Chapter 140

However, a problem arose here.

Ayu and Nana didn’t know the location of Juk-sim’s house.

“Is Juk-sim logged in right now?”

Ayu immediately checked her phone, but for some reason, Juk-sim was logged out.

Maybe she went to the convenience store.

I should have gotten her phone number, but since we always talked through game chat, I forgot.

‘…No, if it’s Juk-sim, she probably wouldn’t answer even if I called.’

She doesn’t speak, after all.

“Ah, Nae-ki.”

At that moment, I remembered that Juk-sim had gone home with Nae-ki on her back.

I hurriedly found Nae-ki’s number and called her.

After a few rings, the call connected.

[Who is this? Are you my boyfriend? Oh, I don’t have one. Haha.]

Nae-ki’s voice sounded somewhat pitiful.

Is this girl really that lonely?

I think I should introduce her to someone later.

“Nae-ki, do you know Juk-sim’s address?”

[Juk-sim? Why Juk-sim? Oh no, Domi, are you trying to add Juk-sim to your harem after all those girls? You’ll die if you keep this up!]

“…What do you mean by my harem?”

[I saw it last time, it’s legally mandated. All women in the world must join Domi’s harem.]

I really can’t keep up with this girl’s energy.

“Stop talking nonsense. There’s a girl named Dohwa, Ayu’s stepsister, who seems to be looking for Juk-sim. I want to visit Juk-sim’s house.”

[Ayu’s stepsister?]

Nae-ki was silent for a moment.

[Is it a guy?]

“Yeah.”

[Is he handsome?]

I looked back at Ayu.

Ayu tilted her head at me.

“His eyes are a bit softer than Cheonma’s.”

“Domi Oppa, are you saying I don’t look soft?”

Honestly, if it were Shin Sora, I wouldn’t know, but Cheon Hong-ryun can’t be described as looking soft.

Then Nae-ki suddenly gasped.

[You’re saying he’s a super handsome guy!]

Dohwa must have good genes, he was indeed handsome.

[The younger guy event is on! Wait there! I’m coming!]

“It’s fine if you come, but first tell me Juk-sim’s address.”

[I’ll text it to you! See you there!]

Nae-ki hung up after saying that.

It seemed like she was about to rush out immediately.

But at least she left the address properly.

“Ayu.”

“Yeah.”

After making eye contact with Ayu, I immediately called a taxi and headed to the address Nae-ki gave.

The taxi headed to Dongjak-gu.

It was an area with many single-room apartments, mostly occupied by college students or young professionals.

“There are so many houses.”

“It’s a residential area.”

“I think a single-room apartment isn’t bad.”

Ayu then linked her arm with mine.

“Domi Oppa, you said you live in a single-room apartment too, right? Right, right? If we lived together in a single-room apartment, we could eat together, sleep together, and it’s small, so…”

I looked at Ayu, who was smiling mischievously, and smiled back.

“Do you want to live together?”

“Eh, hee, really?”

“Just kidding.”

I got hit.

“A single-room apartment is too small to live together. We’d just stress each other out.”

“…I like it small.”

“Just come visit later. I’ll give you the address.”

Seeing Ayu pouting, I said that, and her eyes sparkled as she clung to me.

“Then I’ll cook for you when I visit.”

“…You can cook?”

“What do you think of me? I’ve been living alone for years!”

Just because you live alone doesn’t mean you can cook well.

I was a bit worried, but since she said she could, I let it go.

Somehow, it feels like Ayu is trying to catch a man by cooking.

She’s just cute, so I’ll let it slide.

With Ayu, we arrived at a building.

The single-room apartment building, about five stories high, had a password-locked door and an intercom at the entrance.

Checking the game chat, Juk-sim was still offline.

“Ayu, do you see Dohwa around?”

“No, no sign of her.”

As Ayu said that, I nodded and pressed the intercom for Juk-sim’s apartment number.

The intercom music started playing.

After listening quietly for a while, there was a click.

“Juk-sim? It’s Domi. Sorry, I asked Nae-ki for your address and came right away. Can we talk for a bit?”

As I asked, Juk-sim remained silent.

No, she doesn’t speak.

At that moment, the door opened with a ding.

It seemed like she was letting us in, so I looked back at Ayu and we entered together.

Juk-sim’s apartment was on the top floor, the 5th floor.

As expected of a single-room apartment building, there was no elevator, so we took the stairs and arrived at apartment 501, where I rang the doorbell.

“Juk-sim, we’re here.”

As I said that, the door opened.

There was still the tiny Juk-sim.

Perhaps because the weather had gotten colder, she was wearing a hoodie that reached her thighs.

Despite the thick hoodie, her small stature made her look even more petite, and for a moment, I didn’t know where to look.

Juk-sim, with her hands reaching for the doorknob, looked at us cautiously with wary eyes.

Then, recognizing my face, she slowly opened the door.

“Juk-sim, long time no see!”

As Ayu suddenly poked her face in, Juk-sim let out a silent scream and ran inside.

“…Is my face that scary?”

“Anyone would say you’re pretty, don’t worry.”

After comforting Ayu, I fully opened the door and went inside.

Ayu followed me in, and as I took off my shoes, I looked around the single-room apartment.

There was a sink and refrigerator at the front, and a room and bathroom inside, typical of a single-room apartment.

Inside the room, Juk-sim was curled up under a blanket on the mattress.

Her feet were sticking out.

She looked like a puppy hiding under a blanket, thinking she’s invisible if only her head is hidden.

I carefully approached and tickled her tiny foot with my finger.

Juk-sim’s foot twitched, and then she poked her head out from under the blanket.

Her face was bright red, probably from being tickled.

“Juk-sim, long time no see.”

As I smiled and greeted her after about a month, Juk-sim waved her hand in the air.

Then she fumbled around and made a gesture.

As I tilted my head, Juk-sim pulled out her phone from under the bed.

The phone’s screen was shattered.

“Did you drop it?”

Juk-sim tried to turn on the phone, but it didn’t seem to power on.

No wonder Juk-sim wasn’t in the game chat, her phone was broken.

This is a problem.

Juk-sim has lost her way to communicate.

Seeing Juk-sim looking like she wanted to say something, I thought I should give her my phone and started rummaging through my pocket.

Juk-sim grabbed my cheeks with her tiny hands.

“Wh-what, Juk-sim, what are you doing?!”

As Ayu panicked and shouted, Juk-sim pressed her ear close to mine.

“Long time no see.”

A mosquito-like voice echoed in my ear.

Realizing that Juk-sim had mustered the courage to speak to me, I felt strangely moved.

Juk-sim is growing up.

“Have you been well? Here, I’ll lend you my phone. Use this to talk.”

As I unlocked my phone and handed it to her, Juk-sim carefully took it with both hands.

Then she started typing something diligently.

Juk-sim’s phone was originally small, but since my phone was bigger, it seemed a bit difficult for her to type.

Well, with hands that small, holding it must be hard.

Then, she seemed to have finished typing, and her voice echoed.

[She says, “What brings you here?”]

Fortunately, Juk-sim didn’t mind us suddenly showing up.

Feeling sorry for barging in, I apologized and started explaining about Dohwa.

After listening to our story for a while, Juk-sim nodded and typed again.

[She says, “No one has come to her place.”]

Dohwa hasn’t reached Juk-sim yet.

“Ayu, what should we do?”

“Let’s wait. The silver fox is looking for her. One silver fox is much faster than the two of us.”

As Ayu said, even if we ran around, it would be hard to keep up with Eun-hyeon’s detection abilities.

All we can do is spread our aura around.

“Juk-sim, is it okay if we wait here a bit longer?”

[She says, “It’s fine.”]

Fortunately, Juk-sim was okay with it.

[But she says, “Can I ask one thing?”]

“Ah, sure, ask anything.”

Is it about Dohwa?

As I answered, Juk-sim looked at me and then averted her eyes slightly.

[She says, “Can I play the game?”]

Truly, that’s Juk-sim.

While Juk-sim played the game, Ayu and I leaned against the wall and watched her play Road of Academy.

Juk-sim, lying quietly under a blanket on the bed, playing the game, looked truly happy.

How did Juk-sim get so into the game?

I looked around the bleak single-room apartment.

There was no TV, and only a wardrobe stood in the room, making it feel quite empty.

It didn’t feel like someone lived there.

The only thing on the table was a half-eaten cup of instant noodles.

Juk-sim, you can’t finish that alone.

As I thought that, Ayu leaned her head on my shoulder.

“Domi Oppa, why does my mouth suddenly feel so bored?”

“Ayu, do you smoke?”

Hearing my words, Ayu grabbed my side tightly.

It hurts.

“I wish someone would fill it for me.”

At this point, it feels like she came out not to find Dohwa but to do this with me.

Regardless, Ayu turned her hand from my side and hugged my waist.

I don’t know why all the girls around me love skinship so much.

Not that I mind.

“Domi Oppa, you’ve been training hard, huh? Your body feels firmer than before.”

“Fortunately, it seems to be paying off. I’m no longer the weak Kang Ha-chan, but the gym rat Kang Ha-chan.”

As I said that, I proudly flexed my arm.

The muscles and veins on my forearm clearly showed my progress.

“Hmm, it’s true.”

Ayu said that and stroked my arm.

It tickles.

“I don’t have much muscle.”

As she said that, Ayu rolled up her sleeve and showed me her arm.

Her pale arm clearly had no muscle at all.

And yet, she’s the strongest in the world.

Where does her strength come from?

“Heehee, I’m whiter.”

Ayu said that and placed her arm next to mine.

“You should go out more. Don’t just stay home and play games.”

“Domi Oppa, you were playing games with me until recently. Are you in a position to say that?”

“I’m saying it now.”

“Tch, I liked it better when we played games together all the time.”

Ayu pouted and laid her head on my lap, seemingly unhappy that I have a job now.

As I stroked her head, Ayu made a pleased sound.

“Domi Oppa.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve been really worried lately.”

Hearing the word “worried,” I looked down at Ayu.

She was staring at the wall, not meeting my eyes.

“I thought I had let go of all guilt long ago. But seeing Dohwa, I keep thinking about Dohwa’s mother, whom I killed.”

As she muttered, Ayu’s face seemed calm but somehow pained.

“…Could I have done better? If I hadn’t become Cheonma, would it have been okay? I keep thinking that.”

I brushed Ayu’s hair aside.

Then her eyes turned to me.

“Should I have tried harder?”

The way Ayu looked at me, she probably wasn’t expecting an answer.

She was just subtly voicing her doubts.

As I looked down at Ayu, I leaned down and kissed her.

Perhaps surprised by my unexpected action, Ayu’s eyes widened, and her face gradually turned red.

But she smiled happily, typical of Ayu.