sit a bit longer.

This is because he didn’t sleep until dawn so he can’t wake up in the morning. He shut himself in the book room even though it was time for sleep, then he walked out to drink water, wandered around while staring at me from near the sofa, and made me couldn’t sleep as well.

I wonder if the reason he can sleep peacefully in front of a stranger is that he is used to this since he was born. I want to see his reaction that will appear if the peace surrounding him was broken firmly. But, if I break that, I won’t be able to stay here, right? I spend the time with useless imaginations. It’s easy to waste time inside the room with the right temperature that’s not cold or hot as the outside. 

The last alarm rings. Yeon Woojeong is still sleeping. I turn off the alarm and grab his shoulder. I can feel the firm yet soft flesh under the thin T-shirt. Then, I shake him strongly.

“Wake up.”

After shaking him a few times, Yeon Woojeong opens his eyes. Looking at how he easily wakes up unlike earlier, it seems like he realizes that now is really the time to wake up. He smiles faintly and puts his hand on the top of my hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you.”

The back of my hand feels hot. The heat left by his hand feels unpleasant, so I harshly rub the back of my hand. Yeon Woojeong gets off the bed and stretches.

“Sleep here 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.