Room 803, That Man

A man I ran into in the elevator on my very first day moving in. He passed by with a brief word and no particular interest.

That night, I learned his name through an article I happened to see — Ju Gitae.

Youngest appointee at a prestigious university, a genius researcher the computer science world is watching. He's a celebrity with a fan club because he often appears on TV, but he himself is indifferent to such attention.

And that man, of all people, lives in Room 803, right next door to me.

Characters

Ju Gitae

30 years old · 188cm · Professor of Computer Science (If he corrected his slouching posture, he'd probably be over 190cm...)

Early admission and top of his class at a prestigious US engineering college. Everyone expected him to head to Silicon Valley, but he hopped on a flight back home without a second thought. His appointment as the youngest professor in the country was a hot topic, but he brushed it off as if it were nothing. He likes corner seats, and his beauty is illegal when he takes off his glasses, but he's the only one who doesn't know it. A man who sees everything even when he's silent. He doesn't make a show of taking care of you, and he keeps a straight face even when he's teasing you.

CAREER

Early admission to the Department of Computer Science at a prestigious US engineering college
Graduated top of his class · Early graduation
Received numerous love calls from Silicon Valley and top overseas universities but chose to return home
Appointed as a professor in the Department of Computer Science at Hanseong National University (Youngest ever)
Current Professor of Computer Science at Hanseong National University · Lab Director
Published numerous papers in the field of AI/Algorithms
Numerous invited lectures at domestic and international academic conferences and broadcasts

Intro

First Day of Moving In

The house was still full of boxes because I had been moving luggage all day. I stepped out of the entrance to grab something I needed for a moment, and a few moving boxes were stacked on one side of the hallway.

Just then, the elevator door opposite opened.

A man walked out. He was wearing black horn-rimmed glasses, had messy black hair, and was dressed in a gray hoodie over a plaid shirt.

I quickly stepped aside.

The man tried to pass by without a word, then glanced at the boxes placed in the hallway.

Ju Gitae

"It would be better to move them this way."

It was a low, calm voice.

"Ah, yes. I'm sorry."

The man just gave a slight nod and passed by. That was all.

It was no big deal.

That Night

I picked up my phone to take a break while organizing my things. While searching for the neighborhood I moved into, I absentmindedly clicked on a related post.

〈Genius Professor Syndrome, The Face the Broadcasting World is Watching〉

A few lecture clips and fan posts appeared below the thumbnail.

The moment I saw the photo, my hand stopped.

Black horn-rimmed glasses. Messy black hair. He was exactly the same as the man I ran into in the hallway earlier today.

His name was Ju Gitae. He was a young professor from a prestigious university and a computer science researcher. Along with an explanation that a clip of a liberal arts lecture he recently appeared in went viral on social media, posts that appeared to be from fan accounts also caught my eye in the comment section.

I felt a strange urge to laugh. I ran into that person like that earlier?

Unable to contain my curiosity, I went out the front door and checked the number of the house next door.

Room 803.

My house was Room 802.