SU | Chapter 1.6

Squeak—The door to the second floor staircase quietly opened. The sound of rusted hinges rubbing together echoed loudly through the silent building. Yoo Han bit his lower lip hard as he stealthily stepped into the corridor. The building at midnight, completely dark, felt eerily like ghosts could pop out at any moment, but Yoo Han had no time to tremble in some formless fear.

Using the glimmering green emergency exit sign above the stairway door as his light, Yoo Han took careful steps forward. Having spent all day cramped in a corner of a café to avoid Ji Youngwon’s notice, his back was aching. He winced and carefully grasped the round doorknob. Creak… creak-creak… He turned the handle and pulled it forward. Thud!

“Ugh.”

A sigh of tension escaped him. The door didn’t open properly after pulling it ambiguously. He turned the round handle again. Creak-creak… Thud! The noisy disturbance echoed down the corridor once more.

“No way.”

It was a disaster. The door wouldn’t open. Cold sweat trickled down the back of Yoo Han’s neck. Come to think of it, Gu Kangsan, the manager, only mentioned he could secretly stay in the office on the second floor; he never said he’d leave the door open.

“Shit… just great…”

Yoo Han exhaled heavily with frustrated eyes. He was thrilled just to have a place to crash, and he missed the most important question: Mr. Manager, then how do I open the door? Sadly, Gu Kangsan, simple and straightforward as he was, hadn’t thought of that.

He threw his bag down the corridor, and it landed with a dull thud. Sitting on the cold floor, his joints ached. It didn’t seem this cold just a week ago. Maybe it was the chilling corridor. Rubbing his arms vigorously, Yoo Han sniffed his own body odor. Realizing he hadn’t washed his hair in two days, he brushed his greasy bangs aside and slumped his head down.

He recalled that there wasn’t a separate shower in the office. Since the only place to wash up was the bathroom in the corridor, he figured he might as well wash his hair if there was hot water available…

Yoo Han pulled out his phone, which he had charged at the café, and turned on the flashlight. The sudden brightness made his eyelids twitch. He dug out shampoo, soap, and a towel from his bag and groaned as he stood up.

Leaning on the light from his phone, he shuffled towards the bathroom. Opening the glass door and flicking the switch up, he was greeted by a clean white-toned interior. There were three sinks and six toilet stalls.

The atmosphere was a stark contrast to the office. Yoo Han walked slowly towards the mirror and soon locked eyes with a haggard man reflected back. His cheeks, once plump, now hollow from recent hardships. Dark circles had formed under his eyes from lack of sleep, and the towel wrapped around his neck sagged miserably, echoing his current plight.

“I might as well cry.”

When Ji Youngwon lashed out with harsh words, it felt like tears would flow any moment, but alone, not even a sob seemed to come. If he could just cry freely, perhaps he’d feel a bit better. After staring at his face for a while, he set down the shampoo he had been clutching between his side and arm. He pocketed his phone in the back of his jeans and turned on the tap, twisting it as far as it could go to the hot water side. Fortunately, hot water began to pour out after a few seconds.

“Saved.”

Despite his scant belongings, Yoo Han was someone who, even in the summer, luxuriated in hot showers, so his relief was understandable. Had he washed his hair in cold water this wintry day, he would’ve likely caught a cold.

Feeling better, Yoo Han hummed a tune as he ducked his head under the water. Didn’t I tell you? Life is a series of misfortunes, but Yoo Han was surprisingly good at making the best of them. He thoroughly soaked his hair with hot water and pumped liquid from a cheap shampoo bottle, creating a satisfying lather. Yoo Han breathed out a happy sigh as he vigorously washed his hair.

“Mm, mm, mm…”

Humming an indistinct tune, Yoo Han rinsed the last of the suds from his hair and lifted his head. He shook his bangs and opened his eyes, but his vision was unclear—was it the water?

“Huh?”

He thought he saw something… Yoo Han’s eyes stung uncomfortably, prompting him to hastily bow his head again. After thoroughly washing his face and roughly drying it with the towel around his neck, he looked up again and in that moment, “Aack!”

A stifled scream echoed like an echo in the quiet bathroom. Yoo Han’s legs gave out, and he collapsed on the spot.

“Uh, uh… oh…”

His eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost. In the mirror, where only he should have been, stood another man, exuding a menacing aura—of all people… Clutching his racing heart, Yoo Han scrambled backward on the bathroom floor. He had just realized that when you’re too startled, words don’t come easily.

“This really is a rat’s nest.”

Ji Youngwon crouched down in front of Yoo Han, his hand in his pocket.

“Huh? A rat soaked to the bone now.”

Yoo Han exhaled sharply, rubbing his chest area. It felt as if he’d been on a roller coaster, or rather, as if his heart had been struck with a hammer. His body trembled intermittently as if he had been hit by a gust of wind. Whether he was startled by someone’s sudden appearance in a supposedly empty place, or because it was Ji Youngwon, he couldn’t tell.

Moreover, it was well past the time when everyone should have left the building. Yoo Han had checked that the lights were off before heading upstairs at midnight. That meant Ji Youngwon was… Oh. Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen Ji Youngwon leave.

“Look at that brain going into overdrive. Steam’s coming out, Yoo Han.”

Ji Youngwon sighed softly and extended his right hand. Yoo Han flinched, his shoulders twitching.

“I’m not going to hit you,”

Ji Youngwon said, as if it were nothing, and brushed Yoo Han’s seaweed-like damp bangs from his forehead. Yoo Han slowly opened his eyes that had been tightly shut. As the warm water-soaked hair cooled in the chilly air, his body began to shiver.

“I’m sorry…”

Yoo Han bit his lip and blurted out an apology. If Ji Youngwon owned just the second-floor office, there would have been no need to apologize, but after hearing Gu Kangsan’s words, it seemed likely this whole building was Ji Youngwon’s.

Despite the unexpected apology, Ji Youngwon’s expression didn’t change.

“I told you to come to work by eight in the morning, not at this hour.”

“…Yes. I’m sorry.”

“Got nowhere else to go?”

At that question, Yoo Han’s mouth snapped shut. What had easily come out when Gu Kangsan had asked was now hard to say in front of this man.

Squatting down, Ji Youngwon slowly stood up.

“Wow… didn’t know you were this much of a beggar.”

Looking down, Ji Youngwon saw Yoo Han’s drenched scalp. His white T-shirt, stretched out, was soaked up to his chest and looked utterly miserable.

He replayed the recent events in his mind. When he had casually checked the CCTV for suspicious activity and saw movement, he headed here right away, wondering if a homeless person had sneaked in. Opening the door, he saw the rat-like figure humming and washing his hair.

Despite the unpleasantness, Ji Youngwon looked at Yoo Han with interest. The audacity that must have sprung from that tiny chest was intriguing once again. Yoo Han’s thoroughly wet appearance oddly caught his eye.

“This guy’s something else.”

Ji Youngwon scanned Yoo Han’s drenched figure one more time.

Barely collecting himself, Yoo Han slowly lifted his head to look at Ji Youngwon. The man was dressed casually in a white long-sleeve shirt and black straight-leg cotton pants, looking much younger than when he wore a stark black suit. And it was already past midnight; Ji Youngwon seemed to have just stepped out from home. How in the world…?

Ji Youngwon followed Yoo Han’s dazed gaze. His chin naturally lowered, and his eyes landed on his own chest. Ji Youngwon clicked his tongue.

“Your face is so transparent.”

“…Yes?”

“It’s written all over your eyes. ‘He’s dressed like he’s off work, so why is this guy here?’ That’s what you were thinking just now, right?”

Yoo Han might have heard about people who could read minds just by looking into someone’s eyes, and wondered if Ji Youngwon had such a power. He closed his mouth again. Sitting on the cold bathroom floor, his body gradually grew colder.

“I’m sorry.”

Yoo Han, shivering from the cold, barely managed to stand up, his joints creaking audibly. With a cold hand, he fumbled with the towel around his neck. While wiping his wet face and hair roughly with a sniffle, Ji Youngwon stood motionless in his spot.

“Did Gu Kangsan tell you to stay here?”

Yoo Han thought his heart might burst out of his chest just as it had when his eyes met Ji Youngwon’s in the mirror. He purposefully brought the towel up over his face. If he couldn’t hide his feelings or thoughts, it was better to cover them up.

Ji Youngwon looked on disdainfully at the rat who had hidden his face, only his eyes showing. Yoo Han, his eyes fully covered by the towel, hesitated before replying meekly.

“No, Manager Gu didn’t say anything. I just stayed here on my own because I have nowhere else to go.”

Trying hard not to stutter, Yoo Han now rubbed the damp white T-shirt that was soaked up to his chest with the towel. His actions, meant to distract and divert his gaze, only made him appear more suspicious.

“Manager Gu?”

Ji Youngwon’s voice rose curiously at the end. The way Yoo Han addressed him was an unusual and somewhat awkward syllable to hear in this world. Normally, he would be called Manager Gu or Manager Gu Kangsan.

“Seems like you’ve gotten quite close to Manager Gu.”

Ha, shit. My guts are gonna drop. Ji Youngwon shook his head as if he had been ambushed. Swallowing hard, Yoo Han stretched the neck of his shirt with a hand still clutching the towel as he answered.

“No, we’re not close. It’s true I approached him one-sidedly, but Manager Gu hasn’t said anything to me.”

“Who said anything?”

“Oh, I just didn’t want you to misunderstand. It’s all my fault, and he has nothing to do with it.”

Ji Youngwon found it amusing how desperately Yoo Han denied Gu Kangsan’s involvement in such a trivial matter. Ji Youngwon was well aware of Gu Kangsan’s meddling ways, having known him for over ten years. Besides, Gu, uncharacteristically warm-hearted for someone in this cutthroat world, had a soft spot for animals, children, women, and the elderly. It was clear he would have at least hinted to Yoo Han about the availability of the second-floor office, considering his situation.

“It’s a shame. If Gu Kangsan had told me, I would have understood, but you snuck in here like a rat without permission.”