The Office Dweller’s Secret and a Landlord’s Generosity

Noticing Seo Dowoon’s gaze fixed on his pajamas, Han Gureum parted his lips slightly. “Do you want these? You can have them. Even if the top doesn’t fit, the pants are one-size-fits-all, so…”

After a brief glance at Seo Dowoon’s legs, Han Gureum tilted his head in confusion, then looked at his own. He knew from last time that the top wouldn’t fit, but he had assumed the pants would. However, seeing the clear difference in length, he neatly abandoned the idea of offering the pajamas.

“If we make more later, I’ll get Your Lordship’s size too. Are you around 190…?”

“Yes. To be precise, 189.9 centimeters.”

“So, 0.1 short of 190. I’ll remember that.”

Seo Dowoon immediately realized that he had shaved a bit off his height, just as Kim Ajun, who was 191cm, often insisted he was 189cm. Perhaps there was a world among tall people that 174cm Han Gureum couldn’t quite grasp. Uninterested in delving further, he simply nodded.

“What about the pajamas for the picture?”

“…Should I get you a new pair? Would you wear them even if they’re short?”

Realizing this was a polite refusal, Seo Dowoon shook his head.

“Did you sleep here?”

Seo Dowoon asked, his eyes scanning the heavily wrinkled white sheet draped over the long sofa. While continuous sitting could certainly crease fabric, Han Gureum was wearing pajamas, and this was the only spot suitable for lying down.

Under Seo Dowoon’s gaze, Han Gureum smoothed out the fabric with his hands and gestured for him to sit. “Yes. It’s clean. Please, sit down.”

As Seo Dowoon settled onto the sofa, his eyes registered the distinct scent that permeated the air. Han Gureum must have been in the office for a long time, as the fragrance was stronger than before. Though the whirring of the capsule machine and the aroma of coffee wafted from the back, the two scents were easily distinguishable.

“It seems like you’ve been busy with work.”

“No, I haven’t been busy.”

“Then why are you sleeping here?” Seo Dowoon asked, a hint of bewilderment in his voice.

He had been monitoring the Dongjak-gu Dungeon status board hourly, trying to figure out when Han Gureum might be at the office. He had also tracked every dungeon the Herbivore Guild had entered. That was how he’d ended up contacting Kim Ajun.

Dungeons could sometimes appear suddenly, requiring emergency deployment, but generally, guilds bid on them through auctions. While nearby guilds would be dispatched immediately to unstable areas prone to Dungeon Breaks or when stranded individuals needed rescue, like last time, otherwise, a set amount of time was usually allowed.

In most cases, a dungeon’s duration could be estimated by the portal’s color intensity and past data. When a dungeon first opened, the portal was blue. Over time, it gradually turned red, becoming black just before it closed. For dungeons with ample time, bidding could continue for several days. Since the guild that subjugated the monster cores emerging from within claimed them, the bidding competition tended to be quite fierce. Guilds, after all, needed to make a living.

Seo Dowoon’s confusion deepened, knowing that the Herbivore Guild hadn’t bid on any dungeons for two days.

‘He wasn’t busy, but he slept in the office?’

To Seo Dowoon, the office seemed unfit for human habitation, let alone for sleeping. Being an aging building, cracks marred its surfaces in places, and patches of mold bloomed here and there. As an old commercial building with single-pane windows, it offered no protection against drafts. It looked flimsy, as if it might shatter in a typhoon. More than anything, the idea of someone sleeping in such a dirty place was utterly baffling to him.

Kim Ajun, standing behind, understood Seo Dowoon’s bewilderment, but Han Gureum, oblivious to his internal conflict, simply explained why he slept there.

“Because I live here.”

“Who does?”

“I do.”

Seo Dowoon squeezed his eyes shut then opened them again. No matter how difficult a lesson, it usually clicked immediately in his mind, but Han Gureum’s words just now required him to mentally retrace and process them to comprehend them.

‘Had his mind ever felt so blank recently? …Ha. Whenever I meet this person, I feel like a different person.’

His thought processes, usually so fluid, seemed to creak and grind whenever he encountered Han Gureum. Yet, it wasn’t an entirely unpleasant feeling.

“You live here? …In this office?”

“Yes. Oh, didn’t you hear? I told the auntie when I moved in that I didn’t have a home and was staying in the office. She said it was fine… But perhaps, Your Lordship, the building owner, dislikes it?”

Before, he had assumed his aunt was the landlord, so a simple conversation sufficed. But with the real building owner present, it felt right to ask for his permission.

‘If he says no, I’ll have to find a new place. It’ll be a bit of a bother, but he’s been very accommodating until now… If he tells me to leave, I’ll have to.’

Han Gureum, sensing Seo Dowoon’s reluctance, even made plans for his next move.

Of course, Seo Dowoon had no intention of telling him to leave. He had merely asked because he couldn’t comprehend why Han Gureum would live in an office when he had a home. He wished to delve deeper, to understand why he lived here, but there was still a certain distance between them. Fearing that rashly overstepping a boundary might only create a negative impression, Seo Dowoon suppressed his urge, shook his head, and spoke.

“No. It’s just… I thought it might be uncomfortable for you to live here. The bathroom is outside, and the building is old.”

“I’ve adapted. So, can I continue to live here?”

“Of course. Please tell me if there’s anything inconvenient. As the building owner, in name at least, we haven’t communicated at all until now, have we?” Seo Dowoon said with a benevolent expression.

Just then, Kim Ajun interjected, holding out an iced americano filled with ice. “Right? We really haven’t communicated much. Shall we have a serious talk today?”

Kim Ajun’s eyes crinkled, full of hidden agendas.

That ‘communication’ was truly one-sided. Kim Ajun listed the repairs needed for the building, always mentioning Han Gureum when adding reasons for each.

“The bathroom is quite old-fashioned, isn’t it? We did fix it before we moved in, but we couldn’t tear out all the tiles, so we just did a quick clean and replaced the toilet… If it’s alright with you, could we perhaps renovate the bathroom? After all, Gureum lives here, and there isn’t a proper place for him to shower.”

“Is that so? Then, we should renovate it. I’ll cover all the costs.”

“Oh, my! That would be a great help!”

Kim Ajun’s slightly stooped back straightened immediately, and his face brightened even more than before. Han Gureum was the only one living in the office; everyone else only dropped by briefly. All announcements were handled entirely through group chat, so there was no need to come to the office. Moreover, since the office was small, most didn’t particularly enjoy gathering there. In other words, there was no real need for renovations. But Kim Ajun seized the opportunity.

“Ah, there’s one more thing…”

“Yes, please tell me.”

“You see those windows over there? Since this is an old building, the windows are incredibly thin. Well, noise isn’t an issue, but Gureum gets cold very easily. Last winter, the wind just seeped through the gaps… Ugh, it was like an icebox all winter long!”

“We should do the window renovation too. Modern insulated windows are quite effective these days. Do it along with the bathroom renovation. I’ll cover all the costs from my side.”

Seo Dowoon approved everything Kim Ajun suggested for renovation, without even verifying the facts. Han Gureum, listening nearby, debated whether he should intervene or not. The building’s safety inspections were always up to date, so repairs weren’t strictly necessary, but there was no need to stop someone offering to provide a slightly better environment, so he remained silent.

“Wow, Your Lordship, you’re so decisive! So cool! I’ll ensure we get it done at a reasonable price!”

“Yes, please do that. And about that title, ‘Your Lordship’…”

“Yes, Your Lordship.”

“…Please just call me Seo Dowoon. ‘Your Lordship’ feels a bit burdensome.” He said, casting a quick glance at Han Gureum. It was as if his request to be called by his name was directed not at Kim Ajun, but at Han Gureum. Kim Ajun, noticing that brief pause, winked and chuckled.

“Should I call you Dowoon-ssi?”

“Yes, please do. That’s much more comfortable.”

“Oh, my. I’m so sorry if it made you uncomfortable…” His expression, however, betrayed that it was merely a polite formality, without a trace of genuine apology.

“Ah! By the way, have you had breakfast?”

“Breakfast…”

“We haven’t eaten yet. As you can see, Gureum just, just! woke up. If you haven’t eaten, would you like to join us? There’s a hangover soup restaurant right in front that’s really delicious.”

“Yes. Let’s eat together.”

Seo Dowoon replied promptly. He had already eaten breakfast before coming out, but Kim Ajun was offering an opportunity to stay longer, and he didn’t want to miss it.

He hadn’t given Kim Ajun much thought before, but after today’s experience…

‘He’s a decent person. And quite perceptive.’

First, he had asked for his phone number, and then he had helped him arrange a meeting on a day Han Gureum was at the office. Regardless, he had indeed received help from him. Today, even the breakfast invitation proceeded smoothly and efficiently.

‘He could be useful.’

He didn’t know how long that usefulness would last, but for now, keeping him close would be an asset, not a liability. That was why he had readily agreed to the renovation requests.

Investing money in such an old building, one that could crumble at any moment, might be a waste, but if Han Gureum lived there, how could he refuse to do that for him?

“Shall we go then?”