Chapter 16: Domestic Peace, Digital Storm
1.
“…Hayul, can you give me just five minutes? Five minutes, please?”
Noona clung to me the whole way to her officetel, pleading desperately.
Just how bad was her place to make her this frantic?
“When you beg like that…”
“Yes, yes?”
“It just makes me even more curious to see how messy it is.”
“No, please, Hayul!”
I shook my head firmly, arms linked with hers.
“Open the door.”
“Just one minute. Please? One minute?”
She didn’t give up, continuing to plead.
Finally, I had to take drastic measures.
I punched in the old passcode on the door lock.
With a beep-beep-beep, the door clicked open.
“Huh?”
Noona stared at me with a dumbfounded expression, as if asking how I knew.
I grinned at her trembling eyes.
“Same passcode as before, huh? My apartment uses it too.”
“Oh…”
She slumped to the floor, realizing she couldn’t stop me.
“Come on, don’t be dramatic. Let’s go in.”
I pulled the handle, and a wave of stale air hit me, mixed with damp dust and a faint whiff of mold.
‘Not quite a stench, thankfully.’
I kicked off my shoes and stepped inside.
Surprisingly, the place was decently tidy.
You know those houses—trash and takeout containers piled up, reeking of cigarettes?
‘It’s not that bad.’
I sighed in relief, scanning the room.
Laundry hung on a drying rack. Dirty dishes sat in the sink.
Delivery boxes were stacked in a corner.
“Hey, isn’t this my old cup and dishes? The utensils too?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t bear to throw them out, so I kept them. Didn’t use them, though.”
I’d probably have done the same. I checked the kitchen, then the living room.
“Hmm.”
“How’s it look?”
“It’s cleaner than I expected. I thought it’d be a pigsty, but you’ve at least done some cleaning.”
“R-Really? That’s a relief.”
“These are your meds?”
On the dining table was a bag of pills.
Reading the labels, they were all sleep-related.
“Yeah. Sleeping at night was the hardest, so I got them prescribed.”
“Good call.”
I’d seen the living room; now for the streaming room. I headed there.
“This place is messy…”
Clothes and underwear were strewn about, and takeout containers littered the table and chairs.
“…I’d eat here before streaming or if I got hungry mid-stream, scarfing down food before going back.”
“Fair enough.”
It was still within acceptable limits—not a health hazard.
“That’s the bedroom, right?”
“Yeah.”
I checked the bedroom last.
Unlike the rest, it was bare—just a bed and a drawer with a photo frame on it.
“This is…”
“Yup. Our first and only family photo from the studio.”
Next to it were a worn pouch and a hair tie—both birthday gifts I’d given her.
“You really kept everything.”
“Yeah. Whenever things got tough, I’d look at these to keep going.”
I gave her a gentle hug, patting her back. She’d really held on.
“Noona, we should clean up a bit, though. Agree?”
“Ugh, yeah…”
It wasn’t a landfill, but it wasn’t normal either.
“Let’s clean together.”
“Alright.”
I stepped into the living room and summoned my mana.
【Move.】
With a word, clothes and trash floated to their places.
【Hot water.】
Water poured over the piled dishes. A sponge with detergent scrubbed them clean.
【Purify.】
Dust in the air turned to sparkles and vanished.
Grime on the floor and walls, even invisible mold, was eradicated.
“Wow!”
Noona’s eyes sparkled, watching real magic. Understandably amazed.
“I’ll handle the kitchen and living room, but you clean the streaming room yourself. Got it?”
“…Yeah.”
She probably thought she’d get a free pass, but no way.
If I kept cleaning for her, she’d just mess it up again.
“Noona, what about lunch? Wanna order jjajangmyeon?”
“Can’t you cook?”
I finished the bathroom and bedroom and glanced at the streaming room—still a long way to go.
“Me?”
“Yeah. You used to cook a lot after work. I’m craving your kimchi jjigae and rolled omelet. Can you make them?”
“If you want it, I’ll make it. I’ll grab groceries while tossing the trash.”
I’d checked the fridge earlier—nothing but alcohol and water. I’d need to stock it.
“I’ll be back.”
“Okay, be careful!”
My body could shrug off a car crash, but she was worried about me? I was more worried about her.
I burned the food waste with magic. The rest I took to the recycling bins.
“Hup.”
After sorting and tossing, I pulled out my phone and found a nearby mart.
‘Pork for later, kimchi, garlic, green onions, chili peppers, tofu…’
I loaded the cart with essentials.
The pantry was nearly empty of seasonings, so I grabbed those too.
‘Oh, her favorite chocolate.’
I added her favorite snack, bought pork, and headed back.
“Cleaning going okay?”
In the streaming room, Noona was sprawled on the floor, panting and sweating, clearly exhausted.
“…You’re back?”
“What, you’re tired already?”
“I’ve been eating takeout, gaming, and sleeping… My stamina’s trash now…”
“Sigh.”
Her lifestyle, sleep, and diet were wrecked. At least she hadn’t gained weight.
‘Underweight’s its own problem, though…’
Shaking my head, I went to the kitchen and unpacked.
I washed a knife and set up a cutting board.
Chop chop chop—
I minced garlic, sliced green onions diagonally, and diced chili peppers for spice.
That was it for prep—kimchi jjigae isn’t hard.
Crackle—
I lit the stove and heated a pan. Once hot, I added the pork.
Sizzle—
When the pork released oil, I tossed in garlic, chili powder, and store-bought kimchi.
“Smells good! This alone could be a meal!”
Noona appeared beside me, eyes gleaming. I smiled.
“…Did you finish cleaning?”
“………”
“Go finish. If you’re not done by the time I’m done cooking, no soup for you.”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
I added soy sauce, sugar, and a bit of kimchi juice, stir-frying before pouring in bone broth. Done.
‘Might be a bit bland?’
I’d taste it later.
Now for the omelet.
I cracked eggs into a bowl, added sugar and salt, and tossed in some chopped green onions.
I oiled a heated pan and poured in the egg mix, spreading it evenly.
‘Fire’s a bit high.’
Omelets need low heat.
I cooked the eggs, and when the bottom set, I folded it with chopsticks, repeating the pour-and-fold process.
‘Perfect.’
I plated the omelet—looked delicious.
Slurp—
The jjigae was spicy yet refreshing, just right. I could serve it, but one last touch.
I added green onions, chili peppers, and sliced tofu, boiling for a minute. Done.
I microwaved instant rice and washed my hands before heading to the streaming room.
“Oh.”
My threat worked—the room was clean. Noona clung to the streaming capsule, catching her breath.
“Finished just in time?”
“Almost… done…”
The microwave dinged.
“Lunch is ready. Come eat.”
“Wow!”
Noona jumped up. I chuckled and headed to the kitchen.
I sliced the omelet and set it on the table. No pot holder, so I grabbed a cookbook from the shelf to use.
“Wow…”
Noona followed, marveling. She sat, and I opened the instant rice for her.
“Drink water first.”
“Okay.”
She chugged the water I handed her and dug in.
“Let’s eat!”
She popped a piece of omelet in her mouth.
“Good?”
“Yeah!”
She smiled, tears streaming.
She was that happy.
“Try the jjigae.”
I scooped some into a bowl.
She took a big spoonful of meat and kimchi.
“Wow… so good… Better than before!”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Miles better than takeout.”
“Glad to hear it.”
I’d worried it might not taste good, but apparently not.
Noona ate eagerly, and I watched with a warm smile. Watching her eat felt fulfilling.
“Ah, that was good…”
She finished the rice, patting her stomach, leaning back contentedly.
“Noona, how much time’s left on the officetel lease?”
“It’s almost up. Why?”
“If you’re okay with it, why not move into my apartment? We could live together.”
I didn’t feel good leaving her alone.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“That’d be great! No, it’s what I wanted! You’ll clean and cook, right?”
“Probably.”
“Awesome. Let’s do it.”
Her bright enthusiasm made me slightly regret it. Would this spoil her?
Ding—
I ate and did the dishes. After cleaning, I sat beside Noona on the sofa and closed my eyes.
“Ah, this is nice…”
“Totally…”
Warm sunlight streamed in, a cool breeze blowing. A lazy afternoon.
The peaceful moment lasted less than an hour.
“…Hayul, people are saying they’re gonna report you to the police.”
“What?”
An unexpected crisis had erupted.