The silence filled the room again for a moment.
I couldn't take it anymore.
I stood up and walked toward my room.
"Where are you going, Virgin Landlord?" Rika asked.
This time, something inside me snapped.
"Enough," I said in a truly angry tone. "I have a name, you know."
The room froze.
Everyone stared at me.
Then I looked at Rika.
Her eyes… were full of tears.
Like she was about to cry at any second.
And suddenly she didn't look teasing or chaotic.
She looked small.
Cute.
Fragile.
If she cried, I swear my heart would burst instantly.
The anger disappeared from my body like smoke.
"I— I'm sorry," I said immediately. "Please forgive me, Rika. I shouldn't have said it like that."
Mio spoke softly from behind.
"You overreacted this time."
She wasn't wrong.
I looked at all of them.
"Please forgive me."
Ayane's voice came next — calm, but firm.
"You don't need to apologize to us. You need to apologize to Rika."
It felt less like advice.
More like an order.
So I looked at Rika again.
"I'm really sorry."
She didn't say anything.
Just lowered her head slightly.
"Where are you going?" Mio asked quietly.
"I'm going to my room," I replied calmly.
"I thought you were going to cook lunch," Ayane said.
"My head is spinning. Do it yourself. I'm going to take a nap."
She simply nodded. "Okay."
Mio walked toward her room.
Rika stayed still, looking down.
That image stayed in my mind.
When I woke up, it was already 4 p.m.
I was starving.
That breakfast Ayane made earlier… no one could really eat it.
My stomach growled loudly.
When I looked at my table, I froze.
There was lunch already placed there.
I sat down slowly and took a bite.
It was… delicious.
Warm. Perfectly seasoned.
My confusion grew.
Who made this?
After finishing, I stepped out of my room.
Ayane was sitting on the couch, watching her phone.
Mio was writing in her notebook as usual.
But Rika wasn't there.
I wanted to ask about her.
But I knew if I directly asked, they would tease me again.
So I approached casually.
"You're awake," Ayane said without even looking at me.
How did she know I was standing there?
It gave me chills.
"Ah… yes. I feel better now."
"You finished your lunch?" Mio asked.
"Yes."
"Did it taste good?"
"It was… not bad."
I sat on the couch.
"Who made it?" I asked.
"Rika did," Ayane replied calmly.
I was genuinely surprised.
"Really?"
"Yep," Mio confirmed.
I tried to sound casual.
"So… where is she?"
Both of them looked at me with the most suspicious smiles.
"Don't look at me like that," I whispered. "I just want to say sorry… and thanks for the food."
"She's in her room," Mio said gently.
I stood up immediately.
"I think someone is showing sudden interest," Ayane teased from behind.
I turned around.
"I already told you. I just want to say sorry and thank her."
"Go on, Virgin Landlord," Mio said.
I stared at her.
She blinked. "I mean… Kai."
Finally.
Relief.
My hands were shaking slightly as I walked toward Rika's room.
I knocked.
No answer.
The door wasn't locked.
"Can I come in?" I asked.
Silence.
Behind me, I could hear Ayane and Mio trying not to laugh.
"Can I come in?" I asked again.
"…Yes."
I stepped inside.
I tried to close the door, but I could still feel their eyes behind me, so I left it slightly open.
Then I heard rapid clicking sounds.
Packets of snacks on the table.
PC on.
Headphones.
She was playing a game.
"Hey… are you listening?"
No reaction.
She was definitely ignoring me.
So I carefully removed her headphones.
And turned off the PC.
The moment the screen went black—
She turned around.
Her face.
Angry.
Really angry.
"What is your deal?!" she snapped.
Oh.
So this is why.
"Why did you turn off my PC?!"
Now my confusion disappeared.
She wasn't angry about earlier.
She was angry about her game.
"I'm sorry! I turned it off because I was trying to talk to you. I thought you were angry and ignoring me."
"Angry? Why would I be angry with you?"
She paused.
"Oh… because of earlier?"
She shrugged.
"I told you. I like chaos. I wasn't angry."
She stood up.
Crossed her arms.
Then stepped closer.
Too close.
"Now I'm angry," she said quietly.
"Because you turned off my PC while I was playing."
Her face was inches from mine.
I thought she might actually kill me.
Behind her, I could see Ayane and Mio peeking from the hallway, covering their mouths to hide laughter.
"So," she said, leaning even closer, "what do you want to say?"
Her nose was almost touching mine.
She was angry.
But for some reason…
She looked unbelievably cute.
I held my breath.
"I'm sorry."
"What?" she whispered.
"Sorry."
"You're hopeless," she said. "You turn off my PC and just say sorry?"
Suddenly, without thinking, I said:
"It's not a big deal."
Wrong move.
"What did you just say?"
Her eyes widened.
She moved even closer.
Now she started lecturing me.
But I wasn't really listening.
I was watching her lips move.
Her eyes.
Her expressions.
My heart was beating too fast.
I was losing control.
Then suddenly—
My brain screamed.
No.
"No!" I said out loud.
She blinked. "What was that for?"
I took a deep breath.
"Listen. I'm really sorry for everything. Please forgive me. And… thank you for the food. It was really good."
She stared at me.
Then crossed her arms again.
"Fine. But you seriously need to work on your attitude. Otherwise you'll always stay single, Virgin Landlord."
There it was again.
"Please don't call me that."
She looked at me carefully.
"…Cute," she muttered.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Then why are you blushing?"
"I am not blushing!"
She looked away.
"Fine. I won't call you that anymore."
I felt relief.
"But," she added, turning back with a mischievous smile, "you have to do one thing."
A bad feeling spread through me.
Behind her, Mio was observing everything carefully.
Ayane and Rika exchanged a look.
I had no choice.
"…What do I have to do?"
"First," she said, "promise."
I hesitated.
"Promise what?"
"Just promise."
I sighed.
"Okay. I promise."
Then the word came.
And it did not come from Ayane.
It came from Rika.
"Cut your beard."
My world froze.
My beard.
The thing I defended with my life.
"Yes," she said firmly. "Shave it."
I looked at all three of them.
No escape.
No support.
No mercy.
I loved my beard.
But I also…
Didn't want to lose this strange, fragile connection forming between us.
"…Fine," I said slowly. "But in two or three days."
They looked at each other.
Then nodded.
"Deal."
And just like that…
The war over my beard had officially begun.