Chapter 18: A guy could get used to this.
" Who cares about girls when I have the perfect woman right here." I muttered beneath my breath, chuckling right after.
And just like that, the fraught, emotional scene in the hallway was folded up and put away.
She pushed the door open, revealing the apartment beyond.
"Welcome home, Julian," she said, her voice warm again, and stepped inside.
I followed, after her, pulling along my things.
The apartment was… breathtaking. It was the exact opposite of my dark, cramped studio. The entryway opened into a vast, open-plan living area with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a stunning, dizzying view of the city skyline.
The late morning sun poured in, illuminating sleek, modern furniture in shades of cream, grey, and pale wood. Everything was clean, uncluttered, and looked like it belonged in a design magazine.
The air smelled of lemongrass and fresh linen, a world away from the smell of mildew and instant noodles.
"Wow," I breathed, the word utterly inadequate.
Noona gave me a tour, her heels clicking softly on the polished concrete floors. The kitchen was a chef's dream, all glossy surfaces and stainless steel. The living room had a plush sectional that looked big enough to sleep three of me.
There was a den with a massive TV and shelves filled with a mix of journals, Korean novels, and what looked like Ophelia's collection of graphic novels and art books. A balcony ran the length of the living room, dotted with potted herbs and small trees.
"And this," she said, stopping at a closed door at the end of a short hallway, "is Ophelia's room." Her voice dipped slightly. But we didn't spend much time Infront of it because non of us wanted to disturb her right now.
"And this," she continued on with the tour, opening the door directly across the hall, "is your room"
The guest room was, by my standards, palatial. It was easily twice the size of my old studio. A large bed with crisp white sheets and a thick grey duvet dominated the space.
There was a sleek wooden desk under the window, a comfortable-looking armchair in the corner, and a walk-in closet bigger than my old bathroom. The en-suite bathroom was all clean lines and white tile, with fluffy towels stacked on a heated rack.
"Make yourself at home," Noona said, her smile a little strained as she glanced again at Ophelia's closed door. "I'll let you get acquainted. Bathroom's fully stocked. Fresh towels are in the closet. Wi-Fi password is on the fridge." She patted my arm. "I'm going to go change out of these work clothes. We'll head out in, say, twenty minutes?"
I nodded, still taking it all in. "Sounds perfect, Noona. Thank you. For… everything."
She gave me one last, warm look, then turned and walked gracefully back down the hall towards what I assumed was the master suite.
I was alone. I closed the door to my new, temporary room with a soft click. The silence was profound, broken only by the faint hum of the city through the double-paned glass. I dropped my duffel bag on the floor with a thud that seemed too loud for this pristine space.
For a long moment, I just stood there, in the middle of the room, surrounded by quiet luxury. The contrast with where I'd woken up this morning, in a nearly empty room with an eviction notice on the door, was so extreme it felt surreal. It was like I'd been beamed from the gutter to a penthouse in the span of a few hours.
Slowly, I walked over and let myself fall backward onto the bed.
"Ahhh…"
The groan that escaped me was pure, unadulterated physical relief. The mattress was firm yet yielding, cradling my exhausted body perfectly.
The duvet was cloud-soft. I stared up at the smooth, white ceiling, a stupid, helpless smile spreading across my face.
The tension of the morning, the confrontation with Ophelia, the shock of her transformation, the guilt, the weird system update about Sarah, all that stress momentarily receded, pushed back by the simple, animal comfort of a truly good bed.
"A guy could get used to this," I murmured to the empty, sunlit room.
The smile lingered as I closed my eyes, just for a second, listening to the quiet. This was paradise, This was a reprieve. No rent to scrape together. No landlord lurking in hallways. A comfortable bed, a quiet place to study, and a refrigerator presumably full of food that wasn't instant ramen.
But even as the comfort seeped into my bones, the other realities began to seep back in.
Though I knew this paradise had some thorns of its own, like The closed door across the hall, holding a storm of resentment. The confusing new dynamic with Sarah and Ophelia who seemed at odds with one another, layered with my own inappropriate, flickering thoughts.
And hovering over it all, the silent, persistent mystery of the panels, or should I say the "missions," i knew I would have to deal with more often than naught.
Sarah Noona and I were currently seated at a small, cafe table near the window of the corner café I'd spotted earlier. The place had lots of warm wood and soft lighting, as well as the rich, comforting aroma of roasted coffee beans.
It was a nice change in environment from the sterile, minimalist luxury of her apartment building and the fluorescent glare of the convenience store.
When she'd said she wanted to change into comfortable clothes before we left, I'd envisioned sweatpants and an old t-shirt. But seeing her now, I realized that I should have known better.
******
Before we'd left, I was waiting for her just outside her room, only for her to emerge in a pair of dark, perfectly fitted skinny jeans that hugged her legs and a sim
ple, sleeveless white silk blouse that tied at the front in a small, elegant bow.