The Pizza Delivery Man and the Gold Palace — Chapter 22

...WHY SHOULD I TELL YOU?

WHAT?

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG...DO I HAVE TO LET YOU KNOW?

WILL IT CHANGE ANYTHING?

LOOK, I CAN HELP YOU.

IF YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO STAY, YOU CAN STAY AT MY HOUSE, AND THE LAWSUIT-

WHY WOULD YOU HELP?

PERHAPS YOU CAN'T RELATE, BUT I HAVE TO SOLVE MY OWN PROBLEMS, FROM START TO FINISH.

THAT'S HOW I'VE ALWAYS BEEN. IT'S WHAT I'VE DONE TO SURVIVE.

HANG ON...

HOW WILL REACHING OUT TO SOMEONE MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE?

WILL IT IMPROVE MY SITUATION? NO. IF SO, I WOULD'VE REACHED OUT A HUNDRED TIMES BY NOW.

...I THINK I STRUCK THE WRONG CHORD.

WHY ARE YOU HERE?

...SORRY, I CROSSED THE LINE.

AND I SAID EVERYTHING ELSE 'CAUSE I HOPED IT WOULD HELP. I DIDN'T MEAN TO UPSET YOU.

I'M SORRY FOR TALKING NONSENSE.

I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU, SO I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT'VE BEEN SICK.

THAT'S THE ONLY REASON I DROPPED BY YOUR HOUSE.

...IT'S OKAY. I WAS BEING HARSH.

I GOT UPSET AND TOOK MY ANGER OUT ON YOU. SORRY.

...HE MUST BE TAKEN ABACK.

WHY DID I GET UPSET? I SHOULD'VE SHRUGGED IT OFF AS USUAL.

NOW, WHAT'S HE APOLOGIZING FOR...?

THEN, WHERE ARE YOU STAYING?

UM... AT A FRIEND'S HOUSE.

HE TOLD THIS "FRIEND" ABOUT HIS SITUATION, I SEE.

HOW LONG ARE YOU THINKING OF STAYING THERE?

IT'D BE PERFECT IF HE STAYED WITH ME.

NOT SURE... BUT I'LL LEAVE AS SOON AS I SAVE UP FOR A SECURITY DEPOSIT.

HOW DO I COAX HIM INTO LIVING WITH ME?

YOU DON'T NEED TO STAY WITH THAT FRIEND IN PARTICULAR, RIGHT?

OH... NO.

WHY DON'T YOU STAY AT MY PLACE?

YOU HELPED ME WHEN I HAD MY LAST PANIC ATTACK, AND I'VE BEEN PRETTY STABLE SINCE THEN.

MY DOCTOR SUGGESTED I INTERACT WITH MORE PEOPLE...

AND I'M LONELY AT HOME BY MYSELF.

*NOT TRUE

I THINK IT'D BE NICE IF WE LIVED TOGETHER.

AT YOUR HOUSE...?

OH, UH... LET ME THINK ABOUT IT...

SEO-AN'S HOUSE?

MINSUNG SAID HE DOESN'T MIND ME STAYING OVER...

...BUT I FEEL LIKE A NUISANCE, LIVING OFF OF SOMEONE.

I CAN'T MOVE OUT RIGHT AWAY, BUT I ALSO CAN'T STAY THERE FOREVER.

EVEN WITH SEO-AN, MY CIRCUMSTANCES WON'T CHANGE.

NO MATTER WHERE I GO...

I REALLY HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME.

DO ME A FAVOR, YEAH?

...WILL I REALLY BE ABLE TO HELP?

LOOK AT ME. THE GUY WHO USED TO LOSE IT IN PUBLIC IS NOW GOING AROUND WITHOUT A PROBLEM.

I'LL HELP YOU, SO YOU HELP ME.

YOU'LL BE STAYING HERE. IT'S A SPARE ROOM, SO MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME.

A HOUSEKEEPER COMES TO CLEAN ONCE A WEEK.

...THANKS.

WOW, AND I THOUGHT THE FIRST FLOOR LOOKED LIKE A STAGE SET...

THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE?

MHM I STORED MY FURNITURE AND KITCHENWARE AT THE PIZZERIA. MY MANAGER SAID I CAN KEEP THEM THERE UNTIL I FIND A NEW PLACE.

JUST BRING THEM HERE. IT'LL MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU LATER. THERE'S NOT A LOT TO BRING, ANYWAY.

OH, OKAY!

AND I ALREADY SAID THIS, BUT I DON'T CARE HOW LONG YOU STAY.

IN FACT, THE LONGER THE BETTER. ALTHOUGH YOU DON'T FEEL THE SAME WAY, HUH?

YOU CAN PAY LIVING EXPENSES, IF YOU WANT. JUST KNOW THAT THERE'S NO RUSH.

I KNOW LIVING WITH SOMEONE CAN BE BURDENSOME. BUT ONLY LEAVE ONCE YOU FIND A NICE PLACE TO LIVE.

RIGHT NOW, YOU NEED AND DESERVE ALL THE SUPPORT YOU CAN GET.

OKAY, I'LL DO THAT. THANKS FOR BEING SO CONSIDERATE.

SURE, AS LONG AS YOU UNDERSTAND. TAKE YOUR TIME TO UNPACK.

OKAY.

OH, RIGHT. TELL ME YOUR WEEKLY SCHEDULE. THAT'LL MAKE LIVING TOGETHER A LOT EASIER.

ALRIGHT! I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT AFTER I UNPACK A FEW THINGS.

SOUNDS GOOD.

SEO-AN SAID I SHOULD ACCEPT HIS HELP...

BUT I CAN'T BE TOO SHAMELESS.

I HAVE TO HELP HIM AS MUCH AS I CAN.

IF NOT, THERE'S NO REASON FOR ME TO BE HERE.

YOU'RE PLANNING TO WORK EVEN MORE?

ORGANIZING THEIR SCHEDULE

YEAH, I'M STILL SHORT OF MONEY.

I'M HOPING TO FIND TEMPORARY JOBS ON WEEKEND MORNINGS AND WEEKDAY EVENINGS.

THAT WAY, I CAN GATHER MY SECURITY DEPOSIT AND PAY THE LIVING EXPENSES.

...HOLD ON.

DAMN, THAT WOULD MAKE LIVING TOGETHER POINTLESS.

LET ME THINK OF ANOTHER WAY...

TELL YOU WHAT.

REMEMBER WHAT I SAID YESTERDAY? HOW LIVING WITH YOU MIGHT HELP MY TREATMENT.

OF COURSE. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

WHILE YOU'RE HERE, I'M THINKING OF GOING FOR EVENING WALKS.

I'LL START WITH 10 MINUTES, THEN 20 MINUTES, AND SO ON.

WALKING ALONE IS NERVE- RACKING...

SO I'D LIKE TO WALK BACK TOGETHER WHEN YOU GET OFF WORK.

Text Seo-an a ten-minute notice

Meet halfway

Get off work

Go home

Start walking

GOT IT?

THIS CAN COVER YOUR LIVING EXPENSES. ANY THOUGHTS?

THIS? IT SEEMS A BIT TOO EASY...

THIS MEANS A LOT TO ME. IT'S HARD TO FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN HELP ME EVERYDAY.

SURE, I CAN EASILY PAY ANYONE TO HELP.

BUT FOR ME, IT HAS TO BE YOU.

SEO-AN'S QUITE THE SMOOTH TALKER...

OKAY...

BUT THE LIVING EXPENSES-

AND IF YOU'RE PLANNING TO WORK MORE, CAN I REFER YOU TO SOMEONE?

MY FRIEND WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW HE NEEDS AN EXTRA PAIR OF HANDS. IT'S WELL-PAID, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE TOO TAXING.

OH, IS THAT OKAY? I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT...

SURE, I'LL PASS ON YOUR CONTACT INFO.

TIME TO ASK YOOHAN IF THERE'S ANY WORK AVAILABLE.

YOU MUST BE EXHAUSTED FROM THE MOVE.

GO TO SLEEP. YOU CAN UNPACK TOMORROW.

*WRAPPING UP QUICKLY TO AVOID FURTHER QUESTIONS

OKAY. THANKS FOR TODAY.

OH, ALSO... CAN I BORROW YOUR KITCHEN TOMORROW MORNING?

*NOT TRUE

YOU'RE LEAVING AT 11:30, RIGHT? I HARDLY USE THE KITCHEN, SO GO AHEAD.

IF YOU'RE EATING BREAKFAST TOMORROW, I'LL EAT WITH YOU.

OKAY. SEE YOU TOMORROW.

UGH, SH*T... I DON'T WANT TO WAKE UP.

CAN'T BELIEVE I'M UP THIS EARLY.

I SLIGHTLY REGRET SAYING I'D JOIN HIM FOR BREAKFAST...

...I'LL GO BACK TO SLEEP AFTER SENDING HIM OFF.

I TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID.

WHAT A NICE VIEW TO WAKE UP TO.

WHAT'RE YOU DOING? MAKING BREAKFAST? THERE'S SOMEONE WHO COOKS, SO YOU CAN EAT STUFF OUT OF THE FRIDGE.

YEAH. I FIGURED YOU'RE NOT A BREAKFAST PERSON, SO I BOUGHT A LIGHT SALAD WITH TOAST.

WOW, HOW'D YOU KNOW?

WHAT'RE YOU DOING NOW?

PLATING THE SALAD.

SEEING AS TO HOW WE FIRST MET, I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE.

AND PEOPLE WHO LIVE ALONE DON'T USUALLY EAT BREAKFAST.

WHEN WE FIRST MET?

WHEN I CAME HERE FOR MY FIRST DELIVERY. YOU WERE HALF-ASLEEP.

I HESITATED TO HAND YOU THE PIZZA, IN CASE I GOT THE ORDER WRONG. IT'S BEEN A WHILE, SO YOU PROBABLY WON'T REMEMBER. YOU LOOKED EXHAUSTED.

DON'T TELL ME IT WAS WHEN YOOHAN PLACED AN ORDER!

WHAT DID I SAY THAT DAY?

...I REMEMBER. YOU WERE WEARING YOUR HELMET, SO I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS YOU.

OH, I'D FORGOTTEN TO TAKE IT OFF.

IT WAS MY FIRST TIME AT A PENTHOUSE, SO I MUST'VE BEEN NERVOUS. EVEN THOUGH IT'S MANDATORY.

WANT SOME COFFEE?

SURE.

WHY WERE YOU NERVOUS?

WHY WOULDN'T I BE? I'VE NEVER DELIVERED TO A PLACE THIS GRAND.

NOW THAT YOU'RE INSIDE, YOU MIGHT AS WELL FAINT. HAHA

...DON'T TEASE ME.

YOU KNOW THE PART-TIME JOB I MENTIONED LAST NIGHT?

I GAVE THEM YOUR NUMBER, SO THEY'LL CONTACT YOU SOON.

ALRIGHT. OH, WHAT ABOUT THE EVENING WALKS? HOW WILL THAT WORK?

I'LL HELP HOWEVER I CAN! JUST GIVE ME THE WORD!

HOW RELIABLE.

TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE TEN MINUTES AWAY.

I HAVE TO SLOWLY GET USED TO BEING AROUND OTHER PEOPLE.

OKAY! WHAT ELSE? TELL ME IF THERE'S SOME WAY I CAN HELP YOU MORE.

BRIMMING WITH MOTIVATION

HE'S SO EASY TO READ.

...AT LEAST SOMETHING.