TGMND 77

Yoon Ji-gu met a strange man near his house. As soon as he saw him, he felt an unpleasant sensation crawling over his skin. Despite looking normal, the man’s eyes were so bright it was scary. It was already annoying enough dealing with troublesome customers at his mom’s cafe, but Ji-gu couldn’t understand why so many weird people kept appearing in his life.

Not long after, the man showed up in front of him again not long after.

“Weren’t you feeding the cat over there last time?”

Why act like he knew him?

“You don’t seem to remember me.”

An expression that looked somewhat disappointed. Ji-gu had no idea what he was disappointed about, he just felt uncomfortable.

I do remember. Of course, I do. It hasn’t been that long, does he think I’m an idiot? How could I forget such a rude person who suddenly startled me from behind? Ji-gu thought to himself.

But Yoon Ji-gu deliberately hardened his expression and shook his head. Then he boldly blurted out, “Your receipt is ready!” He heard someone snicker beside him. His face flushed with heat, and he disliked the man even more. Why do only such jerks keep bothering him in his life? He hoped he’d never have to see his face again.

However, the heavens never seemed to grant Yoon Ji-gu’s wishes properly. Strangely, he kept getting entangled with that man too often.

Ji-gu, who had just scolded some guys who were bothering Neuta, whom he had recently started looking after, bumped into the man standing next to his seat as soon as he got up.

“…”

“…”

The man blinked his gently drooping eyes and slightly raised the corners of his mouth as soon as he saw Ji-gu. His eyes sparkled.

‘Shit!’

He felt a chill run down his spine for a moment. This guy was clearly crazy. How do they keep running into each other at the PC room? Was he following him? Ji-gu hurriedly came down and deliberately waited for the man.

“Go ahead.”

“Pardon?”

“I said, go ahead first.”

The man looked at Ji-gu regretfully and smacked his lips, then trudged across the crosswalk. Why was he smacking his lips? Ji-gu thought. He was the weirdest person he’d ever seen, and it gave him the creeps.

‘…Does he live around here?’

Then he hoped the man should just move away. Yoon Ji-gu frowned as he entered the mart to buy ingredients for lemonade and lemon madeleines.

While trudging along the empty street, he sensed something. Ji-gu stopped looking at his phone and stiffly turned his head to look behind.

“…!”

Yoon Ji-gu was sure he had seen the man walk across the crosswalk. Yet now, the man was following him like a stalker. This was intentional. It had to be intentional! Ji-gu didn’t even remember how he ran all the way home. As soon as he shut the front door, he slumped down with a sigh.

[How to report a stalker to the police]

[Police response time]

[Stalker prison sentence]

[Same-sex stalking]

[How to request PC room CCTV footage]

[What to do if they refuse to provide CCTV]

Squatting in front of his front door, Yoon Ji-gu searched various keywords on his phone and held his breath at a thought that flashed through his mind.

“…This bastard, could it be…”

Yoon Ji-gu thought it might be that person who had been persistently harassing him for over a year. No, he was certain. The thought of the man’s innocent-looking face made his blood boil. Despite being smaller in height and build than Yoon Ji-gu, and looking soft as if he’d only ever studied, yet he was capable of such heinous acts. To be honest, he didn’t look like he could even put up a fight.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Yoon Ji-gu opened the door without a second thought, and there the crazy guy stood, smiling at him. Not expressionless, but smiling at him! Yoon Ji-gu’s legs felt weak again.

“…Was it you?”

“Pardon?”

“You’re the one who sent my report card to my house, right? Ha, because of you, I got scolded by my mom and had all my cards taken away. It’s really annoying. How did you get my report card, and how did you know my address? Don’t tell me you go to the same school as me?”

It was a habit of Yoon Ji-gu’s to blurt out everything he was thinking when flustered. He hated this habit of his too. Even as he spoke, he felt it wasn’t right, but he didn’t show it outwardly. So the man wouldn’t know at all that Yoon Ji-gu was flustered.

“…I just moved in next door.”

“What?”

“Room 902. I moved in.”

He said this while holding a few lemons in front of Yoon Ji-gu.

Impossible. Yoon Ji-gu tried hard to keep his mouth from gaping open and feigned composure. It was true that it had been noisy since morning, which was why he had deliberately gone to the PC room to play games. From next door, he could hear men muttering things like, ‘Master! Ugh, it’s too hard!’ He had thought, ‘What are these perverts doing with their door open?’

It wasn’t his business if his neighbor was a pervert, but if that pervert neighbor was following him around, that was a problem. All his attention was focused on the pervert who had moved in next door. But it didn’t end there. That pervert, believe it or not, had followed him all the way to the swimming pool!

The extremely wicked pervert even raised his hand to greet him as if they knew each other. Why was he waiting for him outside the swimming pool? Countless thoughts raced through Yoon Ji-gu’s mind. If this next-door pervert was the same guy who had been harassing him for over a year, why reveal his identity now? And how did he know Yoon Ji-gu? Did he find out Yoon Ji-gu came to this pool by stalking him? S-stalking? Whatever the case, it was truly terrifying.

Yoon Ji-gu ran home without stopping to avoid the pervert. But the pervert had anticipated his move and unfairly took a bus, waiting for him in front of his house. Although he had installed security devices in the hallway, out of caution, he was blocking the view with his whole body while entering the door lock password when suddenly the pervert touched his body!

“What is it?”

Yoon Ji-gu turned around, speaking maturely. The pervert then looked him up and down with gleaming eyes and made an excuse.

“Do you like sweet things? They’re macarons, eat them when you go inside. Strawberry flavor.”

The snacks were innocent.

“That’s all I have right now. I bought them from a delicious place.”

Delicious snacks were innocent.

“And if there’s no reason to like me, I can just create one, right?”

“…!”

And then that pervert declared war on him! Saying he would give Yoon Ji-gu a reason to like him.

A reason to like him? Like I would ever like a pervert! Unless I get shot in the head, that’s impossible, Yoon Ji-gu thought.

The next-door pervert was truly vicious. To confess so boldly to someone who was expressing dislike with their whole body… How could he get him to move out again? Yoon Ji-gu glared for a long time at the man who didn’t seem like he would give up easily, then pretended to be calm and went inside. His mind was so full of the next-door man’s face that he couldn’t think of anything else.

“…Ah, I don’t know!”

He couldn’t find an answer no matter how much he pondered alone. Yoon Ji-gu finally confided his worries to his gaming friends.

[Party] Ji9star: Where should I start…

[Party] Halloween Eggplant: What could it be that you’re hesitating so much lolololol

[Party] Ji9star: To get to the point, today I got a confession from my next-door neighbor…

[Party] neutaaaa: ?

[Party] Halloween Eggplant: Are you bragging?;;

The reactions were quite lukewarm. This wasn’t bragging. It was clear they didn’t understand that the neighbor was a pervert. This was a serious situation. It wasn’t something to be brushed off as a joke. Yoon Ji-gu tried his best to convince them to take his side.

[Party] Ji9star: There are people who call the guy next door “Master”

[Party] Ji9star: He has two sl4ves

Now they should understand his situation.

[Party] Halloween Eggplant: 3P slave play lololololol

Halloween Eggplant should just leave if he’s going to be annoying.

[Party] neutaaaa: Did you see it with your own eyes?

[Party] Ji9Star: The front door was open so I could hear their voices

Anyway, Neuta was the only one who seemed to take his story seriously. It was worth raising a penniless person from scratch. Yoon Ji-gu whined to Neuta, spilling out all the misdeeds of his neighbor. Confiding his worries to someone made him feel somewhat calmer.

[Party] neutaaaa: By the way, what did that person say when confessing?

[Party] Ji9star: What did he say again…

[Party] Ji9star: Something about making me like him…

It was really creepy. If he liked it, he should keep it to himself, and I didn’t understand why he wanted to drag me into it. How I wish I could show everyone else how sinister the look on the man’s face was when he said it.

[Party] neutaaaa: It doesn’t seem like he genuinely likes you

[Party] neutaaaa: Maybe he’s trying to tame you and play with you?

“…!”

[Party] Halloween Eggplant: Pet Earth♥

It gave him goosebumps. Neuta’s words seemed right. He had become the new target of the next-door pervert.

[Party] neutaaaa: But perverts get more excited^ if you react strongly

Unlike the evil Halloween Eggplant who was just dying of laughter at this situation, neuta even gave practical advice. It made sense. From tomorrow, he must absolutely not react to the pervert’s words. Yoon Ji-gu made a firm resolution and fell asleep with a peaceful mind.

The pervert followed him to the swimming pool. When he saw his face at the pool, he felt like his heart dropped to his feet. The man was clearly trying to gather information about him by talking to the kids. It was certain, given how he kept glancing at him.

“…”

“…”

Every time he looked up, their eyes met. Absolutely do not feed. Yoon Ji-gu muttered this in his mind and shook his head.

Exactly on the twenty-second time their eyes met, the pervert finally approached to speak to him. …No, he thought he was going to speak, but the man looked him up and down closely. Yoon Ji-gu crossed his arms and glared at the man.

But the man, not at all intimidated, suddenly asked for his age and then suggested they go wash up together.

‘Maybe he’s trying to tame you and play with you?’

‘Pet Earth♥’

“…!”

Remembering what he heard yesterday, goosebumps covered his entire body. He must never show his body in front of the pervert. If he did, he might really become a pet to the pervert. Having to call that man “Master” was creepily disgusting.

‘You’ve just been rejected!’

At the time Yoon Ji-gu was having a standoff with the pervert next door…

“What the heck, is this a bug?”

[Guild] Wandu Wandya: That’s not a bug, it’s a command that appears when someone breaks up the couple lol

[Guild] Ji9star: Huh, what are you talking about?

[Guild] neutaaaa: I broke it off

[Guild] Ji9star: …

It was shocking. Neutaaaa, who had always given him useful advice, had cut ties cleanly. He remembered their agreement to be a couple only until a specific event ended, and Neutaaaa had just outright dumped him. It was just an in-game couple breakup. It wasn’t something to be shocked about since they weren’t really dating, but he did feel a bit hurt inside. After being so nice and giving him several good items… He wondered if their relationship really meant so little.

While the guild members were talking about Yoon Ji-gu’s stalker story, neuta, who hadn’t said anything, sent him a private message.

[Whisper] neutaaaa: Are you really okay?

While his stalking incident had become more of a joke than a concern to other guild members due to his previous whining, it seemed different for neuta. He had a sensitivity that others lacked. And this… was clearly concern. It was certain, given that he asked privately.

[Whisper] Ji9star: You’re really worried about me, huh? LOL

[Whisper] neutaaaa: So what if I am?

[Whisper] Ji9star: lolololololololololol

So he was worried after all! Feeling unnecessarily elated, Yoon Ji-gu even attempted their first voice chat under the pretext of explaining the situation. Neuta joined the voice channel without much resistance. Despite pretending to dislike it, he complies with everything when asked!

-…Hello?

A somewhat cautious voice. Despite the degraded sound quality through the poor server, his voice had the power to put people at ease. Even his voice was just like neuta. However, he was still as firm as ever, even on the phone.

Yoon Ji-gu briefly told neuta about the past stalker incident. Neuta kept indicating that he was listening by making reactive sounds throughout the story. Neuta was indeed worried about him. The corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up. It felt like he had gained an older brother. Even though he already had one, anyway.

“Can I ask for advice sometimes?”

-Yes.

Awesome!

“Then can I call you hyung?”

-No.

“…”

He was too firm on these points, but it wasn’t bad. Yoon Ji-gu once again sent a couple request to neuta, and neuta cursed.

-Earth Star, do you perhaps like me?

It was nonsense. Who likes whom? Did he equate him with the pervert next door? Yoon Ji-gu scoffed.

“What? Am I crazy? It’s good to get the couple effect. Do you think I’d really suggest dating between men? Unless I get shot in the head…. I’m not gay, you know? Definitely not. I really, completely hate men, you know? I went to an all-boys high school and my absence record was no joke. Want to see? I barely even talk to my own brother. Are you perhaps gay?”

He successfully made a logical argument. Neuta, seemingly persuaded by his words, was silent for a moment, then let out a faint sigh. His heart sank along with that faint sigh.

-Ah, forget it. Do it with someone else! It’s creepy when hearts appear as you get closer when you’re far apart.

“Ha, I find it creepy too! This is just unavoidable because of the effect…!”

Yoon Ji-gu stopped mid-retort and closed his mouth. His defensive stance suddenly felt a bit pathetic.

Shortly after, guild members flocked in and started teasing him again. In an instant, Yoon Ji-gu became the regretful man trying to hold onto Neuta who had dumped him. Everyone excelled at running their mouths without knowing anything.

-…So what will you do for me if I accept the relationship?

Neuta, while appearing firm, was surprisingly soft-hearted. He gives in to everything if you plead. Even though Yoon Ji-gu had to send him 2 billion won in the mail to become a couple again, he was able to prevent the breakup.

Yoon Ji-gu felt elated. It felt like he had crossed a little bit over the line Neuta had drawn.