# Chapter 18
With gleaming eyes, Seowoo pointed his index finger straight at Manager Gu’s car that had not yet left.
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, just leave.”
“If I don’t talk nonsense, can I stay?”
For a moment, Seowoo considered whether to point out that even this statement was nonsense. He swallowed a bursting sigh and placed his hand on his hip at an angle.
“Then tell me the reason first.”
At that, Dohyun blinked slowly. His narrow eyes gradually curved into an arc, wearing a subtle smile.
“Wouldn’t it ruin the fun if I told you?”
Is this really the time to talk about fun? After declaring his intention to intrude into someone else’s home, he’s completely sealing his lips about the reason. There must be some other intention, but it was impossible to figure out.
Seowoo repeatedly questioned the purpose of his visit, but the only answer he received was the obvious statement that “you’ll know when you get there.”
“I won’t let you get away with doing anything strange in my house.”
“What’s your standard for ‘strange’?”
“If you think I might curse at it, don’t do it. And stop asking when you already know.”
Dohyun entered the entrance hall under Seowoo’s guidance. The lights overhead sparkled brightly as if welcoming the visitor.
“In the end, it will be something essential for Seowoo.”
“You know that sounds ominous when you say it like that, right?”
While Dohyun looked around the interior, Seowoo strode inside without looking back. It was impossible to act as kindly as when his manager had visited. However, while being respectful might be difficult, he thought he should at least maintain a semblance of courtesy for appearances. Seowoo moved toward the kitchen and asked a question he didn’t really care about.
“Should I get you some water?”
“I’d like juice, please.”
“This guy, really… Do you actually think you’re a proper guest?”
“Technically, I’m a repair technician. I’ll need to use my body, so please make it cool with ice.”
Ignoring Dohyun’s utterly shameless words, Seowoo took out a transparent glass. If he were the type of person who would come to his senses with cold water, Seowoo would have poured him ten glasses. Grinding his teeth inwardly, Seowoo brought the glass to the water purifier. The distinctive mechanical sound rang out.
“Seo Dohyun… Hey, CEO?”
When Seowoo emerged into the living room with the glass, the living room was quiet as if Dohyun had never been there. There was no sign of anyone. Even after calling his name three or four times, there was no reply from Dohyun. Seowoo checked the bedroom and bathroom, but Dohyun was nowhere to be found.
No matter how ghost-like Seo Dohyun might be, he wasn’t capable of performing magical feats like suddenly rising into the sky or sinking into the ground.
After thoroughly checking the bathroom attached to the bedroom, Seowoo could only conclude that there was no suitable place for Dohyun to hide.
Or was he hiding under the bed? Just as Seowoo was tilting his head, he was startled to attention by a cheerful doorbell sound. One long ring, followed by two quick ones. The doorbell rang so loudly that it obviously seemed like someone was hurrying him, so Seowoo quickly flung open the door.
“Who…”
“Did you have another guest besides me?”
Through the open door, Dohyun pushed his way in as if it were his own home. The action was so natural that Seowoo couldn’t even ask what was going on or get angry; he could only watch as Dohyun properly closed the front door behind him.
Dohyun had his shirt sleeves neatly rolled up to his elbows, as if he had been doing some physical work. He naturally snatched the glass of water from Seowoo’s hand and shrugged.
“It’s not juice.”
“Why on earth are you coming in from outside?”
“To carry out the reason I came here?”
Something rolled into Seowoo’s now empty hand. Though it was miniature, it was not so small that he couldn’t recognize it as a camera.
As Seowoo glumly stared at the lens, Dohyun laughed good-naturedly.
“It’s not working anymore anyway. You can throw it away.”
“Where did this camera suddenly come from?”
“From in front of Seowoo’s house.”
For such a casual remark, it was absolutely astounding. There was a camera installed in front of his house? Without him knowing? How did Seo Dohyun even know about this in the first place…? Seowoo’s eyes widened as he stared at Dohyun.
“…In front of my house?”
“You know, near the doorbell. At the entrance.”
Though Seowoo couldn’t have been asking about the exact location, Dohyun kindly explained where the camera had been installed, even drawing the shape of the front door with his finger.
“Oh, but it would be dangerous if this kind of camera was found in Seowoo’s house, wouldn’t it? I’ll take it away.”
Without asking, Dohyun snatched the camera back. Standing there stupidly without understanding, Seowoo finally contorted his face.
“You never mentioned installing a camera!”
“I didn’t have an obligation to inform you. After getting so angry about being stalked, you couldn’t anticipate a camera?”
Whether to admire that incredible shamelessness or to be disgusted by it? For the ordinary human’s moral sense and common sense, both background investigations and camera installations were non-everyday matters, beyond what could be easily anticipated.
No matter how persistently Dohyun was chasing Seowoo, he never imagined that Dohyun would go as far as installing a camera to monitor his every move.
“How was I supposed to know that? Would a normal person put a camera in front of someone’s house?”
“I thought you’d figure it out quickly with your sharp mind. How else would I know where and when Seowoo goes? Unless we had some telepathic connection.”
Dohyun just kept smiling cheerfully regardless of whether Seowoo was angry or not. No, even if he was marking his territory, Seowoo didn’t expect it to be this serious. He thought Dohyun would just do some background checks or have someone follow him. Unable to close his mouth that had fallen open from disbelief, Seowoo glared at Dohyun with wide eyes.
“What gives you the nerve to be so shameless? Do you have any conscience? After asking me to live together!”
“Is that related to this issue?”
As if he genuinely didn’t understand, with drooping eyebrows that even made him look wronged, he was quite crafty. If he had even 1 gram of conscience left, he couldn’t have reacted like that. Far from feeling sympathy, Seowoo’s anger flared even more.
“I’m about to live with someone who put a camera in front of my house and monitors me! What am I supposed to trust?”
“It was installed before I asked you to live together, so what can I do? We weren’t this close back then.”
The way he pointed at Seowoo with his fingertip while speaking made them look so familiar that Seowoo’s mouth slowly opened unconsciously. It was literally because he was dumbfounded.
“Who’s close to you?”
“I didn’t know you’d become part of our company either. Let’s not stand here in the entryway, Seowoo.”
With a playful voice, Dohyun deflected Seowoo’s anger smoothly and moved toward the living room first.
If this is what being close to this person means, I don’t have any friends, no friends at all. Muttering inwardly, Seowoo followed behind Dohyun with quick steps.
“Don’t tell me there are more cameras inside the house?”
“I didn’t go that far. Why, are you suspicious?”
“At this point, I should be suspicious of things I wasn’t even suspicious of before.”
Dohyun placed the empty glass on the table. His face was full of smiles, as if something was greatly amusing him. It was a complete contrast to Seowoo’s sullen, contorted face. Picking up his jacket that was neatly arranged beside the table, Dohyun gestured toward the inside of the house with his chin.
“Then take a good look around, thoroughly. If you’re really worried, should I help you search?”
“Am I so desperate for company that I’d do it with you?”
As if he expected that response, Dohyun didn’t even blink as he put on his clothes. Unlike when he insisted on coming in, his expression was clean and without any lingering attachment. How strange. Normally, wouldn’t he drag out the time with nonsense? Seowoo narrowed his eyes.
“Are you leaving right away?”
“Will you miss me?”
Seowoo closed his mouth and raised his eyes directly. That wide-eyed glare meant “shut up.” It was actually easier to adapt to Seowoo’s expressions, which were more intuitive than words.
Dohyun put on his shoes properly, smiling playfully with pulled lips. It was exactly the same as when he came in. It was completely identical except for the camera lens that kept bouncing around in his hand like a toy. Dohyun indicated the camera with a sidelong glance.
“I’ve finished my business, and I’ve had some water. Unless Seowoo has something more to say, we should say goodbye for today.”
He was acting unusually straightforward, but in the end, it seemed he had made this personal visit just to show the process of removing that camera. Wasn’t this a complete performance?
Seowoo couldn’t understand Dohyun’s intentions—whether he was trying to scare him more or actually trying to reassure him. Or maybe both. With an uneasy feeling, Seowoo’s expression turned sour, and in contrast, Dohyun smiled even more broadly.
“If you tell me to stay longer, I will. Do you want to make me some green tea?”
“I’m not going far.”
“Even escorting me to the entrance is an honor.”
Dohyun didn’t linger any longer and pushed open the front door. Since Seowoo had no reason to detain him, he watched Dohyun leave without replying. As Dohyun had said, even seeing him off from the entrance was something to be grateful for. They weren’t that kind of relationship, were they?
The door closed. Seowoo exhaled a short sigh. However, before the sound of the door locking, the door opened again, and Dohyun suddenly thrust his face through the gap.
“Say a good goodbye to your house during the remaining time. Contact me if you have any questions.”
“…”
“You know my number, right?”
Seowoo was about to ask how he would know Dohyun’s number, but then he suddenly realized that Dohyun’s business card from their first meeting had not yet been thrown away. He had just shoved it in his pocket and never thought of looking at it again. He hadn’t even imagined there would be a situation where he’d need to check that business card again.
He wanted to block him outright, but… Watching Seowoo’s expression change moment by moment, Dohyun laughed softly.
“Feel free to mark it as spam if that makes you feel better.”
“…”
Wondering if his emotions were that visible on his face, Seowoo tried to pretend he didn’t know and changed his expression. With a thud, the door closed, and Dohyun disappeared behind it.
Slowly looking around the now quiet interior, Seowoo unconsciously stared at the corner of the ceiling. If there was something, it would probably be around there. But soon he shook his head and dismissed the thought.
He couldn’t afford to spend time looking for cameras now. He was planning to leave this house soon anyway, and Seowoo had important things to do in the meantime.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
