Red Mansion

Chungrim just stood there silently listening to the nonsense. Given that his parents died shortly after the car accident, it would be strange if he were completely sane. No matter how much crazy talk he spouted, it didn’t matter as long as he didn’t let go of the hem of his shirt. It was okay for him to go mad as long as it was right in front of Chungrim.“Did he get angry at you? Kim Sung-kyung, what a piece of trash.”“…Yes.”Sung-kyung’s head drooped as he answered weakly. The hand clutching the shirt tightened its grip, and more muttered words followed.“But where is father? In the truck….”Did father also get loaded onto the truck like a piece of luggage? Rolled up like mother? Overwhelmed by a sudden wave of sadness, Sung-kyung couldn’t finish his sentence. His throat tightened as he swallowed his sobs.“He’s probably next to your mother.”“Oh. Together, then.”Just like in room 422, just like in hospital room 109. Together, side by side. Even in death, side by side. A small, vaguely remembered box. The place where mother’s name was written along with a small urn. Father is there too. Is there room for Kim Sung-kyung there? If he died, who would put him in there? He found himself wondering.“I know the address. They told me back then. Can I go see?”“No. You can’t go.”Why not? Doesn’t Chungrim know the address? He had received the address from the funeral director and put it in the safe last time. With that, he could go visit.“Stop talking nonsense and just go to sleep.”“…….”Not realizing he was speaking his thoughts out loud, Sung-kyung rubbed his eyes. Tears smeared across his hand. He wasn’t particularly sleepy, but if he fell asleep now, maybe he would dream of his mother or father.He needed to ask. Did I upset you when I got angry? Why didn’t you two say anything to me? If you had, I would have been more considerate, listened better, and taken better care of you.Sung-kyung buried his weak body under the blanket. He shut his eyes tightly until his eyelashes were completely buried. He needed to dream soon.How long had he slept? When he opened his eyes, everything was dark. There weren’t many lights visible beyond the half-drawn curtains. Sung-kyung scanned the dark room. It wasn’t the narrow, dirty, and smelly room 422.In the end, his parents didn’t appear in his dream.When he lifted his heavy body, he saw Chungrim sleeping nearby, covering his eyes with his arm and breathing quietly. To avoid waking him, Sung-kyung carefully pulled off the blanket and got up. He tiptoed to the living room.At this hour, Mero would usually be running around noisily, but it was quiet now. The spot where the cat usually sat was empty. Perhaps it was in a deep sleep today. He thought about checking the room but decided against it, not wanting to wake it. He stifled his disappointment.Standing in the middle of the living room like a lost person, Sung-kyung slowly walked towards the entrance. When he opened the inner door, the air outside felt slightly warmer than inside. How hot would it be outside?Even opening the entrance door was a struggle for Sung-kyung. Unfamiliar with the handle, he wrestled with it for a while before finally getting the door ajar. He peeked his face through the gap. A sensor light turned on above him. The long hallway was dark but not hot.“Right. It was always cool here.”He recalled that Chungrim’s building was cool, both the elevator and the hallway. He had once thought that just staying here would be enough to live. Perhaps because he had been in such a cool place for so long, the hallway air felt a bit damp.How hot would room 109 in the hospital be? How cramped and suffocating would that small box be? Having lived in room 422, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.Sung-kyung looked out into the hallway until the sensor light went off. He then stepped back and closed the door. The beeping of the electronic lock made it feel real.Sung-kyung, having taken off his shoes, went to sit in front of the living room window, as if by habit. Because it was deep into the night, there weren’t many twinkling lights. His hollow eyes searched for the Red Mansion. He could barely make out the dark building after focusing for a while.“It’s close.”He touched the window and measured the distance. It was only about a handspan away. It was really quick by car, but how long would it take on foot? It had been over two years since he came from the Red Mansion store to Chungrim’s house. How long would it take to go back there again?“Where did you crawl off to in the middle of the night?”The low voice breaking the silence made Sung-kyung’s shoulders twitch. Though the lights were still off, his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he quickly spotted Chungrim.“I woke up.”Chungrim, stretching his stiff neck from side to side, approached the window. He thought about sitting on the sofa but was curious about what Sung-kyung was looking at, so he sat down next to him. They both stared at the dark city together.“You said you’re selling the Red Mansion. What about the people? Are you kicking them out or selling it with them?”Though the questions had noticeably increased, Chungrim didn’t feel particularly annoyed. Instead of answering, Chungrim let out a long breath. The brief pause made Sung-kyung anxious, and he added more words.“What about me?”Chungrim’s head tilted slightly. His smooth hair fell over his forehead.“What do you think I’ll do?”“I think you’ll, you’ll abandon me. Please don’t abandon me.”As Sung-kyung’s voice trailed off, he wiggled his neatly placed toes. Chungrim, staring at the white feet, impulsively reached out and pulled Sung-kyung’s head closer. The distance closed instantly, their lips almost touching.The sound of their breathing felt overly vivid. Staring at Sung-kyung’s chapped lips, Chungrim swallowed dryly and pulled back.“Alright.”His heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst. Maybe because it was dawn. Or perhaps because it was so dark. If he had hesitated a moment longer, he might have kissed Sung-kyung. Despite having done more intimate things, he hesitated at tender, affectionate acts. As Chungrim stood up, Sung-kyung’s blank gaze followed him.“Let’s see how it goes. For now, go back to bed quickly.”“Okay.”Kim Sung-kyung moved as commanded, as he always did. His every movement was sluggish. Slowly rising, he followed closely behind. Perhaps it was the cool air from the air conditioner, but his bare upper body felt itchy all over.＊＊＊“Surprisingly, I’m holding up okay,” Sung-kyung often diagnosed his own condition. His body felt limp and he wasn’t sleeping well, but that was sometimes expected when the seasons changed.It was manageable for Chungrim to be away for about three hours. Since Chungrim had left his beloved Mero behind, it meant he would return home.Thinking this, Sung-kyung settled by the window. Mero lay in the hammock beside him. Occasionally, their eyes would meet, Mero’s green eyes locking with Sung-kyung’s gaze. They waited for Chungrim together, confirming each other’s presence.“Sung-kyung.”Startled by the sound of his name, Sung-kyung woke from a light doze with his head buried in his knees. His heart pounded as if it would burst out of his chest. He sprang up and looked around.“Mother called me.”His mother had called him. He touched his ear, which felt warm as if it had been touched by her breath.Sung-kyung stood in the living room, holding his ears for a long time. He heard the faint sounds of the air conditioner, honking cars through the window, and Mero’s tail tapping. Amidst these sounds, he kept hearing his name faintly. He clamped his hands over his ears and squeezed his eyes shut.“You died… you left me, why do you keep coming and calling me? You won’t even answer if I talk to you. You don’t even appear in my dreams.”His tightly shut eyelids trembled. No matter how hard he blocked his ears, the unwanted sounds stuck to his eardrums. His head ached unbearably. Now the sounds reverberated inside his mind.“Sung-kyung. How much did you make this month?”“Make sure to lock the shop.”“I’ll be out for a delivery, watch the store.”Sung-kyung opened his eyes, which were hot and bloodshot, filled with tears. His sobbing voice echoed softly.“You’re not coming back…”If this were Red Mansion, he might have spent all his money to find a dealer. Begging for a bit of powder to stop hearing these hallucinations. He might have grabbed their pants and pleaded.At that moment, a memory flashed in his mind. Smoke rising from a rolled-up foil stick. He remembered sharing it with Chungrim. If his memory was correct, half was left. Where was the rest? It would be nice to use it secretly before Chungrim returned.Sung-kyung wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and ran to the room. He rummaged through places, recalling the clock case vaguely.“Was it in the drawer?”He could almost see Chungrim putting the case somewhere, but wasn’t sure if it was a dream, reality, or just a hallucination. After searching the dresser and coming out to the living room, Sung-kyung opened the table drawer.“Found it.”His eyes sparkled with a strange light. With trembling hands, he opened the case. Inside were a few pieces of cut foil and a lighter. Sung-kyung hurriedly grabbed the contents. Mero meowed behind him, so he headed to the bathroom.He locked the door and climbed into the bathtub. In the dimly lit bathroom, the lighter flickered several times before a cloud of hallucinogenic smoke filled the space. The hallucinations couldn’t reach him in the darkness.Just after parking, Chungrim instinctively took out his phone. Six split screens appeared on the display. He could see the living room, bedroom, Mero’s room, the hallway in front of the bathroom, the dresser room, and the kitchen at a glance. His wandering eyes finally stopped at one spot. The half-open closet door in the dresser room. Mero would never do such a thing, being so well-behaved. Most of the time, it was Sung-kyung causing trouble.“What is he up to now?”Mumbling anxiously, Chungrim watched the elevator panel. It seemed slower than usual.As soon as the doors opened, he headed straight home. His steps were urgent and fast. He checked the shoes first upon entering. The cheap slippers from the store and the new sneakers were neatly placed. The front door didn’t seem to have been opened recently, so he couldn’t have gone outside.“Sung-kyung.”He called out as he opened the inner door and stepped inside. His low voice echoed throughout the house. Mero answered with a series of meows, following him closely. Chungrim headed straight to the dresser room. He opened the closet and looked inside, but Sung-kyung wasn’t there.“Mero. Where’s your brother?”Mero wagged his tail and jumped onto the bed. Chungrim’s eyebrows furrowed. He rose and headed to the one place the camera couldn’t see. He opened the firmly closed bathroom door and turned on the light, flooding the room with brightness.“…What are you doing?”Sung-kyung was curled up in the bathtub. Beside him lay burnt-out foil. The acrid smell stung Chungrim’s nose. Clicking his tongue, he grabbed Sung-kyung by the hair and lifted him. His dazed face appeared, grinning.“Has it been three hours already?”“Where did you find this, like a sneaky rat?”Chungrim disdainfully kicked the burnt foil.“Being from the mansion, your habits are shit, huh?”“I didn’t steal, I didn’t.”I’ve never done it in my life. I just used one piece. Sung-kyung repeated the same words as if declaring his innocence. Chungrim’s eyes fell on his red, swollen ear. When Chungrim flicked it, Sung-kyung tilted his head and rubbed it. Just like Mero. He pressed his ear and cheek against Chungrim’s large hand, smiling.Chungrim’s eyes slowly traveled down to the space between Sung-kyung’s thin legs. Though obscured by the gown, the bulge was noticeable. He knew what happened when Sung-kyung took drugs. Chungrim lifted the gown with his fingertips.“How long have you been hard?”“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because of the smell, hyung.”His erection was curved tightly up to his navel. Whether it was the drug making the pleasure feel several times more intense, Sung-kyung clutched at his shirt and let out a lazy laugh.“It… it itches.”“Should I poke it for you?”“… Yes. Down there.”Chungrim, watching Sung-kyung, who couldn’t even touch himself and was just writhing around, turned on the shower. The cold water poured over Sung-kyung’s head. Water continuously streamed down his soaked hair.“Do it yourself. It’s your punishment.”Using drugs without Chungrim’s presence and wandering out of the camera’s view deserved punishment. Sung-kyung learned quickly and usually didn’t repeat the same mistakes once he was punished. While he didn’t mind Sung-kyung using drugs, doing it where he couldn’t see was slightly irritating.“If I do it alone… Can I touch the front?”A faint question was heard amidst the sound of water.“No. Only the back.”When Chungrim turned off the shower, only the sound of dripping water echoed in the bathroom. Leaning against the sink to watch, Chungrim waited to see what Sung-kyung would do.Wiping off the water with the back of his hand, Sung-kyung began to remove his wet robe. Then, he slowly raised his knees, leaned forward against the wall, and stuck out his buttocks, with his private parts exposed toward Chungrim.“Ah, ah.”With one arm stretched backward, Sung-kyung grabbed his buttocks. High on drugs, he showed no hesitation, circling his finger around his hole. Thinking about Chungrim watching him from behind made his breathing quicken, and his lower abdomen tingled.Although he had thick fingers from working a lot, they couldn’t compare to Chungrim’s. He pushed in his middle finger first.But his hole couldn’t even take in one knuckle and kept clamping shut. Despite the eager movements, it was not easy to open. He slowly pushed his finger in a bit more, but it didn’t make much difference.Sung-kyung turned his head back, looking up at Chungrim with a pleading expression in his dazed eyes.“It won’t go in.”“Relax and push it deeper.”Although it was supposed to be a punishment, Chungrim clearly had no intention of helping. Sung-kyung rested his forehead on his arm and took a deep breath. Timing his breaths, he pushed his finger in deeper, but his hole remained tight.“It’s me.”A sudden voice made Sung-kyung open his eyes wide. His vision turned red, then white, then distorted and blurred. Despite the dizziness, he was busy bending his finger to stimulate himself.“I’m thinking of installing a few more cameras.”Cameras. Cameras. Repeating the word Chungrim said, he mumbled the word over and over. Then the scent of perfume grew closer, and Chungrim’s voice sounded right behind him. He opened his eyes, but in his muddled vision, he couldn’t see Chungrim clearly.“The cat seems to cause more trouble than I thought.”“Uh!”Chungrim’s finger joined his own, pressing into his hole. Sung-kyung arched his back and lifted his head. Chungrim’s finger circled inside, expanding the space.“Bring it over.”Chungrim’s phone fell into the tub with a clatter, and the finger slipped out. Before Sung-kyung could catch his breath, Chungrim’s erection thrust into him. His insides, not fully loosened, felt split apart. Still, Sung-kyung wore an expression of pleasure.Because his hole wasn’t fully open, Chungrim’s penis slid in only halfway, then pulled out slightly before pushing in again. After repeating this a few times, the lubrication made it smoother. Despite the sudden and rough thrusts, Sung-kyung smiled.“Now, I can’t hear it anymore.”“What, the sound of me fucking you?”A crude laugh burst from behind him. That wasn’t what he meant, but Sung-kyung nodded with a silly grin.“The sound echoes, so it’s even more arousing, huh?”Chungrim murmured, burying his lips in Sung-kyung’s wet hair. His rough breathing mixed with his words and drilled into Sung-kyung’s mind. The intense thrusting made Sung-kyung’s forehead hit the wall. After a few hits, a large hand grabbed his chin and twisted his head back. He felt Chungrim’s solid shoulder behind him.His fingers, gripping the slippery wall, turned white then red repeatedly. Although his insides were still tight and barely lubricated, Sung-kyung gritted his teeth and endured.“Did you scratch yourself again, saying there were bugs crawling on you?”Chungrim licked Sung-kyung’s reddish nape. His tongue lingered over the scratched area. Sung-kyung took a deep breath through his parted lips. He couldn’t let Chungrim get contaminated by those bugs. He twisted his body desperately, but Chungrim bit down on his ear, holding him in place as he thrust hard. The obscene sound of wet flesh slapping together filled the bathroom.“B-bugs…”“I ate them all.”Chungrim’s laughter resonated deep inside Sung-kyung’s body. The pleasure spiking in his brain made Sung-kyung squeeze his eyes shut.“You can’t say any more stupid things now, huh? Right?”“Ah, ugh…”Whether it was sadness, pain, or fear, every type of suffering transformed into pleasure, overwhelming Sung-kyung. This was better. In this moment, he couldn’t hear his mother’s and father’s voices, and his mind was blissfully empty.While Sung-kyung slept, several more cameras were installed. There were more blind spots than anticipated. Cameras were placed in the locked room containing only exercise equipment, in a corner of the kitchen overlooking the living room, and at the bathroom entrance facing the bathtub. The number of eyes watching Sung-kyung steadily increased.For the time being, Chungrim decided to work from home. He postponed meetings with the construction company to focus on finding the doctor who fled from the Red Mansion. If the doctor had escaped alone, Chungrim might have thought he couldn’t handle the burden of caring for the elderly. But the fact that the thugs from the next room and the woman managing the funds had also disappeared raised suspicions.The last sighting on the nearby CCTV showed them moving their belongings with thorough preparation. Catching those bastards wouldn’t bring the dead back, but holding them accountable with the standards of the Red Mansion would be possible.“Aren’t you going out today?”Sung-kyung was sitting in front of a large window in the living room. After staring at passing cars and the outside scenery for a while, that was all he asked.“You’d like it if I went out, wouldn’t you?”Chungrim paused in brushing Mero’s fur and looked up. When he focused on the neat back of Sung-kyung’s head, Sung-kyung’s ears turned red.“No, it’s not that…”He shifted his gaze to the glass. There, he met Sung-kyung’s eyes. It seemed Sung-kyung had been watching his reflection in the window. Was he jealous of Chungrim petting Mero? Chungrim affectionately stroked Mero, who purred contentedly. Seeing this, Sung-kyung turned his head, fully observing the scene.“What’s that cat’s name again?”“Mero.”Ah. Sung-kyung, as if remembering, parted his lips and muttered incoherently.“It seems like Mero doesn’t like it. He’s crying. He’s telling you to stop touching him.”He then crawled on his knees toward Chungrim and buried his forehead into the sofa where Chungrim lay, as if asking to be touched himself. Chungrim chuckled, stopped petting Mero, and ran his fingers through Sung-kyung’s disheveled hair.“Did I really spoil you? You’ve become so… accustomed.”Whenever Sung-kyung lowered his head to be petted, Chungrim couldn’t help but find his docile demeanor amusing. Sung-kyung closed his eyes and savored the gentle touch, feeling a peace he had never known before.“Hey, what about the money you mentioned?”Sung-kyung, with his head down, snapped his eyes open. His eyes, unable to get much sleep, were bloodshot. He strained to listen to the faint sound, scratching at his ear marked with nail scratches. A merciless hand slapped his wrist.“Hands off.”“Yes…”Suppressing the urge to scratch, Sung-kyung focused on the faint sound.“Instead of drugs, you… bring the money… if you won’t pay…”Sung-kyung quickly lifted his head. His wide eyes showed fear. Had they come here to collect money? He had promised to give them the key to unit 422. Why were they here? What if Chungrim misunderstood and thought he had given away the address?Sung-kyung’s lower lip trembled. He abruptly stood and headed toward Mero’s room. His bare feet hurried across the carpet.“It’s all that’s left…”He rummaged through Mero’s toy box and pulled out a notebook he had taken from a convenience store, shaking it until the hidden bills fell out.He couldn’t remember how much they had asked for, but giving this should make them leave. He needed to send them away before Chungrim got angry. If he had more than three conversations, he would get beaten. Clutching the wad of bills, Sung-kyung ran to the front door.“What are you up to?”Chungrim, who had been quietly observing Sung-kyung’s frantic behavior, finally stood up. This happened just as Sung-kyung opened the inner door and stepped into the shoe closet. Pressing his ear to the door, Sung-kyung listened intently. The outside was as silent as the inside, yet he appeared deeply focused as if he heard something.“What’s the commotion this time?”When Chungrim grabbed his shoulder, Sung-kyung flinched and avoided his gaze. Chungrim’s face grew colder. As the atmosphere became tense, Sung-kyung, sweating profusely, stammered an excuse.“It’s noisy, right? The person who did the drugs… What was his name…”The name was familiar, but he couldn’t remember. He could recall the face, the voice, even the smoky smell from the person, but the name eluded him.“Anyway, that limping guy. I guess he came here because I didn’t pay for the drugs. But I never gave him this address. I don’t know how he found it…”Chungrim leaned against the front door, arms crossed, with a peculiar expression. Was this crazy bastard really out of his mind? Watching Sung-kyung babble nonsense, his eyes narrowed. Sung-kyung clutched the bills tightly.“If I give him this, he might leave…”“That guy died a long time ago.”Sung-kyung, who had been about to open the door, froze. His long, narrow eyes looked up at Chungrim.“He’s dead?”Chungrim couldn’t hold back a sigh that escaped from his throat. Did he really remember nothing? Had he forgotten being strangled and beaten by that guy? Licking his inner cheek thoughtfully, Chungrim studied Sung-kyung’s face. The way his lower jaw trembled indicated he had indeed forgotten.“Yeah. Why, do you want to see him? Meet him?”A crooked smile formed on Chungrim’s lips.The word “death,” buried deep in his subconscious, suddenly weighed heavily on Sung-kyung. Death. Everyone dies. His parents were dead, the drug addict whose name he couldn’t remember was dead. Everyone dies, just like he had thought in room 422. Would he die soon too?“…”Just like when he was on drugs, his vision blurred completely. The ground seemed to ripple, and everywhere he looked, the space seemed distorted. Suddenly snapping back to reality, he thought it might be the beginning of summer again, with Chungrim coming by every four days to buy ice cream while he sat at the store counter, struggling with money and headaches as usual.A high-pitched ringing filled his ears, a noise loud enough to drown out all other sounds. Sung-kyung squinted with one eye and covered his ears.“Why, why? Why did he die?”A crack appeared on Chungrim’s face. If Sung-kyung was going to regain his senses, he should do it fully, or let go completely. Why cling to unnecessary memories? Chungrim’s gaze on the trembling, pale-faced Sung-kyung was cold.He said the word that appeared most often among various reasons:“Because of you.”“What?”“Because he beat you. So I killed him.”Sung-kyung’s eyes widened as he looked at his trembling hands. There wasn’t a drop of blood on his shaking fingers. He meticulously examined his fingers down to the fingerprints and then began to speak again.“I… I’ve been forgetting a lot lately, but I really don’t remember that. I did get hit, but… because of me? I don’t think so…”Sung-kyung dug his nails into the skin beneath his eyes. His pale skin left red marks where his nails had scratched. His unfocused, dazed eyes looked up at Chungrim.That strange gaze unsettled Chungrim. He expected Sung-kyung to show that usual creepy smile if he told him he had killed for him. But Sung-kyung just continued to tremble slightly, his shoulders shaking. Chungrim’s narrow, single-lidded eyes grew even narrower.“But, even if it was because of me. I won’t do it again, I won’t cause any more trouble, so please don’t sell me off.”Sung-kyung threw the money on the floor and grabbed Chungrim’s clothes. Though he was closer to the door, he seemed anxious that Chungrim might leave.“I remember everything. I’ll follow all the rules, I promise. Just don’t kick me out.”Even if he wanted to be sold, it couldn’t happen now. From the start, Sung-kyung knew nothing but Chungrim. With a screw loose, he was now even more blindly devoted. Well, as long as he stayed within his grasp, it didn’t matter if he went more insane.Chungrim reached out and grabbed Sung-kyung’s rough cheek, rubbing the tender skin beneath his teary eyes until it turned red.＊＊＊The hallucinations came more frequently and irregularly. The sounds were so indistinguishable from reality that Sung-kyung had to stay on edge day and night.“What are you looking at?”In the store, he could hide behind the curtain, but here there was no such thing. Everything he did was open to Chungrim, so sneaking a glance was out of the question. The most he could do was stare openly when Chungrim slept.“Just…”Sung-kyung, who had been watching Chungrim put on his watch, looked down at his own wrist. The watch Chungrim had forced on him was noticeable, as he kept scratching the inside of his wrist. He tried to move the watch strap, but there was no room for his fingers.“I’ll be back in two hours.”Sung-kyung checked the time. It was a little past 1 PM, the hottest part of the day. Chungrim rarely visited the Red Mansion at this time. So he usually cleaned around noon and then waited for Chungrim in the afternoon. Chungrim would probably return around his usual visiting time.“Yes, 3 o’clock.”Chungrim’s persistent gaze lingered on Sung-kyung, who kept repeating “3 o’clock.”“You’re really happy, huh? What are you planning to do while I’m gone?”“I haven’t… thought about it yet.”There wasn’t much to do in the house. It was always clean, so there was no need for cleaning. Mero took care of himself, so he just needed to give him water and snacks occasionally. The meals were always brought from somewhere, so there was no need to prepare food. Whenever Chungrim went out for a short time, all Sung-kyung did was scribble in his notebook.“Fine, then just lie around until I get back, or do whatever you want. I don’t mind if you jerk off.”Sung-kyung brought his hand to his mouth, pretending to pick at his chapped lips to hide his smile. Spending entire days together, Chungrim had learned some of Sung-kyung’s habits.“I brought you here for fun, but who’s really enjoying it more?”At this point, Chungrim even wondered if he was the one being used by Sung-kyung. Sung-kyung was very active in their relationship. The deeper, the harder, the more painful it was, the more Sung-kyung seemed to enjoy it, reaching climax quickly. While Chungrim climaxed once, Sung-kyung often did so twice, showing how intensely he felt.Now, he even started kissing his thin body. Despite his bony, unimpressive physique, his lips felt unexpectedly soft and sweet. Like the cheap ice cream from the convenience store, it was a taste that lingered. Feeling himself getting aroused, Chungrim moved abruptly. He needed to escape the space filled with Sung-kyung’s scent.As Chungrim stepped into the living room, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. A light weight tugged at his shirt hem.“Oh, by the way.”He glanced over his shoulder. Sung-kyung, who had been blushing just moments ago, now looked up at him with an anxious expression.“When will you… be back?”“…”One of the reasons Chungrim thought Sung-kyung had changed. He often forgot things from just a few minutes ago. Sometimes, he would ask Mero’s name again, or check if the rent for this month had been paid. Things around Sung-kyung were gradually fading away.Yet, Chungrim felt indifferent. Perhaps because he was still there among those fading things. No matter how much Sung-kyung forgot, he would never forget Chungrim.“Three o’clock.”“Oh, yes. Three o’clock.”Sung-kyung repeated the time several more times, as if trying to memorize it. Clearly, once Chungrim left, he would rush to Mero’s room to get his notebook and write down “Chungrim 3 PM.” By now, Chungrim had no trouble seeing through the notebook that Sung-kyung treated like it was his own.“Stay calm. I’m always watching you.”Chungrim pointed to the newly installed cameras around the place. There were hardly any blind spots left—only inside the cat tower or under the dining table. Besides, Sung-kyung never went near the front door. If anything, he seemed to welcome this confinement. This allowed Chungrim to leave with peace of mind.“Yes, I’ll get up at 3.”It seemed like Sung-kyung couldn’t sleep well at night, so he often took naps when Chungrim was away. Chungrim nodded and then walked out the front door.