Since this was an old apartment complex, even one parking space per household wasn’t guaranteed. Because of that, many residents had to double-park, and quite a few people didn’t leave their cars in neutral gear, so from the crack of dawn you’d hear people shouting at the top of their lungs for someone to move their car. I’d heard it several times at dawn myself, so I understood the frustration.
“I don’t care what kind of car you drive! If it’s such a great car, park it in the public lot! You don’t even leave it in neutral—what kind of nerve is that?”
“Do you even know how much this car costs? If you mess it up and crash it, are you going to take responsibility? This one car is worth two of these apartment units!”
“Then sell it and move somewhere nicer, you punk! Why bring a car like that here and be a nuisance?!”
“Did you chip in to buy my car? It’s my choice! This is a capitalist country! If I want to drive something nice with my own money, why are you interfering?”
“If you can afford to drive something like that, park it in the public lot!”
“No thanks! It’s a long walk from there—who’s going to park all the way over there? You park there!”
People gathered in a circle around the two of them to watch. Most were on the middle-aged man’s side. And understandably so—the red sports car the young guy was driving was parked smack in the center of the lot like a stake hammered into the ground.
If this had ended with just talk about the parking issue, I could’ve grabbed my carton of eggs and left. But the argument dragged on, and that became impossible. I was starving. I couldn’t stand listening any longer, and before I knew it, I squeezed between them.
“From what I’m hearing, wouldn’t it be fine if you just left it in neutral? Aren’t you being a bit too rigid about this?”
“That’s right. Well said, young man.”
“And who the hell are you to butt in?”
I told the young guy that I lived here too, and that I was one of the people standing around exhausted because of him. From around me, others in the same position began muttering in agreement.
“If the car gets damaged, are you going to take responsibility?”
“You’ve been going on about responsibility this whole time, but wouldn’t your insurance cover it? There’s CCTV here too. Just report it to the police if something actually happens. Arguing about who’s responsible over something that hasn’t even happened yet is pointless. Do you live your life worrying about every possible future disaster? If that’s the case, you might as well walk around with a will in your pocket. You never know when you’ll die.”
Guess being hungry really made me reckless. Looking around, I saw that the older residents were chiming in about him being disrespectful, but none of them were speaking up directly like I was. I thought it was simply because he was younger.
But it wasn’t.
That bastard was a notorious lunatic in this apartment complex. I should’ve known from the moment he started speaking in casual speech out of nowhere.
“Hey. You. What unit?”
“Me? Building 101, Unit 412. Why?”
“Is that so?”
The red car owner said he’d “think about it” and walked off without even taking the eggs. Only then did the residents finally start lining up to receive theirs. I joined the line late and ended up near the very end.
When I got my carton, two of the thirty eggs were cracked. Still, I figured it was better than nothing. As I waited for the elevator, one of the middle-aged ladies from the residents’ meeting stood nearby.
“Tsk tsk. Young man, looks like you’re done for now that you live here.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“That guy with the red car. He’s a real piece of work. Well… you’ll find out soon enough.”
She said that, but since I only really slept here, I didn’t know much about what went on outside. I didn’t even have a car, so I had no reason to cross paths with him.
Just as the elevator doors were about to close, someone called out, “Hold the door.” I pressed the open button. A woman and a young boy stepped in.
Wait a second.
It was the kid who’d said he didn’t have a mom earlier. After stealing glances for a bit, I gathered my courage and carefully asked the woman who seemed to be his mother.
“Um… excuse me. Are you this child’s mother?”
“Yes. Is something the matter?”
“Oh, no. I just thought he was cute.”
The kid who had swindled 30,000 won out of me hid behind his mother’s skirt. Right. It was my fault for getting fooled. I was the sucker for being generous. I decided to just let it go.
I got off first on the fourth floor and glanced back slightly. Inside the elevator, my eyes met the kid’s. I gave him a small smile, and he stuck his tongue out at me.
Ah…
This isn’t right. I shouldn’t get this heated over a kid. Since I’d already done a good deed, I’d smiled thinking, Grow up well and be kind, or something along those lines—but I got blatantly ignored.
Wow, seriously. Today was cursed. The two cracked eggs felt like my pride had been cracked along with them, leaving a bitter taste.
Click.
Back home, I set the eggs on the sink. I was starving and considered ordering delivery with my card, but instead I boiled some eggs and fried a few.
When I moved the fried eggs onto the coffee table in the middle of the living room, it was even more pitiful than I’d expected. After eating a few boiled eggs, the yolks just wouldn’t go down. I thought about making ramen instead, but then realized I’d run out.
“Ah. What the hell is wrong with today, seriously.”
This was definitely Seomun Jun’s fault. Ever since I became his partner again yesterday, my luck had gone downhill. The world was supposed to be balanced by yin and yang—even if it was just inside a game, maybe I’d absorbed too much yang energy. The absurd thought crossed my mind.
I hadn’t even cooked the fried eggs properly, so the yolks burst and ran everywhere. I couldn’t take it anymore and stood up. Still dressed the same as before, I grabbed only my wallet and headed out. I’d skipped grocery shopping thinking I’d save money once side dishes came from home next week, but I couldn’t hold out any longer.
If I hadn’t gotten shaken down for 30,000 won, I could’ve at least ordered chicken.
My monthly living expenses were already drained, so I had to buy only the bare minimum. To survive a week, ramen was king. If I wanted to eat lunch at the real estate office too, I had no choice.
I was heading downstairs while browsing my phone for bulk packs of hardtack and snacks—what people jokingly called “human feed.”
“Maybe I should buy a big bag and keep some at the office too? Ha… if only there were somewhere I could squeeze money out of…”
Then I remembered the Relax skill ShutUp had given me yesterday. Why hadn’t I thought of that? If I sold it, I could get at least 3 million won. First, I’d eat ramen to settle my stomach, then check the marketplace boards.
“Hey. 412.”
I was cutting across the playground where I’d been shaken down earlier, coming out of the supermarket with ramen in hand, when someone called me like I was an inmate number.
Even from the tone alone, it was clearly provocative. I turned around with a frown—and there he was. That bastard. The red car owner. He was sitting on a seesaw meant for kids, sucking on a popsicle. Seeing him fully for the first time—something I hadn’t managed during the earlier argument—I took him in at a glance. I tried to ignore him and walk off, but he provoked me again.
“What, you scared? Running away?”
I walked slowly toward him. He remained seated on the seesaw.
“What, punk. Want me to sit on the other side? Wanna ride the seesaw?”
“You haven’t been living here long, have you? Guess you don’t know who I am.”
“How would I?”
Only then did he stand and approach me.
Earlier, with the middle-aged man between us, I hadn’t realized—but up close, he was tall, like Seomun Jun. He was wearing a blue tracksuit like the kind jobless characters in TV dramas often wore. Judging by his appearance alone, he didn’t look like someone who’d drive such an expensive car.
“Well, makes sense. We wouldn’t have had any reason to cross paths. I’ve made more than a few people move out of here.”
“Made them… move out?”
“This time, I picked you.”
These days playground floors were covered in soft rubber mats. If it had been sand like in the old days, I would’ve thrown a handful in his face and walked away. I was starting to regret engaging with him at all.
“Yeah. Thanks for the support.”
Like a candidate in an election, I raised my hand in a mock greeting and turned around. The plastic bag around my wrist was annoying, so I nudged it with my knee as I headed toward the apartment entrance. He followed, continuing to needle me.
“Hey, 412. Are you a bit slow or something?”
“What? Introducing yourself?”
The elevator arrived, and I got in. He followed. I shot him a look asking what the hell?, but he simply crossed his arms and stared straight ahead. The only button pressed was the fourth floor. Even when I glanced back, he stood there, unmoving.
When the doors opened on the fourth floor, he got off too.
“You live here too?”
“No.”
“Then why’d you get off?”
“To go to your place.”
“Are you insane?” The words slipped out instantly. What kind of lunatic was this? I quickened my pace. As I reached my door and moved to unlock it, he caught up, slightly out of breath, and stood beside me.
“Go away.”
“No.”
I had no idea what kind of person he was, but there was no way I could let him follow me inside. I headed back toward the elevator, and he trailed after me again.
Suddenly, I remembered what the lady had said earlier.
“Tsk tsk. Young man, looks like you’re done for now that you live here.”
I took the emergency stairs down, hearing footsteps echoing behind me. Was I really going to have to move? I’d only signed the lease three months ago… And if I left, what about the moving costs?
I was heading for the first floor but quickly slipped into the second instead. The elevator arrived just then—I got in and rode it back up to the fourth. As I reached my door and went to punch in the keypad code, I saw that lunatic sprinting toward me from down the hall.
“Ah, shit!!”
I hurried inside, slammed the door shut, and locked the latch. Only then did I hear a loud BANG! against the door. This wasn’t even some horror movie—it was just some idiot chasing me—yet my heart pounded wildly.
BANG! BANG! Ding-dong—. Ding-dong—.
I heard him pounding on the door and calling out to me. I cautiously picked up the intercom and saw him still standing there in front of my door, fuming.
Wow.
He wasn’t normal. When he kept banging, I shouted that I’d call the police. Only then did it go quiet.
About ten minutes later, I carefully checked the intercom again. Finally, he was gone.
Right. I’m barely home on weekdays anyway. If I can just endure the weekends, it should be fine, I told myself, brushing it off lightly.
