CHAPTER 4

Chapter 4 — The Neighbor Upstairs

Dealing with his manager and agency was the first thing Armin needed to handle.

Unfortunately…

Reality was cruel.

stared at the contract in his hands for nearly five full minutes.

Then another five.

His expression gradually became darker and darker.

“…This is robbery.”

The contract termination fee was ridiculously expensive.

In his previous life, he had only escaped that nightmare agency after the contract naturally expired years later.

But now?

The thought of enduring another four or five years under those people nearly made him suffocate.

Armin threw the papers dramatically onto the floor before collapsing backward onto his bed.

Silence filled the room.

Then suddenly—

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The forty-year-old soul trapped inside a young body began kicking the mattress in frustration.

“This stupid company!”

After venting for several seconds, he finally sat upright again and pushed his messy hair away from his forehead.

“…Calm down.”

Anger wouldn’t solve anything.

Armin picked up his phone and searched for one of the old dramas he starred in during this period.

A few minutes later—

“…Nope.”

He exited the video immediately.

Even though his younger self only appeared on screen for less than twenty minutes, Armin genuinely couldn’t continue watching.

Was that even acting?

He covered his face in secondhand embarrassment.

Thinking back on his career, Armin sighed deeply.

Reaching the top of the entertainment industry had never been easy.

He hadn’t become a Best Actor overnight.

Every skill.

Every expression.

Every emotion.

He had fought desperately to learn them all.

Armin absentmindedly scrolled through several old clips while mentally reconstructing how he would perform those same scenes now.

Self-improvement was necessary.

Even after winning awards in his previous life, he still couldn’t afford complacency.

Outside the window, the evening sky slowly darkened.

Armin stretched lazily while glancing toward the clock.

“Come to think of it… the script itself wasn’t even bad,” he muttered thoughtfully.

If only his acting back then had been better…

Maybe he would have received more opportunities much earlier.

But regret was pointless now.

Armin shook his head firmly.

“No use thinking about the past.”

He suddenly paused.

Then his stomach growled loudly.

“…Right. I forgot to eat.”

Most nearby restaurants had already closed, so Armin simply grabbed his wallet and headed downstairs toward the convenience store near the condo.

A few minutes later, he walked out carrying instant ramen and a four-pack of beer.

Instead of returning home immediately, he wandered toward the nearby park and sat down beside the artificial lake.

At this hour, very few people remained outside.

Combined with his oversized gray hoodie, nobody would recognize him anyway.

Not that he was famous enough to worry about it.

The former superstar quietly ate his instant noodles while staring blankly at the reflection of city lights dancing across the water.

Buzz.

Buzz.

Buzz.

His phone vibrated continuously inside his pocket.

Without checking, Armin already knew who it was.

Before leaving his apartment, he had seen dozens of missed calls from his manager.

He ignored every single one.

After finishing the ramen, he opened a cold beer and leaned back against the bench.

The cool night air brushed gently against his face.

For the first time since returning to the past…

His mind finally relaxed slightly.

Footsteps approached nearby.

Armin didn’t bother looking up.

Probably just another resident taking a walk.

But unexpectedly—

The person sat down on the same bench.

Armin paused mid-sip.

For a moment, he considered leaving.

Still…

The stranger didn’t say anything.

So neither did he.

The two sat there in silence for over ten minutes.

Eventually, Armin relaxed again.

Then, after hesitating briefly, he lifted one of the unopened beer cans toward the stranger.

“Want one?”

No response came immediately.

Awkwardly, Armin began pulling his hand back—

Only for the other person to suddenly take the can.

“Thank you.”

The voice was deep and calm.

Another ten minutes passed.

The beer remained unopened.

“….”

“….”

The atmosphere grew increasingly awkward.

Finally, the stranger spoke first.

“Something bothering you?”

Armin blinked.

“Is it that obvious?”

“You sighed three times since I sat down.”

Armin laughed quietly.

“Then I guess I really am troubled.”

He took another sip of beer before speaking casually.

“I found out my lover was cheating on me on the happiest day of my life.”

“….”

“Then I accidentally died.”

The stranger finally turned slightly toward him.

“And after that,” Armin continued dramatically, “I woke up again.”

Silence.

Honestly, it sounded insane even to himself.

Still, talking to a stranger somehow felt easier.

“Now life’s a mess,” Armin sighed again. “I can’t leave my agency because I’m too poor to pay the contract fee. My manager steals my jobs and gives them to other artists. And I’m basically broke.”

“…Sounds difficult.”

“Very.”

“But things will improve.”

Armin smiled faintly.

“I think so too.”

“…Yeah,” the stranger replied quietly. “Things will definitely get better.”

Only then did Armin finally glance sideways toward the person beside him.

Even in the darkness, the man’s side profile was unbelievably handsome.

Sharp jawline.

Cold expression.

Elegant posture.

Then suddenly—

The man turned toward him too.

Their eyes met briefly.

Armin immediately looked away again.

(Okay. He’s terrifyingly handsome.)

More importantly—

Those eyes were intense.

Almost crazy-looking.

Trying to ease the awkwardness, Armin cleared his throat.

“So… why sit beside me? There are plenty of empty benches.”

The man paused.

“…I didn’t notice.”

“Oh.”

Silence returned again.

The awkwardness between them became unbearable.

Just as Armin considered escaping, the other man finally spoke.

“Do you live nearby?”

“Yeah,” Armin answered. “You?”

“I recently moved into the condo nearby.”

There was only one condo complex in the area.

Armin brightened instantly.

“Oh, then we’re neighbors!”

He raised his beer can toward the stranger cheerfully.

“Nice to meet you, neighbor.”

The man stared briefly at the can before lightly tapping his unopened beer against it.

“My name is Thada.”

Armin blinked.

Something about the name sounded strangely familiar.

Still, he smiled naturally.

“I’m Armin.”

“Nice to meet you.”

The man——turned back toward the lake afterward.

Another silence followed.

Buzz.

Buzz.

Buzz.

Thada glanced briefly toward Armin’s pocket.

“Your phone has been vibrating for a while.”

“I know.”

“You’re not answering?”

“I don’t want to.”

Armin casually reached for another beer.

Then he noticed Thada looking toward the empty instant noodle cup beside him.

“…What?”

“I haven’t eaten dinner yet.”

Armin frowned in confusion at the sudden topic change.

“…Okay?”

“How about joining me?”

“…Huh?”

“For dinner.”

Armin stared blankly.

Was this man inviting strangers to dinner in the middle of the night?

“I think that’s a little suspicious,” Armin admitted honestly while standing up. “No offense, but normal people would be careful too.”

“I only need someone to eat with,” Thada replied calmly. “If it’s troublesome, forget it.”

Then he immediately stood and walked away.

Armin watched his back uncertainly.

Maybe he really was overthinking things.

After all…

They were neighbors.

And instant noodles definitely weren’t enough to fill him up.

“…Wait!”

Thada stopped walking.

Armin hurried after him awkwardly.

“I eat a lot,” he warned seriously. “Are you okay with that?”

A faint smirk appeared on Thada’s lips for the first time.

“Eat as much as you want.”

—

The restaurant Thada brought him to was outrageously expensive.

Armin nearly turned around and fled after seeing the menu prices.

(If this guy suddenly can’t pay, I’m washing dishes here for the next ten years.)

Trying to be polite, Armin only ordered one dish.

Meanwhile, Thada calmly ordered enough food for an entire family gathering.

“You ordered way too much,” Armin protested immediately.

“It’s for you.”

“But I can’t finish all of that!”

“If you can’t finish it, leave it.”

Armin stared at him speechlessly.

This rich-person logic was truly irritating.

Eventually, he gave up resisting and leaned back dramatically.

“Fine. Not my money anyway.”

As dishes gradually filled the table, Armin secretly observed the man across from him.

Now that he could see clearly—

Thada was ridiculously handsome.

Not the flashy celebrity type.

No.

He looked refined.

Dangerous.

Powerful.

Even the way he casually held a glass of water screamed “rich man from a drama.”

Then suddenly—

Thada looked up.

Their eyes met instantly.

Armin nearly choked on his water.

Those eyes really were terrifying.

Trying to distract himself, he quickly asked,

“So… what do you do for work?”

“Private business.”

“Oh.”

“And you?”

“I’m an actor.”

Thada’s expression didn’t change.

“A good one?”

“…Currently? Not really.”

“You’ll become successful.”

Armin froze.

The simple statement struck him strangely hard.

Since returning to this time, nobody had encouraged him even once.

Not until now.

“…Thank you.”

For some reason, the atmosphere between them became noticeably more comfortable afterward.

“You don’t seem surprised that I’m an actor,” Armin noted curiously.

“Acting is a profession,” Thada replied simply. “Like any other.”

Armin smiled quietly.

That answer felt unexpectedly comforting.

The rest of the meal passed peacefully.

Mostly silence.

But not uncomfortable silence.

When they finally exited the restaurant, cool night wind greeted them again.

“You’re not heading back yet?” Armin asked.

“I have somewhere else to go.”

“Oh.”

Armin shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets.

“Anyway… thanks for dinner.”

Then he smiled lightly.

“Let’s meet again sometime, neighbor.”

“…Yeah.”

Thada watched silently as Armin disappeared down the street.

Only after the younger man vanished completely did he pull out his phone.

The call connected almost instantly.

“Yes, sir.”

“The top floor room in Condo C,” Thada ordered calmly. “Prepare it within three days.”

A stunned silence followed.

“…Sir? Isn’t that the condo where actor Armin lives?”

“Yes.”

“But your company is nearly thirty kilometers from there—”

“Three days.”

“…Understood.”

The call ended immediately afterward.

Meanwhile, the subordinate on the other side stared blankly at his phone, unable to decide whether to laugh or cry.

Because for the first time in years…

Their cold and terrifying boss actually looked happy.

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