Before dating your childhood friend, test them first chapter 10

Did he misunderstand the contract period? Or was there a problem with the house? Jiho tried to calm his racing heart and asked her as calmly as he could.

“The contract period hasn’t ended yet… What’s the sudden issue?”

― It’s just that my son is getting married, and we need a lot of money. We’re planning to convert the house into a lease deposit.

In need of a large sum quickly, she meant they would switch from monthly rent to a lease deposit system. The deposit for a lease was a significant amount.

“No matter how urgent it is…”

― We feel bad for you too. But we really need the money. If you’re interested in converting to a lease, I’ll give you the first opportunity. Okay?

“….”

Jiho was at a loss for words.

He was in a position to assert his rights since the contract period was not over.

The terms were clearly stated in the contract, and if it went to court, they would side with him.

But for a broke college student, going through legal procedures was difficult, and recently there had been many cases of people losing their money while trying to hold out.

It seemed like he had more to lose if he tried to resist.

While some might welcome the chance to switch to a lease, for Jiho, it wasn’t feasible.

He was already struggling to cover monthly rent and living expenses, so he had no way of coming up with a large sum of money.

Asking his family for help wasn’t an option either. If he explained the situation, they would undoubtedly insist he move back home, which was over a three-hour round trip to his school.

Finding another rental was the only solution.

He remembered how hard he had worked to find his current place, and the thought of doing it all over again made his head ache.

The silence continued until the landlady spoke again.

― Are you listening?

“…Yes. I’ll look into it, but I need time to find a new place.”

― Okay, I’m really sorry about this. Let me know when you find a place.

“Yes.”

Jiho agreed for now, as there was nothing else he could say.

He felt a crushing sense of helplessness. A deep sigh escaped him.

“Ha…”

“Looking for a new place? What’s going on?”

As Jiho put his phone back in his pocket, Yejun, who had been listening quietly, frowned and asked about the situation.

Yejun seemed to sense something was wrong from the tone of the conversation and the atmosphere. His frown mirrored Jiho’s concern.

Sometimes, just sharing a worry could make it feel a little lighter. And Yejun had always been a good listener. Occasionally, he even offered unexpected solutions.

Though Jiho wanted to confide in him, this wasn’t the right place for a deep conversation. Seeing the crowds passing by, Jiho shook his head.

“Let’s go for a drink.”

“…Okay. Let’s go.”

Yejun seemed to understand that it wasn’t the right moment for a detailed explanation and naturally led Jiho out.

* * *

Sizzle―.

The sound of meat grilling filled the air.

The restaurant was lively. Amidst the chatter and laughter of people enjoying their food and drinks, one table stood out for its somber mood. It was where Yejun and Jiho sat.

Yejun was grilling the meat, while Jiho sat opposite him, downing soju. He kept refilling and emptying his glass in one go.

Yejun looked at Jiho with concern and then pushed some perfectly grilled samgyeopsal toward him, speaking up.

“What’s been bothering you? You look like you’re in pain.”

It was clear that Jiho was frustrated, expecting Yejun to speak up once they moved to another place, but Yejun remained silent.

Jiho glanced at Yejun, then set his glass down roughly and exhaled.

The sharp scent of soju wafted from his breath. Feeling his forehead heat up, Jiho confessed in a somber voice.

“I’m being told to move out of my monthly rental place.”

“What? Just like that?”

“Yeah. The landlord’s son is getting married and needs a large sum of money, so they want to turn my place into a long-term lease.”

“That’s their problem. Why are they doing this when there’s still time left on the contract?”

“Exactly.”

Yejun’s agreement only made Jiho feel more aggrieved. He couldn’t find any reason why he should have to leave.

While he thought about holding out legally, he couldn’t help but recall the landlord’s son.

The landlord was genuinely a good person, often sending side dishes through her son.

They had even grilled meat together on the rooftop a few times.

If the landlord were a completely bad person or if her son was a stranger, he might have been more defiant. But since that wasn’t the case, he found it hard to make a decision.

As Jiho fiddled with his glass, Yejun let out a small sigh.

“There’s a Housing Lease Protection Law. You don’t have to move out, right?”

“Technically, yes, but…”

“Are you letting your sense of justice get in the way again?”

Yejun’s eyes widened as he asked, suspecting Jiho’s reason.

Jiho remained silent, hit by the truth of Yejun’s words, which made Yejun genuinely angry.

“You’re not a pushover. Why would you sacrifice yourself for someone else?”

Yejun felt frustrated seeing Jiho ready to sacrifice himself for others.

Jiho understood why Yejun was so angry.

Ever since they were young, if Jiho got hurt protecting Yejun, Yejun would get furious.

Yejun appreciated Jiho’s sense of justice but didn’t want it to cause him harm.

Jiho picked up the piece of pork belly Yejun pushed toward him and replied resignedly.

“It’s not just that. These days, a lot of people get evicted without getting their deposits back. I don’t want to have a bad relationship with the landlady, so I’m just looking for a new place.”

“Ha…”

Yejun sighed deeply, still not satisfied with Jiho’s reasoning.

Yejun, with a lot to say, looked at Jiho but decided not to scold him further.

“So, when do you need to find a new place?”

“She wants me to move out by the end of this month.”

“That’s too soon. It’s not even during vacation. Can you find a place that quickly?”

“…I know.”

The last time Jiho looked for a place was during the semester, and it was already stressful.

This time it was mid-semester.

He was at least grateful it wasn’t during midterms.

As Jiho took a bitter sip of the freshly poured soju, Yejun, after a moment’s thought, spoke up.

“Jiho, how about moving into my place?”

“…Your place?”

Surprised by the unexpected offer, Jiho frowned, and Yejun nodded.

“We have a room we use as a dressing room. You could stay there.”

Jiho visualized Yejun’s place. For a student’s place, it was exceptionally good, almost unbelievably so.

The house was spacious, with many rooms, and only ten minutes by bus from the university.

Even using just the dressing room would be better than his current place.

He was tempted by the idea of a kind landlord but felt uneasy about taking a room already in use.

Moving all the clothes would be inconvenient, and Yejun likely wouldn’t charge rent, which would make Jiho feel like a burden.

And more importantly… recently, Jiho didn’t feel comfortable around Yejun.

He nearly embarrassed himself at the cinema by being overly conscious of him.

Though time would heal it, living together might bring up awkward memories.

“No, thanks. It’s not even a vacant room, it’s your dressing room.”

“We only use it as a dressing room because it’s empty. We can move the clothes. I was even considering hiring someone for something.”

“…Hiring someone?”

What’s he talking about? B

esides a housekeeper, what else would he need?

But Yejun loved doing housework himself.

Confused, Jiho looked at him as Yejun answered with a nod.

“I have Coco.”

Coco was Yejun’s dog. Jiho wondered why he was bringing up Coco now, but Yejun continued with a troubled expression.

“I’ve been too busy to take care of Coco lately. You know how much Coco loves people and gets lonely.”

“…So?”

“I thought about hiring someone to walk Coco. But it’s hard to trust just anyone. Coco is family.”

Yejun spoke seriously. Jiho, though he didn’t have a pet, understood the sentiment.

People who had pets often referred to them as family.

Many even kept two dogs to prevent loneliness, so hiring someone to help made sense.

Jiho thought for a moment and asked Yejun.

“So, in exchange for living in your dressing room, you want me to take care of Coco?”

“I’ll handle the feeding; you just need to play with him. You like Coco, and Coco likes you.”

“Hmm…”

“Hiring someone would cost about the same as you paying rent. I’d actually prefer you moving in. I’d trust you, and it would save me money. Isn’t that a good deal?”

Yejun’s eyes sparkled as he said it would be beneficial for him if Jiho moved in.

Just a moment ago, Jiho thought it would be better to live separately and pay rent. Living with Yejun was uncomfortable, and even though they were friends, he didn’t want to impose.

However, when thinking of Coco, Jiho didn’t feel like living with Yejun was just a matter of being indebted.

As Yejun said, it was worrisome to leave Coco with just anyone; a strange person might come and mistreat him.

Moreover, Jiho loved Coco so much that taking care of him felt more like a privilege than a chore.

Jiho thought that if there was anything he could do to help, moving in with Yejun might not be such a bad idea.

Still, the fact that they had spent a night together was troubling him.

Despite the incredibly favorable conditions, Jiho hesitated, leading Yejun to speak again with a sorrowful expression.

“And recently, Coco’s condition hasn’t been good… He’s showing signs of separation anxiety.”

“Separation anxiety?”

“Yeah, he whines a lot when I leave the house, and he howls when he’s alone. He even stops eating when I’m not around…”

Jiho had only thought Coco needed someone to walk and look after him. He never imagined Coco would have separation anxiety.

Jiho had always seen Coco as a lively dog, and hearing that Coco was struggling made him worried. His heart leaned even more towards moving in.

Though the night spent with Yejun still bothered him, they had agreed to use separate rooms.

Jiho resolved not to let anything like that happen again. Maybe he should just accept it.

After a moment of thought, Jiho asked Yejun for confirmation.

“All I have to do is take care of Coco, right? You’re really not going to charge me rent? What about other house chores?”

“You know I enjoy doing house chores. Just bring yourself. You won’t have to lift a finger.”

“You sound like you’re proposing… But wouldn’t this be a huge loss for you?”

“I’m offering because I’ll gain something, too.”

Yejun smiled, his eyes curving into crescent shapes.

That uncomfortable feeling that had been lingering resurfaced at Yejun’s eye smile. Jiho felt a rush of heat and a queasy sensation in his stomach.

He wanted to refuse, feeling like he was walking into a tiger’s den, but the conditions were too good to pass up.

After a moment of hesitation, Jiho practically whispered his condition.

“If you promise not to do anything inappropriate… I’ll move in.”

“Inappropriate?”

“….”

Yejun asked as if he didn’t understand, but Jiho couldn’t bring himself to mention that night.

Seeing Jiho remain silent, Yejun seemed to figure it out and burst into laughter.

“Oh, Jiho. You were the one who ghosted that night, why are you blaming me?”

“…Damn it. That ghosting…”

Jiho wanted to protest that it wasn’t his fault and that he felt wronged too, but he couldn’t be sure because his memory of that night was hazy.

Frustrated, Jiho reached for his soju glass, but then he remembered that alcohol had caused all the problems that night.

Alcohol is the real enemy, the real enemy.

Putting down the soju, Jiho gulped down some cold water instead. Yejun watched him with a look of amusement.