In an Office-tel in Seoul
“Yaaawn…”
Dong-hyuk, the security guard of the building, stretched as he yawned.
“Ugh, so boring.”
When he had first started working here, he had felt nervous. It was a high-end office-tel, after all.
‘People who live in places like this are supposed to be difficult, right?’
He had read about all sorts of experiences and horror stories online: residents asking guards to take out their trash, buy cigarettes or alcohol, scolding them for not greeting properly. Dong-hyuk was sure that the residents here would be just like those he had read about.
‘If it gets too much, I’ll just quit,’ he thought.
Then, he could tell his friends about it over a drink and say, “Some people are really like that.” At least it would make for some cheap conversation fodder.
However, to his surprise, being a security guard at the office-tel wasn’t as bad as he had expected. In fact, it was quite comfortable.There were no obnoxious residents, and the workload wasn’t all that heavy. He thought, maybe he could stay here for a long time.
As he stifled another yawn, Dong-hyuk tried to focus on his work. His duties varied, but the most important one was to keep suspicious people out.
That was why, with his eyes narrowed, he was staring hard through the glass doors when…
“Yaaawn…”
He soon found his gaze dropping again with a sigh.
To enter the building, one had to pass by the security office where he sat. Unless he completely looked away, he would spot anyone trying to enter.
Satisfied, he turned his attention to other tasks.
Knock, knock.
Then, he heard a soft sound, like someone tapping on something. Looking up, Dong-hyuk saw a small girl standing in front of the door.
“…A foreigner?”
He muttered as he took in the girl’s vibrant pink hair, reaching down to her waist. But there were no foreign residents in the building, as far as he knew.
Could it be that one of the residents dyed their hair?
But that didn’t seem right either. Dong-hyuk had worked here for several months, and he had never once seen a girl that small come and go from the building.
‘Even a recluse would go out at least once… wouldn’t they?’
After a moment of pondering, Dong-hyuk made a simple conclusion.
“She must be a guest.”
He chuckled at himself for spending so long overthinking something so trivial. As he glanced back at the list of residents, he noticed something peculiar. ᚱà₦ꝋBЕṤ
“…Huh?”
The girl who had been there just moments ago had vanished without a trace.
He could’ve sworn he saw her standing there in front of the door.
‘…A ghost?!’
A sudden chill ran through him, and his body shuddered. No person could disappear so suddenly like that.
If a ghost dared to show itself in broad daylight, it must be an especially powerful one!
“Of course, something was bound to feel off…”
The idea that he might be working in a haunted office-tel sank in as he imagined himself now the protagonist of a horror game instead of a regular job. As he stood there, panic-stricken…
“Kaa… Ah-hem…! …Are you okay?!”
A gentle voice cut through his thoughts.
Looking up without thinking, Dong-hyuk spotted a familiar woman helping the small girl, who had apparently tripped, up from the ground.
“Does it hurt? How could you go ahead without me?”
“I’m fine.”
The woman brushed the dust off the girl’s clothes, scolding her lightly, while the girl responded nonchalantly.
Only then did Dong-hyuk realize that the girl hadn’t disappeared suddenly but had simply fallen out of his line of sight. The realization hit him, and with it, a wave of embarrassment flooded over him.
“Ugh… geez…”
Talking about daylight and ghosts—this was all because of the horror game stream he’d watched a few days ago. Dong-hyuk, who had let his imagination run wild, felt like Icarus plummeting down after flying too close to the sun, gripped by shame.
“Uh, is something wrong?”
The voice that addressed him snapped him out of his shame spiral, allowing his survival instincts to take control again.
“Ahem! I, uh, just had a cramp in my foot. But, who might this young one be?”
“Oh, she’s a girl who will be staying with me from now on.”
“Did she come from abroad?”
“Well… yes, something like that.”
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Dong-hyuk thought, feeling slightly puzzled by her vague answer, though he completed the registration process swiftly.
The girl, still looking a bit unsteady, walked with the woman’s support.
‘I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before…’
Dong-hyuk stared at the girl’s back, struck by an odd sense of déjà vu, when she suddenly turned around, causing him to quickly look away.
If she caught him staring, she might think he was some kind of creep. And it wasn’t hard to imagine what would happen if rumors spread that the office-tel’s security guard was ogling a young girl.
“…”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
Thankfully, the girl didn’t seem to notice. She paused briefly, then continued walking away.
‘But still, she’s incredibly cute.’
Even her voice was cute.
“A celebrity, maybe? Or a child actor? With a face like that, she could be anything.”
That would explain his sense of familiarity; he might have seen her in some video or ad without realizing it.
Sigh…
“Let’s get back to work.”
Dong-hyuk slapped his cheeks lightly to refocus and picked up his tablet. Fortunately, no one had witnessed his foolishness.
Except for one person.
***
Meanwhile, the girl’s perspective:
Why was he staring at me like that?
If I’d sensed hostility or anything suspicious, I’d have told him off, but there was none, so it felt awkward to say anything.
“…Are you tired?”
“Hm?”
“You look a bit unwell. Maybe it would have been better to stay longer at Demoninus to recover… I might have pushed you too hard.”
“It’s not because of that.”
It’s because I asked to live together…
Seeing Da-eun murmur those words to herself, I shook my head at her.
“It’s just… a little strange, that’s all.”
The words tumbled out like an excuse.
But it wasn’t entirely a lie. Even though I had once lived on Earth, the memories felt blurry, like they were fading away or about to be erased at any moment.
I was feeling two conflicting emotions simultaneously: unfamiliarity and familiarity.
After Da-eun had made her sudden proposal to live together, everything happened very quickly.
“Well, why not?”
“…Eh? Are you sure you should answer so easily?”
“This place is too stifling; I don’t like it.”
Since I had been considering moving out of Demoninus at some point anyway, I had no reason to refuse.
“Suit yourself. You wouldn’t listen to me anyway, would you?”
“That’s true.”
“I still don’t understand why you’d go out of your way to take care of such a bothersome brat.”
Edel felt the same way, even urging me out the door with a look of relief. And that’s how I ended up standing in front of Da-eun’s office-tel.
Things had moved so fast that I hadn’t had a chance to ask her something important.
“Are you really okay with this, Da-eun?”
“Huh? Where did that come from?”
“You’ve taken in a freeloader.”
…As much as I hated to admit it, I wasn’t exactly useful in my current state.
No, I was more of a hindrance, barely able to walk on my own. She would have more expenses to cover than when she was living alone, and I’d be more of a nuisance than a help.
“More of a nuisance? Not at all! I thought it was a bit too big and lonely to live here alone, anyway.”
“And the money?”
“If I was worried about that, I wouldn’t be living in a place like this. Oh, right, Kana, you probably don’t realize just how expensive this place is.”
“…”
I couldn’t tell if she was trying to reassure me or bragging.
Her smug attitude was pretty annoying.
“Besides, you helped me so much. You saved my life, covered almost all the travel expenses on your own, bought me that expensive ring… It’s only fair I give something back!”
“Then why don’t you buy me a house?”
“…That’s a bit…”
Da-eun’s confidence instantly deflated.
“I mean, I could buy you a house, but could you really live alone? Things on Earth are very different from those in Silia.”
“I’d manage somehow.”
“You can’t just think so lightly about it! Do you know how many kids get into accidents because they meddle with things they don’t understand?”
“…A kid?”
“Of course, you’re a kid! If you don’t know anything, you’re still a kid, aren’t you?”
“…”
I hadn’t told Da-eun that I had lived on Earth before. In a way, I was like a newbie with prior experience—but without clear memories, I was just like a beginner.
So I couldn’t really argue back, and I stayed quiet.
It wasn’t just that I didn’t remember things, but the fragments I did remember didn’t match what I was seeing now.
Take that thing in Da-eun’s hand, for example.
“What’s that?”
“This? It’s a phone.”
“…A phone?”
“Hmm… How do I explain this?”
The phones I remembered didn’t look like that… but Da-eun misinterpreted my stunned reaction and started explaining excitedly.
In any case, my memories weren’t very helpful.
“Ah, you don’t know this? This is called an ‘elevator.’ It’s a device used for going up and down tall buildings efficiently.”
When I hesitated to respond, Da-eun, seizing her chance, teased me with a broad grin.
Annoyed by her attitude, I pouted.
“Showing off over something like that…”
“‘Something like that’? You should humbly accept the conveniences of modern civilization, you little thing!”
“I could do this too.”
“Really? Kana, you think you could make this? It may look simple, but it actually operates on a highly complex principle. It’s not something you can just easily make.”
“I didn’t say I could make it. I said I could do it.”
“…Not make it, but do it?”
A hint of unease crossed Da-eun’s face as she looked me in the eye.
“Well, it just has to go up and down, right?”
I know a way that could be much faster. It might be a bit dizzying, but the results are guaranteed.
“Want me to show you?”
“…No, that’s fine.”
Da-eun backed down. As an awkward silence began to settle, the elevator arrived with a cheerful ding at just the right moment. Da-eun stepped out quickly and hurried to the door.
Beep. Beep beep beep.
Click!
“Hurry on in! This will be Kana’s home from now on!”
She was so excited that she practically flung the door open and kept urging me to come inside. Did she forget that I could barely walk on my own?
I shot her a look, then slowly made my way forward, bracing myself against the wall, step by step.
“…Oh, sorry.”
Realizing her oversight, Da-eun came back to help me, and finally, we arrived at the door. With a wide swing, the door opened fully, revealing Da-eun’s home.
“…Wow.”
As Da-eun stood beside me, beaming with pride, I stepped forward. The space was large and luxurious—different from the grandiosity of the palace I’d grown tired of, but with a sophisticated charm of its own.
And yet, something else greeted me.
“Da-eun.”
“Hmm? What do you think? Do you like it?”
“…The place is messy.”
“…Huh?”
Scattered items and bits of trash lay around the place. It reminded me of the first time I had visited my dad’s house back in the day. Though it wasn’t quite as bad as that…
Why are the people who bring me places always like this?
“I-I usually clean every day! I’ve just been a bit too stressed these past few days, so I didn’t get around to it!”
“Jeez…”
Oh well. I can’t exactly scold my landlord, so I’ll have to bear with it.
With a sigh, I dragged my weary body inside Da-eun’s home.
“I’m telling the truth!”
*(An office-tel is a type of building in South Korea that combines both office and residential spaces.)
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