BJ Villainess Chapter 365

* * *

The man’s name is ‘Ozworld.’ When I asked what his last name was, I got a weird answer saying that he’d make one up when needed and let me know.

 

“You need a change of clothes, right?”

 

Then Ozworld snapped his fingers. Snap! When I saw his outfit turn into a gray tracksuit set that any ordinary college student might wear, I realized there was no need for extra clothes.

 

Ozworld spoke.

 

“You don’t need to worry about things like that.”

 

He seemed very mindful, as if concerned that his presence might be a burden to me.

 

“But if you ignore me too much, I’d feel a little hurt.”

 

“Ah… I see.”

 

That’s how I answered, but I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Why is he speaking informally?’ Maybe, being an alien, he didn’t understand the concept of politeness in the East Asian way?

 

I wasn’t offended by his informal speech, but it did make me wonder if all aliens were like this—a silly kind of confirmation bias.

 

Anyway, he acted surprisingly friendly toward me, almost suspiciously so. I wondered if I should just drop formalities, too. Well, whatever.

 

He said he had nowhere to return to. When he said that, he looked so pitiful and sad…

 

Living month to month in a tiny apartment near campus, barely getting by each day, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sympathetic toward him. I worried that if he suddenly asked me to buy him something, I might end up with a jade floor mat in this cramped studio. But thankfully, that didn’t happen.

 

For an alien, Ozworld was surprisingly well-versed in how the world worked. He was also very aware of how suspicious his own existence might seem. In other words, he didn’t go outside.

 

Whenever our eyes met, he’d suddenly cough and look away. It was a silent sign that he didn’t want to leave the apartment. After three days of this, I judged that he wasn’t dangerous and spoke.

 

“If you’re okay with it, do you want to stay here?”

 

I didn’t dislike him. I was also curious about what kind of alien he was. So I made the suggestion, and for the first time, I saw Ozworld smile. It was such a shy, happy smile that I ended up feeling embarrassed myself. And so, our strange cohabitation began.

 

* * *

Tap tap tap tap. Unlike the typical developers who work at night and sleep in the morning, I live more like an office worker, with a regular routine. So when I came home from work in the evening, I could hear the sounds of cooking through the thin steel door. Sometimes there was a savory smell—maybe he was making stew.

 

“I’m home.”

 

There’s something odd about having a man set the table for you when you come home. Especially when that man is an extremely handsome guy wearing a white floral apron.

 

“Did you have a good day?” Spotting me, he set down the knife, washed his hands, and dried them on a hand towel—a towel I had no idea why I even owned—before coming over.

 

The happiness and joy in his gentle smile were unmistakable. Lately, I’d found myself unable to look directly at his smile, as if it were some kind of affliction.

 

“What are you making today? Smells good.”

 

As I awkwardly tried to change the subject, he spread his arms as I tried to step past the entrance. He was an alien who loved hugs. So he hugged me at every opportunity—when I left for work, when I came home, before bed, right after waking up, you name it. He said that being like this helped him feel more grounded, less anxious. Every time, I felt like the tragic heroine in a melodrama.

 

Again today, unable to ignore his cuteness, I gave in and accepted the cheesy hug that didn’t really suit my personality. His arms were incredibly broad. He always wore comfortable clothes, so I hadn’t really noticed, but being held like this, I could vaguely sense the impressive physique beneath.

 

My imagination kept conjuring up an image of a perfectly sculpted torso under those clothes. Whenever that happened, I’d frown like a religious person facing temptation. Stop it, just stop thinking.

 

“…Hey. Do we have to keep doing this?”

 

“Doing what?” Ozworld had both arms wrapped around my back, looking at me curiously, as if he had no idea what the problem was.

 

“Never mind.”

 

“Go wash up. Let’s have dinner.”

 

Just before he let go, he started to lean down as if to kiss my cheek, then suddenly stopped. His eyes, sparkling like lapis lazuli, suddenly darkened. Is it because he feels he’s overstepped a boundary? It seemed there was a custom of ‘greeting someone by kissing their cheek’ in the place he came from.

 

The other day, he kissed my cheek while half-asleep, then retreated in shock. After that, we didn’t talk for two days. I was the one who’d been kissed, but he was the one acting all awkward. It was absurd. Unable to bear the awkwardness, I told him I was fine and it wasn’t a big deal. Only then did his expression relax. Until then, he looked like someone on death row.

 

Since then, Ozworld has never made any contact beyond a hug. Still, his gaze was so persistent that there was no way I could miss that he harbored certain feelings for me. For someone as oblivious as I usually am, that was saying something.

 

I quickly washed up in the bathroom and changed into loungewear. In the past, I used to just change in the middle of the room, but since getting a roommate, I’ve had to make small lifestyle adjustments. At first, it felt a little awkward, but now that it had been three months, I’d gotten used to it. I once read online that it takes about three months to form a new habit, and it seemed true.

 

“Come sit down.”

 

Looking like he belonged in a fancy restaurant, Ozworld sat with me at a low table as we ate soybean paste stew, stir-fried meat, and a rolled omelet. This alien was good at Korean food. I bet he’d be good at any kind of cooking if asked.

 

“By the way, can’t you cook with magic?”

 

I’d only recently learned that the power he used was actually magic. He hated talking about himself, so it took quite a while to get that answer.

 

Ozworld chuckled. “I can. But it feels like a bit of a waste.”

 

“Why? Don’t wizards usually have mana in their hearts or something, and use that?”

 

“Jiwoo, you’ve read too many web novels.”

 

This alien was making fun of me for being an Earthling again.

 

“In Earth’s fiction, magic can do anything. People even use it to wash themselves.”

 

Ozworld smirked as if remembering something. “Ah, so that’s why…”

 

“What?”

 

He shook his head. “It’s just a very ‘you’ thing to say.”

 

Hmm. That sounded like an insult…

 

Just then, my phone, left on the floor, started buzzing loudly.

 

[Jin Wonwoo]

 

When I saw the name on the screen, I instinctively glanced at Ozworld.

 

Ozworld tilted his head, his gentle expression unchanged. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to answer?”

 

“…I should.”

 

He was acting just as usual, but for some reason, I thought he seemed annoyed.

 

“Hello?”

 

Jin Wonwoo briefed me on some problems with the game we were working on, asking if I had any solutions. Since I was both a developer and producer, everyone contacted me first whenever there was trouble.

 

“I’ll check it out when I go in tomorrow. Yeah, talk later.”

 

The call ended. For some reason, I felt the need to explain myself, like someone trying to avoid suspicion of cheating.

 

“There’s a problem with the game.”

 

“Really? Sounds tough.”

 

“It’s fine. This is my job.”

 

“…Okay.” He answered in a strange tone, staring at my phone before returning to his meal.

 

Does he want a phone? I awkwardly munched on my omelet, glancing at him. The omelet was fluffy and perfectly cooked.

 

After dinner, we slipped on our slippers and headed outside. We’d started taking nightly walks together not too long ago.

 

“You need more exercise, Jiwoo.”

 

While Ozworld cared about my sodium-laden stew and carb-heavy side dishes, he never interfered. But he couldn’t stand me sitting motionless in front of my laptop every day, so he suggested walks.

 

I thought he stayed inside because alien pursuers might find him, but maybe he’s just a homebody.

 

Walking with him wasn’t bad. Wearing a large T-shirt and a loose windbreaker, Ozworld looked like a model from a concept photo shoot, even with the same slippers as me. It was strange how this look suited him and didn’t at the same time. Under the yellow streetlights, he evoked the mood of a movie scene.

 

Noticing me staring, Ozworld smiled back. “What’s wrong?”

 

“…Nothing. Want to get some ice cream?”

 

I pointed at a convenience store, and he nodded without hesitation.

 

“It’s a bit hot today… Is it because of the strange weather?”

 

Even though it was already the middle of fall, for some reason, I felt the late summer heat.