We stood there, frozen, the tension so thick you could butter toast with it.
Hyun-Jin and In-Hyuk flanked me like bodyguards—very judgmental bodyguards. Their eyes were practically drilling holes into the poor guy in front of me. If looks could kill, we'd need a crime scene cleanup crew.
The silence stretched. Too long. Too awkward. Too unbearable.
I swallowed. Oh god, was I in the wrong here?
"O-oh… I'm sorry," I blurted out, bowing my head slightly, my voice an awkward mix of regret and confusion.
"No—No, I'm sorry too," he rushed to say, mirroring my tone.
For a second, we just stood there, bowing and apologizing like two malfunctioning robots stuck in a loop.
Then he asked, "You live on this floor?"
I nodded, trying to regain some composure. "Oh, yeah. My friend rents this place—I just work under her," I explained, cringing internally at how ridiculously formal that sounded.
He nodded in understanding, but before the awkwardness could settle in again, I quickly tried to escape.
"I should go inside," I said, shifting my weight. "Really, I'm so sorry for the whole… uh, incident. I'll just pay your medical bill, okay?"
His eyes widened. "Oh, no, no, no—you really don't have to! If anything, I was the one in the way," he insisted, waving his hands. Then he hesitated before adding, "I just hope you liked the gift I sent you."
Wait. Pause. Rewind.
"You sent those?" I asked, blinking.
He nodded.
Oh.
OH.
Okay, this was not what I expected. I had assumed some distant relative or a secret admirer had sent the gifts—not the man I nearly body-slammed into another dimension.
"Uh, thank you," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "It was really sweet of you. But, seriously, it's not a big deal. I think we're equal now."
"No," he said, shaking his head way too dramatically.
"...No?" I echoed, confused.
Then, with an air of pure determination, he straightened his posture like he was about to make a life-changing declaration.
"I—I would still like to take you out," he said, his voice confident.
Hold up. What?
Did I hit my head in that collision? Was this a concussion dream?
"Sorry?" I asked, letting out an awkward laugh. "You really don't have to. You don't owe me anything now."
"Maybe not," he admitted, "but I still want to."
Hyun-Jin and In-Hyuk immediately snapped their heads toward him like two overprotective fathers about to interrogate their daughter's prom date. If this were a movie, dramatic dun dun DUN music would be playing right now.
In-Hyuk cracked his knuckles, while Hyun-Jin crossed his arms like a disappointed parent.
I coughed. "I need to rest. Bye now!"
Without waiting for a response, I yeeted myself into my apartment, shutting the door so fast I nearly slammed my own foot in it.
Once safely inside, I pressed my back against the door, inhaling deeply like I had just narrowly escaped a hostage situation.
What just happened?
I exhaled, looking at the mess of my belongings in the living room, still trying to process the absolute rollercoaster of emotions I had just been through.
Meanwhile, outside my door, Hyun-Jin and In-Hyuk were still staring down Nam Joo like two guard dogs ready to pounce.
"Hyun-Jin," In-Hyuk muttered, eyes narrowed.
"Yeah?"
"I don't like him."
"Same."
I groaned, dragging myself to my room. What a day.
_________________________________________________________________________
Nam's POV
"I—I would like to take you out—"
SLAM.
The door shut so fast I felt a gust of wind hit my face.
I blinked. Did she just… shut the door on me?
I stood there, hand half-raised like an idiot, my words still hanging in the air like an unfinished text message.
Hyun-Jin and In-Hyuk, who had been silently (but very obviously) judging me the entire time, exchanged a look. A look that screamed, Yeah, this guy's an absolute loser.
I cleared my throat, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck. "Uh… well. That went well."
"You think so?" Hyun-Jin deadpanned.
"I mean… she didn't say no," I reasoned.
"She also didn't say yes," In-Hyuk pointed out, crossing his arms.
"Or acknowledge your existence for the last five seconds," Hyun-Jin added.
I frowned. "Okay, wow, you guys are really not making this better."
Hyun-Jin sighed, shaking his head. "Look, man. You might wanna dial it back a bit. She literally just fell on her face this morning. You really think now's the best time to be asking her out?"
"Her hands are injured," In-Hyuk added, like a lawyer making his case. "And what do you do? You stand here, making a grand speech like you're in some K-drama finale."
"Was I really that dramatic?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious.
"Buddy," Hyun-Jin said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "There was background music."
Okay, ouch.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Maybe I really did come on too strong. But it wasn't like I could just walk up to her tomorrow with a casual Hey, remember when I crashed into you and then begged to take you out? No pressure, though!
"So, what do I do now?" I asked, looking at them.
In-Hyuk shrugged. "Wait it out."
Hyun-Jin nodded. "Yeah, let her breathe. Maybe try a more subtle approach next time?"
I sighed, glancing back at the closed door. "Alright. Fine. No more grand declarations."
Hyun-Jin raised a brow. "For now?"
"For now," I confirmed. Because let's be real—I was absolutely gonna try again.
I turned on my heel, walking back toward my place, but not before shooting one last look at the door she disappeared behind.
This wasn't over.
Jane arrived, and like magic, Hyun-Jin and In-Hyuk instantly straightened up—like two kids caught sneaking cookies before dinner. Suspiciously well-behaved. Too well-behaved.
Before I could call them out on it, a familiar voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Mr. Nam Joo?"
I turned around, and there she was—Jane, looking at me like I was a lost puppy. A very dumb lost puppy.
"Oh, hi," I greeted, flashing what I hoped was a charming smile but probably came out more like a grimace.
Jane raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here? Do you need something?"
"Oh—" I cleared my throat, suddenly aware of how awkward this was. "I, uh, just wanted to check on Jovy… and maybe talk to her. You know, to, um, make up for earlier."
Jane hummed, tilting her head slightly. "I see… So you and b—I mean, Jovy bumped into each other?"
I nodded. "Yeah, and I feel bad about it. I mean, I did accidentally injure her."
Jane sighed dramatically, crossing her arms. "Ohhh, so you're the bastard she talked about."
I froze. "E-excuse me?"
Jane smirked. "Yeah, she said some guy rammed into her like a human freight train, and now her wrist is swollen like a balloon." She tapped her chin. "Oh, and she also said she'll never forgive him."
I gasped. "Never? She said never?"
Jane nodded solemnly. "Yup. And she said she's going to haunt him in his dreams and make sure he suffers."
My jaw dropped. "Haunt me?"
Hyun-Jin and In-Hyuk, who had been standing behind Jane, were very obviously trying not to laugh. Traitors.
"But," Jane continued, narrowing her eyes, "maybe if that bastard—I mean, you—did something nice for her, she might consider lifting the eternal curse."
I groaned. "I get it, okay? I messed up."
"Yeah, you did." Jane grinned. "So. What's your game plan, Romeo?"
I glanced at Jovy's closed door. "I don't know yet."
Jane patted my shoulder. "Well, figure it out, fast. Because if her wrist gets worse, you really will be haunted—by my wrath."
I swallowed hard. Noted.
"BASTARD?!?!?! HER WRIST SWOLLEN??!?!?" I practically shrieked, my soul leaving my body for a moment.
Jane nodded, completely unbothered. "Yeah… she even said that if she ever sees that guy again…" She leaned in, lowering her voice dramatically. "She will stitch his mouth shut."
I gasped. "STITCH MY MOUTH?!"
Jane held a serious expression for approximately three seconds before bursting into laughter. "Nah, I was just kidding. She wouldn't do that."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Oh, thank go—"
"But she did say she'll curse his existence," Jane added casually.
"WHAT?!"
"Relax, relax," she waved me off, still chuckling. "She's prone to accidents like that. It's a normal occurrence—even for me. I swear, sometimes I think she and gravity have beef."
I blinked. "Oh… so you're the rich friend letting her stay here?"
Jane smirked. "Me? Nah, I'm just a cool friend."
I raised an eyebrow. "But I heard you own this building."
Jane cackled. "Oh, no, no, no. This is Designer B's building. She owns this place. And a bunch of other real estate too. You know, just a little collection of expensive properties—nothing major." She said it so casually, as if she were discussing a limited edition sticker set and not a real estate empire.
I stared at her. "And you're just… casually friends with someone like that?"
She shrugged. "Yeah, we met at a café. She liked my coffee order. The rest is history."
I squinted at her. "So that's how friendship works?"
Jane grinned. "Yep. Now, are you gonna keep standing here looking lost, or are you actually going to fix things with Jovy before she plots her revenge?"
I straightened up. Right. Mission: Get Jovy to Uncurse Me begins now.
Jane had just explained that this building was conveniently close to the boutique. Designer B wanted her employees to be productive, which, honestly, made sense. Who wouldn't work harder when their commute was literally just an elevator ride?
Oh. That's why Jovy stays here.
Jane had just explained that this building was conveniently close to the boutique. Designer B wanted her employees to be productive, which, honestly, made sense. Who wouldn't work harder when their commute was literally just an elevator ride?
"I'm staying on the 7th floor," I told Jane. "I just bought an apartment there."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Ohhh, so you're the new tenant?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I talked with the Agency."
Jane tapped her chin. "Ahh—right. I totally forgot. In-Hyuk was assigned to handle this building. Poor guy."
Poor guy? What did that mean?
Curiosity got the best of me. "So… Jovy's also staying with you?"
Jane hesitated for a beat before awkwardly laughing. "Ah-Ahh… Well, yeah. She's the head tailor."
I raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"And… we have the two of them staying a floor below us too." She gestured toward Hyun-Jin and In-Hyuk, as if trying to redirect my attention.
I glanced at the two men standing stiffly nearby. They were watching me—no, glaring at me—like bodyguards ready to pounce.
Ah. So that's why she said "poor guy."
I cleared my throat. "Right. I see."
Jane grinned, clearly entertained by the situation.
I sighed. "I actually saw Jovy yesterday. She was running out with suitcases and a huge bag. I tried to offer my help, but she rushed off like she was in some sort of action movie."
Jane snorted. "Yeah, she does that. Sometimes when she's bored, she gets a little dramatic."
A little? The woman practically skidded down the hall like she was escaping from a heist.
I sighed. "I really feel bad about her wrist. I want to make it up to her."
Jane's face lit up, and suddenly, I had a bad feeling.
"Ohhh," she drawled, looking far too amused.
"What?" I asked, already regretting my life choices.
She tilted her head, an evil smirk forming. "From what I've heard, she really can't resist pastries. Especially cakes."
Cakes? Seriously? That's the key to redemption?
Before I could question her further, she opened her door. "If you don't have any other business, Mr. Nam, I'll be heading inside now."
I panicked. "O-One more thing!"
She paused, raising a brow. "What is it, Mr. Nam? If it's about the waiting list, we'll try our best to consi—"
"No, no!" I blurted out. "C-Can you tell her that I'd like to take her out?"
Jane's eyes sparkled with mischief. Oh, no.
She nodded, ever so slowly. "Sure. I'll see what I can do, Mr. Nam."
I suddenly felt Hyun-Jin and In-Hyuk's piercing stares grow even sharper.
Then, without another word, Jane shut the door.
I stood there, blinking. "She'll see what she can do? What does that mean?"
Muttering to myself in confusion—and now slightly worried for my safety—I finally made my way down to my apartment.
I had a feeling I had just made a deal with the devil.
-End-