T/n: Thoughts are in apostrophes.
One day, I suddenly got reincarnated into a BL novel. My memory of that isn't clear. I can't even remember the title of the novel. It seems the word "gudeuljang*" was included, but I'm not too sure. (T/n: a "gudeuljang" is a Korean floor heating stone. You know, the ones Koreans put on the floor in order to heat it up. It's pretty self-explanatory). But right now, why does that matter?
'How do I get out of here?'
After looking around for a while, nothing came to mind. If you suddenly put someone in a novel, shouldn't you also tell them how to get out? I sighed, resenting the unknown existence.* (T/n: the being that got him into the reincarnated novel, perhaps?)
'Why did this happen?'
I couldn't tell. Aside from being in a BL, why did I reincarnate into such a stupid side-top character? No, can this even be called a side-top? He* (T/n: referring to the guy the MC reincarnated into) is much more like a villain. I don't remember the title, but I know the contents of the story quite well.
Seo Jaewoo. An unemployed man living off renting a house inherited from his grandma. He once dreamed of becoming an idol, but soon gave up because he had no talent, so he was living an idle life with the remaining wealth his parents and grandmother gave him. However, there was only one thing this lousy man was interested in.
Yoo Hyeonjin. A young, indebted man who moved into the village slums because his previous house was ruined.
He took care of his two younger siblings and struggled with numerous part-time jobs. While harassing such a nice young man, Seo Jaewoo makes it more difficult by subtly (T/n: not so subtly) demanding his body. If Hyeonjin cannot pay the monthly 200,000 Won* in rent, his body was demanded too. (T/n: approximately, $150 U.S. Dollars)
Yes, and Jaewoo eventually tries going for the main bottom. (T/n: watch out for the top, Jaewoo!) That's not okay! I don't know what would happen if I died, but I certainly don't want to know. I value my life very much, so I have decided I will try to not be hated by the main bottom, and I'm going to avoid the Gwanggong* and survive! (T/n: this is similar to its Japanese counterpart, a seme, which you guys might know. I will call him the main top, just like the other roles) I've made a firm decision! But wouldn't it be possible to solve this situation if I gathered information?
Well, a decision is a decision, and right now, It's a matter of making a living. (T/n: surviving basically.)
Early in the morning after staying up all night, I woke up yawning. I thought, 'Still, Jaewoo's quite tall and his face isn't lacking either, he is the side top after all.' He wasn't good at singing, dancing, or acting, so he spent a lot of time idling at the agency and got kicked out.
'Huh, even if I take off my pajamas and put on rough-looking sweatpants, I look pretty good.' But that's not important. I scratched my head and went to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. Then, I went to the kitchen to put some rice in the rice cooker.
'For one person? Or for two people?'
I didn't hit four servings while thinking, though.
'Ah, freshly cooked rice is delicious.'
After confirming that the rice cooker was making a small noise, I opened the refrigerator., but there were no ingredients. The original Jaewoo wasn't the type to cook and eat something himself. However, I wasn't Jaewoo and I enjoyed cooking. All I found were dried green onions, deep-fried kimchi, pork, and old eggs.
'This is still pretty good, isn't it?'
I laughed and poured sesame oil into the pot. Then, I stir-fried the cut kimchi with the meat. The combination of the sour smell of kimchi and the savory smell of the meat went well together. Even just smelling it made my mouth water.
This kimchi is so delicious you can make a savory kimchi stew without using the broth. Jaewoo's now-deceased grandmother was good at making kimchi, therefore, the kimchi-jjigae* that was almost done making should taste fantastic. (T/n: kimchi-jjigae is a stew-like Korean dish) While the kimchi-jjigae was boiling, I cracked an egg open to make egg rolls. I used an old frying pan, but it still did its job and a fairly good egg roll was born. Its chubby yellow body looked very appetizing.
Around the same time, the door to the house on the other side of the yard opened. Out came two children who were twelve and eight years old each. They were Yoo Hyeonjin's younger siblings.
The two went to wash their face in the faucet by the yard. It seems Hyeonjin has been working part-time since early on, no wonder they were alone. One of them runs back into their room shivering from the cold water. And for a moment, he looked in my direction.
'Come to think of it, do they have anything to eat?'
Concerned, I looked at the freshly prepared kimchi-jjigae, egg rolls, and rice in turn. It was too much to eat alone. But can I ask them to eat with me? It'd be unusual if I did, it's obvious the children would be wary.
After thinking for a while, I stretched my long legs and walked towards the closed door. Still, they are the main bottom's younger siblings. There's nothing wrong with having them like me in advance. When I knocked on the wall instead of the damaged door, a voice came from inside.
"Who are you?"
"Me? I'm the landlord. Have you eaten?"
Then, after a moment of hesitation, a voice came from inside.
"I ate."
They could have eaten already, but it wouldn't have been a proper meal. A room with a monthly rent of 200,000 won does not have a kitchen and bathroom installed. So you have to rent the landlord's kitchen or use a portable gas burner to cook, but these are children. Hyeonjin couldn't have his siblings do such a dangerous thing. That means they must've eaten just bread.
"Come out."
"Why?"
"Come out, come out. Aren't I the landlord?" I said, adding light threats. Then, the previously closed door cracked open. The children were looking through the slight crack.
"I'll give you some food."
They gave me a suspicious look. In particular, the older child, who was overflowing with the will to report me to the police in case of an emergency. He seemed to have been well educated by his brother.
"Really, I ate too much by mistake."
Even after minutes of arguing, the children did not come out. Since there's nothing I can do, I'll have to find another way. I pursed my lips and poured the kimchi into another bowl. Then, I set a table and put it by the children's door.
"Eat."
After that, I went back into the kitchen and took a sneak peek as the children sneaked out. After seeing the rice, they hesitated and took the whole table inside.
"Fine."
I smiled and continued to eat my meal. Sour and spicy kimchi stew with white rice and chewed egg rolls.
It's good. As expected, even if I changed bodies, my original skill did not go anywhere. After I finished my meal, I was full and missed my warm room. I got into bed and crawled under the cozy covers. It's not good to lie down after eating, but I'm so satisfied.
And for a while, I forgot my worries.
Late in the afternoon, I woke up and opened the door, but something caught my eye. I looked down and saw that the dishes I had prepared for the children this morning were neatly washed and piled up in front of the door.
Even if it's not winter yet, the water is still cold, but it seems the dishes were thoroughly washed. I scratched the back of my head and picked up the bowls that were lined up in rows.
I know they're still young, but it seems that they matured earlier compared to others their age. I felt sorry for them. Their mother ran away soon after meeting their trashy father and left them indebted. How hard had the little ones had it?
I'm glad they had a good meal. Children need to eat well.
I went into the kitchen holding the bowl I had prepared. After putting it away, I went to the refrigerator to write down what I needed to buy on a notepad.
"There are not just one or two things to buy."
What the hell do these kids eat? I clicked my tongue and left the house wearing a jacket and holding a card. There was a supermarket in the neighborhood, but it was small and cards weren't accepted there. So I went a little farther.
No matter how much I hadn't exercised, I was already out of breath when I arrived at the mart.
'So, what should I buy?'
Eggs, leeks, onions, potatoes, etc… I was buying basic things, but suddenly, a mart flyer caught my eye. Pork belly was on the list of today's discount event.
"Two pounds of pork belly please."
I bought two pounds of it. At first, I thought it would be just one jin*, but when I thought about it there are more people I would need to feed. I don't know if I would be able to eat it all, but I decided to buy two geun* with a big heart. You can put the leftovers in the freezer and add them to the stew later while cooking. After buying all that, both of my hands were full of groceries. (T/n: a jin is a Chinese form of measurement. One jin is approximately 500 grams and one geun, a Korean form of measurement, is around 600 grams.)
I asked if it could be delivered to my neighborhood, but the grocer refused because they said it was too difficult to climb the hill.
"That's so petty!" I muttered to myself, carrying the groceries up the narrow slope. As I gasped and climbed, I noticed the sky starting to get dark. Before I knew it, the street lights flickered on. It seems the days are getting shorter as winter approaches.
"This is so difficult, " I said. As I climbed up with all my arrogance and complaints, I suddenly saw someone young walking slowly from the other side. The man wearing an old coat and walking wearily looked familiar.
'Hyeonjin!'
I looked around to see if I could hide, but there was no place to do so. 'So will I pretend I didn't see him?' But that's weird. In the end, I decided to pretend to know Hyeonjin.
"Hi." (T/n: direct translation is 'yeo yeo' but I thought it was too cringy)
I didn't know what to say so an ambiguous sound came out of my mouth. Hearing that voice Hyeonjin raised his head and looked at me. Then, his expression slightly distorted into a grimace. Still, since I was the landlord, he did not openly show dissatisfaction.
Typical of a novel, beauty shines even in the midst of looking ragged. It clearly felt like I was in a novel now. How can you work a part-time job like crazy with that face! Even if I become a celebrity, I'll quickly sweep up the money.* I held my breath. (T/n: he's a simp basically.)
"Hello."
"Uh, hi."
After saying hi, I didn't know what else to say. Hyeonjin nodded his head and tried to pass by. It was only then that I remembered the samgyeolpsal* I had bought. (T/n: Korean barbecue.) "Are you going to work part-time?" I asked. Hyeonjin looked at me with an unknowing gaze. After a while, he answered, "Yes. I will make sure the rent is not late this month."
"No, it's not that. It's because I bought a lot of pork belly."
So? Read Hyeonjin's gaze toward me.
"Do you want to eat together?"
I smiled awkwardly and showed him the bag.
"I'm going to a part-time job."
"Oh, you were."
I sounded like an idiot.
As I persistently spoke, Hyeonjin, who had been calmly answering the whole time, suddenly straightened up. I didn't know he was always crouching, but when he straightened his back, he was quite tall. 'Oh, he's taller than me?' At first glance, he seemed larger than 180 centimeters. (T/n: around 5'9 or 5'10 feet) Hyeonjin strode forward and spoke without hiding his expression of disgust. He spoke with a menacing voice, not his usual quiet one.
"Didn't I tell you to stop last time?"
Was that it? I searched through my memory. I didn't ask for his body in exchange for the monthly rent, so it seemed that the former Jaewoo had already had an accident. And because of that, likely, Hyeonjin's feelings for Jaewoo weren't any good.
When a man bigger than myself threatened me, it was quite scary.
"Y-yeah, you did."
When I stuttered, Hyeonjin crouched down even further.
"That's right."
Then he brushed past me and disappeared down the street. 'What just happened?' I blinked before coming to my senses when I felt the weight of the groceries in my hand. I don't know with what spirits I went home with.
I arranged the ingredients one by one in the refrigerator, washed the lettuce I bought separately with water, and rinsed. I washed the peppers clean and placed them next to the lettuce. The ssamjang* was made with what I soaked. (t/n: ssamjang is a spicy paste used in Korean food wraps)
Then, I sat down on the floor and took out the grill, putting a pan on top of it. I took out a piece of pork belly with some tongs and placed it on the hot grill making a crackling sound. Sizzling was heard as the meat juice leaked out and the bright red meat began to cook. When the meat was cooked to some extent, I turned it over and took out some kitchen scissors. Bite-sized pieces of meat that had been cut into chunks fell into the grill.
Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside. I picked up a piece of meat cooked to my liking and chewed it. The unique, greasy, and savory taste of pork belly lingered in my mouth. It was perfect.
I smirked and put the next piece of pork belly on top. Then, I looked to the other side of the yard and gestured. "You guys are eating too."
The children glared at me like two vigilant cats. But, I could see them gulping every time they heard the sizzling of the meat.
"I've bought too much to eat myself."
Yes, to catch a horse, first you need to shoot the general.* So, I decide to win the favor of the children first. Even if it isn't for that reason, I definitely need to feed these skinny kids more. (T/n: a way of saying how to get to someone's weakness first. In this case, Jaewoo is trying to win the favor of Hyeonjin, so he tries to get to his weakness which is his siblings.)
As I raised another piece and chewed, the youngest approached first. Then he asked shyly, "Can I really eat it?"
"Yes."
I ate another piece of marinated meat. This time I tried a pinch of salt. I personally liked eating meat with salt, especially when it was wrapped in wraps. Again, a fantastic combination.
I took out a plate and placed some meat on it, and the little boy quietly picked it up and put it in his mouth. At first, he chewed slowly, but then his speed gradually increased.
"Eat slowly."
The little one did, so the big one soon joined them as well.
"I can't eat it."
While saying that with his mouth, his hands were gently caressing the meat.
"What's wrong?"
"My older brother told me not to stay close to the landlord uncle."
These naive kids. And you say it so plainly? By the way, landlord uncle? I snorted in shock. The age difference between Hyeonjin and Jaewoo would be around five years. Who is the older brother and who is the uncle? These cheeky guys, I'll feed you until your stomachs burst!
I gave the children stretched meat. The children absorbed the meat continuously like hungry ghosts. Eating a piece of pork belly dipped in ssamjang, then a spoonful of rice. Picking up lettuce and making ssam* with clumsy skills. After eating a red pepper, they stuck their tongue out and cried because it was too spicy. (T/n: ssam is a Korean food wrap.)
It was hectic, but it was an enjoyable mealtime. After a while, I was concerned about the children as their small bellies didn't swell no matter how much meat they were eating.
"Thank you."
Once the children finished eating, they bowed politely. The oldest offered to wash the dishes, but I refused.
"Okay, wash up and go to bed," I said and began to clean up after myself.
***
(T/n: Hyeonjin's Pov, after his shift at night.)
I was tired. My body, stretched like a water-soaked cotton shirt, did not feel like my own. Even if I work all day like this, most of the money I make goes to paying off debt. I sighed deeply.
I can't even remember the last time I took a break. I'm exhausted, if it weren't for my siblings, I might have run away a long time ago. Wouldn't they let me go if I ran away?
I dragged my body towards the slope and climbed step by step, entering the complex.
*Growl* It was coming from my stomach. Come to think of it, I haven't eaten dinner. The time between shifts was too tight.
'I'll pick something up to eat.'
I'm glad no one heard that. I looked around in embarrassment but saw a familiar person. It was Jaewoo, the landlord.
That dirty man. Jaewoo was a human being who could only be described as that. I was happy when I first rented the apartment, after all, where else would a house in Cheonji, Seoul have a monthly rent of 200,000 won? I thought it was lucky even if I had to use the communal bathrooms. I thought that at least I had found a room for my younger siblings to sleep in.
It wasn't as if I always hated Jaewoo. It's a bit harsh, but he kept my younger siblings from sleeping on the street. However, as time went by, I found out how much of a bastard Jaewoo is.
He said many things he shouldn't say in front of me. And yet I could still stand it, until I couldn't. I couldn't stand the eyes that disgustingly slicked across my body. There were even times when I tried looking for a different apartment, but to no avail.
I'm too busy paying off debts, so where will I get the money to rent a new apartment? In the end, I had no other choice but to stay in the rented room on the other side of where Jaewoo lives.
"Uh, um."
I didn't have the energy to respond, so I tried to walk past him, but Jaewoo coughed and made a noise. I was about to walk again, but I heard him speak.
"Hyeonjin, have you eaten?"
'Why are you curious about that? What are you going to say about it this time? Are you going to retaliate by doing something during the day?' However, I was exhausted, and it was difficult to ignore Jaewoo's behavior any longer. Of course, I couldn't do anything more than that. I'm afraid I'll yell at him and he'll kick me out.
"I ate already," I muttered, deciding on an appropriate answer, and continued walking.
"You're lying."
"Why would I lie?"
"I heard the growl from here."
At those words, the tips of my ears turned red.
"You heard wrong."
"No I didn't."
What an unpleasant guy. While I stood there without answering, Jaewoo scratched the back of his head. Then he asked carefully, "Do you want to eat with me?"
"Stop."
"No, it's because I made a lot today."
What kind of scheme was this?
"I stir-fried pork belly with leftover kimchi, and it tastes amazing. It's moderately spicy and chewy. If you serve it with some rice, it should taste fantastic!"
Jaewoo was taking note of my reaction while praising his cooking. His face easily read: Will you come over? Do you want to come over?
Although I hesitated, I shook my head. "No need."
Then, as if there was nothing more to say, I went straight into the room. When I entered the room, my younger siblings greeted me half awake.
"How have you been?" I said.
"We've been sleeping."
I accepted those words, took off my coat, and hung it on the coat rack. Afterward, I smoothed out the blanket covering my siblings but noticed a familiar smell.
'The smell of meat.'
I know I had cooked some rice for them, but there was no meat side dish. I added a little bit of kimchi I got from my part-time job and some eggs. That was it. But the smell of meat was so strong that it burned deep into my body.
*growl*
My stomach rumbled again because of the smell.
'Where did they eat this from?'
Hyunjin's expression darkened. Maybe they wanted to eat meat so much that they hung around in front of a restaurant. The thought made my heart ache. It's just like when I was growing up. They are at an age where they need a parents' protection. My heart ached at the reality of not being able to do anything.
"Ugh."
I swallowed my pain as I covered my brother with the blanket after he kicked it. How can I get out of this situation?
'No.'
This pain was not something that could be easily escaped. There was still a mountain of debt and the debt collectors who were always sticking like a dog's tail were constantly pressing.
'I'll just live and die like this.'
Suddenly, my insomnia arose. No matter how much I tried to pretend to be a responsible adult. In the end, I was just in my early 20s. When life was scary, it was scary. And when it was painful, it was painful. I put my head between my knees and tried to suppress my tears.
'I have to work in the morning. I have to lie down and sleep a little.'
----
(Notice: The rest of this chapter will be written in 3rd person pov. Since the raws switch between povs, I decided to keep it consistent and not switch between povs, so please keep that in mind, thank you!)
"Why is it so hard feeding him just one meal?"
Jaewoo sighed and went back into his apartment. He thought he would run into Hyeonjin. He was even outside, waiting the entire time and his body was freezing from the cold. He rubbed his cold arms with both hands and went inside to get his heated blanket. Only then, did his chills subside and his body began to warm up.
'Ugh'
Jaewoo Jae, Seo Jaewoo. You've been bullying Hyeonjin so much that he doesn't even want to look at you. Wouldn't it be better to talk face-to-face with him? At this rate, he feels like he would be turned into pieces by Hyeonjin before he even meets the main top.
'I won't'
Jaewoo felt a sense of crisis. But a sense of crisis is a sense of crisis, and a heated blanket is a heated blanket. As he braced himself in the heat, he started to feel sleepy again.
Not long after, there was a creak and the sound of the door opening from outside. It was coming from where Hyeonjin's room was. Jaewoo looked up and checked the time. It was 4:00 in the morning.
'Oh my God!'
'Didn't he come in the morning yesterday too? But is he leaving again and at this time?' Who is able to work like this? It seems that even the bones of Yongary* would not be able to withstand this. (T/n: Yongary is a monster from the Korean film 'Yongary, Monster from the Deep'. This means that Jaewoo is implying that Hyeonjin is stronger than that Godzilla-looking monstrosity. Look it up if you don't believe me...)
Although Jaewoo lives in a hillside slum and depends on monthly rent, in fact, he has quite a few hidden assets. This was mainly because his grandmother, who had passed away, was well-off. He did not indulge in luxury, but he did manage to get by if he was spared.
'Why does this matter?'
Jaewoo wasn't able to do anything. Because the trust he had with Hyeonjin was already dragging on the floor.
He soon fell asleep and when morning came, Jaewoo got up with his head in a magpie house* and cooked again. (T/n: I'm not sure what it means but I think it's a superstitious belief to bring good luck.)
As he swayed like a zombie, he stopped eating his cooked eggs with grilled ham and thought, 'I need to do something about Hyeonjin.' The door creaked open and two cute peeps poked their heads out.
How good would it be if Hyeonjin could get over it as easily as they did? Jaewoo swallowed a sigh and gestured to the peeps.
"Hey guys, let's eat."
After a slight hesitation, they came to him like little chicks.
"I cooked some ham today."
Jaewoo cooked the thick-cut ham according to his tastes. Crispy on the outside, moist and salty on the inside. A bit of ketchup was added to balance the taste.
It was a blessing to see them eat spoonful after spoonful. Their puffy cheeks made him want to pinch them. He wanted to feed Hyeonjin like this too, but that thought seemed so distant now.
***
End of Chapter 1 (Part 1)
Note: Wow, this is a long, and I mean LONG chapter. (Definitely over 15k words all together.) Having to manually type this plus research the words I don't understand is a lot of work, but I will try to release the other parts of chapter 1 soon. By the way, since we're barely starting, you might see a lot of t/n's (translator notes) across the chapter, however, as the story goes on, I will be making less and less notes. Thank you for your patience!! ^^
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NOTICE: Please, PLEASE. If you happen to come across an error (whether it's spelling, grammar, etc...) or if there is something you don't understand (whether it's the plot or character POVs) please let me know. I will gladly be making corrections and clarifying any mishaps. Ofc, I am only human, so I can't truly see every little mistake I make, so I would appreciate it if you did point it out, thanks!