Chapter 21

Thinking about Seojin’s phone ringing yesterday, it seemed that the other person was someone who didn’t know how to give up.

“Obsession…”

No way…?

Haji shook her head.

“Sunbae isn’t the type to stay still.”

Right. It’s Ki Seojin.

Even someone with an obsession might be intimidated by Ki Seojin’s fierce gaze and words.

“But with that face.”

Wouldn’t even a dying person come back to life?

Considering there are all kinds of people in the world, it seemed quite possible.

“Shouldn’t we report it?”

Haji frowned and made a serious face. At her small voice, Sehee, who was organizing coffee beans, turned around sharply.

“What? Boss, what did you say?”

“Do you report things like obsession if it’s severe?”

“Of course. These days, a lot of people report stalking or dating violence. It’s always on the news.”

“Stalking?”

No way, that woman?

Haji tilted her head in confusion, recalling the woman she saw at Seonghee’s fashion show. The attractive and strikingly beautiful woman came to mind again.

Sehee, who had more to say, crossed her arms and squinted her eyes.

“You can’t tell just by looking at people these days. Even if they look polished on the outside, you can’t know what they’re thinking inside.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

I don’t know.

I can’t tell anything just by looking at the outside. So, I can’t trust that woman either.

***

The red streetlight passed swiftly inside the running car.

Seojin glanced at Haji, who was sitting in the passenger seat, leaning her arm. Her expression was quite serious, with her gaze fixed straight ahead, not speaking.

“Did something happen today?”

“Oh, no.”

“Really?”

Despite her denial, he was certain something had happened. Seojin tapped the steering wheel lightly with his fingertips.

What could it be?

From the moment he went to the cafe, pretending it was a coincidence to match her off-time, Haji couldn’t focus on him.

He was curious about what was on her mind, what could be so consuming?

At that moment, Haji moved her lips.

“Sunbae.”

“Why?”

“Never mind.”

Haji, who had cautiously started to speak, soon clamped her mouth shut. She even turned her head toward the window, showing her determination not to talk.

Although he was filled with the desire to probe further, he suppressed his frustration. Judging by her attitude, she seemed likely to speak when the time was right, even without his urging.

But that patience didn’t last long.

“…”

“Speak.”

Seeing Haji unable to hide her feelings and glancing at him, he spoke first.

“What?”

“You want to talk.”

“About what?”

“How would I know unless you tell me?”

At Seojin’s words, Haji rubbed her fingertips as if pondering.

“There’s nothing, right?”

Her question, as she scanned his face, made it seem like she thought something had happened.

“What do you mean?”

“Just, you know…”

Waiting for Haji to continue her drawn-out words.

“Like someone following you?”

“Someone following me?”

What?

Seojin turned his gaze to Haji, who was staring at him. He wondered if he could find her intentions in her expression.

“They say stalking is dangerous these days.”

“Stalking?”

“It’s on the news, and there are a lot of such incidents…”

Is it because of that?

Realizing that Haji’s worry stemmed from the incessant calls from Matthew over the past few days, Seojin turned his gaze back to the front and clamped his mouth shut.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I’m thinking.”

“About what? Huh?”

As Seojin remained silent, Haji leaned forward, urging him as if something had happened to him.

“Whether this is stalking.”

“What?”

Haji’s tone rose, and she looked shocked. At this, a small laugh escaped from Seojin’s lips.

“No, it’s not like that.”

“…Really?”

He understood what she was saying. It must be because of Matthew’s incessant calls over the past few days.

He hadn’t expected her to worry about this.

It wasn’t a bad reaction. It meant she had been thinking about him, even if only for a moment.

“Haji.”

Having reached the apartment entrance, Seojin called Haji’s name leisurely. Haji, still looking worried, turned her head towards Seojin instead of answering.

“…What?”

“What?”

With the car’s interior darkening as they entered the parking lot, Haji couldn’t hear him well.

“…What?”

“I can’t hear you well.”

Haji’s body naturally leaned towards the driver’s seat. In the dim light, she could only vaguely see his form, not his mouth.

When Seojin’s car slowly exited the dark parking lot entrance, the visibility cleared up.

“Oh.”

Haji’s pupils dilated. Seojin’s face filled her view.

In the now-stopped car, their noses were almost touching.

“Thank you, for worrying about me.”

His breath tickled her upper lip. The cool mint scent seemed to envelop her.

Feeling dizzy, Haji clenched her fist and pressed her thigh. It was a conscious action to regain her composure.

Seeing Haji’s stiffened form, Seojin’s lips curled.

“What would you have done if I were really being stalked?”

“Well…”

Caught by the sudden softness of his usually sharp eyes, she lost her words. It was fascinating to see his always sharp eyes looking gentle.

And that look was so seductive.

It was a face that drew out an unknown inner instinct. She couldn’t understand why her trembling fingertips were acting up or what her tingling tongue wanted.

Unconsciously, Haji licked her lips with her tingling tongue. The tip of her red tongue caught Seojin’s gaze.

And the low sigh that followed took her breath away. Haji loosened her grip, then clenched her fist again, her nails digging into her palm.

“Hmm? What would you have done?”

“Report it.”

Both of them whispered softly at the close distance, focusing on each other’s voices.

“Hmm.”

Seojin let out a low hum as if he found it amusing.

“What would you say when you report it?”

“…”

What should I say?

Imagining a hypothetical situation, she couldn’t immediately think of what to say if she reported Seojin being stalked.

The reason was that their relationship wasn’t clearly defined. She wasn’t sure if she had the right to intervene in his issues and report it.

Seeing Haji’s trembling pupils, Seojin slowly raised his left hand. Just as his hand was about to reach her head, it stopped.

“The landlord is being stalked?”

It was Haji’s statement, defining their relationship.

“As a tenant, I could say I feel threatened too, right?”

“Landlord, tenant?”

Seojin’s hand found its place, and his eyebrows shot up.

As the atmosphere quickly cooled, Haji avoided his gaze and nodded. That was the only way she could explain their relationship.

“Right. I’m the landlord, you’re the tenant.”

Seojin’s words flowed out like a sigh, and he leaned back into his seat.

“If not that…?”

Before he could finish saying, “What else is there?” Seojin’s phone rang. Both their gazes naturally turned to the car’s connected call function.

[Jeong Eun-sol]

That woman again.

Haji looked sharply at Seojin’s face.

“Go up first.”

His voice, colder than usual, pierced her ears.

“…By myself?”

“I’ll come up after taking this call.”

Despite her hopes, Seojin’s firm answer left her no choice but to step out with heavy steps.

***

As Haji got off the elevator, she saw the mother of the kid next door standing in front of her door and smiled.

“Hello, where are you going?”

“Are you just getting off work? I’m just going to check the store. I think I left the lights on.”

The neighbor’s mother, who got on the elevator and pressed the open button, continued talking.

“I’ve been so scatterbrained lately. It got worse after having the baby. Be careful, too. I guess this is what happens after having kids.”

“What? Haha, yes.”

Haji awkwardly laughed, feeling embarrassed by the neighbor’s advice. The neighbor seemed to think she was just shy.

Just as she was about to press the close button, the neighbor pressed the open button again, as if remembering something.

“Did you see that? They’re doing elevator maintenance.”

“Maintenance?”

“There’s going to be a power outage from 10 to 11 PM tonight. Isn’t the timing a bit awkward?”

Haji checked the time on her phone and nodded.

9:27 PM, the power outage was approaching.

Haji looked at the neighbor in the elevator with a puzzled expression.

“But you’re going now?”

“I’m going to be quick. It’s just in front.”

“It’s close. I’ll visit next time.”

“Sure. Come with your husband. I’ll give you a free cake.”

Though it bothered her that the neighbor kept referring to Seojin as her husband, it was too late to correct her, so she just nodded.

Ending the conversation with a promise to meet at the store next time, the elevator door closed.

Thirty minutes left until the power outage.

Sunbae would come before then, right? He said he was just making a call.