PS | Chapter 3.5

Jehyuk felt a bit clearer after Rina’s words. He had a lot to apologize for to Rina, but her offering her hand first was appreciated. He hadn’t expected their relationship to improve, which made it all the more meaningful. It was also surprising how relationships could resolve like this.

“Yeah, thanks.”

Rina seemed to understand what his thanks meant. She crinkled her nose once more before turning around.

“Think about it, dummy.”

With a brisk wave, Rina walked away without looking back, leaving Jehyuk feeling as if he was the only one stuck in place. Everyone else seemed to be flowing somewhere, but he was just standing there. Watching the people passing by, Jehyuk finally decided, as per Rina’s suggestion, to get a new phone first. If he didn’t, Coach Shin would have a fit if they couldn’t contact the captain during tomorrow’s match.

Jehyuk stopped by a dealership and bought a new phone. He had intended to get the old one repaired, but the repair cost was over 300,000 won. Without that kind of money on hand, he figured it was better to just buy a new one, so he reluctantly signed another contract, adding an extra 30,000 won to his monthly expenses.

His heart felt incredibly heavy. It was a relief that he was staying in a boarding house where breakfast was provided, but he thought it would be better to cut down on food expenses. Skipping lunch and dinner a few times could somewhat make up for the financial loss.

Money was tight. Last year, he had saved as much as he could by tutoring and working part-time, but that only lasted until now. With no one to turn to, an extra expense of 30,000 won was a matter of survival for Jehyuk.

A sense of despair occasionally overwhelmed him. He would have had an easier life if he had given up soccer. He remembered his uncle’s words, that he couldn’t live like when he was with his parents, doing whatever he wanted; he had to live within his means.

As Ji Jehyuk returned home after activating his new phone, evening had already fallen. He meandered through the twilight-darkened alleys to his boarding house. The scent of dinner preparations hinted that the landlady was already home. His place was the cheapest rental near school, offering not just breakfast but snacks too for a monthly rent of 250,000 won without a security deposit—a rare find indeed.

Perhaps because the landlady’s son attended the same school, she was particularly generous to students. The competitive entry for the room was fierce, but Ji Jehyuk had been lucky enough to secure a spot.

Descending the stairs to his semi-basement room, Ji Jehyuk unlocked the door. Initially, it was hard to adapt to the musty, sewer-smelling room, but now he was used to it. As long as he could sleep and eat there, he was content. He sighed, dropped his bag, and headed for the bathroom, where he had to stoop slightly to enter the cramped space for a shower.

After washing up, Ji Jehyuk curled up on his small, narrow bed. His long legs stretched out, slightly touching the wall at the end of the bed. It was quite a cramped room. He could have had a better environment if he stayed at his aunt’s house, but…

Just then, faces of Choi Jinyoung and his uncle overlapped in his mind, and a wave of gloomy emotions surged just as someone knocked on the door. It was the landlady.

“Ji Jehyuk, can we talk?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected visit, Ji Jehyuk quickly got up. She usually didn’t initiate conversations this late; something urgent must have come up. Ready to assist if needed, he hurried to open the door.

“Hello, ma’am.”

Upon opening the door, he saw the landlady with her curly hair tousled, apparently just after finishing cooking, still wearing her apron. She held a plate with freshly cooked pancakes—two delicious-looking kimchi pancakes.

“Have you eaten dinner? I made these while I was at it, why don’t you have them as a snack?”

It was a dish he’d normally only have at his aunt’s house. The savory smell brought back distant memories, and a mix of gratitude and shyness washed over him as he took the plate from her, pleased to have saved on dinner.

“Thank you.”

Though smiling was awkward for him, gratitude prompted a slight smile, yet the landlady’s face was tinged with regret—a contrast to her usual delight at his smiles. Sensing something was amiss, Ji Jehyuk observed her more closely as she hesitated before speaking.

“I’m really sorry, but I have something else to discuss. It’s about the rent.”

In that moment, Ji Jehyuk realized why she looked so apologetic. His heart sank. She had indeed been acting a bit unusual lately, occasionally asking if he was receiving any allowance during their brief encounters.

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“I’m really sorry… From this month, I need to increase the rent by 100,000 won. My circumstances have become difficult, and I’ve decided to raise the boarding fees across the board. I’ll include dinner, though.”

Rent was due in just a couple of days. Ji Jehyuk checked his bank account. After setting aside his monthly savings, only enough for the rent and three days’ worth of lunch money remained. He didn’t have an extra 100,000 won. Even if he could scrape by this month, the following months would be problematic. It would mean an additional 1.2 million won a year; he’d have to drastically rearrange his plans.

Was it urgent? Ji Jehyuk wanted to ask but refrained. The decision to increase had already been made. Speaking up wouldn’t change anything.

“The other tenants have agreed. Everyone else is paying an extra 100,000 won, and since places like this are hard to come by, they just accept it. Is that alright?”

Knowing that his room in the semi-basement was cheaper than the others, Ji Jehyuk felt he couldn’t really complain. After pondering for a while, he reluctantly asked.

“Could you possibly reduce it by just 50,000 won?”

Asking this made him feel small, his neck flushing with embarrassment. It was demeaning to haggle with someone who had shown him kindness, especially when his classmates would typically squander that amount on drinks.

“Ah, that wouldn’t be fair to the others. Plus, there are a few people who would want to take over your room even at the increased price. I’m sorry, but that won’t be possible.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I thought I should at least ask before deciding to leave.”

Upon hearing his response, the landlady sighed with regret.

“Are you thinking of leaving? Can’t you ask your parents for help?”

I don’t have parents.

Ji Jehyuk had to swallow the bitterness he felt every time he heard such remarks. Maintaining a forced smile, he shook his head.

“It’s difficult to ask for help. I’m sorry, but I’ll move out tomorrow.”

“Do you have somewhere to go? If you’re really in a bind, you can stay until the day after tomorrow.”

The landlady’s ambiguous kindness left Ji Jehyuk clinging to a faint hope that maybe she might reconsider. But there was no such luck. He despised himself for harboring unrealistic hopes.

“Thank you for your concern. I’m okay. Thank you for everything. I’ll clean the room and leave by tomorrow night.”

“I’m so sorry… Oh dear, I understand. Sorry.”

“No, I’m the one who should apologize.”

Ji Jehyuk didn’t want the unnecessary conversation to drag on. With nothing likely to change and unwilling to further drain his emotions, he bowed slightly and closed the door. He heard the landlady linger before climbing the stairs.

Leaning against the door, Ji Jehyuk slid down to the floor only after she had left. He took in the room he had lived in for over a year and five months. The room with a ceiling prone to mold in the humid summer, the cramped bed, the bathroom he had to squeeze into—it was all very modest, but it had been his space.

It had been a refuge where he didn’t have to endure Choi Jinyoung’s sneers or his uncle’s shouts, where he didn’t have to feel guilty even about sleeping at his aunt’s house, where memories of his parents from his childhood didn’t unnecessarily haunt him.

Troubles always seemed to hit in this way, without giving him time to prepare, which would have made them less painful. It was like suddenly losing a match he thought he was winning—disheartening and void of meaning. Exhaustion hit him late, but he couldn’t rest. It wasn’t the time to dwell on his feelings.

He walked slowly to the bed and started looking for a new place. He searched the school portal and real estate websites for hours until his eyes were red, but there was nothing available for 250,000 won. The dorms were not an option at this time, and the only alternative, a goshiwon, was more expensive than here and would cost more in food as well.

No matter how he thought about it, he would inevitably have to spend more money. Ji Jehyuk washed his face. He considered working in construction but realized he couldn’t risk injuring himself or compromising his fitness, which was vital for soccer. Was he really forgetting why he was living so tightly?

He needed to manage his condition and should have been asleep already. It was already dawn, and starting out early to Uijeongbu the next morning was now delayed by his late night. It wasn’t the time to sleep, but he forced himself under the covers, trying to doze off.

At least he didn’t have much to pack—the blanket he got here, an old laptop, and a few clothes were all he owned. Everything could fit into two duffle bags—a humble set of possessions. These were all the belongings Ji Jehyuk had after losing his parents, possibly even less than the memories he had made with Sihoo.

…Should I ask Sihoo?

The thought flickered through his mind momentarily. The idea of Sihoo’s mostly empty house crossed his mind; there might be a small room Jehyuk could use. Sihoo didn’t seem to need the money, but if Ji Jehyuk offered to handle cleaning and meals in exchange for 250,000 won, maybe Sihoo would agree? He felt like he could do anything.

Once an idea took hold, it continued to tempt Jehyuk. The fact that the house belonged to Sihoo stirred his emotions. Sihoo would probably allow it. He didn’t plan to impose for long—just until the Taebaek Mountains competition. Just a few months of dependency, and then he could start tutoring again to earn some extra money.

Jehyuk closed the search tabs and opened his messenger. He had so few contacts that the only new messages were from the school group chat. The last conversation with Sihoo was from the other day, where Ji Jehyuk had been the one apologizing. They hadn’t texted yesterday because they were together.

Seeing the apologetic text made his heart settle down. After making such a mistake the other day, it felt shameless to ask Sihoo for another favor. But… this wasn’t the time to worry about shame.

Sihoo-ya.

After hesitating for a long time, Jehyuk finally called his name. Within minutes, the “1” on the messenger disappeared.

[Hey. Why aren’t you sleeping, Hyuk-ah?]

Sihoo’s voice seemed to echo in his ears. For a moment, Jehyuk forgot the situation and read through their brief exchange multiple times. The heavy feeling that had been weighing on him all day seemed to settle down.

“I can’t sleep. What about you?”

[I just got home.]

…Was he with Han Bada?