"Err, what is this?" I ask Jae Hwa as soon as I sat down. He put down his coffee and looks at me.
"A gift. As my token of appreciation for this morning." he said calmly. I take a gulp down of my throat and chuckles nervously.
"I see. So, you brought me a... gift basket in exchange for a cup of coffee? That's really... unnecessary." I said. I had met people who borrowed money from me and never give it back. When I do things for others, they hardly even look up or say thanks. But, a gift basket for a lousy cup of coffee?
Now, that's the first.
"What's the matter? You don't like it?" he asks.
I immediately shake my head, "No. It just... I don't know what to say."
"You can start by saying thank you." he suggested.
I laugh nervously, "Ah, right. Thank you, Mr. Jae Hwa." I said.
"Please, just call me Jae Hwa." he said before taking another sip of his coffee. As we sat there in silence, I notice the red stain on his right sleeve. I wonder if it's a ketchup sauce or...
"Err, excuse me, Jae Hwa?"
"Yes?"
"I don't know if you notice but, there's quite a big stain on your sleeve. Just right over there." I said. He stopped and take a look at it. Then, he smiles.
"Oh, don't worry about it." he said calmly. I frown. How can I not? What if it's a blood stain? Is he injured. If he is then we need to get to the hospital immediately. His wound need to be treated!
Jae Hwa notice my concern and explain.
"It's just a minor scratch, that's all." he said to assure me.
"What happened?" I ask, trying to look like I'm not interested.
He chuckles. "Personal matters. I don't wanna talk about it."
"Sorry. I don't mean to pry." I reply. He shakes his head.
"It's alright. So, Si Woon. May I call you, Si Woon?"
"S...sure, Jae Hwa." I reply awkwardly.
"Are you a student?" he asked. I nodded. He smiles.
"I know it. You look pretty young to me. How old are you anyway, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I'm 19."
"Nineteen and already living on your own, huh? That's very brave."
"Well, I can't claim the glory on own. My parents did help with deposits and all. But, I did part-time job to pay for other stuff. I can't rely solely on them, you know? My parents are still working and have other expenses to cover too."
"I see. That's good. You might be just a student now, but soon enough you'll become an adult. Trust me. Adulting is much harder if you don't have any sense of responsibility towards yourself." he said. He sounds a little preachy, but I don't mind it. Afterall, he's much older than me. Surely, some word of wisdom is gonna come out every now and then.
"Yes, of course. Thanks for the advice. I noticed from the card it says that you're 'Financial Manager'. Was it fun?" I ask.
Jae Hwa only laughs, "Not really. But, the pay is good."
"I figure. Mr. Jae Hwa..." I said.
"Jae Hwa." he corrected me.
"Sorry, Jae Hwa... If you don't mind me asking... Why did you live in our apartment building? I mean, with your salary and all - you can afford a better place, right? Like ten times better..." I said.
He look down at his coffee before answering.
"Well, I'm not so sure myself. I been living there ever since I started working. The rent is controlled and it's close to where I work. I don't ever really see the need to move." he reply truthfully.
I smile, "That place is pretty comfortable, right? I also like it there. It's a shame that the construction company gonna start to redevelop the building soon. The landlady told me that most of our neighbors had already pack their stuff and ready to move out." I said.
Jae Hwa look a little taken back by my revelation, "Is that so? No wonder it has been so quiet lately."
"You mean, you didn't know? There's a plenty of notice on the bulletin board. Didn't you see it?" I ask.
Jae Hwa shakes his head, "No. I been quite busy lately. I think I missed it." he reply. He quickly turn to silent after that. He's probably thinking about moving and stuff.
"Well, luckily there's 3 month notice. I think it's probably high time for us to find a new place, yeah?" I blurt out. It's the same questions that been pestering my mind too. In three months, I would have to move out. But, where else can I find a neighborhood that is as good as this one?
I have no idea.
"Even if it's inconvenient - I guess I would have to move. It's a shame though. I started to like it there." Jae Hwa utters.
I nod. Jae Hwa lifted up his chin and look at me.
"What about you, Si Woo? Have you think about where to move yet?" he ask calmly.
I shrugs my shoulder. "I'm not sure. I haven't thought about it yet." I said. It's obviously a lie and Mr. Jae Hwa catch it right away.
"No. You probably been thinking about this, right?" he said.
"How do you know?" I ask nervously. He sighs.
"This isn't the first time I'm moving. So, of course I know the feeling. It's even worse for a student because of money and school, right?"
"Ah, was I too obvious? I been thinking about this problem non-stop. And it dawns on me... It's really, really hard to get good place within my price range." I said animatedly.
Jae Hwa nods in understanding. "Tell you what. If it's really that hard, maybe we can take a look at a place together?"
"Huh? Get a place together? You mean like a roommate or something?"
"Yes. The truth is, my friend who is in real estate told me about this place. It have three bedroom, living room area, kitchen and two toilet. She think it's better than my current home and keep talking to me about it. The reason I didn't want to go for it is because that place was too big for me to live on my own." he confess.
I mindlessly scratches my head, "What do you mean? A big place is a good thing. More room to do anything you like. Don't tell me you're scare about that?" I ask back.
Jae Hwa only respond my question by looking away. Oh, so he does feel afraid living in a big spaces. That's... an odd behavior for a grown man. I feel like I need to ask more.
"Look, Jae Hwa... It's not like I don't want to live with you or anything. It's just- we barely know each other. I could be a bad guy for all you know." I reply. I didn't know why I said that. Why do I have to set myself up as a bad guy here? Saying 'yes' to moving is so easier....
Jae Hwa raise an eyebrow, "But, you're not, right?" he asked back.
"Well..." I said but didn't finish. Jae Hwa continues.
"Look, Si Woo. You been living next door to me for over a year. I barely even hear a pipsqueak coming from you. Sometimes I wonder you're even there."
"That's because I'm a diligent student." I reply.
"Exactly. Now, if I'm gonna have a roommate and live in a big space like that - he better be like you."
"You mean quiet?" I said slowly. He smiles.
"And nice. You brought me inside of your apartment because I pass out drunk at my doorstep right? Not a lot of people would do that, especially in a big city." he added.
"It was my doorstep, actually. And it's not like I have any choices. It's cold outside."
"Yeah. Anything could've happened to me yesterday if it wasn't for you. Regard this as my thanks to you, Si Woo." he continues.
I left out a sigh. "Still...three bedroom apartment sounds expansive. I wonder if I can afford it."
"Well, luckily for us - it's an old villa apartment. So, it's not really as costly as you think."
"Really?" I said interested. "How much is the rent?"
"I think it's around ₩6,000,000.00 (USD5000) per month."
"Wow! That's a lot. I don't think I can afford it." I said honestly.
Jae Hwa shakes his head. "No, it's okay. Just pay me what you're paying for your rent now."
"My rent? But, our current rent doesn't even make up 1/5 of your new place." I state the fact.
Jae Hwa takes a gulp down of his throat. "Actually, there's another reason why I don't wanna move into that place."
"Why? Is it haunted?"
"Not exactly. It's just... a very nice old lady dies in it." he added.
I frown, 'Ah... a stigmatized property. No wonder he doesn't want to live in there by himself. I know I wouldn't.' I whisper to myself. But, Jae Hwa still haven't finished.
"But, she didn't die from anything suspicious. She just died in her bed which since had been thrown out and her body is discovered quickly." Jae Hwa continues.
I take a gulp down my throat. "How quickly are we talking? One day, two days?"
"Three." he said flatly.
"Oh, my god." I gasped.
"Look, it's okay if you don't want it. Even I struggle with this myself. I thought it's better to suggest something that's already there, then uncertainty - you know?"
"Yes. I understand. It's a lot to take in. But, a three bedroom villa apartment, huh?" I repeat.
He nods, "With a nice city view. And just a fifteen minutes away from our current place."
Damn. That does sound tempting. But, is it a good choice to move in with this guy? Kim Jae Hwa. I barely even know him. Plus, the new place might be haunted.
"You been staring at the cup for a while now. Don't you have anything to say?" Jae Hwa voice instantly snap me back from my reverie. I sigh and finally said;
"Okay, I think its at least probably worth trying. Let's take a look at that place together, later." I said. He show a nice smile and continue to sip his coffee again.
- End Chapter 2-