A rather spacious house with two rooms.
This was the home that Yoon Si-woo was currently living in.
When he first got the house, he was just a child blissfully unaware of the world’s realities, thinking that the bigger the house, the better. So he chose this place, which looked big at first glance.
However, it didn’t take long for him to realize that having a large house with many spare rooms was a drawback when living alone, and he often regretted it until now…
“…Hmm, I guess I should buy a few necessary pieces of furniture.”
“Uh, yeah, I guess so. Since the other room has been used like a storage, there’s nothing in it.”
Thanks to living in such a large house, Yoon Si-woo realized he wanted to commend his past self for making that choice since he could now offer a room to Scarlet.
That being said, he had never considered the situation of sharing his home with someone else, and the fact that she didn’t even have a blanket to cover herself with today was a problem.
“…Um, I could just sleep on the sofa today. Why don’t you take the bed in my room?”
“You’re the house owner, so that wouldn’t be right. Don’t worry, I just need a pillow and a blanket. I’ll get what I need when we go out later.”
Surprised by Scarlet’s nonchalant remark about needing just a pillow and blanket, he exclaimed.
“You’re going to sleep on the floor?! We’re not just here for a day or two; you should sleep on the bed. If it’s about money, I can pitch in a bit…”
“No, it’s not that I’m low on cash… Yeah, having a bed would be better. Okay, I’ve got a rough idea of what I need, so I’ll go buy it.”
Nodding, Scarlet said so and started to get ready to go out for shopping.
Yoon Si-woo intended to stay home and see her off, but,
[…Sigh, what are you doing? You have a rare chance to be alone together. Hurry up and follow her.]
Flushing at Lucy’s advice, he quickly put on sunglasses and a hat and slipped on his shoes, following Scarlet as she was about to head out.
Scarlet turned to him, her expression puzzled.
“…Huh, are you going with me? Isn’t it better to relax at home on your day off?”
“Well, it’s going to be boring just sitting at home… Plus, there are a lot of things we need, so it’d be better to have an extra hand, right?”
“If you’re okay with accompanying me, I won’t refuse… thanks.”
As Scarlet smiled slightly and thanked him, Yoon Si-woo muttered sincerely to Lucy.
-…Thank you.
[No need to mention it.]
*
Yoon Si-woo was aware that he was somewhat well-known among the public.
After the scene where he received the title of hero aired, he got bombarded with requests for autographs and photographs while mindlessly walking around in public.
Ever since then, he started to cover his face with a hat and sunglasses to prevent such incidents, which indeed reduced the number of people recognizing him significantly.
However, the downside was that hiding his face led people to mistakenly think he was an adult every time he met someone.
“Excuse me, are you newly married? If you are, couples should share a bed. Would you like a queen-sized one over there?”
“W-wait, that’s not true, so please speak quietly so she can’t hear…”
Waving at the furniture store clerk with a slightly smug smile, Yoon Si-woo hurriedly tried to make an excuse while sweating profusely, worried the words would somehow reach Scarlet, who was browsing for beds far away.
If she realized people were mistaking them for newlyweds, the whole reason they had gone out together would go down the drain.
But it made sense why people would think that they were newlyweds.
After all, who wouldn’t think a young guy and girl shopping for furniture in broad daylight were hitting it off?
Besides, while he covered his face, Scarlet was definitely giving off an adult vibe that didn’t scream ‘student’ when dressed in casual clothes.
“Is this bed available for installment? Oh, it is? Then let’s go for the maximum, wait. Just give it to me in one payment. Yes, deliver it to this address. Oh, you can send it today? Thank you!”
Watching her comfortably make a purchase like that made Yoon Si-woo feel like she had years of living alone behind her.
As he blankly admired Scarlet buying the bed, an older man who seemed like a clerk or manager approached and whispered.
“Aha, are you already planning to sleep in separate rooms? Respecting privacy is good, but starting off a marriage like that could hurt the couple’s harmony… Should I suggest switching to a queen-sized bed?”
“Please just leave…”
“Oh? Don’t tell me, is there a night-life secret that you can’t share…?! Oh my, I can’t believe that at your young age already… I’m so sorry! I lacked consideration. I’ll make sure the delivery fee is waived. Hang in there, customer! You got this!”
Yoon Si-woo let out a deep sigh as he watched the clerk leave, seemingly full of pity for him.
Anyway, looking back, it seemed Scarlet was approaching him after finishing her shopping.
“What’s up? Did something happen?”
“…N-nothing happened. Did you get everything?”
“Yeah, the furniture will be delivered, and I got most of the necessities. We can head back now, and let’s stop by the market on the way.”
“…Okay.”
As he observed Scarlet approaching naturally, he felt his cheeks flush red.
…Aah, it’s because people have been miscalling us newlyweds that I can’t shake off these strange thoughts.
He shook his head vigorously to banish the image of lying in a queen-sized bed holding Scarlet’s hand.
It felt like he was possessed by some wicked thoughts in his head.
Even having such thoughts felt like a betrayal towards Scarlet, who completely trusted him.
He vowed not to think about such things as much as possible.
And that vow was soon to face a huge crisis.
“…Huh? Are you going to cook for us?”
“I said earlier; I’ll take care of cooking, laundry, and cleaning. Just a minute. I’ll have it ready soon. Do you have an apron?”
“…It’s in the lower drawer under the sink.”
After finishing shopping and stopping by the market on the way home, they put their heads together to assemble the furniture that had been delivered. Soon after, Scarlet announced she would prepare the meals.
It had been ages since he had eaten something cooked by someone else at home.
Feeling a bit sentimental, Yoon Si-woo sat at the dining table, watching Scarlet don an apron and cook in the kitchen.
While getting used to the unfamiliar kitchen, she opened various drawers and came across a rubber band, which she pulled out to gather her hair in a ponytail.
It was the first time he saw her hair tied up.
Plus, with the apron on and cooking, the way her white neck peeked through her hair made him stare dazedly, only to abruptly avert his gaze downward, startled.
He thought he should be careful because her cooking figure was dangerous, and before he knew it, Scarlet had finished and brought the meal to the table.
“…What is this?”
“Stir-fried bean sprouts. My favorite dish. You’ve never had it?”
“…Nope, this is my first time.”
“Really? I wonder how it will suit your taste.”
Yoon Si-woo nodded his head slowly while feeling a bit hesitant at her words.
For some reason, it didn’t look like the most appetizing thing to eat at first glance, due to the limp bean sprouts.
But, he thought he wouldn’t say it was bad unless it tasted outright horrible.
With that thought in mind, he steeled himself and took a big bite of the stir-fried bean sprouts.
“…It’s actually good?”
He raised his eyebrows in surprise over the unexpected flavor.
Scarlet nodded knowingly as though that was the expected outcome.
“Right? This food can’t possibly taste bad. Plus, it’s cheap, and there’s a lot! You can’t find anything better than this!”
As he nodded in agreement and continued to eat the stir-fried bean sprouts, he noticed Scarlet gazing at him with crescent-shaped eyes, murmuring softly.
“…So this is how it feels to see someone eat a meal I prepared deliciously. Even if it’s bothersome, it’s that much more rewarding, so I’m glad.”
Though he couldn’t quite understand it, he figured the least he could do was finish the meal she had prepared, so he polished off the stir-fried bean sprouts without leaving any behind.
After finishing the meal, Yoon Si-woo volunteered to handle the dishwashing since he felt a fluttering sensation in his chest.
The amount of dishes was noticeably more than when he lived alone.
When he went to brush his teeth in the bathroom, he saw two toothbrushes stuck in the container.
Each time he noticed such things, which made him truly realize that she was living with him now, the house that had always felt cold and spacious began to feel warm.
Is this what it feels like to live with family?
Lost in that thought, he shook his head.
Not family, but a roommate.
After all, they were just roommates.
So he kept muttering to himself not to have any strange thoughts.
After chatting with her for a bit to spend the afternoon together, they had dinner and it gradually became bedtime.
As he took a cold shower, he constantly murmured to calm his mind.
The pleasant smell wafting through the house wasn’t because of Scarlet but rather a diffuser.
I can exercise self-control.
After that self-affirmation, he completed his shower and began to meditate in the living room to steady his restless heart.
“Good night, Yoon Si-woo.”
After hearing her say goodnight as she passed him to her room post-shower, he realized that all of his calming efforts were utterly moot.
…The image of a girl with the same shampoo scent as him, slightly flushed from the shower, couldn’t be erased from his mind through normal means.
“…I’m going crazy.”
Sighing deeply, Yoon Si-woo returned to his room to make a request to Lucy.
-…Make sure I don’t have any weird thoughts.
[Don’t worry. I’ll train you enough to wipe those thoughts from your mind.]
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, Lucy had the ability to fulfill that request more than expected.
Yoon Si-woo was completely exhausted by morning.
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