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"You. Go out with me."
What the hell is this? Baek Saheon thought.
He didn’t respond with something dumb like, "Aren't we already outside?" It wasn't just because he valued his life—he had a bad feeling about this.
When someone says ‘go out’ so deliberately, doesn’t it usually mean… that?
‘I knew Kim Soleum was crazy, but no way…’
No, this must be one of Kim Soleum’s twisted games—throwing out vague words just to enjoy watching his reaction. He couldn’t afford to give this psychopath an opening. Baek Saheon forced himself to respond as cheerfully as possible.
"Ah, sure! When should we head out?"
"Don’t try to wiggle out of this. Date me."
‘Date.’
Baek Saheon truly hadn't expected to hear that word. His mind went blank for a second before he managed to blurt out a response.
"Why...?"
"Because I like you."
What kind of bullshit—?!
Wait a minute. Now that he thought about it, this lunatic had saved his life a few times, and seemed to find him entertaining somehow. Was that because he 'liked' him?
It actually seemed to make sense. Baek Saheon felt goosebumps rise on his skin.
"Uh, well, I don’t like you, sir."
"Does that matter?"
Fuck…
Baek Saheon wanted to curse out loud, but his survival instincts kept him silent.
"Well?"
In the end, he...
"...Yes, I accept..."
He agreed to date his psychotic boss.
That was last Thursday evening.
Today was Friday. Even in the company cafeteria, Kim Soleum ignored his usual group and deliberately sat next to Baek Saheon.
Suppressing his growing despair, Baek Saheon thought -
How the hell do I break up with this guy safely?
To make matters worse, the table’s conversation topic was romance. Baek Saheon focused on eating, trying to ignore it, but then—
"What kind of person do you like, Supervisor Roe Deer?"
Baek Saheon tensed upon hearing Team C’s Supervisor’s question.
This psycho wouldn’t actually announce we’re dating here, right?
"Hmm... I guess someone with curly hair and pretty eyes?"
Psycho bastard.
Baek Saheon felt a chill run down his spine.
‘Wow… the very eye you’re responsible for destroying?’
He thought that eye was pretty? Was this some twisted psychopathic logic—like it was beautiful because there was only one? With Kim Soleum, anything was possible.
‘Curly hair? Just wait until the weekend. Even if I have to spend a fortune I’ll straighten it out!’
"Aw, you only care about looks?"
"Personality is important too."
What kind of bullshit are you going to say now? Whatever it is, I’ll do the complete opposite!
"I like people with strong opinions."
Kim Soleum, upon saying that, smiled at Baek Saheon as if he could read his irritation.
Back at his desk, Baek Saheon saw a new KakaoTalk message from Kim Soleum.
Should he check it?
Ignoring it might just make things worse later. With a grimace, he clicked on it.
[Clear your schedule this weekend.]
A simple message, nothing more than what the preview showed. Baek Saheon quickly typed a prepared response.
[Sir, I’m really busy this weekend. I have a hospital appointment.]
It was true. Not that he was sick! A new mole had appeared on his face, so he was planning to visit a dermatologist. Might as well get some skincare done while he was at it… and, yes, a trip to the hair salon, too…
His phone vibrated. Kim Soleum was calling.
Over this? Seriously?
Annoyed but wary, Baek Saheon answered.
"Are you sick?"
"Uh, not really… just a minor issue."
"Where?"
"Just… my face isn’t in great condition."
Kim Soleum was silent for a moment. Was he actually worried?
"Where's the hospital?"
A bad feeling crept over Baek Saheon. He quickly named a place far from their residence. “Mokdong.”
"Oh? Perfect. I know some great restaurants there. Let’s go together."
Oh...
Baek Saheon’s plans to visit the hair salon after stopping by the dermatologist was ruined.
With Kim Soleum watching, going to straighten his hair would be suicide.
After the dermatologist visit, Kim Soleum took him to a brunch café—it was delicious - then they went to see a movie.
It was Baek Saheon who had insisted on a movie. His thought was that at least for these two and a half hours, he wouldn't have to talk to Kim Soleum. However, he thought that if he left the movie selection to Kim Soleum, they might end up watching the Pororo movie, so he chose the movie himself. Still, he left the ticket reservation to Kim Soleum.
As a result -
‘I should have done it myself!’
The problem was that he let Kim Soleum make the reservation because he didn't want to spend money. This psycho had booked couple's seats!
"Problem?"
As he faced Kim Soleum's calm, incomprehensible smile, Baek Saheon silently raised a white flag.
"No..."
The movie started.
Not even five minutes after they started, Baek Saheon felt Kim Soleum grab his hand.
As the movie progressed, Kim Soleum's hand climbed up Baek Saheon's arm, and by the end of the movie, they were watching the movie while half embracing each other.
This wasn’t even a romance movie—it was just a normal horror film. What was this guy doing?
Even when the credits rolled, Kim Soleum didn’t let go.
The scariest thing in that theater wasn’t the movie—it was Kim Soleum!
Although that Saturday’s date had been a nightmare, there was one silver lining : Kim Soleum paid for everything.
Of course, since Kim Soleum was the one to ask him out, that was to be expected. But there was no guarantee that a lunatic like Kim Soleum would do what everyone else did, so Baek Saheon thought that was a relief.
Another stroke of luck—Baek Saheon had a long business trip scheduled for the next week.
The business trip would last for five days.
'Then I can get away from that psycho for the next week!’
The long business trip that he had previously thought of as a nuisance was now his savior.
Or so he thought.
"You’re here."
Waiting for him at the train station Monday morning wasn’t his usual colleague, Jang Heoun.
It was Kim Soleum.
"Sir?! Why are you here?"
"Oh, Jang Heoun seemed tired, so I switched places with him. Plus, this expedition seemed interesting."
Like hell that was a casual decision.
Even though Daydream was a company that ran haphazardly, it was still a large company. There was no way that a request to go on another team's exploration would be so easily accepted!
Did this lunatic really go through all that trouble just because he didn’t want to be apart for five days?!
With this Darkness, you were supposed to take action on the fifth day after observing the phenomenon that repeated for five days. The first day passed without any particular problem, and Baek Saheon headed to the hotel without thinking. There, he encountered a reality that was even scarier than a ghost story: he and Kim Soleum were sharing a double room.
When he was with Jang Heoun, he had decided it without much thought because he was pressured by his superiors to save on travel expenses. But things were different now that he was with a psychopath who 'liked' him.
They had separate beds, of course, but it was Kim Soleum. Who knew what he’d do?
Baek Saheon finished his shower in ten minutes, changed in the bathroom, and got into his bed while Kim Soleum was showering.
He immediately started pretending to be asleep.
In reality, he was planning to grit his teeth and stay awake until Kim Soleum fell asleep.
The sound from the shower stopped.
After a while, the bathroom door opened.
A pair of slipper-clad feet walked toward the bedroom…
… and stopped in front of Baek Saheon’s bed.
Cold, long fingers slowly brushed his arm.
Baek Saheon tried not to react. Still, when cold fingertips touched his face, he couldn't help flinching.
What was this lunatic planning?
Was he about to kiss him?
A sleeping person?
He couldn't let his guard down because someone like Kim Soleum might actually do it.
But since there was nothing he could do right now, Baek Saheon kept his eyes closed and held his breath…
"...Really," Kim Soleum murmured.
"You look nothing like you should."
A light tap on his cheek.
"Sleep well."
The footsteps moved away from Baek Saheon’s bed.
...What?
Nothing happened. A little bit of touching, but it didn't go any further than that.
Was he planning to come back after letting him down his guard?
Baek Saheon had to wait until he heard even breathing from the bed on the other side of the room before he could fall asleep.
The next day.
Clearly, this darkness had to be entered by observing a pattern that appeared regularly in one place for five days. That was it, but…
“Well, that’s it.”
That Kim Soleum went and finished the work in just two days!
On the morning of the second day, too!
Thanks to Kim Soleum basically carrying everything by himself, Baek Saheon didn't have much to do. He just did as he was told, and after escaping the darkness, he was responsible for rebooking the return train ticket and writing the report. In short, he had totally gotten a free ride.
'What the heck, this is a huge gain!'
The tension from the day before was already fading.
'This…'
This dating thing…
…Maybe it wouldn't be that bad after all?
Wouldn't it be a huge win if he just kept going along with Kim Soleum like this?
Surprisingly, he didn’t particularly try to touch him at night…
At work, he’d give him free rides…
Sticking with Kim Soleum outside of work wasn’t as bad as he’d thought, either.
Kim Soleum surprisingly kept his boundaries in public. Even if he was a psychopath, maybe he still didn’t want to out himself… The only time he made it obvious that this was a “date” was when he paid for all their meals.
And every restaurant and café he took them to was high-end and delicious.
More than anything, whereas talking to Kim Soleum used to feel like staring into a bottomless abyss, now that Baek Saheon knew he liked him, he felt a little more at ease. Kim Soleum was still terrifying, but he felt… somewhat reassured.
Honestly, Baek Saheon had always had complicated feelings about Kim Soleum.
He thought he was a lunatic and wanted to avoid him, but he couldn’t deny there was a part of him that admired him, too.
Sure, he was a psychopath… but he was also incredibly capable.
When he realized that someone like that saw him as special…
He couldn’t help but feel a bit… elated.
Like he had been acknowledged.
Even that insane guy’s unusual perspective…
In truth, Baek Saheon knew that he himself also saw the world differently from others.
Baek Saheon had always assumed other people were just stupid. That they weren’t as quick-witted as he was.
So when, suddenly, someone completely unpredictable appeared before him…
The feelings that stirred in Baek Saheon were:
Fear,
Jealousy,
Awe,
And…
After that, Baek Saheon and Kim Soleum continued to go on dates every weekend.
And on weekdays?
They stuck together then, too. Ordering delivery together, going grocery shopping…
It felt like living together as a couple.
‘Which, well… we are dating…’
Every night, they sat side by side on the couch, munching on popcorn, watching kids’ cartoons.
At first, it felt ridiculous and terrifying, but after Kim Soleum agreed to watch a regular thriller movie with him one time, Baek Saheon started to get used to it.
He even started to see the appeal in kids’ shows—apparently they had plotlines, too.
Kim Soleum never tried to do anything beyond hugging, morning or night.
About four weeks passed in this fashion.
Baek Saheon started feeling strangely frustrated.
At first, he thought it was a relief. He didn’t have to sleep with the guy but still got all the benefits, so this was a win, right?
But at some point… something started to feel off.
If regular couples go on one date a week, then by that math, seeing each other every day for nearly a month meant they had already been dating for six months’ worth of dates.
But even after all that time, they hadn’t progressed at all?
It was a relief, sure, but…
Why wasn’t he even trying to take things further?
Every night, after watching TV together, Kim Soleum would get up and head straight to his own room.
By himself.
Baek Saheon felt weird about it.
Kim Soleum was the one who confessed. So why was he the one always walking away first?
Didn’t he like him?
Was this really it?
Did he ask him out just to… hold hands on the couch?
So… wholesome. What the hell…
One night, when Kim Soleum was in the shower, Baek Saheon found himself talking to that fucking rabbit plushie that Kim Soleum always carried around.
"Hey, Braun. What the hell does your owner think of me? I mean, I know he likes me, but seriously…"
He trailed off and suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of self-awareness.
Was he seriously talking to a stuffed animal right now?
Even though no one was watching, he felt embarrassed as hell.
Trying to justify himself, he mumbled,
"Even this fucking rabbit gets to sleep next to him…"
Saying it out loud made him feel even worse. Baek Saheon decided to just shut up.
No, but really, when it's two guys dating, wasn't it normal for things to progress quickly? Especially when they were roommates?
Kim Soleum could literally do whatever he wanted with him, yet he didn’t want anything more?
It was a relief, sure, but…
Still…
If they were going to date anyway…
Wouldn’t it be better if Kim Soleum liked him even more?
'After all, they say the one who loves more is at a disadvantage…'
One evening.
Baek Saheon was lazily folding up an empty popcorn bag, sitting on the couch.
He had just finished watching a kids’ cartoon with Kim Soleum, who had gone to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
It was just another uneventful night.
Or so he thought.
“...?”
Kim Soleum stepped out of his room.
‘Does he want a hug again?’
This lunatic acted like he had no intention of deep skinship, but strangely liked hugs. Especially on days when he worked overtime, he would hug him at least once before going to bed. By this time, Baek Saheon was used to it, so he didn't think much of it.
Kim Soleum walked toward the couch.
Baek Saheon stood up and opened his arms.
But Kim Soleum didn’t hug him. Instead, he silently gazed at Baek Saheon’s face…
With one hand, he gently cupped his cheek.
‘…Huh?’
Was this… happening?
Was this it?
Baek Saheon’s mind went blank.
He always knew this moment would come eventually.
When they first started dating, all he could think about was how to avoid this situation.
But now that it was actually happening…
He felt breathless.
Kim Soleum’s expression remained unreadable as he leaned in closer. But his hand was soft, and his fingertips brushed against Baek Saheon’s hair.
In that moment, Baek Saheon had the foolish thought…
That he was glad he had curly hair…
Their faces grew closer, and finally—
Their lips touched.
‘Ah.’
Finally.
Finally, it was starting.
His heart pounded.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Was it fear? Excitement?
Maybe both.
Thump thump thump thump.
Baek Saheon closed his eyes.
"Saheon."
Baek Saheon opened his eyes.
Kim Soleum was looking at him.
"You worked hard this past month."
"...?"
Kim Soleum saw the look on Baek Saheon’s face and chuckled.
Then, like always, he gently patted Baek Saheon’s cheek.
And said:
"Let’s break up now."
At that moment, countless thoughts raced through Baek Saheon's mind.
Did I mishear him?
No… was my skill that bad?
Is he seriously just using and dumping me after one kiss? Without even going all the way?
No way. He put in way too much effort for that… This must be a joke.
Yeah, it's gotta be a joke.
Of course. Freaking psychopath. Who messes with their boyfriend like this…
"I treated you to a lot of meals, so I'm taking this as payment."
Kim Soleum held up a dream essence collector filled with D-rank potion—who knows where he got it from?
Baek Saheon just stared at it blankly.
Kim Soleum continued as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
"We broke up, but let’s still watch TV together sometimes. No objections, right?"
…What?
"Oh, and go check the mirror in the bathroom. You owe me your life again. Got it?"
With that, Kim Soleum shut his door and disappeared.
Like a robot being controlled, Baek Saheon mechanically walked to the bathroom.
When he looked in the mirror…
…The mole on his face that had made him visit the dermatologist for weeks was gone.
…His body felt strangely refreshed.
Only then did Baek Saheon vaguely understand the situation.
Kim Soleum really had saved his life.
But…!
But,
I,
I…!
- What a fun spectacle! As expected, there's no time to be bored when you're next to Mr. Roe Deer!
"Ha ha ha…"
I wish I could catch a break!
As if things weren't enough at work, I'm now encountering a ghost story at home!
D-rank Ghost Story : "Date or Die."
A curse that kills you if you don’t date within a set time frame. If the relationship lasts for more than a month, the curse ends safely. Fake relationships don’t count, and regular physical affection—plus a certain level of intimacy—is mandatory.
You might be thinking, what kind of a ghost story is this? Truth is, this was actually a meta horror story half written as a joke, meant to target Wiki readers. Basically, it’s saying, "If you're the kind of person who spends all day locked up reading ghost stories, you’ll never escape from this one!’
My roommate Baek Saheon was caught up in that ghost story.
The moment I saw that heart-shaped mark under his right eye, I knew.
At first, I was going to tell him right away. It would also be a good chance to make him owe me a favor… But this was a story that wasn’t even close to being a horror story, so it wasn’t even in the company database. I wasn’t sure if I could convince that ‘Viper’ with just my words.
And honestly, I doubted Baek Saheon could maintain a stable relationship for a whole month with his personality. More than anything, I felt bad for whoever would have to date him and get dumped.
After thinking it over, there was only one answer.
"Now that it's come to this, let's double down on keeping him in line!"
The relationship that started like that was surprisingly not bad. Although I had a bit of a hard time scheduling to meet the requirement of regular physical affection…
But having someone to share daily life with was kind of nice, especially when watching kids' cartoons late at night.
Since I switched the concept from just keeping him in line to an actual relationship, I sometimes let him pick what to watch.
Most of his choices involved people getting murdered, but watching them with someone alive next to me made them less scary.
It was exhausting constantly keeping my wits about me while Baek Saheon chattered on, but in its own way, it wasn’t bad.
And honestly, I had designed this setup to be easy for me to maintain.
I mixed in things I used to do with girls I had a crush on, things I thought I’d do if I ever dated, and things I just wanted to do with Baek Saheon.
Clinging to him during scary movies. Sitting close on the couch, touching him to feel his warmth while watching TV.
And most of all, having someone to hug whenever I wanted… That was more comforting than I expected. Although Baek Saheon was probably stressed as hell…
- Ah, I can't wait to see how our dear next-door victim reacts!
Braun sounded way too excited.
Sigh…
But honestly, I wasn’t too worried.
"Don’t get your hopes up, Braun. Nothing big is going to happen."
Baek Saheon only agreed to date me because he was scared. He’s probably thinking, ‘Thank god it was all fake.’
A normal person might feel played after even kissing, but…
Baek Saheon is quick-witted. He probably understands that I saved his life.
I even took the potion, which should be enough to keep my status in his eyes intact.
It was a decent month, so I feel a little regret, but…
Considering that he’s the ‘Viper’, I should just be glad I got out safely!
With this…
‘Mission: Safe Breakup’ is a success!