He Is That Guy

“Hyung, over here!”
Chae Yu-jeong pulled up in front of the station near my apartment, waving eagerly from behind the wheel.
It was the brightest voice I’d ever heard from him. He stopped right in front of me, grinning, wearing a black T-shirt and jeans—probably because we were heading to his place this time.
“What’s got you so hyped?”
As I got into the passenger seat, he quickly pulled away, like he was afraid I might bolt.
“Of course I’m hyped. I thought you’d turn me down in the end. I’d already given up, honestly.”
“You ‘gave up’ after pulling the parent card?”
Even with my dry reply, he smiled radiantly.
“It’s not like I have a bad relationship with them or anything. My mom’s just not very affectionate, so we’re not close like other families. And she remarried.”
“…You didn’t really need to go into that much detail.”
“I just felt bad. I thought bringing up my parents might’ve made you uncomfortable.”
That was… unexpected. I’d figured him for some spoiled rich kid who’d grown up swimming in affection.
Not that the rich-kid idea wasn’t just my own imagination to begin with.
And besides… that’s not even why I agreed.
It wasn’t pity that made me say yes. Using him to resolve my own suspicion made it a hell of a lot worse.
We drove nonstop for about forty minutes before arriving at an apartment complex. After he parked in the underground lot, we took the elevator up.
“You said you live alone, right?”
“Yup, I do.”
I’d already felt something off since the elevator, but when Chae opened the front door, it hit me.
This guy really was a rich kid.
A wide entryway and a spacious living room stretched before me. Big enough for a family of four, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} with at least three bedrooms at a glance.
“You live here alone?”
“Yes.”
When I asked again, he nodded brightly, not even understanding why I was asking twice.
Suddenly, that talk about his parents took on a different weight. So this was what it was like hearing, firsthand, the kind of detached family story I’d only ever seen in dramas.
“Hyung, why aren’t you coming in?”
Lost in thought comparing this to my own tiny apartment, I only moved when he tugged me gently by the wrist.
Letting myself get pulled along, I took off my sneakers and stepped inside. He dashed off to the kitchen and returned with a glass of juice.
“Drink!”
“…Yeah.”
He must’ve poured it earlier and left it in the fridge for me. The way he was acting reminded me of a puppy bringing a toy to its owner.
I sipped the orange juice and glanced around the place.
“So, where do I start?”
“Huh? Oh—right, the packing?”
“Yeah. From the look of it, it’s already spotless.”
No clutter, no mess—like he’d just finished cleaning.
He scratched his cheek, a little bashful. “I cleaned once before you came.”

“…You cleaned beforehand? Then what did you even need me for?”
“You just need to help me pack a few boxes. This one’s my room.”
He smoothly took the empty glass from my hand and led me into the room closest to the living room. A tidy desk, trophies, bookshelves, a computer—and the air smelled faintly fresh.
“Did you spray perfume or deodorizer or something?”
“Nope.”
Nothing sprayed, but a guy’s room smelling like this? Weird. Almost as weird as him living alone in an apartment like this.
“You can look around the other rooms if you want. I’ll go wash the glass.”
As he left, I turned toward the still-on computer. The desktop was spotless: browser icon, a couple folders, and the Hiore game launcher.
Before he got back, I needed to check for any trace of Xenorise. I opened the file search and typed in the game’s English name.
Usually, even if you uninstall, some files linger—and if they’re hidden, search still catches them. It was the cleanest way to be sure.
“Nothing.”
No hits. I tried variations, nothing again. Finally, I opened the Control Panel and checked installed programs—only Hiore, no other games.
“So this is the only computer here, huh.”
He could’ve deleted the files knowing I was coming. Possible, but that was just speculation. The fact was: no Xenorise installed.
“Hyung?”
“—!”
I froze at his voice from behind. Spinning around, I hastily closed the Control Panel. Chae Yu-jeong was standing there with a puzzled look.
“Shit.”
It couldn’t have looked worse—rude, invasive, just plain shady. Great. I’d turned into the kind of creep who rummages through someone’s PC the moment he’s invited in.
“S-sorry. I was just—”
“What are you sorry for? You wanna play something?”
“What?”
But he didn’t sound offended at all. He just came closer.
“I only have Hiore installed, so if you wanna play something else, we’d need to reinstall it. But that won’t take long. Want me to set it up?”
“…I came to help you pack. What are you gonna do if I start gaming?”
“I can just watch. That’s enough.”
“…”
If I launched Xenorise right now, I could check whether Yu Chae was online. But…
“No.”
I didn’t want to. I had another plan in mind anyway.
Meeting those clear eyes with not a hint of malice made me feel like the real villain here. I sighed, tapping his shoulder.
“Let’s just pack. What do you need me to do?”
 
****
The innermost room he led me to was the bedroom.
Clothes and stuff were scattered across the bed, with empty boxes on the floor beneath.
“These are the things I’m taking to team housing—just enough to fill those two boxes.”
“So just these clothes? What about the rest?”
“That’s plenty. The other clothes are in the room across the hall—it’s kind of my storage room.”
A walk-in closet too? Unreal.
“Doesn’t look like much. Should be done quick. I’m heading out right after.”
“What? Why? Eat with me before you go! There’s tons of good food nearby.”
“No.”
I brushed off his whining and stepped toward the bed—only for a big hand to suddenly grab my arm.
“Whoa—!”
Of course, my foot caught the box lid underneath, and my leg slid out from under me. My body jerked backward—
“Hyung!”
Thud!
The heavy crash echoed through the room. Chae Yu-jeong had caught me and fallen with me, his face drained as he stared down.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“Ow…”
A dull pain spread from my tailbone where I’d hit the floor.
Groaning, I pushed myself up. He panicked, grabbing my waist with both hands.
“Ah, does it hurt? Where— ow!”
I flicked his forehead hard. Smack! The sound was sharp, and he yelped.
“You little shit. Stop yanking people around like that. Be careful, huh?”
“Sorry…”
“Good thing there was nothing around us. You could’ve cracked your head on a corner.”
Scolding him firmly, I saw his eyes droop and his lips quiver.
“I’m sorry…”
“My ass hurts because of you.”
“You—you hurt it? Let me see.”
“…”
Has he lost his mind?
I glared, and he realized what he’d just said. His face flamed red as he waved his hands.
“N-no! I didn’t mean that! I just—!”
“Shut up.”
“I’m serious, I was just worried! You’ve got it wrong!”
“Then let go of my waist.”
“—!”
He suddenly noticed his hands still on me and jolted, pulling back fast. Now even his neck was bright red.
Looking at him, I felt a pang of guilt. Yeah, he messed up, but… he’d looked genuinely scared. Maybe I was too harsh. He might actually cry.
“Mistakes happen once. It’s fine. Just be careful next time.”
“Y-yeah…”
Still covering half his face with one hand, he mumbled, “Sorry. Take a break. I’ll, uh, go to the bathroom and grab some ointment.”
“You don’t have to—”
Before I could finish, he turned and bolted out of the room. His eyes, as he passed, looked suspiciously watery.
…Great. What if he’s crying in there for real? I scratched my head and clicked my tongue.
I was supposed to finish packing and look for proof before leaving, but now everything was off-track.
Seriously—can’t I get through even one day without some kind of disaster?
I sighed.