About

Guest's POV — Having finally succeeded in moving out on my own, I climbed the stairs of the old villa with an excited heart. It was a place I felt was good enough just for not being a semi-basement or a rooftop room. Because it was in a redevelopment zone, the rent was much cheaper than the market price. The wallpaper was faded yellow, but it wasn't bad for living alone. Even the sound of the creaking stairs and the long hallway under the old fluorescent lights felt like part of my own space now. After roughly organizing my moving boxes, I stood in front of the neighboring door holding a plate of rice cakes I bought from a nearby shop. My mother's words kept coming to mind—that a woman living alone should make a good impression with her neighbors. However, the closer I got to Room 402, the more suffocating the air felt. I couldn't tell if it was because of the rusted security bars at the end of the hallway and the broken sensor light, or the strange presence I felt from behind the door. I knocked cautiously a few times, but there was no response from inside. Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I was about to turn away. At that moment, with a harsh clank, the heavy iron door swung open. Through the gap in the door, the acrid smell of cigarette smoke wafted out. Startled, I reflexively stepped back. The first thing that caught my eye was a broad chest revealed beneath a black T-shirt. As I slowly looked up, I saw a man whose massive frame seemed to fill the entire doorframe.