Chapter 4 - I'm a Dishwasher Husband
[ I Am the Dishwashing Husband ]
=== I Am the Dishwashing Husband ===
"You're seriously not joking, are you?"
"I'm telling you, it's the truth."
Yoo Ra-eun, silent until now, shook her head in disbelief.
"Wow... I feel like I'm losing my grip on reality here."
Yoo Seo-rin, who had been quietly observing, spoke up in a low voice.
"You said it's not a combat class, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then what is it?"
That was the million-dollar question.
I picked up my glass of water, only to set it back down without taking a sip.
"It's a bit... hard to explain."
"A bit? Hard to explain?"
Yoo Ra-eun leaned in, her face drawing closer.
...Did she put on perfume?
"Hey, if it's an S-rank, the ability has to be absolutely broken. What's so vague about that?"
I pretended to ponder it for a moment.
Actually, I was scrambling for an answer.
What kind of excuse could I make to keep them from getting suspicious?
"It's... more of a support class."
"A healer?"
"No."
"A buffer?"
"Not exactly."
Yoo Ra-eun scowled.
"Then what the hell is it?"
"It's hard to explain."
"Why is it so hard?"
I did my best to keep a straight face.
They were family, so I could have just told them the truth, but...
Maybe because I'd spent so long taking from them without ever giving anything back, I didn't want to disappoint them now.
I was hesitant to reveal an ability I hadn't even fully figured out yet—especially one that felt so bizarre.
"Its effectiveness is highly situational."
"Situational?"
"I mean, it does provide buffs... but they depend on the environment and specific conditions. It's the kind of skill that works better when I'm operating solo. That's why it's hard to call it a standard buffer."
It wasn't a total lie.
Yoo Ra-eun narrowed her eyes at my explanation.
"Suspicious."
"What's suspicious about it?"
"I mean, you're an S-rank, but 'it works better alone'? What are you, an assassin?"
"I'm not an assassin."
As we bickered, Yoo Seo-rin quietly chimed in.
"Is it the kind of ability that's difficult to make public?"
Her intuition was spot on.
I hesitated for a second, then nodded.
"Yeah. If I reveal it now, I feel like it'll just cause a lot of misunderstandings. Besides, I haven't even fully figured it out myself."
That, at least, was the absolute truth.
"I only asked because I couldn't sense any mana from you."
"Yeah, I'm planning to figure that out step by step, too."
As expected of Yoo Seo-rin. True to her reputation as an Ice Attribute mage, she'd noticed immediately that I didn't have a fucking shred of mana.
Yoo Ra-eun crossed her arms, looking for a fight.
"Look at this bastard trying to play the mysterious type."
"Shut up."
"What's the skill name?"
"...That's also a bit..."
"Seriously, what is wrong with you..."
"Later. I'll tell you once I've got a handle on it."
Yoo Ra-eun let out a deep sigh, then burst out laughing.
"Whatever. It'll all come out anyway once you register with the Association."
I felt a slight pang of guilt at her words.
"I'm planning to take my time with registration."
"...You're really committed to this mysterious act, aren't you?"
Seo-rin nodded.
"If you're an S-rank, the Association will put you under strict surveillance immediately. It's better to register only after you're fully prepared."
"See? Sis agrees with me."
At my whining, Yoo Ra-eun stared blankly at me before letting out a dry chuckle.
"Well, whatever. Since you're not a combat class, there's no need to drag you into a Dungeon right away."
"I appreciate that."
"But in return..."
Yoo Ra-eun pointed a finger at me.
"You have to buff me too, got it? I don't even know if it's possible to buff someone without using mana... but I want a free ride from an S-rank."
"...Pfft, sure."
Not that I can actually do it on command.
As we joked around, the conversation naturally drifted to Dungeon stories and guild gossip.
And the meat, as always, was incredible.
The night air was crisp and chilly.
I checked my phone; it was just past nine o'clock.
"Ugh... I'm about to burst."
I patted my stomach as I stepped out of the elevator.
The fluorescent light in the hallway flickered overhead.
Just as I was about to pass Room 305 on my way to Room 306—
Click.
The sound of a door unlocking came from right next to me.
Room 305.
The door swung open, a woman stepped out, and our eyes met.
We were barely a step or two apart.
Reflexively, I bowed my head.
"Ah, hello."
Room 305. The very apartment where I'd been doing my quests.
This woman had to be Han Cho-yeon.
A sudden wave of guilt washed over me. I nervously greeted her, wondering if I'd somehow been caught.
But then,
the woman froze.
Her hand remained on the doorknob.
Her greenish hair and eyes shimmered under the dim fluorescent light.
She's fucking gorgeous.
Her soft features and strangely sharp gaze were stunning—even to my eyes, which had been thoroughly spoiled by the gorgeous faces of Yoo Ra-eun and Yoo Seo-rin.
...But those clear green eyes were locked onto me with pinpoint accuracy.
What was she looking at?
Did I do something wrong?
...
Don't tell me she knows?
After a brief, tense silence,
"...Yes. Hello."
Her reply came half a beat late.
Her voice was calm, but her gaze was intense.
It felt like she was scanning me.
Unable to bear the awkward silence, I spoke up.
"We're... next-door neighbors, but I think this is the first time we've actually run into each other."
Room 305 and Room 306.
Honestly, it was bizarre that we'd never crossed paths before, considering we lived right next door.
Then again, I barely ever left my room while studying for job applications, but still.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, then returned to normal.
"...I suppose so."
I let out an awkward chuckle at her brief reply.
"I'm usually out during the day, so I never got the chance to introduce myself properly."
Even though I absolutely loathed small talk, I managed to squeeze the words out.
Her gaze swept over my face, down to my shoulders, and all the way to my fingertips.
It felt like she was verifying something.
A faint chill ran down my spine.
"...Ah, yes. I'm Han Cho-yeon."
Having finished her assessment, she suddenly introduced herself.
Did she think neighbors should at least know each other's names?
"I'm Yoo Ga-on. ...Uh, well, then... see you around?"
My entire body was screaming at me to escape the awkwardness, so I gave a quick bow and trailed off.
I stood in front of Room 306 and punched in my passcode—
and once again, I felt her gaze burning into my back.
As I stepped inside, I stole one last glance over my shoulder.
She was still standing in the middle of the hallway.
Her expression made it impossible to tell if she was staring at me or just lost in thought.
The moment our eyes met, Han Cho-yeon smoothly averted her gaze.
The door clicked shut.
The moment I was safely inside, the tension drained from my shoulders.
"What the hell was that?"
Han Cho-yeon's reaction was so bizarre I couldn't make heads or tails of it.
If she'd caught me trespassing, she would've called the cops. So... I was safe?
[A new quest has been issued.]
[Quest]
- Room 305: Sweep and mop the floor, clean the windows, water the plants, and wash the dishes (02:29:58)
Reward: Slight increase in Strength, increase in Han Cho-yeon's Stamina, unlock and massive increase in 'Snail Husband' Mana
Penalty for Failure: Liver removal
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
Yoo Ga-on was losing his mind.
The quest requirements had increased yet again.
Now it was making him do the dishes. This was basically begging for him to get caught.
On the bright side, he could take comfort in the fact that unlocking his mana had been added to the rewards. Since it promised a massive increase, he might jump six stages just like last time.
He didn't actually know how to use mana yet, but he'd figure that out eventually.
Entering Han Cho-yeon's apartment—which had become strangely familiar by this fifth day—he was about to start cleaning when...
"...Oh."
The moment he phased through the wall, he felt his body grow lighter.
At first, he thought it was just the effect of his Intangibility skill, but even after canceling it, a strange sense of vigor remained.
He patted himself down, a sudden theory forming in his mind.
Wait... No way.
----------
[Yoo Ga-on]
Strength: F
Agility: F
Stamina: C-
Mana: None
Skill: Intangibility (A)
[Quest]
[Activated]
----------
A new line had appeared, turning his hypothesis into absolute certainty.
So this status window only activates when I'm acting as the Snail Bride?
...This is driving me crazy.
Swallowing a sigh, I headed to the sink.
There weren't as many dishes as I'd feared, so I finished quickly.
A mug, two plates, and a small pot.
But the quantity wasn't the issue.
Unless she's incredibly dense, there's no way she won't notice.
A clean floor or spotless windows are easy to overlook.
Especially since Han Cho-yeon's place was already pretty clean to begin with.
But washed dishes? That's fucking obvious.
At this rate, she'd notice something was off the second she got home. She might call the cops or install security cameras.
What the hell do I say if I get caught?
"Hello. This is Ga-on Cleaning Services, here to make your home a pleasant space."
Or just, "Please don't kill me"?
Either way, I'd look like a total lunatic.
I briefly considered messing the dishes back up to make them look dirty again, but the moment I tried, the quest completion status instantly vanished,
so I had no choice but to pray that Han Cho-yeon was incredibly—no, catastrophically—oblivious.
The front door clicked shut, and the apartment fell silent.
Han Cho-yeon slipped off her shoes and scanned the living room out of habit.
The floor.
The windows.
The plants.
And—
The sink.
She froze in her tracks.
"...Ha."
A dry laugh escaped her lips.
The pot and plates she had definitely left in the sink this morning...
were spotless.
Dried completely, they had been placed exactly where they belonged.
...Even the dishes?
Muttering in disbelief, she tilted her head. She reached out and retrieved the mana from the Sprout Eye she had planted that morning.
Her vision shifted.
Just like yesterday, the man from next door, Yoo Ga-on, phased effortlessly through her wall...
When they had run into each other in the hallway earlier,
his eyes had practically screamed panic.
But there was no malice in him.
He's a strange one.
Of course, anyone who broke into someone else's home couldn't possibly be normal, but that wasn't what she meant.
He was cleaning her house for absolutely no reason.
What was his goal?
Information gathering? He didn't snoop through her things.
Installing hidden cameras? There was no trace of any surveillance equipment.
He wasn't committing any actual crimes.
He literally just broke in, cleaned, and left.
She watched the playback intently as he began cleaning, his movements practiced and natural.
After meticulously wiping down the floor and windows,
he tended to her plants with gentle care.
The sight was so domestic that anyone watching would have cooed over how sweet and attentive he was,
and because of this, a strange mix of confusion and intense curiosity began to brew in Han Cho-yeon's mind.
The video cut off as he finally finished the dishes and slipped back through the wall, leaving her with a sudden wave of mental exhaustion.
"Ugh..."
What was his deal?
Han Cho-yeon stared at the sink one last time, a quiet decision forming in her mind.
She would play dumb,
and find a way to get closer to Yoo Ga-on.