This S-Class Esper is Not an Obsessive Maniac

26.

Even though he knew the password, Choi Jae-won always rang the doorbell like this when Ryu Ho-yeon was in the quarters. Usually when lying in bed, Ryu Ho-yeon would pretend not to hear out of laziness, putting on headphones to block the annoying sound and just continue napping. But today was special for both of them, wasn’t it? Choi Jae-won was meeting his family after a long time, and Ryu Ho-yeon would be hosting that family as guests. Ryu Ho-yeon decided to include not ignoring the doorbell and opening the door in the special treatment he was willing to extend today.

“You’re here?”

“Oh… hyung! You were outside your room?”

Choi Jae-won’s eyes widened considerably. Even though he had rung the doorbell, he apparently hadn’t expected Ryu Ho-yeon to actually open it. It made sense—despite living together for over a year, the times Ryu Ho-yeon willingly opened the door could be counted on one hand.

Regardless, Choi Jae-won’s surprise was already beyond Ryu Ho-yeon’s concern. What had started as doing something for Choi Jae-won had shifted to him focusing more on personally welcoming guests. Until now, he’d never had a home to invite people to or guests to invite, so he hadn’t even been able to envy such experiences. Ryu Ho-yeon immediately asked, “Your grandfather is coming?” in an interrogative manner. Then a throat-clearing sound came from behind Choi Jae-won, who was still standing at the threshold, looking dumbfounded. This must be him. Ryu Ho-yeon quickly stretched his neck to look sideways.

“…Your grandfather?”

“Yes.”

“…You don’t look alike.”

Choi Jae-won’s neat appearance had been inherited from his mother, who had reportedly been a college magazine cover model in her youth. When people said he resembled the Chairman, they mostly meant inner qualities like his uncommonly quick thinking or his fierce temperament that relentlessly pursued goals once set.

The Chairman, who took late-life pleasure in saying his most cherished grandson took after him so completely, immediately burst out with another “Ahem!” This time it clearly meant his mood was quite displeased.

“…Are you catching a cold? We have to enter a dungeon again at dawn tomorrow, so it would be troublesome if I caught it.”

Ryu Ho-yeon, who had no talent for reading others’ emotional responses, seemed uneasy about someone who kept coughing without saying anything. His head, which had poked out, was slowly retreating. At that point, the Chairman, unable to bear it any longer, abruptly stepped over the threshold with his dress shoes on. Ryu Ho-yeon, reluctant to have close contact with someone who might have influenza, jumped back.

The sight of the rigid old man, clearly stubborn-tempered at first glance, and the young traditionalist who looked like a delicate work of art but was actually as headstrong as they come, silently examining each other without exchanging greetings, made Choi Jae-won feel like his head was pounding.

Perhaps sensing the unusual atmosphere, Secretary Jang, who had loyally followed the Chairman here, pushed the bundle he was carrying inside the doorway, bowed slightly, and quickly disappeared. He even seemed worried about the elevator chime being heard, as he silently tiptoed down the stairs.

Choi Jae-won, feeling it was his responsibility to end this strange standoff, closed the door completely and entered the quarters.

“Grandfather, this is my pair, Esper Ryu Ho-yeon. You saw yesterday’s press conference, right? Hyung, this is my grandfather. You’ve heard about him often from Han-seo hyung, right? He’s Han-seo hyung’s maternal grandfather.”

He’d thought he’d been diligently pursuing during Lee Han-seo’s absence, but it seemed he still had a long way to go. Ryu Ho-yeon nodded indifferently when Choi Jae-won said “This is my grandfather,” but as soon as he heard he was Lee Han-seo’s maternal grandfather, his eyes sharpened. His previously dull gaze suddenly brightened with life.

“Hello. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Ryu Ho-yeon.”

“Hmm… You’re quite a handsome young man. I’m Choi Wook-jin, pleased to meet you.”

When Ryu Ho-yeon politely bowed first, Chairman Choi didn’t continue the unnecessary power struggle. It seems he was aware that such behavior was childish for someone his age. Relieved, Choi Jae-won picked up the luggage Secretary Jang had left and suggested that the two people awkwardly standing by the entrance should sit on the living room sofa.

It had looked heavy in someone else’s hands, but now that he was carrying it himself, the weight really hit him. Both hands sagged heavily. Roughly estimating just from what was visible, it seemed to contain seasonal clothes that Choi Jae-won hadn’t been able to bring when he left in a hurry, the diary he had been writing consistently, and electronic devices he’d been using.

‘Did Father and Mother pack these for me…’

Choi Jae-won’s heart was beginning to stir with emotion. But apparently, there would be no time allowed for him to indulge in sentiment. Before he could take a few steps, his grandfather’s shout—”What is all this!!”—resonated loudly in his ears. He put down everything he was carrying and rushed across the hallway into the living room.

“Oh my ancestors… Oh my, oh my…”

The first thing he saw was his grandfather’s back as he held his forehead in disbelief, sighing deeply.

“Hmm? What do you mean? It’s just a normal living room. Is there a problem?”

Facing him, Ryu Ho-yeon was resting his chin on one hand, looking skeptically at the grandfather who was sighing as if he’d seen something absurd.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen…”

As he took another step toward the center of the living room where the two were standing, there was an unexpected splash as if stepping into a puddle. Somehow his socks felt damp. Choi Jae-won nervously lowered his gaze.

“…!!”

The cream-colored luxury marble tiles that he had carefully selected while preparing for cohabitation with his unrequited love were completely soaked as if they’d been caught in an unseasonable monsoon rain. What’s this? Everything was fine when he left, so what could this be? Choi Jae-won first seated Ryu Ho-yeon and the Chairman on the still-intact sofa and then took out his mobile phone. He was planning to check if the pre-set robot vacuum cleaner had malfunctioned.

“Just a moment, Grandfather. I think the robot vacuum might be broken. Even though it has a mopping function, it shouldn’t leave the floor this wet.”

“Did you purchase the latest model? If so, tell me the model number. Such a ridiculous malfunction! What is that son of mine doing! I should fire the entire development team and hire new people…!!”

He had treasured his grandson like a precious gem. He’d raised him preciously, saying he would inherit everything, and when he was raising him safely in his care, he wouldn’t even drink a cup of cold water unless someone else brought it to him. Just hearing words like “robot vacuum cleaner” coming from his grandson’s mouth was enough to break the Chairman’s heart.

“No, there’s no need to check.”

Ryu Ho-yeon, who had been alternately watching the angry old man and Choi Jae-won checking his phone settings with a puzzled expression, spoke in a clear voice. Somehow his tone seemed rather proud. Choi Jae-won, feeling strangely anxious, asked, “Hyung…?” His voice trembled slightly.

“Since you said you were bringing your grandfather. I just cleaned it.”

“Uh… cleaning? You did?”

“Yes. You always do it, so I thought I’d do it for you today, at least.”

“Ah, I see. You cleaned the floor for me. No wonder the floor is spotless without a speck of dust.”

Choi Jae-won skillfully concealed his surprise and, while the Chairman was speechless and Ryu Ho-yeon was momentarily looking elsewhere, quickly grabbed a large cushion from nearby and hurriedly threw it toward the window seat. Now that he was aware of it, he could clearly see the wooden materials swelling with moisture. He planned to somehow get past this with the two of them not noticing and then call a repair service as soon as possible.

“Hyung, you’re really amazing. Is there anything you can’t do? Even if you don’t usually do it, you can accomplish anything once you set your mind to it.”

“Of course, of course.”

Ryu Ho-yeon’s confidently raised corner of the mouth and sparkling eyes seemed to be almost overtly begging for praise. Choi Jae-won fulfilled that expectation while leaving a cautionary note.

“I’m really grateful, but you don’t have to do this next time.”

“Why? You said I did well.”

“I’m worried about you working too hard. You know the vacuum cleaner I usually use? It already has a mopping function, so there’s no need for you to hurt your knees and back.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know that. Anyway, you can definitely thank me properly today.”

Ryu Ho-yeon’s manner of speaking, which he had acquired from books and exaggerated cartoon dialogue during a time when his language skills should have been developing through active interaction with others, still emerged without fail whenever he was in a good mood. When he was this pleased, what did it matter if the aesthetics were a bit damaged? It could be wiped clean and fixed easily.

Choi Jae-won, without hesitation, said “Thank you, hyung, you’re the best,” and with a completely natural gesture, bent down and efficiently wiped the floor near Ryu Ho-yeon’s feet with the handkerchief he always carried.

All this while being completely unaware of the fury rising inside his grandfather who was silently watching the scene.