Chapter 56: The Hidden Room and an Unspoken Invitation.

The term “warehouse” is generally used to mean a place where various items are stored in everyday life. When Yu Sieun introduced the rooms after arriving home earlier, she also said that the warehouse room was where she kept her clothes or unused items.

But now, Yu Sieun was telling me something clearly different from before.

I don’t think I’m a particularly perceptive person.

Considering the average level of perception that a female possesses, Ha Eunsol probably falls far short of that average.

But there was something that even someone lacking in perception could understand.

That room was definitely not being used as a warehouse.

Who in the world would put a computer and a bed in a warehouse room? If it were for storing old equipment that wasn’t being used, I could understand a computer and monitor, but not a bed.

It couldn’t be considered a guest room either.

Even aside from the fact that Yu Sieun wouldn’t have a guest who would come over and sleep at her place, if it were a room set up for that purpose, she would have said it was a guest room from the beginning when introducing the rooms.

‘Hmm…’

The chain of thoughts that started from today’s memory led to a memory from a little earlier.

About three or four months ago, Yu Sieun, who was preparing to move, asked me many things about my house.

Questions like which things in my house were options and which were my property, how much time was left on the contract, and whether I intended to renew it.

At the time, I just thought that Yu Sieun, who was moving, must have been curious about many things.

But now, the force that suddenly brought up that memory was the connection between the ‘warehouse room’ Yu Sieun was talking about and that memory.

If that room was set up for someone to live in, the only person Yu Sieun would have thought of putting in that room was me.

It’s a rather self-conscious idea, but it’s an inference based on the circumstances.

I had told Yu Sieun, who was asking questions a few months ago, that my room’s contract would end in December.

As of now, that’s one month away.

Perhaps Yu Sieun had been planning to tell me about this ‘warehouse room’ when I was about to worry about moving or renewing my contract.

If so, everything is explained: her hiding this room from me earlier, and her hesitating just now when she brought it up.

She must have wanted to hide a surprise plan.

The reason she gave up on a plan that involved so much was probably because she was worried that I would be struggling for a few days going back and forth.

I felt overwhelmed by the shock of the sudden chain of realizations.

How far does Yu Sieun’s favor and big picture reach?

Of course, there is a possibility that all my thoughts that have followed are just my delusions. It’s an inference that I can’t say for sure is completely true.

In order for the inference to become a fact, proof is needed.

‘Hmm….’

I knew a way to prove whether my inference was true or not.

If I took a few steps now and opened the door to the warehouse room that Yu Sieun mentioned, I could confirm whether my thought was correct.

I could easily come up with a reason to tell Yu Sieun.

I could say that I would check if the house inside the warehouse room was a quantity that could be cleaned up in one day, and to see if she was unreasonably pushing me to stay. Then, from Yu Sieun’s perspective, she wouldn’t be able to stop me.

But I didn’t take a step right away.

My choice now is divided into two branches.

To check inside that room, or not to check.

The reason I’m hesitating between the two is because I have a feeling that depending on which one I choose, my relationship with Yu Sieun, which is tied to that warehouse room, will change.

If my thought is reality, then when I check inside that room, I will be breaking Yu Sieun’s pure intention of a surprise.

Whether my thought is reality or not, if I don’t check, I would have to live with the question of whether my thought is the correct answer, without knowing when the answer sheet will come out.

If my thought is false and I check inside that room, then I’m just embarrassed.

What should I do?

I pondered diligently to make a decision.

Like that, for 5 seconds.

Having made a choice considering many factors, I slowly parted my lips.

“Um… then, could I take a look at that room just once?”

“Huh, huh?”

“Since you said it’s a warehouse, I’m curious. I also think it might be too much to empty it in one day… I want to see if it’s okay.”

The moment I told Yu Sieun that I would look inside the room and the moment I took a step towards the door were almost simultaneous.

Yu Sieun didn’t seem to want to stop me.

She followed behind me as I walked, but Yu Sieun didn’t particularly grab me or prevent me from going, etc. She didn’t physically restrain me.

It didn’t take long for me to put my hand on the doorknob.

I gave strength downwards to the hand I had raised and opened the door as it was.

The moment of unfolding the answer sheet.

When I turned my gaze to the room, I could confirm that my thought was not a delusion.

I could see the neatly arranged furniture in the room.

A desk with a monitor on it. A bed with a mattress on it. The only thing that matched Yu Sieun’s claim of ‘a warehouse room where she keeps her clothes or belongings’ was the closet in the room.

That was it.

I slowly turned my gaze and looked at Yu Sieun.

Yu Sieun turned her body as much as I turned and avoided my eyes.

As I continued to stare intently, Yu Sieun slowly turned her gaze back to me.

For some reason, she seemed nervous.

If someone’s surprise preparation was discovered, wouldn’t they just laugh? I couldn’t understand why she was embarrassed.

I wondered if my reaction was important.

Should I express some kind of emotion?

But that was a little difficult for me right now.

Having realized that the imagination was reality, I was in a state where I couldn’t understand what kind of sensation was circulating inside me right now.

Many things were mixed in.

It was an inevitable situation.

It would be a lie if thoughts like confusion or burden were not mixed in at all.

Who in the world would quietly prepare a room for someone else without even saying a word? Even if they are close friends, there is a limit. Yu Sieun’s actions were so reckless that I could only say they were excessive.

‘Haa….’

But if there was one thing that was certain, it was that the emotion I was feeling right now while looking at this ‘warehouse room’ was much closer to joy.

When I realized that, I looked at Yu Sieun and spoke with a lot of playfulness. It was to restore Yu Sieun from that state back to her usual self.

“Unnie.”

“…Huh?”

“How do you think of me, unnie?”

“Uh…?”

“How do you think of me?”

At my words, Yu Sieun avoided my gaze again.

Judging by her stammering, I thought she must be very embarrassed.

Seeing that, a little more laughter rose. I don’t know why she’s acting like this after preparing such a gift.

“Ah, um….”

“Do you perhaps think of me as an editing tool, or editing equipment, or something like that?”

“You know that’s not true….”

“Then why do you call my room a warehouse room? I thought you were thinking of me that way and trying to put me in the warehouse.”

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing as I said the last words.

All of Yu Sieun’s reactions were telling me that all the words I had just said were the correct answers.

“Ugh…”

“This is my room, right? You prepared my room? Is that why you asked me about the contract period before? Really?”

I asked the questions with the intention of making Yu Sieun say the correct answer directly from her own mouth.

“…That’s right.”

Yu Sieun affirmed all my questions, admitting that my guess was correct.

“But you didn’t ask me. What if I had found out about another place and signed a contract in the meantime? And what if I said I liked living alone and didn’t want to come here? Where is there a streamer who lives with a video editor who’s not even a manager?”

As I pointed out the mishaps that Yu Sieun’s actions could have created, Yu Sieun seemed to be trying to run away from me.

Yu Sieun’s face was very red.

Her head was deeply bowed and showed no sign of rising.

I don’t know if she was embarrassed to have been caught with such a huge surprise, or if the problem was that I had just pointed out her recklessness.

From the moment she brought up the idea of sleeping over, Yu Sieun must have thought that I would find out. So, it must be the latter.

Yu Sieun’s appearance, having been pointed out to me just now, was quite interesting.

But it didn’t seem like she was in a good state, so I denied the points I had just made myself in order to eliminate the thoughts that were creating the embarrassment that I thought were swirling in Yu Sieun’s head.

I told Yu Sieun my honest thoughts right now.

“Still, I’m happy.”

As I uttered the short sentence, Yu Sieun slightly raised her head and began to examine my expression.

Yu Sieun, who was still looking embarrassed and glancing at me, was quite visually stimulating, but I stubbornly endured and continued to speak.

“You thought that if you asked me to live here together, I would naturally say yes, so you did this, right?”

Yu Sieun, who had been silent for a long time, shyly said yes and nodded her head, once again affirming my words.

So, I was able to finish speaking with a smile.

“That’s what makes me happy. I feel like I know how you think of me.