Chapter 513: First
"It feels different, coming in like this."
Manual muttered calmly as she stepped inside the entrance of my apartment.
"Was your place always this small?"
"Try finding someone my age who owns an apartment this size."
She just casually said something incredibly insulting.
Upon hearing me, Manual shrugged her shoulders.
"Dunno. The homes I've known always felt like this."
"..."
"Anyway."
She sat on the bed and swung her legs.
"It feels different being in your place like this."
"You've been here often enough."
"It feels different being in your place with such a light heart."
Yeah, sure, let's go with that.
At my words, Manual looked at me, deftly changing the subject with a straight face.
"So, how is it?"
"How's what?"
"Well. There's nothing left, right?"
"...That's true."
The thing that was left.
There was exactly one.
"Your sister?"
"..."
"Yeah. It's only natural for an older brother to worry about his sister."
Manual replied in a calm, murmuring voice.
"But there's no need to worry."
"What kind of nonsense is that now?"
"Just take my words at face value. There's no need to worry."
There's no need to worry.
In what sense was Manual saying that?
"If you live well, it's a matter that will resolve itself."
Spouting nothing but cryptic remarks, Manual sat down.
"Well, regardless."
"..."
"..."
Our eyes met.
"..."
Manual spread her arms.
"Hug me."
"Are you a child?"
"Since you've been carrying me around in your pocket anyway, it's practically no different from you hugging me all this time."
She's talking crazy.
"If you don't hug me here, starting tomorrow, I'll tell every woman who visits you about your embarrassing past, in meticulous detail, one by one—"
"Alright, I get it."
I sighed and gave Manual a brief hug.
Whump. She fell into my embrace for a moment, then got up.
"That's enough."
"Right."
"I'll be fine."
"You're using the bed, right?"
"Aren't you going to use it too?"
"I can sleep on the sofa."
"Honestly. When did you ever mind sleeping next to me when you kept me by your side all the time? Now that I'm human, you can't sleep next to me?"
"Of course not."
"No. Sleep here."
Manual patted the spot where I usually sleep with her palm, thump, thump, making a sound.
"Why are you being so spoiled?"
"You try seeing tomorrow after attempting something thousands of times. Then you'll know how it feels."
Answering my question calmly, Manual opened her mouth.
"I'm a free agent now, and to see what I want, I need to do as I please."
"...Fine, do as you please."
When she put it like that, I had nothing to say either.
Shrugging my shoulders, I lay down on the spot, and Manual fidgeted before lying down next to me.
"..."
"...It's been a long time."
Manual muttered.
"I guess so."
"I thought that day would never come."
"That's understandable."
"..."
With her eyes closed, Manual murmured.
"It's been so long since I last slept."
"Because you weren't human?"
"That's right. I was always awake. Until about... the hundredth attempt, I think I had something like phantom pain, a feeling of being tired. But that eventually faded with time too."
Manual's voice gradually grew quieter.
"But, I had no idea I'd be this sleepy..."
"..."
"Didn't... kn..."
Her voice trailed off, and I listened quietly for a moment before turning my head to look at Manual.
She was already asleep.
Yeah. You worked hard.
Thinking that, I closed my eyes too.
*
A knocking sound reached my ears.
"...Ugh."
What time is it now?
I slowly opened my eyes to check the time.
Seven in the morning.
It wasn't particularly early, but for an office worker on vacation, it felt like the crack of dawn.
I slowly went to the door and checked the intercom.
"..."
Yu Daon, all dressed up, was knocking on the door with an anxious expression.
Her excited knocking didn't last long. She checked her watch, soon pouted, and started repeatedly taking out her phone and putting it away.
I didn't need to see to know.
In her own mind, she probably thought she looked good and got all dressed up.
But now, it was just too early.
She came, knocked on the door, and now was probably thinking, 'Maybe I'm too early?', pouting as she continued knocking.
It was just so predictable.
It seemed like she might really go home if this continued, so I opened the door.
"Jae, Jae-heon ssi..."
As soon as I opened the door, our eyes met, and Yu Daon shrunk her neck apologetically.
"I'm sorry... I came too early, didn't I?"
"You did come early, but there's no need to apologize. Please come in."
"...I'm sorry..."
Yu Daon came inside, and
"..."
she silently stared for a moment at Manual, who was sprawled out sleeping straight across the bed.
After staring wordlessly at Manual, she turned her gaze to me and now looked at me.
What, what is it?
Meeting her eyes, Yu Daon opened her mouth.
"It looks like you slept well."
"Yes, well. I slept well."
"That's a relief..."
Whew. Yu Daon let out a sigh.
What was that look in her eyes just now?
My wondering was short-lived. Yu Daon spoke up.
"Actually, after meeting each of us once, the Director-General has decided to make a big decision."
"Is that so."
"You probably know what it is, Jae-heon ssi..."
I did know, but I didn't really feel like saying I knew.
As I scratched my cheek and said nothing, Yu Daon gave an awkward smile.
"Jae-heon ssi, is there anything you'd like to do today?"
"Honestly, I haven't really thought about it separately."
If I had to say, I just wanted to rest.
Maybe because I'd finished such a huge task. I genuinely, earnestly felt like I just wanted to rest now.
"I see..."
Yu Daon closed her eyes and muttered something.
"Okay. Then shall we just hang out at your place today?"
"There's nothing to do at my place."
"For me, just talking with you feels like fun, so it's okay!"
At my words, Yu Daon smiled brightly.
"...Who's there..."
Just then, Manual, who had been sprawled out sleeping straight, stretched and yawned languidly as she sat up.
"..."
"..."
Instantly, Yu Daon and Manual's gazes collided mid-air.
"I'm gonna wash up."
Manual got up and trudged off to the bathroom.
"...Sigh."
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
As I let out a deep sigh, Yu Daon tapped me on the shoulder and whispered.
"If it's uncomfortable, should I take her with me?"
"Do you know how to cook, Daon ssi?"
"Just because I was stuck living in a hospital, you didn't think I had zero life skills, did you?"
"That wasn't my intention. I apologize if I hurt your feelings."
If she suddenly left like that, I'd feel like such a jerk.
"I'm trying hard too. We've decided to take turns with the chores, you know."
"Ah, yes."
I won't ask further.
As I kept my mouth shut, Yu Daon spoke again.
"But, everyone is worried."
"About what?"
"If you live with that girl, no matter what you say, Jae-heon ssi, you might end up looking like a divorced man with a kid..."
"..."
Is that so?
Well, I don't think the age difference looks that extreme, though.
Around the time I was thinking that,
Manual came out with a towel on her head and a blank expression, looking at me and Yu Daon.
"Stop trying to frame it like that."
"Pardon?"
"I get that you're trying to check me by framing it as a 'father and daughter' thing."
Manual sat on the bed, fidgeting.
"Just give up."
She looked at Yu Daon with a tilted head,
"..."
Yu Daon also looked at Manual quietly before speaking calmly.
"She really is like a teenage girl, isn't she?"
"Hey, for real!"
Manual shouted Back! and I threw the towel at her to cover her mouth while looking at Yu Daon.
"Let's go out."
"..."
"Hey! Where are you going! Take me too!"
At my words, Manual started grumbling and drying her hair, and Yu Daon met my eyes and smiled softly.
"That won't be necessary."
"..."
"I just came here to talk for a bit."
At this hour in the morning?
My thought was brief.
Yu Daon brought her face close to mine.
Before I could even react, a soft sensation touched my lips and then disappeared.
"You, you, you, you, you shameless person! You! Hey! Call the police! This is sexual harassment! Assault! Non-consensual sexual contact! Throw her in jail right now!"
The noisy voice of Manual shouting next to me felt distant.
What did Yu Daon just do to me?
Huh?
Was that a kiss?
Wasn't it?
My thoughts were cut short.
"To see the day you make a face like this, Jae-heon ssi."
Yu Daon muttered with a laugh.
"Was it your first kiss?"
"..."
"It's okay if it wasn't."
Before I could even finish speaking, Yu Daon raised a finger and covered my mouth.
"For me, it was my first kiss. So that's enough for me."
"No, well, um. Daon ssi."
"And, about the night you stayed at my place."
Before I could finish, Yu Daon continued speaking, as if trying to maintain control of the situation.
"I didn't do anything. Even if you ask A-rin ssi, she'll say nothing happened."
Muttering, she touched her own lips, then.
"Well, I'll be going now!"
She got up with a lively smile.
No. It wasn't a lively smile.
Her cheeks were burning red, her entire face flushed crimson, as she forced a smile.
"Wait a moment, Daon ssi. You just got here—"
"Hey!"
Before I could finish, Yu Daon rushed at me again,
and a soft sensation touched my lips once more before disappearing.
"I'm really going now!"
"What are you doing! She's a sexual offender! Catch her!"
Manual was shouting something after the departing Yu Daon, but I had no capacity to respond.
"..."
Unconsciously, I touched my lips.
The soft sensation, and Yu Daon opening the door and running away.
"Hey!!"
Manual hit my back with a loud thump, but I was thinking about something else.
Starting tomorrow, Jang Chae-yeon and the others are supposed to come, right?
This isn't something I can just let slide.
I'm dead. Seriously.