SU | Chapter 1.7

Turning around, Ji Youngwon walked toward the door. The indoor slippers he wore made a shuffling sound, screeching softly against the bathroom floor. Ji Youngwon pushed open the glass door of the bathroom and stepped into the dark corridor.

Yoo Han, with an expression of realization, quickly followed him, using the light spilling from the bathroom as a guide. The clinking sound of metal came from Ji Youngwon’s pocket. He reached in and pulled out the keys to the second-floor office.

Before opening the door, Ji Youngwon glanced down at Yoo Han’s luggage. The disheveled black bag revealed modest belongings through its gaping zipper. Stained towels and clothes soaked with coffee spills caught his eye, and Ji Youngwon frowned as if appalled.

“Speak now if you have something to say. You only get one chance.”

Yoo Han stood next to Ji Youngwon, unsure whether to continue begging for forgiveness, tell the truth, or defend his relationship with Manager Gu. He couldn’t decide which option was best.

Ji Youngwon turned to look at Yoo Han while fitting the key into the door lock. Yoo Han caught the corners of Ji Youngwon’s mouth curling up in a faint smile in the dim light, as if he had found an amusing toy.

Ah, Yoo Han realized as soon as he saw Ji Youngwon’s eyes that tripping over Manager Gu was just a trick. If he naively blurted out that Manager Gu had given him the method, he might face even greater disaster. Yoo Han remembered Manager Gu handing him juice and sandwiches, and he clenched his eyes shut.

“I’m sorry for hiding in the building without permission. Manager Gu is not at fault; it’s all my doing. I’ll leave immediately if you want, but… could you let me stay in the office for the time being? I clean well, and I can do any job you ask. I’ll make sure not to bother any visitors.”

Yoo Han blurted out his plea without taking a breath and then shut his mouth tightly. Ji Youngwon looked down at him with a lazy gaze, his round head covered in hair that was beginning to dry. Despite trembling with fear, his resolve to stand by his principles to the end was unexpected. Once Ji Youngwon became interested, every response from Yoo Han seemed profoundly intriguing.

Yoo Han, having nowhere else to look, stared blankly at the CEO’s indoor shoes. Indoor shoes indeed confirmed that Ji Youngwon must be living somewhere in this building. Remembering the elevator, he noted that it only listed the 4th, 5th, and Rooftop floors. The 4th floor was offices, and the Rooftop was obviously the roof, so the 5th floor must be where he resided.

Without responding, Ji Youngwon turned the key and opened the door. Thud! A rather irritable sound echoed through the quiet, dark corridor.

“Come in.”

Yoo Han’s eyes widened at the unexpected permission. He took a deep breath and hastily picked up his sprawled luggage.

Following Ji Youngwon into the office, Yoo Han trembled not just from excitement but from the steadily dropping body temperature, exacerbated by his wet hair and damp chest, covered only by the towel around his neck. He clutched his bag tightly, his lips smacking together.

Ji Youngwon turned on a dusty lamp on the desk instead of the office lights. Click. The white light softly illuminated the quiet office. He leaned against the desk, shadowed in backlight from the lamp but his face still shining brightly. His jaw shaded, emphasizing his masculinity, and his bangs, usually styled with wax, now hung naturally over his forehead, making him look both younger and undeniably adult.

Yoo Han was fascinated by the various atmospheres Ji Youngwon’s appearance could convey.

‘What good is a handsome face…’

For a moment, they said nothing, merely sizing each other up from a few steps away.

Ji Youngwon, noticing Yoo Han shivering visibly, chewed on the inside of his cheek. Watching those pitiful eyes, a strange impulse surged through him. It seemed it would be quite a sight if tears streamed down his face, a fleeting thought that would soon be forgotten with time.

After ending their meaningless stare-down, Yoo Han turned his head and scanned the interior. He spotted a small portable electric heater near a wall with potted plants. Yoo Han’s lips were turning blue from the cold.

“Sir, I’m sorry, but may I turn on the, uh, heater for a bit?”

His mouth barely opened due to the cold. It was only November, but it was already so severely cold. Before Ji Youngwon could respond, Yoo Han set his bag on the sofa and cautiously approached the heater, searching for an electrical outlet. The gaze from behind was overwhelming, but if he didn’t act, he’d surely catch a cold. If that happened, he wouldn’t be able to ‘bail and fail’ as Ji Youngwon had put it.

Finally finding the outlet, Yoo Han plugged in the mini heater. He turned the manual power on, and a beep—a strange electrical sound—rang out. Soon, a red light came on in the heater.

Yoo Han sat down in front of the heater. The goosebumps on his skin gradually subsided as the warm air slowly rose. He finally felt alive again. He flipped his freezing hands back and forth as if toasting bread.

“From now on,”

A voice snapped Yoo Han back to reality. He stood up from his crouched position to face Ji Youngwon, who was still nonchalantly leaning on the desk, his head tilted at an angle.

“It’s better to ask for permission before acting. Today is the last day you get to act without waiting for my response.”

“The heater, I mean, it’s just too cold,”

“Ha, unnecessary excuses, fucking hell. You’re really something.”

Yoo Han’s mouth shut quickly. Ji Youngwon casually checked his watch. The time was now approaching half-past midnight. With many big tasks to handle recently, sleep had been scarce. If it weren’t for this ‘rat’ caught on the hallway CCTV, he would be comfortably asleep by now. Therefore, given the precious time he had personally allocated, Ji Youngwon was intent on giving Yoo Han a bit more grief.

“How do you plan to handle the expenses for staying in the office?”

Yoo Han scratched the back of his damp head, visibly flustered.

“Uh… well.”

It was an unexpected topic. Even if it was overnight, the space was empty, and Yoo Han being there wouldn’t have cost Ji Youngwon much, yet he was suddenly asking about expenses.

“Are there expenses involved…?”

“The little brat really loves freebies. If you don’t want to go bald at a young age, you’d better get your calculations right.”

Ji Youngwon was a man so obsessed with money that even money ghosts would flee from him in exhaustion. Yoo Han, unaware of just how merciless this man could be when it came to money, blinked several times, struggling to find the right words. Meanwhile, Ji Youngwon crossed his arms and continued speaking.

“Every click of a button adds to the electricity bill. Every time you shower, the water bill rises. Even the cost of a single sheet of toilet paper used every time you go to the bathroom—it all adds up.”

The expression “I’m done with this” was practically floating across Yoo Han’s face. Was there really any need to be this stingy? He’d already sensed this man was no ordinary person when he harshly rejected his request earlier, but this level of stinginess was beyond imagination. It was basically like telling him not to stay here at all.

Yoo Han fidgeted with his hands, feeling the warmth from the mini heater that reached up to his thighs. As his body warmed up, his frozen thoughts began to thaw as well.

“…In that case, I’ll work hard at being a bel… bell runner, that thing.”

“That’s the labor you’re providing in place of your payment. Don’t expect to get paid for it.”

What was he even supposed to do, then? If he never intended to lend out the office in the first place, he should’ve just said so. Feeling mocked, Yoo Han shot a glare.

“There it is again, that look.”

Despite the intimidating words, Ji Youngwon’s tone was entirely unbothered. Yoo Han ignored him and turned his body the other way, letting the warmth from the heater hit his right thigh instead of the left, which was already warm enough.

Ji Youngwon’s eyebrow twitched momentarily. The sight of Yoo Han wiggling around to warm himself during an important conversation was both ridiculous and frustrating. He’d thought this guy had no shame but wasn’t entirely shameless. Now, he wasn’t so sure. Ha… what the hell is this?

Yoo Han, who kept shifting around as if oblivious, finally opened his mouth after a brief hesitation.

“It doesn’t look like anyone cleans here… I’ll clean up properly. When clients come, I can bring them coffee. If the staff or you, Director, have small errands, you can assign them to me too.”

“……”

“There’s really nothing else I can offer right now.”

From Ji Youngwon’s perspective, Yoo Han was a rare breed. Despite being timid and seemingly unable to speak up, he had a sharp sense of survival and a knack for figuring out ways to scrape by. Maybe that’s why he was making this futile attempt to win favor in the middle of the night. Not that Yoo Han would see any of this as kindness, of course.

In truth, letting him sleep in the dusty second-floor office during unused night hours wasn’t a loss or a burden for Ji Youngwon. If anything, Yoo Han was the one losing out by offering his labor in return.

After pretending to think it over, Ji Youngwon snapped his fingers with a sharp click, arms still crossed.

“Deal. But every supply you use in the office—whether it’s paper, pens, or toilet paper—will be added to your tab.”

“What? I told you I really don’t have money!”

Yoo Han furrowed his brows in frustration. He’d already offered his labor since he had no money, but here this guy was, still talking about money. Is he seriously obsessed with it?

“Who said you have to pay it back now?”

Ji Youngwon shook his head at him like he was dealing with a particularly pathetic creature. He stepped away from the desk as if his business was done, heading for the door. Yoo Han hurriedly stopped him.

“Wait, I heard there’s a dormitory…”

Ji Youngwon paused, tilting his head as Yoo Han blocked his path and stared at his chest. The faint scent of his cologne wafted over—a smell reminiscent of blue water bottles.

“Doesn’t the company usually provide dorms for employees? I was just thinking… maybe while I’m being a bell runner, I could stay there too… I mean, it’s not like I’m saying I won’t work. Just, could you cut me some slack with the supplies I use?”

“Sure. I’ll just have to tear Gu Kangsan’s mouth open for that.”

Ji Youngwon’s icy tone made Yoo Han flinch, waving his hands frantically. Before Yoo Han could say more, Ji Youngwon pushed his shoulder aside with the back of his hand and headed out.

“If you want the dorm, just let me know anytime. Thirty a month.”

Yoo Han gawked, frozen in place. What? Even the dorm costs money? Thirty for a dorm meant for employees? He glared daggers at the director’s retreating back with all the curses he could muster in his eyes.