Chapter 68: Drug Peddler Awakening

“We should check 203 too.”

“Why? Uh, why?”

“No, obviously we need to check, right? The leak might not be from 203. It could be from 204 dripping down to 103 or something.”

They’re calling a contractor, but first, they want to see my room.

And naturally, my room’s full of water marks too.

It’s a situation ripe for misunderstanding as a leak.

But showing the house is a bit risky.

“Uh, now’s not great.”

“You really hiding a woman?”

The bromide’s weird enough to cause misunderstandings, and the Fairy Princess looks like a human kid.

I told the Nightmare Queen to shrink, but if she misinterprets and does something weird, it’s trouble.

If she grows big trying to charm the landlord grandpa, that’s a problem.

“No, the poop smell hasn’t aired out.”

The 103 woman frowns, puts her finger under her nose, then lowers it.

Whatever.

I’ve blocked the gate, and honestly, if the landlord wants to see because there’s a leak in his building, blocking him hard is suspicious.

“Eh, it’s probably gone by now. Let’s go up.”

I was worried about showing my room, but hiding it might raise more suspicions, so I switched tactics fast.

Didn’t I clean up expecting people to come in?

Then, 103 and the landlord grandpa enter my room.

I was nervous she might be giant again.

But she winks at figure size.

Good job?

You’re the best…!

I wink back at her wink.

“Oh no? 203 has a leak too? What the heck?”

Probably not, but I kept quiet.

If I say an otherworld rain cloud came and poured down, I’ll look crazy.

“Looks like a leak. I thought it was just humid from the heat, but yeah.”

“The wallpaper’s buckling over there. Hmm? Why’d you put this up?”

As the landlord, he notices the wallpaper first.

“I’m a fan.”

If I remove that bromide, the plaster-filled wall shows.

Gotta set a day for repapering.

Annoying, though.

But lucky the landlord grandpa isn’t the unreasonable type who’d say, “What’s a grown man doing with cartoon pictures!?” and tear it down.

“Oh, doing laundry. But 203’s ceiling is fine?”

Naturally, unlike 103, my ceiling isn’t waterlogged.

No leak here, after all.

And the bed side toward 202 is way wetter than the desk side toward 204.

No idea why, but the cloud hovered where CatMan was belly-down and rained more there.

So I’m drying the blanket.

“Oh?”

When you enter my room, the outside window frame is tinted, and the sink and induction are recessed, so a kid on the sink isn’t visible until you climb on the bed and lie down.

But.

Windows are open for drying laundry, and a dragonfly flew in.

The Fairy Princess reaches out, about to fall from the sink.

No, that’s.

I open the window frame and scoop her up.

“Gotta be careful here.”

“Ah, ehehehe. Hug meee.”

While the Princess is excited, the residents and landlord behind stare oddly.

“…Mom?”

“Huh, a kid? Young man…”

I practiced the answer.

The Fairy Princess hasn’t shrunk for two days, so no choice but to say I’m babysitting.

Can’t put her on the family register.

“Yeah, niece.”

“Oh? Cute hat.”

“We’re getting married!”

“Hoho, close with your niece, huh. But the kid’s hair color… her mom raising her MZ style or something?”

The landlord grandpa praises the light green hair as unique.

The Princess, uninterested in people, clings to me like gum with her pot, looking super cute.

“Uh, 103 miss.”

“Ah, yes.”

“We gotta check 202 and 204 too. Could be leaking from their walls. This is the bathroom side wall for 202.”

“Yeah. 203 might be a victim too?”

“I’ll fix the house, and if work’s big, go stay elsewhere. I’ll refund rent. Don’t worry, anyway, let’s check 202. You coming, young man?”

No, up to 202?

“Princess, stay quiet alone.”

I tell the Fairy Princess to stay put and follow.

On second thought, I need to prove it’s not a leak or pin it on another house for ease.

Can’t move out if work’s big, right?

Of course, it’s an environment perfect for leak misunderstandings.

If my floor really floods, it’d seem like a leak.

But until water from the gate floods again, 103’s wallpaper or ceiling probably won’t get wet.

It’s been fine until this unprecedented indoor rain.

“My room doesn’t seem leaky. Just repaper 103 fully, right?”

“Who, you doing the papering?”

“What can’t I do?”

“It’s hard?”

“I’m confident.”

“No, if you caused the leak as 203 tenant, sure, but it’s my building. No need to worry. Trying to impress this lady?”

It’s natural to misunderstand a non-landlord upstairs tenant offering to paper 103.

But being seen as a crazy guy farming favor everywhere isn’t welcome.

“No. I’m interested in this building, thinking of buying. Then I’d do the papering.”

Boldly brushed it off.

“Haha, really. You said last time too—got money? If you do, buy an apartment and move. Where to marry and live with a lady like this?”

The landlord grandpa doesn’t believe it.

I wouldn’t either if a single guy in a studio claimed he’d buy the building.

“Eh, got enough for down payment. Selling?”

I have foreign currency for if KRW tanks, like a nuke, to negotiate with US military.

Anyway, totals about 150 million.

“Haha. Sure, but fix the leak first? About 800 million. Rates up, tempted to sell. Cash, maybe. Anyway, hey, landlord. 202 miss.”

The landlord grandpa laughs off my talk and rings the bell.

Jjaek-jjaek-jjaek-jjaek.

“This miss, never seen her out, maybe not home?”

And 202, as always and today, seems sleeping like a princess.

“Hey, really. 202 miss! Sleeping? Sun’s high.”

Kungkungkung!

Then some udangtang noise, and finally a voice.

[“Yes? Eh? What, why?”]

“It’s the landlord.”

[“What?!”]

Startled?

“No, why so surprised? Hiding a man?”

Landlord grandpa.

Must be stressed about tenants cohabiting.

[“Uh, no. Why?”]

“Just wanna see inside quick? No need to clean. No makeup needed.”

[“W-what for?”]

202’s voice is clearly flustered.

Well.

No choice but to be flustered.

I was too.

“No, check if wall’s leaking. Wallpaper soaked and sticking or anything?”

Silence from 202.

“Hey, miss? Listening? No answer? Hey, open up.”

[“No… sorry, b-busy, can you come back?”]

Sounded asleep, but busy?

“Hey, busy after sleeping? Just a sec?”

[“Wallpaper’s fine.”]

“Really?”

[“Yes, really okay. I’ll tell if problem!”]

“Then just a peek. Next and below are messed with water. Don’t know where leak’s from, just open quick.”

[“Grandpa, sorry, but v-viral infectious disease, feeling bad, can’t open. Sorry. Cough, cough. S-self-quarantine.”]

Oh.

202’s cool.

Why didn’t I think of that?

Me thinking poop first—wrong?

“Hey, really. Feeling bad? If leak caused mold on wallpaper, I’ll replace, that’s why.”

[“Yes, might spread, don’t come in. Sorry.”]

202 cuts the intercom talk, giving no room with “sick.”

The landlord grandpa looks super awkward.

“That damn epidemic still around. Hey, really. Hard to check this house? Once it spreads, big trouble.”

“Yeah, well.”

And I cheer for 202.

If they touch the plaster wall checking, I’m in trouble.

I fixed it, but the mosquito hole wallpaper’s dented.

“No choice. 103 miss, I’ll repaper right after finding leak. Bear till tech comes. If unlivable, I’ll refund rent, stay elsewhere, sorry as landlord. If leak worsens, call right away.”

“Yes, going in.”

“203 young man, sorry too. Like 202. Always breaking noises.”

So the landlord grandpa takes the elevator up.

In the hallway, I head home, but awkwardly tell 103.

“Uh, yes. I’m going too.”

“Uh, I have a niece too.”

“Yes?”

She says random stuff from downstairs 103.

Says leftover baby stuff if needed. Like a carrier or something.

“Yes?”

“Stay strong.”

“?????????”

What… misunderstanding?

Jiiiing, jiiiing.

103 goes downstairs, and while I’m baffled.

A message on my phone.

[Oppa… what do I do?]

I hold the Nightmare Queen’s hands tight.

“Protect my room.”

The house is scheduled for leak detection.

If they just detect and leave, no big issue?

But that’s not the problem.

The broken wall.

And monsters that could come anytime.

“Ah. Um! If you want, anytime. As much!”

“Be friends with the Fairy Princess too!?”

“No need to be awkwardly friendly. We don’t talk, but.”

“Really catch the monsters?”

“If not my clan’s kids crossing…”

“Thanks, really thanks.”

Need solid recruitment of the Nightmare Queen.

The reserves in my room are like cabbage, sheep, wolf.

So as owner, without supervision, cabbage and sheep might vanish—obsessed with that.

In short, chaos.

If the Nightmare Queen as wolf doesn’t eat the sheep, and growls to stop sheep eating cabbage, acting as disciplinarian, I can leave relaxed.

Also, the Nightmare Queen might say no, but if she runs away while I’m gone, charming men who resist to level them up hugely, that’s trouble.

After firmly asking the uncontrollable Queen.

Heading out to make money.

“Uh, um, if so grateful…”

“What? If not vitality, anything I can do.”

“I heard something like that, can you gift?”

“Ah, phone?”

“Yes, yesss! I wanna try that too. Please!”

Thought she’d parrot vitality, but smartphone’s cheap.

“Yeah, of course. Thanks, really thanks.”

“Ah, no need to hold hands awkwardly, or hug.”

That’s charm. Leveling up.

The Queen says she’ll do as I say for a smartphone.

Plenty of carriers. Just activate and give…

Called.

“Wow.”

The Nightmare Queen sparkles watching me call.

Hands clasped in prayer.

“Ah. Yes, director. Yesss. Did you check?”

Nabit’s academy director’s getting me tens of millions in special malt candy preorders.

Plan billions in CSAT season, but still short.

Kim old man’s inheritance timing unclear.

[Uh, rich families’ autistic or intellectually disabled kids, right?]

Had some thoughts or ethics.

What’s different from seeing them as money overhead?

If no qualms, would’ve started quack treatments long ago.

But this leak incident taught me.

To protect here, I need fucktons of money.

If the gate was huge, and their bodies really like ours?

And if they cross intact someday?

If sea pours from gate causing flood disaster, damage multiplies.

Thinking big picture, I’m the only efficient gate blocker now, can’t pass level up system freely.

But if I can’t exert full power fretting in this tight space, that betrays humanity too.

“Once, connect to families where the kid can be treated to normal human intellect, sell?”

Yes.

Also.

Finding the scar-healing burn treatment new drug and its researcher.