Chapter 4. The Man Next Door (4)

Translator: Lili

The next morning, I opened the door as soon as I woke up. This time, however, there were no cigarettes left for me.

‘Not even three days of effort?’

Feeling a bit let down, I glanced down at the floor. Suddenly, I sensed someone’s presence.

When I pushed the door open a bit further, my eyes met the neighbor’s.

“Ah, the smell of cigarettes.”

He lightly pinched his nose, though it felt more like he was teasing than genuinely bothered.

Unlike yesterday, he was now completely dry—his hair, suit, and face were all pristine. Meanwhile, it was still pouring outside.

Still half-asleep, I stared at him blankly and sniffed. There it was again—that good scent. Without thinking, I held out my hand.

“You came to bring me cigarettes, right?”

A smirk tugged at his lips.

“Do you think I’m your errand boy?”

“You said neighbors should help each other.”

“Fair point.”

He grabbed the front door and swung it wide open, stepping inside uninvited. This time, he took off his shoes.

“Why are you coming in without asking?”

I trailed behind him, questioning his audacity. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his suit pocket and tossed it onto the sofa.

“Helping neighbors means visiting their homes too.”

“Ridiculous.”

“Judging by all those cigarette butts under the sofa, you’ve been doing nothing but smoking.”

Clicking his tongue at the mess of cigarette butts under the sofa, he shook his head. Instead of replying, I pulled out another cigarette and tried to light it.

*Click. Click. Click.*

I failed to ignite it three times in a row, prompting him to turn and look at me. It had taken me forever to finish a pack yesterday for the same reason. Today, with even less energy, it was proving even harder to light.

“Did you give me a defective lighter?””

I grumbled, blaming him unfairly. He stared at me quietly before taking the cigarette from my lips and putting it into his own.

“What are you doing?”

“Go take a shower.”

“What?”

“Until you do, I’m confiscating this.”

Not only did he take the cigarette from me, but he also grabbed the pack and lighter he’d given me. Stunned, I glared at him and extended my hand.

“Give it back. It’s mine.”

“Who said that?”

“You gave it to me. That makes it mine.”

“I lent it to you.”

“…”

“Ownership still belongs to me.”

With shameless confidence, he sat on the sofa, holding the cigarette in his lips.

“You can’t just take back what you gave.”

“Sure I can. See?”

He wiggled the cigarette as if to prove his point.

“…”

I frowned deeply, making him chuckle as he flicked the lighter. The flame illuminated his face, making it even more striking. But once again, the cigarette was my priority.

“Give it to me.”

I approached, snapping impatiently, but he leaned back and avoided my grasp. Reclining lazily on the sofa, he puffed leisurely on the cigarette, the sight infuriating me to no end. He exhaled a long stream of smoke and smirked.

“Why are you still here? Go take a shower.”

“I thought you were kind.”

“Me?”

“…”

“First time I’ve ever heard that.”

He seemed unfazed, brimming with energy, while I, lacking even the strength to light a cigarette, felt utterly outmatched. Glaring at him, I asked bitterly,

“Why do I need to shower?”

“Take a look at yourself in the mirror, and you’ll understand.”

It was true. I hadn’t showered since arriving here. I could guess what state I was in.

“Why do you care if I look terrible?”

“Who said you look terrible? Don’t worry, you still look pretty.”

Speechless, I shot him another glare. He shrugged and gestured toward the bathroom with his chin.

“Go on.”

“…If I shower, will you give it back?”

“Of course.”

“…”

I wasn’t sure if I could trust him, but considering he had provided me cigarettes before, I decided to believe in his goodwill for now. Besides, I needed that cigarette.

My steps dragged as I made my way to the bathroom, either because I hadn’t smoked since waking up or because I hadn’t eaten anything.

Not just my steps—every cell in my body seemed fragile.

Inside the bathroom, the mirror revealed exactly what I’d expected. My hair, dried into a sticky mess from the rain, and my unwashed face was a disaster.

Exhausted, I managed to shower in Minyoung’s unfamiliar bathroom.

While washing my hair, my arms hung limply. While soaping up, I dropped the shower puff. While brushing my teeth with a new toothbrush, I accidentally let the toothpaste dribble down my chin. Somehow, I finished the shower. With no clean clothes, I put my old ones back on and walked out to find him sitting at the dining table.

“…”

“…”

The bathroom was right next to the kitchen, so our eyes met immediately. He scanned me from head to toe, then raised an eyebrow with an odd expression.

“Sit.”

He gestured to the seat across from him. There was no cigarette in his mouth now, so he must have finished it.

I gave him a skeptical look but sat down as he directed. On the table sat a plastic container of bland porridge.

“What’s this?”

“You looked like you hadn’t eaten. Eat up.”

“…”

“I’ll give it back after you finish.”

He tapped his chest pocket. I stared at him in disbelief.

“Are you always this nosy?”

“Who knows.”

He shrugged, propping his chin on his hand as he stared at me. His gaze made me feel uncomfortably scrutinized.