So tired.
If only I had known earlier how exhausting it would be to organize my wardrobe. I wouldn’t have even started. Having emptied about half of the wardrobe now, I laid my heavy body on the bed.
Just a little… just a little rest before I continue.
Honestly, I wanted to just give up. But that wasn’t an option… right?
I slowly turned my gaze around the room.
The open wardrobe.
A few garments meticulously arranged by color, material, and season. And on the floor, a pile of clothes… which I still needed to sort.
If I hadn’t started, I wouldn’t be in this mess, but leaving everything like this… really wasn’t an option. My body, however, refused to listen.
*Sigh*
If someone asked why I decided to start this uncharacteristic task… it was because of tonight’s plans. I had invited a guest over, and with a bit of guilt, I decided to tidy up – starting with organizing my room.
It shouldn’t have taken long. One of the few advantages of living in a tiny house was that cleaning was easy. Plus, I didn’t have that many possessions to begin with.
Most of the work involved clearing out items I was too embarrassed to leave lying around, like empty bottles and cans. I left about two for realism.
If the place was too spotless, anyone could tell I had cleaned in a hurry.
Anyway… maybe finishing my little fort quicker than expected was the real problem.
With plenty of time left before the guest arrived, my relaxed mindset wandered over to the wardrobe.
In this small house, the wardrobe was practically the only storage space. It had become a repository of long-neglected tasks. Most of the clothes inside had been gathering dust in their original condition for ages.
Among the myriad of clothing items that filled the space, only a handful had ever been touched. Especially the underwear… although, those little pieces of fabric at least didn’t take up much room.
Lying on the bed, I tilted my head back to gaze at the pile of clothes on the floor. Even now, I could just shove them back into the wardrobe and forget about them…
No, I shouldn’t.
After all… they’re just excuses. It’s an irresponsible attitude, hoping my future self will take care of things.
With a light sigh, I got up.
I gave up on a meticulous organization. Piling the clothes into boxes based on a rough sense of seasonal relevance should be sufficient.
… I could proudly say I waited as long as possible and did my best.
About an hour later.
Three large boxes now dominated a corner of the room, but in return, I gained an empty wardrobe.
…… I needed to fill it in gradually. No need to force it. Just slowly.
Anyway, I had already decided to do it little by little. If I was going to do it, I might as well enjoy it.
– Ding Dong
While wrapping his complicated feelings with excitement, finally, the guest arrived.
* * * *
“You arrived quickly.”
“…… Aren’t you going to ask who it is before opening the door? What if it was someone weird?”
“Well, it turns out to be someone weird after all.”
“You always have a comeback for everything. Here, a housewarming gift. It’s an auxiliary device that sets the boundary for the VR area – a must-have if you plan to broadcast VR games.”
“…… That’s unexpected.”
“What is?”
“I pictured you bringing a strange, exotic brand diffuser as a housewarming gift.”
Squinting eyes stared back at him… was that a smile? Reading emotions from those lazy eyes wasn’t easy yet.
However, Revan was now familiar enough with her voice to detect the subtle tease in her tone. The reason he couldn’t immediately retort with something like, “What a nonsensical thing to say”, was that he had seriously considered bringing a diffuser as a gift.
He had thought of a scent that somehow matched Lee Yena – but buying perfume seemed too much, so he had considered a diffuser. Revan felt newly relieved and pretended to frown in annoyance.
“…… What kind of person do you take me for?”
At his growling remark, Lee Yena shrugged slightly and stepped aside. She was inviting him in. He took off his shoes and slowly entered, checking if she seemed uncomfortable.
It wasn’t his first time visiting a female friend’s place. Back in college, when a small group of friends gathered for drinks, time would fly by, often past closing hours.
In such times, when they were about to roam the streets aimlessly, someone living nearby would often suggest coming over to continue drinking.
That hospitable host was usually a guy, but not always.
Of course, being alone like this never happened purely between friends… it was usually a precursor to ending the friendship…
‘She said Ark was invited too. She should be here soon.’
This time, there was no reason to think this was anything special, no matter what anyone said. Then again, wasn’t this also Lee Yena’s studio?
Today was simply about visiting a fellow broadcaster’s studio to collaborate on a broadcast. Nothing more, nothing less. Revan repeated this to himself over and over.
Still, the lingering tension that subtly filled him – could it be the leftover feelings from the misunderstood intentions of meeting alone?
Was it because of Lee Yena in her somewhat relaxed attire—a pair of training shorts that barely covered her thighs and a roomy T-shirt—using “being at home” as an excuse?
No matter the reason, Revan wanted to avoid making it obvious. Fortunately, he succeeded in feigning nonchalance with practiced ease, leisurely glancing around the room as if he was just touring.
It was a somewhat desolate room. Except for the built-in wardrobe that seemed to have been there from the beginning, the only furniture in the space was a large desk, a bed, and a small side table. And in the corner—
“Are you moving or something? What’s with all the moving boxes?”
“Not yet. But since my address was leaked to some weird people, I figured I should be ready to move anytime.”
“Guess I shouldn’t have asked. Just get out the VR equipment so we can set it up.”
“Got it.”
Dragging her words, Lee Yena walked over with small steps and pulled a box out from under the desk.
Inside the box, which was already half-opened, were the contents that had clearly been taken out and crammed back in.
It was a relic holding the history of a failed attempt at setup and eventual surrender. Contrary to the exhilarating speculations rampant on various forums, it was mere evidence that she had genuinely struggled and sought help. But what did the truth matter now?
As Revan organized the parts and cables step by step, he heard Lee Yena’s voice coming from the kitchen.
“Want something to drink? Lager, ale, stout… Oh, we also have IPA.”
“The choices are a bit odd. They’re all beer.”
“Hmm… But makgeolli doesn’t really go well with work. And we shouldn’t get too serious with whiskey either.”
“Just a glass of water will do.”
“We don’t have bottled water. How about a drink that’s 80% water?”
“Tap water will be fine too. Just give me something that’s 100% water.”
“You’re quite the purist. You do realize you’re only 70% water yourself?”
A drink that’s 80% water… what she was implying was obvious. Certainly, the remaining 20% would be alcohol, most likely soju.
The sheer naturalness with which she offered alcohol made Revan chuckle. If it weren’t Lee Yena, he might have misunderstood her intentions.
As these idle thoughts passed, which he wanted to shake off, he focused on assembling the equipment. Just then, the light tapping on his shoulder pulled Revan’s gaze upward, meeting the slightly exhausted eyes of his host.
“It’s a bit poor to offer tap water to a guest. I’ll quickly run to the convenience store nearby.”
“No, really, tap water is fine… It’s not necessary.”
“It’s necessary for me. The convenience store is close… I’ll be right back.”
-Click.
Leaving nothing but the sound of the front door, Lee Yena had departed without giving a chance to stop her.
‘Maybe I should’ve asked for a beer.’
Revan didn’t bother pondering why he felt a tinge of regret.
.
.
.
About five minutes later.
-Ding dong
A sharp bell rang through the silent room where Revan had been working alone. Indeed, the convenience store seemed close by, but why on earth had the landlord rung the bell?
‘Sigh.’
His thoughts played out like a picture. She was probably testing to see if I’d actually go check and open the door. He could vividly imagine the face of Lee Yena smirking at him, asking what he’d do if it turned out to be a strange person.
Nevertheless, Revan reached his hand toward the doorknob.
‘Once in a while, why not.’
Since she had gone all the way to the convenience store just because he said he wanted to drink water, it wouldn’t hurt to indulge her once in a while. With that in mind, as he opened the door—
“Eek?! Oh… S-Shihoon oppa?”
He came face to face with a completely unexpected person.
It was Ark.
“Oh… you’re here? Yena just went to the convenience store for a bit. She’ll be back soon, so come inside.”
Well, it was about time. It wasn’t polite to show disappointment. Revan, who had been nodding lightly and speaking, suddenly sensed a subtle unease.
Sure, Ark’s unusually dressed-up appearance caught Revan’s eye. But there was more. Wouldn’t it be normal not to be so surprised since it was a planned meeting for three of them?
‘Could it be…’
* * * *
Thinking back, hadn’t E been somewhat neglectful as a host inviting guests? It wasn’t medieval Europe, and telling someone to drink beer because there was no water seemed a bit… excessive.
Would it be fine since she had bought them now?
The plastic bag carrying both zero soda and fruit juice, bought along with water, was quite heavy. Still, this should be enough. Ark had been invited too.
… Ah.
Did I… tell Ark that it would be just the three of us?