NOVEL NEXT WORLD 7
At first, he thought asking to borrow clothes was just an excuse, but once they were in the car, he wasn’t so sure anymore. Unlike when they had arrived at the restaurant, Seo Eun-jae was now keeping his mouth shut, as if wary of the situation. Gwak Seon-woo could feel him sneaking glances his way, but he pretended not to notice and turned on the radio, hoping to avoid unnecessary conversation.
The radio was set to a classical music station. That wasn’t surprising. Gwak Seon-woo usually preferred soft ballads, though he didn’t dislike classical music either, so he didn’t bother changing the station.
To be honest, he didn’t want to risk attempting it and getting another pop-up notification saying, “Gwanggong does not listen to popular music.” That would be even more embarrassing.
“Do you like classical music?”
Seo Eun-jae, who had been silent until now, cautiously threw out a question. He seemed to be doing his best to figure out what Gwak Seon-woo liked. Unfortunately, that was a question even Seon-woo himself didn’t know the answer to. Who the hell knew what Gwanggong’s preferences were? Judging by the way the selection menu popped up earlier, it seemed like he hardly liked anything at all.
▶ “I don’t listen to it because I like it.”
▶ “Other music is just too noisy and vulgar.”
▶ “It’s tolerable, I guess.”
The fact that he couldn’t even muster a simple “Yes, I like it” out of politeness proved just how rigid Gwanggong’s personality was. Gwak Seon-woo clicked his tongue inwardly and responded in a calm voice.
“It’s tolerable, I guess.”
Seo Eun-jae tried to continue the conversation, throwing out a few more remarks in an effort to keep talking to him. But Seon-woo’s responses never strayed beyond simple yes-or-no answers. Eventually, after enough one-sided dismissal, Eun-jae gave up and fell silent.
Honestly, at this point, anyone else would have thought, Screw this. It’s not worth it, and stopped talking out of sheer frustration. But Seo Eun-jae didn’t seem to be thinking that way. He looked a bit awkward, sure, but not fed up. If anything, that was more impressive.
The silence stretched on until they finally arrived, and just as they were about to get out of the car, Eun-jae spoke again.
“The car must reek of makgeolli now…”
His voice was filled with guilt.
Gwak Seon-woo was already feeling lightheaded from the thick stench of alcohol in the air, but he didn’t say anything about it. It was a small gesture of consideration.
“It’s nothing to worry about.”
And it was the truth. Gwanggong didn’t own just one car. He didn’t pick out his clothes in the morning—he chose which car to drive. A bit of alcohol stench clinging to one of them wasn’t going to be a problem.
Still, Eun-jae followed behind him with a remorseful expression, as if he’d committed some grave offense.
Seon-woo almost joked about how he hadn’t even asked him to pay for laundry, so why would he charge him for a car wash? But he held back, knowing Eun-jae would probably take it seriously and insist on paying for both.
The moment Eun-jae stepped out of the car, he failed to hide his astonishment. He wasn’t trying to be obvious about it, but the way he glanced around repeatedly made it clear as day. When Seon-woo turned to look at him, Eun-jae, as if caught, quickly muttered in embarrassment.
“Did I act too much like a country bumpkin? I’ve just never been to a place like this before.”
Of course, Gwak Seon-woo didn’t mention that this was his first time here as well, having only stepped into this apartment for the first time that morning. Moments like these made him glad that Gwanggong was naturally a man of few words. He walked with an air of someone who had lived here for years, doing his best to sell the illusion.
The two remained silent while waiting for the elevator. And just as they stepped inside, the system’s voice chimed in.
That was good news. Not that it showed on his face, but somehow, Seo Eun-jae picked up on the slightest shift and seized the chance to start a conversation.
“What are you thinking about?”
So many questions…
Luckily, he didn’t even need to think about his answer—three choices appeared before him.
▶ “Just thinking about how strange it is that you’re here right now.”
▶ “Do I really need to say it?”
▶ “……Nothing.”
‘Don’t flirt!’
Gwak Seon-woo grimaced at the options. Picking the first one would be like stepping into an inescapable trap of corny pickup lines. The ellipsis in the last one was slightly annoying, but it still seemed like the safest choice.
“……Nothing.”
It was the kind of answer no one would believe. Worse, it automatically plastered a melancholic expression onto his face, which he found extremely irritating. Seo Eun-jae, however, didn’t press further and simply replied, “I see,” letting the matter drop. Yet, the lingering awkwardness refused to fade.
The moment they stepped into the apartment, Eun-jae looked even more shocked than before. Was it the all-black interior that startled him? That would make sense. He seemed eager to take in his surroundings, but Seon-woo was more concerned about preventing the makgeolli stench from spreading any further. Without hesitation, he shoved Eun-jae straight into the bathroom and shut the door.
“I’ll bring you some clothes. Just take a shower first.”
Without waiting for a reply, Seon-woo turned and headed to the dressing room he had scoped out that morning.
However, upon opening the wardrobe, he was met with a scene that could only be described as quintessentially Gwanggong.
The sheer uniformity was absurd. It was like something out of an animation—row after row of identical outfits, as if he picked from the same set every single morning. The amount of plain white dress shirts, all in the exact same size and fabric, was almost comical.
After some deliberation, the least offensive option was a simple black t-shirt and a pair of comfortable-looking pants. With the clothes in hand, he walked back to the bathroom door.
“I left them outside the door.”
He knocked lightly as he spoke, and from inside the bathroom, Eun-jae’s voice echoed slightly from within the shower booth.
“Ah, thank you.”
The whole situation felt unbearably awkward. It was nothing more than a superior lending a shower and a change of clothes to a subordinate who had suffered the unfortunate fate of being drenched in makgeolli. Yet, the system seemed insistent on romanticizing the moment.
“So, what? Gwanggong isn’t even considered human now?”
Gwak Seon-woo muttered in exasperation, though he couldn’t exactly deny it. The apartment was so lifeless and cold that even the most social person would probably succumb to crushing loneliness if they had to sleep here every night. Judging by what he’d seen, this Gwanggong didn’t seem like the type to have friends, either. Which meant no one had probably ever set foot in this place before.
Lost in thought, he remained seated on the living room sofa until the sound of the bathroom door opening snapped him out of it. Seo Eun-jae, now dressed in fresh clothes, stepped out awkwardly. Almost immediately, the system sprang into action.
“Oh, give it a rest.”
Seon-woo grumbled inwardly, and to his relief, the voice actually stopped. Small victories.
Eun-jae approached, pressing a towel against his dripping hair. Seon-woo could have told him to hurry up and dry off so he could leave, but instead, he found himself offering a seat.
“I’ll get you something to drink.”
Ignoring the now-familiar notification, he made his way to the fridge. Given that this was the refrigerator of a chaebol’s home, it seemed safe to assume there’d be something decent to drink.
But as soon as he opened the door, an unexpected alert popped up.
…The secretary was way too well-trained in the ways of Gwanggong.
Seon-woo stared at the neatly arranged row of twenty Evian bottles, utterly baffled. He couldn’t exactly offer alcohol, and since he had already offered something to drink, he was now obligated to follow through.
After a moment of resignation, he returned to the living room, carrying an Evian bottle in each hand.
Seo Eun-jae, who had instinctively reached out and taken the bottle, looked at it, then at Seon-woo, his expression shifting into sheer bewilderment.
“Uh… thanks. This is… expensive water.”
The fact that he was trying his best to react appropriately just made the situation even more ridiculous. If this wasn’t meant as a joke, it was just outright absurd.
Maintaining a carefully composed, deadpan expression, Seon-woo took the seat across from Eun-jae.
For a while, the two of them sat there in silence, unscrewing the caps of their Evian bottles and drinking. Seo Eun-jae, too, seemed at a loss for words, the awkward quiet stretching between them. It took quite a while before conversation resumed.
“Do you live here alone, Director?”
Eun-jae finally broke the silence.
Pausing mid-sip, Seon-woo glanced at him before giving a slight nod.
“Yeah.”
“The place is… really spacious. Ah, well, of course it is. I mean, um, don’t you ever get bored?”
“Are you trying to say it feels cold and lifeless?”
Gwak Seon-woo completely ignored the roundabout phrasing and cut straight to the point. Seo Eun-jae gave a sheepish smile before answering.
“Well… a little. Living in a place like this seems like it’d be lonely. Though I’m sure it’s different for you.”
A selection window immediately popped up.
▶ “They say humans are social creatures, but I don’t believe that. Only weak people need company to be happy.”
▶ “Ha… Seo Eun-jae, you really are amusing. I’ve long grown used to being alone. Loneliness? That’s an emotion I don’t have.”
Ah… no… No, no, no.
Seon-woo wanted to dig a hole and bury himself alive. No matter which option he picked, the sheer cringe was unbearable. He was just a normal person—there was no way he could bring himself to say such ridiculous lines.
But from experience, he already knew there was no escaping it. Resigned to his fate, he picked the one that seemed slightly less humiliating.
“They say humans are social creatures… but I don’t really believe that. Only weak people… need company to be happy.”
Seo Eun-jae didn’t say anything. His expression was unreadable, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. Overwhelmed by embarrassment, Seon-woo blurted out the first excuse he could think of.
“It was a joke.”
“…What?”
“I was joking. I just never really bothered furnishing the place since I barely spend time at home.”
Seo Eun-jae looked momentarily stunned before suddenly breaking into laughter.
“I should get going. Thanks for the clothes. I’ll wash them and bring them back.”
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A family gathering. Just hearing the words made him feel exhausted already.