“How pathetic you are for not being able to do the one thing your mighty god asked you to do”

He whimpered, his lip quivering as his wings trembled involuntarily. His knees ached due to the prolonged strain of kneeling on the cold ground began to take its toll on his skin. His naked body was beginning to betray him, but his mind knew all too well that this moment was inevitable. He had always known that if it came down to you and him, there would be no escape or victory. The moment God had commanded him to rid the world of you, he had understood the futility of resistance. He knew how powerful you were and most the terrifying of all is how you always been able to manipulate him and bend him to your own will.

This wasn’t the first time you had truly met face to face. The last time you and Anton crossed paths, he had managed to slip away, deceiving both his fellow angels and himself since he had claimed to have fought you, but in truth you had him pleasuring you at the very own altar he had been given his wings. He had lied to his god and oh how you loved it.

See God had been pleased with Anton’s lie. So, He had sent him, along with two other angels, to put an end to you once and for all. Poor Sungchan and Wonbin never stood a chance. Their wings torned by your power before they even had a chance to use them. You effortlessly shredded through the two angels and that’s when you spotted Anton. The all too familiar angel boy, trembling in the corner, his form barely concealed behind the wreckage of his fallen comrades. He had been hiding, hoping to avoid your wrath but you were painfully quick to notice his presence. Without hesitation, you advanced where he was. The moment you locked eyes, the ground seemed to shake with the weight of your walk and he ignored the blood pooling on the floor behind you.

“Don’t you feel any shame? Coming back and begging me to spare you… again”

Your voice was like a slow insidious venom that coursed through his veins, freezing him in place. The paralyzing fear gripped him tighter with every word you spoke. He could feel the excruciating weight of his own helplessness, knowing that to fall into your hands meant a death more agonizing than he could imagine. His only thought was survival, truly anything to avoid the brutal torment you would unleash upon him.

“P- .. pl- please”

You let out a humorless chuckle, your eyes cold and unblinking and his eyes start to water “Your begging isn’t going to work Anton”

He knew begging would only fuel your wrath. He was no fool, he understood that much. But the fear gripping his chest left him powerless, unsure of what else to do. Weak. That’s what he was. A weak, foolish angel. How had he ever earned those wings? The very wings that now felt like a futile shield, their feathers trembling as they were tucked protectively around him while he knelt on the cold floor, his gaze fixed downward in shame.

"Look at me, when I talk to you" your voice sliced through the air, dragging his eyes upwards against his will.

“Yes..." he whispered.

You leaned in closer to him. "Tell me, right now, why you shouldn't end up as your friends over there"

There is a heavy silence filling the room. Was this a trick? Was there a right answer or would he make things worse?

"Cause..." His words caught in his throat, a bitter taste of shame curling on his tongue. You raised an eyebrow.

"Cause I can be of use" he forced out, his heart sinking.

"I can help you" Anton felt his dignity crumbling down, but he remembered back to the memory of his previous survival, when such a plea had spared him, so he pushed himself to utter the words again.

“so easy to break..”

You paced slowly around him like a predator. The sound of your heels on the stone floor was an agonizing rhythm. As you moved around him, the air grew around him got colder, every breath Anton took there was a visible mist. The touch of the cold air was unlike anything he had ever known and goosebumps bloomed across his naked body. He clenched his fists, trying to suppress the tremor of vulnerability threatening to break through his stoic exterior.

"Is the cold reminding you of how fragile you are?" You taunted.

His chest heaved while frustration creeped into his body, but you couldn’t help the satisfaction that surged through you. The sight of his exposed, angelic form was a stark contrast to your own dark presence and it felt delicious.

"Did you really think you could come here to kill me?"

your eyes lingering on his flawless skin, as you stepped closer to him.

"Angels like you have so much faith in your virtue, but it’s so fragile. So easily stripped away. A little bit of shame, and you’re just like everyone else... weak" ... "And don’t pretend you’re not enjoying this Anton, Your body is so perfect, I can’t say I blame you for giving it to me, even if it wasn’t voluntary"

You traced a finger lightly over the curve of his shoulder, watching as his muscles tensed beneath your touch. His fire was slowly dimming. The fight had drained from him long ago. Anton was powerless now, and you had made sure of it

"Tell me, angel" you whispered

"did you think you could still have the upper hand after I took everything you were?"

Deep in his eyes, you saw the truth. Broken. In that moment, you had turned the tables. You had made him yours and you would savor the feeling for a long time.

You noticed him shielding his crotch area with both of his hands, trembling as he tried to hide his shameful arousal.

"Don't fight it Anton. You’re so much more beautiful when you’re honest with yourself. Look at you… all I’ve done is show you what you’ve always craved"

His body was betraying him more and more. "You’re nothing but a lie" his voice was hoarse as he whispered those words.

"This is a trap. I won’t fall for it" Even as he spoke, his eyes looked down to where your hand rested near his waist now. You are also on your knees now. His breath hitched when you traced your finger slowly along his stomach.

"You already have"

Pressing your body closer to his, both of you felt the tension ripple through like an electric shock.

"The moment you let me touch you, you made your choice. You chose this, even if you didn’t realize it yet"

Anton’s body trembled as your hand slid lower, making him gasp, the fight between mind and body written desplayed across his face. His wings twitched again but there was no strength in them now. His eyes locked onto yours, searching for the last remnants of defiance, but it was fading.

"You’re mine now Anton" you whispered, your lips ghosting over his jaw, the words dripping into his ear

"I’ll make you feel everything you’ve been denying yourself"

It took a long, strained moment, but then his shoulders sagged, his resistance faltering at last, his head dropped slightly, eyes closing in a mixture of shame and reluctant acceptance. His body moved toward yours, as though it had finally surrendered to what he could no longer deny.

"Please…" he whispered.

You took both of his wrist and guide them away from where he had been hiding his length. His tip was already red and leaking with pre cum. Such a pretty cock on a pretty angel.

You lowered your thighs so you could meet what you hungrily sought for and as you go down, Anton started to whimper even harder and thats when you notice that he has started crying. "ngh, want your mouth" You paused, a slow smile curling at the edges of your lips. Oh how quickly he had fallen, how easily he had come to crave what he had once condemned. This moment and his confession was the last remnant of the defiant angel, replaced now by something far more human.

Sometimes you wondered as your gaze lingered on his flawless features, why God made angels so beautiful. It was almost cruel. They were made to be admired, revered, fucked. But underneath it all, they were just fragile, like the rest of creation.

And you? You reveled in that fragility.

You sucked and swirled around the head of his length before you took his cock in your mouth and further down your greedy throat. Anton tried to stop a moan from coming but it was too late, your mouth felt too good. This is better than heaven he thought as you bopped you head to a steady rythm. Anton could not help but look down and watch, eyes now seemed glued to you, his gaze lingered drawn to the curves of your dark silhouette, and the prominet black horns that curved from your head. He also saw how his dick disappeared inside your mouth and how the need to grab the back of your head was important to steady himself.

You then closed your eyes, loving the feeling of him as you tickle and massaged his balls, this earned a whine and wet tears falling down on his soft cheeks. Not only was he crying from the pleasure, but also the betrayal he once did again. Anton was so eager for a release that he pushed your head further down his lenght till he completely vanishes. he starts moving you up and down, while now fully fucking your face. You started moaning and spit drooled from your chin, he is big, but it doesn't matter, you' ll take all of him and more.

Okay so I thought of the plot idea while watching the vampire diaries and had to write it before I lost motivation

If you guys like this please let me know!

The four children tumbled out first, they could easily be heard by the sound of their hurried steps wanting to see the new home they were moving into. They raced against each other up the cracked stone before their parents could even turn off the ignition inside the car.

They noticed how quiet the house was inside as Sungchan stepped through the front door, followed by you. The childrens laughter echoed upstairs, both you and Sungchan could hear their footsteps exploring around the first floor.

The unpacking was slow that day. the only thing felt by each family member was how tired you became from lifting too many boxes and exploring the house. By sunset the house was full of life. Pizza boxes on the kitchen counter, kids arguing over who got which bedroom and the sound of an old record player found in the attic playing on low volume while you and Sungchan moved the furniture around.

Later that day, the children were finally asleep or at least quiet enough to pretend they were. You sat on the bare mattress with a glass of wine in your hand watching your husband fumble with the last moving box in your room.

“I was thinking” you said while leaning back “Once we finish the kitchen maybe we could open up that wall between the dining room and the living room to give it more light” He nodded, stepping over to sit beside you, his hand automatically finding yours “Yeah good idea and we could get that long table you want”

“you know me so well” you smiled at him “im your husband, its my job”

“I want this place to feel like ours you know? and not just something we fix up and live in but something that feels like a home for the kids" You wanted this house to be more than just a renovation project and to be more than a roof and walls. You wanted it to be the kind of place the kids would remember years from now. remember the hallways where they raced barefoot and remember the kitchen where they learned how to bake your grandmother’s cookies. Cause after everything and with the chaos of moving and the long months of saving and searching you just wanted this to be good.

A home, in the truest sense of the word.

“I’m really glad we’re doing this” you said “It feels good” Sungchan hummed in agreement

The scream cut through walls. You were on your feet before your wine glass hit the floor, your husband right behind you, both of you running down the dim hallway toward the children's rooms. Your heart pounded with a sharp instinctual panic a parent would know. the twin’s bedroom door was cracked open and inside you see Sojung sitting upright in her bed while clutching her blanket to her chest, her small face streaked with tears. Hajin was still asleep on his own bed. You rushed to her and gathered her into your arms. Her little body was shaking “Sojung what happened?” you asked while brushing the hair from her damp forehead.

“There was… someone in the corner” her voice was so small it barely made it past her lips “They were watching me” You turned instinctively, your eyes scanning the room and see nothing sort of the ordinairy. Sungchan stepped in to check the closet, under the bed and every corner she pointed to with trembling fingers “There’s no one here baby” he said softly and crouched beside you “Maybe it was a dream?” But Sojung shook her head

“It wasn’t a dream daddy” it made you exchange a glance with your husband, both of you trying to stay calm as you held Sojung.

Sojung was the youngest by only a few minutes, always the smallest and the softest of your four children. She always held her twin brother’s hand when he was scared and never forgot to say “please” and “thank you” no she always asked before touching things that weren’t hers. You used to joke that she was born already knowing right from wrong. You loved Sojung with your whole heart and with the aching love that only a parent can understand. She was your baby, your last one, the one who still reached for your hand without thinking. She was delicate about her, not weak but pure. She trusted so easily that you felt a constant need to protect her from anything that might bruise her softness. Something in your bones told you that if anything in this house ever tried to take her, it would have to go through you first.

A week passed and the house had begun to settle around you or maybe you had begun to settle into it. Most of the boxes were unpacked. The walls were still bare and somewhere in the dining room the sunlight pooled through the big windows, warming the floor where your tea sat forgotten beside a sketched layout of the second floor.

You fingers smudged with graphite and lines traced across the paper that you thought of many ways of how the house should look. "This wall could come down and that one could be opened up hmmm maybe a skylight if the roof could hold it" you hear the children’s laughter floated in through the screen door. Sojung’s voice and then Hajin's close behind with their older siblings calling out rules for a game. Sungchan was upstairs somewhere drilling and measuring probably also cursing under his breath when he had a wall that refused to cooperate. all of it ordinary sounds. Familiar sounds and when the children grew quiet you caught yourself holding your breath and listen to the stillness and then laughter would rise again and the spell would break and you’d go back to drawing lines across paper.

Sungchan was still drilling upstairs when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned just as Doyoung stepped into the room, hands in the pockets of his trouses. "Hey big man" your husband said, setting the drill down and brushing dust from his palms "What are you doing up here?"

Doyoung shrugged as his eyes scanned the room, the exposed beams and the mess of tools spread across the floor "Didn’t wanna play anymore. Got tired" Doyoung was thirteen now meaning that he was old enough to drift away from the younger ones and to seek other challenges. He watched his son take a seat on the edge of an unopened box his legs swinging just above the floor

"You’ve been working on this for hours dad, don’t you get tired?"

"All the time" his father smiled

"But someone’s gotta make sure the roof doesn’t fall in" He looked at his dad like he always did with deep admiration, but also with a reverence he tried to understand how someone could carry so much weight and never let it show. Sungchan had always been good at that, carrying stress like furniture and never letting the kids see the strain in his shoulders.

Doyoung picked at a splinter on the box "Do you think this house has ghosts?" he asked suddenly while keeping his eyes down not looking up at his father "What do you mean?" Doyoung just shrugged "I don’t know.. sometimes it just.. I hear stuff but it’s probably just pipes and whatever" He walked over and crouched down "This house is old"

Doyounf usually didn’t believe in things like ghosts. He was the logical one. While his youngest siblings ran screaming from stories about monsters under the bed, he would roll his eyes and turn the lights off himself. He liked when things made sense. So of course ghosts didn’t fit into any of that. Yet this house, this house was starting to make him wonder. It wasn’t anything obvious at first. Just things that didn’t quite add up. Like the way the hallway light on the second floor would flicker whenever he walked past, but only when he walked past or the old broken grandfather clock that sometimes made a click at exactly 6:06 in the morning. Doyoung would catch a glimpse of something in the reflection of the TV screen, only to turn around and find the room completly empty or he’d walk by the mirror in the upstairs hall and think that he hadn’t been alone the reflection. One night he swore he heard something moving above his room. and when he again mentioned it to his dad, he got a tired smile and a pat on the back. “Mice. Don’t let them get in your head” but it was already in his head.

Doyoung didn’t believe in ghosts. He told himself that again and again. But lately every time he passed that attic door he made sure not to look directly at the crack beneath it. Because once he thought he saw something on the other side. Something that for sure wasnt a mouse.

By dinner time the air smelled like garlic and tomato sauce. You stood at the stove stirring the last of the spaghetti. The children sat crowded around the table and the bowls in front of them steaming, their eyes wide and hungry. You barely had time to set down the final plate before forks were clattering. Sojung kicked her legs beneath the chair, her hair bouncing as she took her first bite “This is the best spaghetti in the world mommy!” she said with the red sauce painting the corners of her mouth. Hajin gave a thumbs up, he was too busy chewing to talk. Your husband then leaned over his elbows on the table, watching everyone with that look you knew so well, love.

He raised a forkful of spaghetti and said “I slaved over a hot stove all day for this. I deserve an award” You gave him a look “You sliced one onion” “Exactly honey” he said “and I cried the whole time” You laughed and felt love break open in your chest as your hand found his under the table. The children laughed as well with their mouth full of food, but right now you didnt care.

You sat back for a moment just to watch them your heart complelety full and your hand still loosely curled in your husband’s beneath the table. Chaeyeong, your second oldest, wiped her mouth with a napkin. She always had that kind of thing to her, a little older than her years “Can we paint our room?” she asked suddenly, glancing between you and your husband “Not just white but something cool”

Hajin perked up “Yeah! Like dark blue! Like the ocean!” but that eanred a groan from Doyoung “That’ll make it feel like a cave” Sojung nodded seriously “I want stars on the ceiling”

You and your husband exchanged a smile. “Tell you what” he said, pointing a fork at them “Once we sell this house for lots of money, we will start builing our dream home and if it doesn’t break the laws of physics or the family budget, we’ll figure it out”

“Really?” Chaeyeong grinned and you nodded “of course”

This house was just a step, like a project with profit. It wasn’t the home. But it was a promise to make enough to finally build the home you’d always imagined. You thought about many things and had many ideas but most importantly you thought about your children and how you would give them everything you didn’t have growing up. You wanted to make all their wishes come true. This house, strange and old as it was, was the beginning of that dream.

Four weeks had passed since moving in and the house and for all its age it had begun to feel familiar. The days were long and full renovation plans. Hajin had taken to watching the yard across the street. He would stand by the window in the early evenings, his forehead pressed to the glass and his small fingers smudging the panes “She keeps waving at me mommy” he told you one afternoon while you folded laundry “The girl from the yellow house. She stands near the fence every day”

You look at his eyes that reminded you too much of his father “Waving is a good sign right? Maybe she wants to play with you jinnie” but your son only shook his head “She never smiles when I wave back, she stops moving”

“Maybe she’s just shy sweetheart. Maybe she doesn’t know how to talk to new kids”

He didn’t answer you right away, he tilts his head and scruch his eyebrows “Her clothes look old”

You made a note to walk him over there sometime and to introduce yourself. But the days kept slipping past in sawdust and sketches, and somehow, you never got around to it. Meanwhile, your daughters had become obsessed with a red door they'd found on the second floor. It had no label or markings. It just had a deep and dull crimson paint that seemed to swallow the light around it. Chaeyeong and Sojung had tried every key in the house. Even the master but nothing worked “We’ll get it open eventually” Chaeyeong said. “Maybe it’s a tea room!” Sojung replied to her big sister. You brushed it off not daring to limit their imaginations. Doyoung had taken more and more to working alongside his father. Hauling tools and hammering frames and asking questions about wiring and structure. He was growing up faster than you'd realized.

Everything was ordinary.

The chaos of the day had settled into a much more calmer tone, the children had pulled soft blankets from the closets and the television lit against the living room walls. You could smell the buttered popcorn in the air as you sat curled up on the couch beside your husband. The Children had all piled onto the floor with pillows and snacks each of them jockeying for the best spot before the movie started. Chaeyeong had picked an old favorite of hers, something spooky but not too scary. She grinned as the opening credits rolled, very much proud of her choice. hajin layed on his stomach his chin in his hands while Sojung was already curled against Chaeyeong’s side. Doyoung sat leaning against the armchair his legs were stretched out and had a bowl of popcorn balanced on his knees.

“Okay, everyone got their snacks right?"

"yeah dad now shh!" Chaeyeong sushed him

"hey dont shush me or else we will switch to sugar-free candy young lady” your husband joked making Hajin’s eyes widened in outrage “Not sugar free candy! That’s just sad candy!” Chaeyeong rolled her eyes “You guys are annoying”

Sojung giggled “Jinnie just wants to eat candy forever” You glanced at your husband, warmth flooding your chest “He definitely gets that from you yn” you raised an eyebrow “Hey! I’m a role model, thank you very much!” You then look at your second oldest daughter, smiling at her. Chaeyeong seemed older than her years.

-

Night had come. Everyone was supposed to be asleep but Chaeyeong was awake. At first it was a banging against the wall from the wall next to the twins’ room, where Sojung and Hajin slept. She sat up and blinked into the dark her heart starting to race. What the…? she thought. Why are they awake? It’s late. The banging didn’t stop. It grew louder and even more insistent. Then suddenly they called out “Chaeyeong!” Her blood ran cold and anger rose fast, cutting through her fear. How dare they wake her? She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stormed down the hall. She flung open the twins’ door “What do you want??” The room was dark and the twins were fast asleep. They stirred slowly at the sudden intrusion and blinking the sleep from their eyes “Seriously, what do you think you’re doing?” The twins exchanged confused glances and neither of them answered. They looked at her as if she were the one who was mistaken.

“Why are you guys banging on my wall like that? Do you think it’s funny?” Hajin rubbed his eyes “We’re not banging” Chaeyeong’s frustration deepened, but the confusion in their voices made her pause “Then who was it? Who screamed my name?”

“We don’t know what you’re talking about” “Stop!”

“Somebody was clearly banging on the wall and I heard someone screaming my name” Sojung’s small hands clutched the blanket tighter around her “We didn’t scream” she whispered “and we didn’t bang on anything”

“Then who did?” she demanded an answer and the walls answered.

A loud bang echoed through the room, sharp enough to make them all jump. Chaeyeong’s heart lurched in her chest. The twins stared wide eyed, as silence fell again. They all turned toward the wall. the very one next to the twins’ beds from which the sound had come. For a moment, nothing. then the banging returned, it was rapid thuds making the wood shake. The heavy frame of a painting quivered on the wall and the closet door swayed against it as if it was being pushed by hands. The children screamed. Hajin and Sojung scrambled out of their beds and bolted to Chaeyeonga’s side, clutching to her and of course Chaeyeong wrapped her arms tightly around them while trying to hold back her own rising panic. The banging grew louder and more relentless

“Please… stop…” the children cried, voices trembling as tears streaked down their faces. Chaeyeongs grip tightened “It’s okay, I’m here. It’s going to be okay”

The banging kept pounding an assault that swallowed the room whole. Each thud rattled through the walls, through the floor and through children´s bones, until it felt like the house itself was shaking apart around them.

Just as the nightmare seemed endless, a sudden crash echoed through the hallway and the bedroom door burst open. Sungchan stepped inside and his eyes quickly taking in the chaos“Hey, hey, hey! what’s going on? what is happening?” The banging stopped abruptly, whatever had been tormenting the walls had pulled back at his presence. Hajin and Sojung clung tighter to Chaeyeong, their sobs slowing as they looked up at their father and searched for safety in his strong arms.

Your husband knelt down, gathering Hajin and Sojung into his arms. "Why were you guys screaming? What happened?”

“There was banging on the wall… and it wouldn’t stop”

“what?..” he got quiet for a moment

“maybe it was just the pipes. This house is old and sometimes things bang when the temperature changes”

Chaeyeong frowned “But Dad, it was really loud!” Your husband nodded understandingly “I know honey I believe you”

Ever since they’d moved in his mind had been restless, haunted by the things that didn’t make sense. Sojung often woke from nightmares, whispering about a woman who watched her while she slept, a presence too heavy to ignore and Hajin who lately spoke of an imaginary friend, one he’d never mentioned before and now Chaeyeong crying on the floor with her younger siblings

“We’ll keep an eye on it but for now try to get some sleep. I promise you’re safe here”

when Sungchan came back to his room, you were still lying in bed “Everyone alive?”

“Yeah… just the kids.. got quite a scare” you reached out to squeeze his hand "Guess kids have their ways of dealing with new places” you said now pulling him closer to you.

“I want to believe it’s all normal but I catch myself wondering if this new house is getting to them, you know... moving away from their friends and family” Sungchan confessed while glancing toward the window

“Maybe but we’ll keep them safe. That’s what matters” You squeezed his hand again

When you woke up, the bed was empty so you guessed your husband was already up and at work on the house. Today you decided to take a quiet day for yourself. You slipped out of bed, careful not to wake the children and let them sleep in after such a scare they had. You made your way to the reading room and settled into the worn armchair with a new book in hand. You couldn’t feel the hours slipping by until you finally looked out the window, the world outside was swallowed by night. How had time flown so fast? A sudden chill crept up your spine as you pushed yourself out of the chair and stepped into the dark hallway. The house was empty and dark. Had the kids already eaten? Were they asleep? You moved through the rooms. Doyoung and Chaeyeong were peacefully sleeping on their separate rooms. But when you reached the twins’ room, your heart caught Sojung’s soft sobs. You hurried to her side, dropping down beside the small bed where her face turned toward you “Shh it’s okay sweetheart” you whispered, wrapping your arms around her.

“Tell me what happened? Is it the lady again?”

She nodded “Yeah… her mouth big and it was wide open .. I tried to hide under my covers but she stayed.”

“You’re safe now Sojung. That lady can’t hurt you” You glanced down at your daugther “Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?” She nodded quickly, relief flickering across her face “Yes please” You took her hand and led her quietly down the hall to your room and let her curl up beside you “I love you my sweet girl, I will always be with you”

The next morning, despite the restless night and the uneasy weight pressing down on your shoulders, you woke up fine. As you slowly descended the creaking wooden stairs your husband appeared in the hallway. The moment his eyes landed on you, everything else seemed to fade away. He stopped to show you a smile spreading across his face “Wow” he breathed out. His gaze traced the gentle folds of your white floral print dress. “You look incredible” Without hesitation he closed the distance between you. His hands found your waist and pulled you close and his lips brushed against yours full of a love so profound it seemed to banish the stress creeping at the edges of your mind. His fingers traced gentle patterns along your back as he whispered against your lips “I don’t think I could ever get tired of telling you how beautiful you are” You leaned into him and felt the tension drain from your body.

As you pulled back from his embrace your eyes caught something on the wall behind him. A childish scribbles in crayon with bright red letters spelling out “Sojung” Your heart sank.

Why would she do that? You stepped closer and your fingers hovered near the scrawled name. Your husband followed your gaze “What are you looking at?”

You ignored him and instead screamed“Sojung!” Your husband jumped, he’d never heard you raise your voice like that before. The suddenness of it made his eyes widen in concern. Right now you didnt care she was asleep on your bed.

Almost immediately, Sojung appeared at the doorway. You pointed at the crayon writing on the wall “What is this?” She looked confused “Crayon?” “and why did you write that?” you pressed “I didn’t mommy” she shaked her head and a sharp pain stabbed your temples.

Your head throbbed making it hard to think “Sojung, don’t lie to me”

“I’m not lying, Mommy!” she insisted, tears welling in her eyes.

“Sojung!” you called again.

Before the tension could spiral further, your husband stepped forward and his hands raised gently “Honey, calm down” he said soothingly, his voice steady and grounding.

“No!” you said sharply, cutting him off before he could finish. Your voice was cold “She needs to know that she doesn’t get to do this. Sojung, go clean this off and after that go into your room and stay there until we eat” Your husband opened his mouth, clearly wanting to say something “Honey what are you even saying-” but you held up a hand and silenced him with a look “No” you said firmly “Not now. We’ll talk after. Right now, she needs to understand there are consequences”

Gentle, patient and always careful with the childrens feelings that was who you were. Even when discipline was needed being harsh was not in your nature.

Safe to say, he had never seen you like this before.

later after breakfast, Doyoung stood by the back door glancing out at the yard where the old treehouse stood, only a sliglhty visible by the branches and leaves covering it. Hajin hadn’t been inside since yo ate. so Doyoung slipped on his shoes and stepped outside. The air was still a bit cold. The old boards beneath his feet creaked as he approached the treehouse “Hajin?” he called out to his younger brother while his hand on the rope ladder, but got no answer.

He climbed up every step and pushed open the hatch and there was Hajin sitting down surrounded by crayons and a few pieces of paper around the floor “What are you doing out here little man?” Hajin looked up with a proud smile on his lips

“Drawing us” It was crooked but colorful sketch of the family all holding hands. You and Sungchan in the middle, Sojung and Chaeyuoeng on one side and then doyoung and hajin on the other. Everyone had big smiling faces and the house in the corner “That’s Mommy, that’s Daddy, that’s you, that’s me.” Hajin pointed to each figure as he named them “and that’s Sojung. I made her dress pink ‘cause it’s her favorite”

“This is really good little man!”

doyoung watched his little brother scribbling away and ruffled Hajin’s hair. Doyoung had always been “big man” and calling him “little man” made him feel older than he was. His gaze then drifted across the scattered drawings and his smile faltered. He picked up one and this one showed a tall figure, its limbs bending and its shoulders hunched so severely to fold over itself just to fit on the page. A black hat sat crooked on the head and though there were no eyes drawn or face at all, Doyoung knew it was watching.

The figure leaned over a tiny blue crayon version of Hajin curled in his bed. The man’s long arm just inches above his brother. He held the drawing and looked at another. This one showed the house and in the yard stood a little girl. She stood with her arm raised in a stiff wave. But what made Doyoung’s throat go dry was how hajin had drawn the windows of the house all dark, except his own. From that small square a black figure of himself looked down waving back at her.

“What is this?”

Hajin didn’t look at him but kept coloring another page, carefully shading the red door “Just stuff I saw” “When?”

“The tall man comes at night and the girl is our neighbour. She’s been waving for a long time”

“…Hajin” he said slowly, eyes still on the tall man with the crooked hat “does mom and dad know this?” hajin finally looked up, his small face blank “yes”

“good” Hajin smiled at that and doyoung looked again at the figure in the hat leaning over his brother’s bed “I believe you” Doyoung repeated.

Upstairs you lay curled on the bed with one arm draped over your eyes. The migraine that had clawed its way into your skull that morning still annoyed you, dulled only slightly by the pills you’d finally taken. The room was lit only by the gray light seeping in through the curtains. You hated the way you'd raised your voice at sojung. It wasn’t who you were. You hadn’t wanted to take your anger out on her. She was just a little girl.

The bedroom door creaked open and your husband stepped in quietly, and his eyes landed on you “Hey” he said “You okay?”

“I didn’t mean to scare her”

“But I just… I saw that writing and I- I snapped” He came to your side and sat on the edge of the bed and brushed your hair back gently. He didn’t speak for a moment, just looked at you a nd leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to your temple, right where he knew the pain had settled. His hand slid carefully into yours “You don’t have to explain anything honey” he told you “Not to me. You carry this whole family on your back without ever asking for anything. I see it even when you don’t think I do” You turned your face toward him, eyes glassy, throat tight. He smiled softly, brushing your cheek with the back of his knuckles “You’re allowed to break sometimes. You’re allowed to lose your temper and cry and crawl into bed and shut out the world. You’re dont have to be the perfect mom, you’re you and that’s who I love. All of you”

“Even when I’m yelling at our daughter?” “Especially then” he said with a quiet laugh, leaning closer “Because I know how much it cost you. Listen you’re the best mother I’ve ever seen and I know this house, whatever it is, it’s getting under our skin with the renovations and all”

He really was the best husband you could’ve asked for. He looked at you like he still saw the girl he’d first fallen in love with and loved you even more now with your tired eyes and your worn edges. Sungchan builds houses but he also built you a home every day with every word and every touch. Even now in this old house he was the one thing that never made you afraid.

“Get some sleep” He brushed his lips against your forehead and his hand smoothed down your arm “I’ll check on the kids yeah?” You nodded and already feeling yourself sinking into the softness of the bed.

He spotted his two boys sitting close together inside the old treehouse, their small figures bent over something on the floor. He knew sojung would be in the playroom, probably in a world of tea parties with her stuffed animals. So he went looking for Chaeyeong.

He found her sitting at the kitchen table as she quietly ate. Her fork moved slowly through the pie and her eyes lifted as he approached

“Hey sweetheart, how is your day?”

“good, Im going to Sojung´s tea party after this”

He smiled gently as she stood, brushing off her skirt “thats good, she would like that very much” he watched her walk toward the door and before she slipped out, she turned back “What’s wrong with mom?”

For a moment he searched for the right words to say to his edest daughter “Mom’s just tired sweetheart. the house has been hard on us, there is much to do”

She didnt move but now her hand rested lightly on the doorframe. “No dad. What’s really wrong with her?” He looked up at her, brows knitting. “Sweetheart she’s just tired, that’s all”

But Chaeyeong shook her head “I’ve seen her at night. When I can’t sleep I see her walking around the house”

Confusion crossed his face “like sleepwalking?”

“Yeah last night she walked right past my room. I called out to her, but she didn’t stop. Her eyes were open but it didn’t feel like she was awake” He stared at her he cant recall you stir beside him. He would’ve known if you left the bed. Would’ve felt the space beside him go cold. But he hadn’t

“Are you sure sweetheart?” Chaeyeong didn’t answer. She just gave him a solemn look, one that said yes I’m sure dad and then she turned and disappeared down the hall toward her the tea party that was waiting for her upstairs.

Sometimes he forgot how young she still was. When she was little, she used to say things like “Lying is a waste of time” with a tone that always made him chuckle not because it wasn’t true, but because it sounded so odd coming from such a small girl with the eyes of his wife. So if she said she saw her mother wandering the house at night she had.

So when night fell and the rain had started light at first he wanted to ask you about it. But by midnight the storm had gathered its strengt and howled through the trees outside. There wasn’t much time to watch and see if you’d slip out of bed and drift through the halls like Chaeyeong claimed. Because suddenly a crash shook the house, followed immediately by crying from the twins down the hall.

The old heavy chandelier, the exact one hanging above the entrance had come down. Shattered with glass exploding across the floor. You bolted upright in bed with a pounding heart and your body still aching from the headache earlier but now overridden by instinct. The twins were screaming. You didn’t think but only ran. Down the dark hall and into the twins’ room, where Sojung and Hajin clung to each other. You dropped to your knees beside them, arms wrapping around them both as they sobbed into your chest “Shhh, it’s okay, it’s okay. I got you” you rocked them gently though your own heart was racing.

Downstairs, your husband was already halfway down the staircase, flashlight in hand surveying the wreckage. Doyoung was the first to follow him and Chaeyeong trailed quietly behind clutching the banister and her eyes looked from the shards of broken glass to the wide front door that had come slightly ajar swaying gently in the wind. No one had opened it and yet there it was. Open.

Something had passed through. Something had finally come in.

Chaeyeong opened her mouth to say the front door is open but the words caught in her throat. There was no space for them and no time cause the thunder cracked again with a splitting sound that rattled the windows and made Sojung whimper against your shoulder. You carried the twins downstairs, one arm around each of them, their faces pressed into your sides. The house felt darker than before, and even heavier now. The chandelier, the beautiful and old and grotesquely heavy chandelier you had joked about replacing was now a ruin and shattered crystal strewn across the floor. Sungchan and Doyoung were already there, their hands braced beneath the weight as they pushed the mass aside to clear a path.

“Are you alright?” you asked, your voice sharp and frantic as your eyes looked between your older children “Chaeyeong? Doyoung? Honey?” Doyoung gave you a nod while wiping sweat from his brow as he tugged at a length of broken chain while Sungchan answered you

“We’re okay honey. Just… Jesus this thing could’ve killed someone”

Chaeyeong nodded but her eyes didn’t meet yours. She was still staring at the front door and watched it creak back and forth in the wind.

“It must’ve come loose in the storm” Sungchan looked at the snapped bolts and the cracked ceiling told a different story. No wind could do this.

“Chaeyeong”

Sungchan glanced over his shoulder toward her “can you grab a broom? Let’s get this glass out of the way before someone steps in it”

The light from the storm outside lit across her face, making her look older than she was. Sungchan thought for a quick moment he saw the older version of his daughter. Then she turned and walked toward the utility closet. She moved quickly, her bare feet careful on the cold floor, and returned with the broom clutched tightly in her hand. Without being asked again, she began sweeping the jagged bits of crystal and glass into a neat pile. It gave her something to do. Something to keep her mind from the thought that the door had been open long before the wind had started to howl. You stood nearby holding Sojung and Hajin close.

Once the last of the glass had been swept away and the chandelier pulled to the side, the sense of immediate danger faded. The storm still raged outside, but inside, your family was gathered and breathing and that counted for something “Doyoung come with me” your husband said taking one of the flashlights and handing the other to his son “Let’s check the pantry and the garage, see if we have more batteries or backup lanterns” and they disappeared together down the hallway, You remained with the Chaeyeong and the twins. You looked at them and suddenly felt the deep ache of needing to make something feel normal, if only for a moment make a ritual against the fear “I’ll make hot cocoa” you said as you stood gently ushering your three children with you into the kitchen. you open the cabinets and reached for the old kettle and found the green cocoa tin. You kept your hands busy, your voice low and soothing as you narrated your steps for the children to fill the quiet.

The moment the kettle whistled and the cocoa was poured, you turned with a tired smile and ready to offer comfort. But as you turned around the room behind you was hollow and still and completely empty. Your smile faltered “Chae?” you called out and your brow scrunching. You turned in a slow circle with the cups still in your hands. “Sojung? jinnie?” Your heartbeat quickened as you stepped forward and the mugs trembling slightly in your grasp.

A high pitched scream filled with terror came from somewhere deep in the house. You couldn’t tell where. Your body moved before your thoughts could catch up, you set the cocoa down on the counter with a shaky clatter and rushed toward the sound and your breath catching in your throat “Chaeyeong!” you cried “Hajin! Sojung!” it felt like tortue, as their voices were bouncing off the walls coming from everywhere at once. You ran to the foyer and down the hallway but found them nowhere to be seen. You ran to the living room and to the staircase and back to the hall with every turn more desperate than the last. Your tears streamed freely now hot and frantic your hands trembling as you flung open door after door and you screamed “Where are you?!”

“Mommy…” You spun around and ran toward the entrance, feet pounding down the stairs and there they were. All three of them huddled together on the floor beneath the window, their faces streaked with tears. “Oh my God,” you gasped, dropping to your knees. “Where have you been?” You reached for them, touching their faces, checking their arms, their legs searching for scrapes, bruises, anything, just shaken

“Why did you leave the kitchen?” But Chaeyeong even though she was still crying looked up at you “We didn’t mom” “What?”

“We didn’t leave” she repeated “We were standing right there, in the kitchen. Calling you. You kept looking around. Kept running. But you couldn’t see us” your arms still wrapped around the twins who nodded through their sobs “No... that’s not… I ran all over the house. I looked everywhere-” “But we were right there”

“We were right next to you. You looked right through us” You stared at her, your mind fighting to catch up, to make sense of the impossible. Your hands trembled as you pulled them closer, your own tears falling now.

“Okay” you forced the calm into your voice as your heart pounded “Maybe I was… maybe I was confused. I- I didn’t see you. That’s all”

Sungchan stopped cold when he saw you on the floor, the kids in your arms and your face pale and streaked with tears, his eyes widen “What happened here?” he urgently set the box down on the floor and knelt beside you. You looked up at him, lips parted, but no words came at first. Your heart was still racing, your mind still reeling from Chaeyeong’s voice we were right next to you, but you couldn’t see us

“I- I thought they were gone Sungchan” you whispered to him “They screamed and I ran but they weren’t… they weren’t anywhere” Your husband’s brow furrowed and scanned the children “Are they hurt?” “No” you shook your head “Just scared, we all are” he reached for your hand and gave it a gentle squeeze “Let’s get everyone to the living room. Get warm and calm down”

Later that night you and your husband gathered blankets, lit candles from the box he’d brought. and the children eventually drifted off. You and your husband sat behind them on the couch, a blanket around your shoulders. You stared at the flames “I think I’m going insane”

Sungchan turned to look at you but didn’t interrupt “I mean it. I’ve never had migraines like this. the pounding is so bad I can’t even see straight and I keep dreaming about the kids getting hurt" You pause before you continue "No matter how fast I run I never get to them in time. Never” Your husband’s hand found yours but you couldn’t bring yourself to look at him “Then tonight… I ran through every room of this house thinking they were gone. I swear to you Sungchan they weren’t in that kitchen" You finally turned to him

“I’m scared” You shook your head, pressing your fingertips to your temple “I’m scared of what’s happening to me” He didn’t speak right away. He just took you into his arms and his breath was warm against your hair “You’re not going insane... you’re overwhelmed, exhausted honey. This place… it’s a lot. The move, the kids. The work and now all of this” You closed your eyes against the warmth of his chest, against the ache in your head, the tremble still in your fingers. “I just want to feel normal again” you whispered “Like myself” He kissed the top of your head “You’re not alone in it honey”

The next couple of weeks passed slowy. Your headaches were worse now. Not just sharp pulses behind your eyes, but full body aches that left you curled in dark rooms and your palms pressed to your temples to keep your skull from splitting apart. The sketches for the renovation, once your favorite part of this project and the thing that reminded you of the future you were building lay abandoned on your desk. You’d meant to be done by now. You’d planned to be moving on to the finishing phase instead you’d been taking longer and longer breaks, sometimes falling asleep in the middle of the day, waking disoriented and drenched in cold sweat from dreams you couldn't bear to describe and through it all, your husband carried the weight like he always did. He never said it was hard but you saw it in the tightness of his jaw cause nearly every night now, he was the one to rise when Sojung cried out from her nightmares and he would go to her every single time. You tried once to get up with him. But he stopped you by pressing a hand to your shoulder “Sleep” he whispered “You need rest. I’ve got her” and he meant it even when you saw the circles darkening beneath his eyes.

One time you were upstairs inside the twins’ bedroom walls as you tucked them in for the night. They were already nestled beneath their covers. You stood between their beds and smoothed their blankets and brushing their hair from their foreheads “goodnight my loves”

Hajin turned to look at you “Mom… you will protect us from monsters right?”

“Of course my love. Always”

“the big ones?”

“Yes.. even those”

Hajin’s brow furrowed deeper “..what if it´s not monsters?” Your smile faltered for the quick moment “What do you mean?”

He hesitated, then looked over at the corner of the room “what if I dream that I put poison into my body, so much poison my blood turns into it” then you heard Sojung´s voice “and what if I get so sad mommy.. I get so sad that that I don´t wanna live anymore”

“Sojung.. that wont happen”

“But what if its not a dream mommy?”

"mom?"

the voice came from behind you. It was Doyoung’s voice. You turned around slowly while wiping your cheek with the back of your hand. he stood in the doorway, squinting at you like he couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing in front of him. You blinked again at how bright it was now. The room was no longer dark, it was daylight. The lamp beside the bed was off and you glanced over your shoulder to se the beds were neatly made and no sign of the twins at all

“Doyoung?.. what… what time is it?” He tilted his head, clearly thrown off “It’s just after lunch” That wasn’t right. You had just been here tucking the twins to bed “where are the twins?”

“outside... mom.. are you okay?”

“Yeah” you said “Yeah I’m okay. I just need a little rest”

It was Doyoung who spoke first to Sungchan about what he just saw and how he had found you standing still in the middle of the day, your hand resting on a bed that hadn’t been used in hours, talking to children who weren’t there. It might have been easier for Sungchan to laugh it off, if it had only been that yet not when Chaeyeong said that she had found you walking around the house in the dark. Your husband didn’t tell you all of it right away. But eventually he asked you if you might consider taking a break just for a few days. The kids were safe, he could handle them and that maybe you could go visit your sister Jihyo and clear your head.

Of course you hesitated since you had never left all four of them at once, not even for a weekend.

But he was so insistent and you were so tired so you said yes.

The kids came out to see you off and you bent down to kiss Hajin who was quick to cling to your leg like you'd be gone forever. Chaeyeong hugged you tight around the middle as you just smiled and kissed the top of her head. Doyoung stood by the porch steps his arms crossed but you pulled him into a hug anyway "Keep an eye on things for me" you said

"do you have to go mommy?" Sojung said “I just need a little break” you told them all “Just a few days... I’ll be back before you know it”

Sungchan stood behind them, his hand resting on the porch rail. He didn’t say much as you got into the car, you glanced back at the house. It looked the same. dark and tall.

Chaeyeong was the first to turn, she was already retracing the familiar path to the room where she practiced her dancing. Doyoung stayed for a moment longer staring at the driveway expecting your car to reappear. Then he shoved his hands into his pockets and followed his dad back inside. The two of them had grown used to patching the house. Hajin grabbed a stick from beneath the porch and stated something about being a pirate and Sojung followed with him.

Upstairs Sungchan and Doyoung were now prepping to paint the new wall. Doyoung held the paint can glancing at the color “Dad, does this stuff dry fast? I don’t want it to drip everywhere”

“Yeah, it dries pretty quick” your son dipped his brush and started along the edge “Mom’s gonna like this”

Your husband nodded “Yeah.. she will”

scratch scratch. The noise came from just behind the section that Sungchan was about to paint. Your husband frowned and set down his brush. “Goddamn” he muttered, moving closer to the wall and pressing his ear against the drywall “If this is a rat’s nest…” your husband said “we’re gonna have to tear the whole wall down” The scratching continued

“Do you… think it’s rats?” Doyoung asked and Sungchan shook his head slowly “No telling big man” he grimly said “But whatever it is, it doesn’t want to stay silent” The sound grew louder. scratch, scratch, scratch scratch, scratch, scratch

“We’re gonna need some rat poison. wait here I’ll go grab some from the shed” Doyoung nodded

Doyoung pressed his ear against the wall again and it was impossible to ignore. His fingers curled tightly around the handle of a hammer resting nearby and without thinking he raised the hammer and brought it down hard on the wall. Crack and he struck again crack, crack each blow sending dust and fragments falling to the floor. The scratching abruptly stopped but doyoung hammered one last time, breaking through the surface. He reached inside the hole, shining the flashlight beam through the jagged edges. The space beyond was empty. No nests or rats. actually there were o signs of movement at all.

“Doyoung” his dad stepped into the hallway, the rat poison in his hand and he stopped when he saw the hole in the wall “What are you doing?”

“I heard the scratching again. So I hammered through”

Your husband sighed, running a hand through his hair “Alright well, did you find something?"

"no.. but I heard it right here”

“I’ll put the rat poison away again” your husband said “Wait here” He turned and headed down the hallway while doyoung stood by the hole. Minutes passed and while sungchan’s footsteps faded into the distance, a faint scratch from deep inside the wall made doyoung freeze.

“Dad!” he called out and Sungchan was just reaching for the top shelf in the pantry trying to carefully place the rat poison behind the jars and cans. He turned quickly at his sons shout “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“There’s something in the wall scratching again! It’s louder this time!”

Your husband’s calm face tightened for the first time “Show me” they hurried back down the hallway as they neared the hole, the scratching stopped. Your husband shone his flashlight inside the hole. Nothing.

“You know what, let´s take an off day” "but we didnt do anything today"

"thats okay"

Your husband wiped his hands on a rag and glanced over at Doyoung, who was still standing near the hole in the wall and took him with him to the kitchen, pulling out bread, cheese and some cold cuts from the fridge. The smell of toasted sandwiches soon filled the house.

The sandwiches were passed around and the kids settled into their seats. Chaeyeong poked at her food thoughtfully before looking up. “Hey, should we call mom? see how she’s doing?”

“Yeah, I want to hear her voice”

Sungchan pulled out his phone from his pocket “Good idea lets call her” The phone rang but went straight to voicemail

“Maybe she’s busy with aunt jihyo”

“Maybe she’s sleeping daddy” Your husband smiled gently at Sojung

“We’ll call her again tonight” he promised his children.

That evening after the plates were washed your husband called again. Then again and again and each time, the ring tone buzzed in his ear until it clicked over to your voicemail. The kids were already in pajamas and Doyoung waited a little longer in the hallway and watched his dad with a frown “Still nothing?” he asked and Sungchan shook his head “No. I’ll try again in a bit”

“She always picks up” “yeah.. I know.. maybe she forgot to charge her phone” But they all knew that wasn’t like you. Especially not after how hesitant you’d been to leave and how you’d kissed each of them twice, three times, and how your hand had stayed on the doorknob that morning.

He tucked them in one by one and assured them that you’d call first thing in the morning. He went back downstairs afterward with his phone still in his hand. He sat down on the couch and tried once more, straight to voicemail. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment, then set the phone on the coffee table and eventually he drifted off on the couch, the screen of his phone dimming beside him.

For the first time in weeks he slept deeply. The house was quiet around him and for once and it let him rest. Letting his breathing slow and let his fingers go slack on the arm of the couch. Upstairs the children slept too, though tonight someone was missing.

Sungchan woke up.

Chaeyeong was standing in front of him

Her face was confused, not frightened exactly but he could tell she felt unsettled “Did you call Mom?”

sungchan rubbed his face “Yeah.. I did. she didn’t pick up though” Chaeyeong didn’t move but her lips pressed into a thin line “Sweetheart what is it?”

“She’s in the kitchen”

He stared at her “what?” “She’s in the kitchen” she repeated “I- I saw her. I was still hungry and I saw her holding a tea tray in her hands. She talked about something… about the red door”

Sungchan didn’t wait to hear more “sweetheart. go upstairs. Wake Doyoung. Stay with your brother and the twins and go to the car-” "but dad!"

"Go now!"

She nodded and went toward up the stairs

He bolted down the hall, feet slamming against the hardwood as he turned into the kitchen. You were gone. There was no presence and no breath in the room except his own coming out fast and uneven. His eyes frantically scanned the room and then he saw the small box of rat poison he had shelved just hours earlier… now lying open on the counter, opened.

"no no no no no"

sungchan took the stairs two at a time and his hands already trembling before he reached the landing. The hallway was darker than it should’ve been. Then he saw it. The red door. It had stood closed and complety locked and no one had ever gone inside until now. The door was ajar enough for light to leak out. His stomach dropped as he ran. He shoved the door open with his shoulder and stopped seeing you were there in the center of the room seated like a bride at an altar dressed in a faded white dress. Your eyes ringed in red, raw from sleeplessness. You looked like a ghost still clinging to skin and in your hands was the tea tray. Sojung and Hajin sat on the floor and Sojung raised the cup to her lips making Sungchan slap the cup from her hand and the others crashed to the floor in a spray of shattered ceramic and a bitter smelling tea. You shot to your feet, eyes wild “What are you doing Sungchan?!” you shrieked “You can’t take my children away from me!”

Sungchan looked at you, chest heaving, throat burning and in that instant he felt terrified. “What are you even doing right now yn?!”

“This is insanity! do you even know what you’re doing?” The twins were sobbing now, huddled close together on the floor. Their tears fell with hiccuping cries that tore straight through Sungchan’s chest. You stood frozen and your voice no longer sharp but small “I don’t want them to be taken away from me” You weren’t screaming anymore you were begging.

He only looked at you like he didn’t see his wife anymore “You need help” he whispered. He bent down, scooping the twins into his arms. They clung to him still sobbing and their small hands knotted in his shirt. That’s when you screamed “No!” and Sungchan’s instinct reacted before thought did and he turned too fast that his elbow catching you by the side of the head with a crack. Your body crumpled like paper “God-” he gasped, reaching out too late. But you were already motionless on the floor. He didn’t wait to see if you were breathing. He ran down the stair while the twins wept in his arms.

Chaeyong and Doyoung met him downstairs “Dad! What’s happening?!” but Sungchan didn’t stop “Get in the car now”

“Dad where’s Mom?!” doyoung said while running after him “Dad-what happened?!”

Sungchan yanked open the car doors, setting the twins in the back. They were crying for you

“Dad?!” Chaeyoung’s voice cracked out “Dad, what about Mom?”

Doyoungs fists were clenched and the tears welled up in his eyes. Sungchan slammed the door shut. He turned once more toward the house. It loomed in the night and there in the second-story window of the red door room you stood. In your white dress and hollow eyes. Hands pressed to the glass while watching. Sungchan’s knuckles whitened on the wheel as the engine came to life. He looked straight ahead

“That’s not Mom”

— — — — — —

The four children tumbled out first, they could easily be heard by the sound of their hurried steps wanting to see the new home they were moving into. They raced against each other up the cracked stone before their parents could even turn off the ignition inside the car.

They noticed how quiet the house was inside as Sungchan stepped through the front door, followed by you. The childrens laughter echoed upstairs, both you and Sungchan could hear their footsteps exploring around the first floor.

The unpacking was slow that day. the only thing felt by each family member was how tired you became from lifting too many boxes and exploring the house. By sunset the house was full of life. Pizza boxes on the kitchen counter, kids arguing over who got which bedroom and the sound of an old record player found in the attic playing on low volume while you and Sungchan moved the furniture around.

Later that day, the children were finally asleep or at least quiet enough to pretend they were. You sat on the bare mattress with a glass of wine in your hand watching your husband fumble with the last moving box in your room.

“I was thinking” you said while leaning back “Once we finish the kitchen maybe we could open up that wall between the dining room and the living room to give it more light” He nodded, stepping over to sit beside you, his hand automatically finding yours “Yeah good idea and we could get that long table you want”

“you know me so well” you smiled at him “im your husband, its my job”

“I want this place to feel like ours you know? and not just something we fix up and live in but something that feels like a home for the kids" You wanted this house to be more than just a renovation project and to be more than a roof and walls. You wanted it to be the kind of place the kids would remember years from now. remember the hallways where they raced barefoot and remember the kitchen where they learned how to bake your grandmother’s cookies. Cause after everything and with the chaos of moving and the long months of saving and searching you just wanted this to be good.

A home, in the truest sense of the word.

“I’m really glad we’re doing this” you said “It feels good” Sungchan hummed in agreement

The scream cut through walls. You were on your feet before your wine glass hit the floor, your husband right behind you, both of you running down the dim hallway toward the children's rooms. Your heart pounded with a sharp instinctual panic a parent would know. the twin’s bedroom door was cracked open and inside you see Sojung sitting upright in her bed while clutching her blanket to her chest, her small face streaked with tears. Hajin was still asleep on his own bed. You rushed to her and gathered her into your arms. Her little body was shaking “Sojung what happened?” you asked while brushing the hair from her damp forehead.

“There was… someone in the corner” her voice was so small it barely made it past her lips “They were watching me” You turned instinctively, your eyes scanning the room and see nothing sort of the ordinairy. Sungchan stepped in to check the closet, under the bed and every corner she pointed to with trembling fingers “There’s no one here baby” he said softly and crouched beside you “Maybe it was a dream?” But Sojung shook her head

“It wasn’t a dream daddy” it made you exchange a glance with your husband, both of you trying to stay calm as you held Sojung.

Sojung was the youngest by only a few minutes, always the smallest and the softest of your four children. She always held her twin brother’s hand when he was scared and never forgot to say “please” and “thank you” no she always asked before touching things that weren’t hers. You used to joke that she was born already knowing right from wrong. You loved Sojung with your whole heart and with the aching love that only a parent can understand. She was your baby, your last one, the one who still reached for your hand without thinking. She was delicate about her, not weak but pure. She trusted so easily that you felt a constant need to protect her from anything that might bruise her softness. Something in your bones told you that if anything in this house ever tried to take her, it would have to go through you first.

A week passed and the house had begun to settle around you or maybe you had begun to settle into it. Most of the boxes were unpacked. The walls were still bare and somewhere in the dining room the sunlight pooled through the big windows, warming the floor where your tea sat forgotten beside a sketched layout of the second floor.

You fingers smudged with graphite and lines traced across the paper that you thought of many ways of how the house should look. "This wall could come down and that one could be opened up hmmm maybe a skylight if the roof could hold it" you hear the children’s laughter floated in through the screen door. Sojung’s voice and then Hajin's close behind with their older siblings calling out rules for a game. Sungchan was upstairs somewhere drilling and measuring probably also cursing under his breath when he had a wall that refused to cooperate. all of it ordinary sounds. Familiar sounds and when the children grew quiet you caught yourself holding your breath and listen to the stillness and then laughter would rise again and the spell would break and you’d go back to drawing lines across paper.

Sungchan was still drilling upstairs when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned just as Doyoung stepped into the room, hands in the pockets of his trouses. "Hey big man" your husband said, setting the drill down and brushing dust from his palms "What are you doing up here?"

Doyoung shrugged as his eyes scanned the room, the exposed beams and the mess of tools spread across the floor "Didn’t wanna play anymore. Got tired" Doyoung was thirteen now meaning that he was old enough to drift away from the younger ones and to seek other challenges. He watched his son take a seat on the edge of an unopened box his legs swinging just above the floor

"You’ve been working on this for hours dad, don’t you get tired?"

"All the time" his father smiled

"But someone’s gotta make sure the roof doesn’t fall in" He looked at his dad like he always did with deep admiration, but also with a reverence he tried to understand how someone could carry so much weight and never let it show. Sungchan had always been good at that, carrying stress like furniture and never letting the kids see the strain in his shoulders.

Doyoung picked at a splinter on the box "Do you think this house has ghosts?" he asked suddenly while keeping his eyes down not looking up at his father "What do you mean?" Doyoung just shrugged "I don’t know.. sometimes it just.. I hear stuff but it’s probably just pipes and whatever" He walked over and crouched down "This house is old"

Doyounf usually didn’t believe in things like ghosts. He was the logical one. While his youngest siblings ran screaming from stories about monsters under the bed, he would roll his eyes and turn the lights off himself. He liked when things made sense. So of course ghosts didn’t fit into any of that. Yet this house, this house was starting to make him wonder. It wasn’t anything obvious at first. Just things that didn’t quite add up. Like the way the hallway light on the second floor would flicker whenever he walked past, but only when he walked past or the old broken grandfather clock that sometimes made a click at exactly 6:06 in the morning. Doyoung would catch a glimpse of something in the reflection of the TV screen, only to turn around and find the room completly empty or he’d walk by the mirror in the upstairs hall and think that he hadn’t been alone the reflection. One night he swore he heard something moving above his room. and when he again mentioned it to his dad, he got a tired smile and a pat on the back. “Mice. Don’t let them get in your head” but it was already in his head.

Doyoung didn’t believe in ghosts. He told himself that again and again. But lately every time he passed that attic door he made sure not to look directly at the crack beneath it. Because once he thought he saw something on the other side. Something that for sure wasnt a mouse.

By dinner time the air smelled like garlic and tomato sauce. You stood at the stove stirring the last of the spaghetti. The children sat crowded around the table and the bowls in front of them steaming, their eyes wide and hungry. You barely had time to set down the final plate before forks were clattering. Sojung kicked her legs beneath the chair, her hair bouncing as she took her first bite “This is the best spaghetti in the world mommy!” she said with the red sauce painting the corners of her mouth. Hajin gave a thumbs up, he was too busy chewing to talk. Your husband then leaned over his elbows on the table, watching everyone with that look you knew so well, love.

He raised a forkful of spaghetti and said “I slaved over a hot stove all day for this. I deserve an award” You gave him a look “You sliced one onion” “Exactly honey” he said “and I cried the whole time” You laughed and felt love break open in your chest as your hand found his under the table. The children laughed as well with their mouth full of food, but right now you didnt care.

You sat back for a moment just to watch them your heart complelety full and your hand still loosely curled in your husband’s beneath the table. Chaeyeong, your second oldest, wiped her mouth with a napkin. She always had that kind of thing to her, a little older than her years “Can we paint our room?” she asked suddenly, glancing between you and your husband “Not just white but something cool”

Hajin perked up “Yeah! Like dark blue! Like the ocean!” but that eanred a groan from Doyoung “That’ll make it feel like a cave” Sojung nodded seriously “I want stars on the ceiling”

You and your husband exchanged a smile. “Tell you what” he said, pointing a fork at them “Once we sell this house for lots of money, we will start builing our dream home and if it doesn’t break the laws of physics or the family budget, we’ll figure it out”

“Really?” Chaeyeong grinned and you nodded “of course”

This house was just a step, like a project with profit. It wasn’t the home. But it was a promise to make enough to finally build the home you’d always imagined. You thought about many things and had many ideas but most importantly you thought about your children and how you would give them everything you didn’t have growing up. You wanted to make all their wishes come true. This house, strange and old as it was, was the beginning of that dream.

Four weeks had passed since moving in and the house and for all its age it had begun to feel familiar. The days were long and full renovation plans. Hajin had taken to watching the yard across the street. He would stand by the window in the early evenings, his forehead pressed to the glass and his small fingers smudging the panes “She keeps waving at me mommy” he told you one afternoon while you folded laundry “The girl from the yellow house. She stands near the fence every day”

You look at his eyes that reminded you too much of his father “Waving is a good sign right? Maybe she wants to play with you jinnie” but your son only shook his head “She never smiles when I wave back, she stops moving”

“Maybe she’s just shy sweetheart. Maybe she doesn’t know how to talk to new kids”

He didn’t answer you right away, he tilts his head and scruch his eyebrows “Her clothes look old”

You made a note to walk him over there sometime and to introduce yourself. But the days kept slipping past in sawdust and sketches, and somehow, you never got around to it. Meanwhile, your daughters had become obsessed with a red door they'd found on the second floor. It had no label or markings. It just had a deep and dull crimson paint that seemed to swallow the light around it. Chaeyeong and Sojung had tried every key in the house. Even the master but nothing worked “We’ll get it open eventually” Chaeyeong said. “Maybe it’s a tea room!” Sojung replied to her big sister. You brushed it off not daring to limit their imaginations. Doyoung had taken more and more to working alongside his father. Hauling tools and hammering frames and asking questions about wiring and structure. He was growing up faster than you'd realized.

Everything was ordinary.

The chaos of the day had settled into a much more calmer tone, the children had pulled soft blankets from the closets and the television lit against the living room walls. You could smell the buttered popcorn in the air as you sat curled up on the couch beside your husband. The Children had all piled onto the floor with pillows and snacks each of them jockeying for the best spot before the movie started. Chaeyeong had picked an old favorite of hers, something spooky but not too scary. She grinned as the opening credits rolled, very much proud of her choice. hajin layed on his stomach his chin in his hands while Sojung was already curled against Chaeyeong’s side. Doyoung sat leaning against the armchair his legs were stretched out and had a bowl of popcorn balanced on his knees.

“Okay, everyone got their snacks right?"

"yeah dad now shh!" Chaeyeong sushed him

"hey dont shush me or else we will switch to sugar-free candy young lady” your husband joked making Hajin’s eyes widened in outrage “Not sugar free candy! That’s just sad candy!” Chaeyeong rolled her eyes “You guys are annoying”

Sojung giggled “Jinnie just wants to eat candy forever” You glanced at your husband, warmth flooding your chest “He definitely gets that from you yn” you raised an eyebrow “Hey! I’m a role model, thank you very much!” You then look at your second oldest daughter, smiling at her. Chaeyeong seemed older than her years.

-

Night had come. Everyone was supposed to be asleep but Chaeyeong was awake. At first it was a banging against the wall from the wall next to the twins’ room, where Sojung and Hajin slept. She sat up and blinked into the dark her heart starting to race. What the…? she thought. Why are they awake? It’s late. The banging didn’t stop. It grew louder and even more insistent. Then suddenly they called out “Chaeyeong!” Her blood ran cold and anger rose fast, cutting through her fear. How dare they wake her? She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stormed down the hall. She flung open the twins’ door “What do you want??” The room was dark and the twins were fast asleep. They stirred slowly at the sudden intrusion and blinking the sleep from their eyes “Seriously, what do you think you’re doing?” The twins exchanged confused glances and neither of them answered. They looked at her as if she were the one who was mistaken.

“Why are you guys banging on my wall like that? Do you think it’s funny?” Hajin rubbed his eyes “We’re not banging” Chaeyeong’s frustration deepened, but the confusion in their voices made her pause “Then who was it? Who screamed my name?”

“We don’t know what you’re talking about” “Stop!”

“Somebody was clearly banging on the wall and I heard someone screaming my name” Sojung’s small hands clutched the blanket tighter around her “We didn’t scream” she whispered “and we didn’t bang on anything”

“Then who did?” she demanded an answer and the walls answered.

A loud bang echoed through the room, sharp enough to make them all jump. Chaeyeong’s heart lurched in her chest. The twins stared wide eyed, as silence fell again. They all turned toward the wall. the very one next to the twins’ beds from which the sound had come. For a moment, nothing. then the banging returned, it was rapid thuds making the wood shake. The heavy frame of a painting quivered on the wall and the closet door swayed against it as if it was being pushed by hands. The children screamed. Hajin and Sojung scrambled out of their beds and bolted to Chaeyeonga’s side, clutching to her and of course Chaeyeong wrapped her arms tightly around them while trying to hold back her own rising panic. The banging grew louder and more relentless

“Please… stop…” the children cried, voices trembling as tears streaked down their faces. Chaeyeongs grip tightened “It’s okay, I’m here. It’s going to be okay”

The banging kept pounding an assault that swallowed the room whole. Each thud rattled through the walls, through the floor and through children´s bones, until it felt like the house itself was shaking apart around them.

Just as the nightmare seemed endless, a sudden crash echoed through the hallway and the bedroom door burst open. Sungchan stepped inside and his eyes quickly taking in the chaos“Hey, hey, hey! what’s going on? what is happening?” The banging stopped abruptly, whatever had been tormenting the walls had pulled back at his presence. Hajin and Sojung clung tighter to Chaeyeong, their sobs slowing as they looked up at their father and searched for safety in his strong arms.

Your husband knelt down, gathering Hajin and Sojung into his arms. "Why were you guys screaming? What happened?”

“There was banging on the wall… and it wouldn’t stop”

“what?..” he got quiet for a moment

“maybe it was just the pipes. This house is old and sometimes things bang when the temperature changes”

Chaeyeong frowned “But Dad, it was really loud!” Your husband nodded understandingly “I know honey I believe you”

Ever since they’d moved in his mind had been restless, haunted by the things that didn’t make sense. Sojung often woke from nightmares, whispering about a woman who watched her while she slept, a presence too heavy to ignore and Hajin who lately spoke of an imaginary friend, one he’d never mentioned before and now Chaeyeong crying on the floor with her younger siblings

“We’ll keep an eye on it but for now try to get some sleep. I promise you’re safe here”

when Sungchan came back to his room, you were still lying in bed “Everyone alive?”

“Yeah… just the kids.. got quite a scare” you reached out to squeeze his hand "Guess kids have their ways of dealing with new places” you said now pulling him closer to you.

“I want to believe it’s all normal but I catch myself wondering if this new house is getting to them, you know... moving away from their friends and family” Sungchan confessed while glancing toward the window

“Maybe but we’ll keep them safe. That’s what matters” You squeezed his hand again

When you woke up, the bed was empty so you guessed your husband was already up and at work on the house. Today you decided to take a quiet day for yourself. You slipped out of bed, careful not to wake the children and let them sleep in after such a scare they had. You made your way to the reading room and settled into the worn armchair with a new book in hand. You couldn’t feel the hours slipping by until you finally looked out the window, the world outside was swallowed by night. How had time flown so fast? A sudden chill crept up your spine as you pushed yourself out of the chair and stepped into the dark hallway. The house was empty and dark. Had the kids already eaten? Were they asleep? You moved through the rooms. Doyoung and Chaeyeong were peacefully sleeping on their separate rooms. But when you reached the twins’ room, your heart caught Sojung’s soft sobs. You hurried to her side, dropping down beside the small bed where her face turned toward you “Shh it’s okay sweetheart” you whispered, wrapping your arms around her.

“Tell me what happened? Is it the lady again?”

She nodded “Yeah… her mouth big and it was wide open .. I tried to hide under my covers but she stayed.”

“You’re safe now Sojung. That lady can’t hurt you” You glanced down at your daugther “Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?” She nodded quickly, relief flickering across her face “Yes please” You took her hand and led her quietly down the hall to your room and let her curl up beside you “I love you my sweet girl, I will always be with you”

The next morning, despite the restless night and the uneasy weight pressing down on your shoulders, you woke up fine. As you slowly descended the creaking wooden stairs your husband appeared in the hallway. The moment his eyes landed on you, everything else seemed to fade away. He stopped to show you a smile spreading across his face “Wow” he breathed out. His gaze traced the gentle folds of your white floral print dress. “You look incredible” Without hesitation he closed the distance between you. His hands found your waist and pulled you close and his lips brushed against yours full of a love so profound it seemed to banish the stress creeping at the edges of your mind. His fingers traced gentle patterns along your back as he whispered against your lips “I don’t think I could ever get tired of telling you how beautiful you are” You leaned into him and felt the tension drain from your body.

As you pulled back from his embrace your eyes caught something on the wall behind him. A childish scribbles in crayon with bright red letters spelling out “Sojung” Your heart sank.

Why would she do that? You stepped closer and your fingers hovered near the scrawled name. Your husband followed your gaze “What are you looking at?”

You ignored him and instead screamed“Sojung!” Your husband jumped, he’d never heard you raise your voice like that before. The suddenness of it made his eyes widen in concern. Right now you didnt care she was asleep on your bed.

Almost immediately, Sojung appeared at the doorway. You pointed at the crayon writing on the wall “What is this?” She looked confused “Crayon?” “and why did you write that?” you pressed “I didn’t mommy” she shaked her head and a sharp pain stabbed your temples.

Your head throbbed making it hard to think “Sojung, don’t lie to me”

“I’m not lying, Mommy!” she insisted, tears welling in her eyes.

“Sojung!” you called again.

Before the tension could spiral further, your husband stepped forward and his hands raised gently “Honey, calm down” he said soothingly, his voice steady and grounding.

“No!” you said sharply, cutting him off before he could finish. Your voice was cold “She needs to know that she doesn’t get to do this. Sojung, go clean this off and after that go into your room and stay there until we eat” Your husband opened his mouth, clearly wanting to say something “Honey what are you even saying-” but you held up a hand and silenced him with a look “No” you said firmly “Not now. We’ll talk after. Right now, she needs to understand there are consequences”

Gentle, patient and always careful with the childrens feelings that was who you were. Even when discipline was needed being harsh was not in your nature.

Safe to say, he had never seen you like this before.

later after breakfast, Doyoung stood by the back door glancing out at the yard where the old treehouse stood, only a sliglhty visible by the branches and leaves covering it. Hajin hadn’t been inside since yo ate. so Doyoung slipped on his shoes and stepped outside. The air was still a bit cold. The old boards beneath his feet creaked as he approached the treehouse “Hajin?” he called out to his younger brother while his hand on the rope ladder, but got no answer.

He climbed up every step and pushed open the hatch and there was Hajin sitting down surrounded by crayons and a few pieces of paper around the floor “What are you doing out here little man?” Hajin looked up with a proud smile on his lips

“Drawing us” It was crooked but colorful sketch of the family all holding hands. You and Sungchan in the middle, Sojung and Chaeyuoeng on one side and then doyoung and hajin on the other. Everyone had big smiling faces and the house in the corner “That’s Mommy, that’s Daddy, that’s you, that’s me.” Hajin pointed to each figure as he named them “and that’s Sojung. I made her dress pink ‘cause it’s her favorite”

“This is really good little man!”

doyoung watched his little brother scribbling away and ruffled Hajin’s hair. Doyoung had always been “big man” and calling him “little man” made him feel older than he was. His gaze then drifted across the scattered drawings and his smile faltered. He picked up one and this one showed a tall figure, its limbs bending and its shoulders hunched so severely to fold over itself just to fit on the page. A black hat sat crooked on the head and though there were no eyes drawn or face at all, Doyoung knew it was watching.

The figure leaned over a tiny blue crayon version of Hajin curled in his bed. The man’s long arm just inches above his brother. He held the drawing and looked at another. This one showed the house and in the yard stood a little girl. She stood with her arm raised in a stiff wave. But what made Doyoung’s throat go dry was how hajin had drawn the windows of the house all dark, except his own. From that small square a black figure of himself looked down waving back at her.

“What is this?”

Hajin didn’t look at him but kept coloring another page, carefully shading the red door “Just stuff I saw” “When?”

“The tall man comes at night and the girl is our neighbour. She’s been waving for a long time”

“…Hajin” he said slowly, eyes still on the tall man with the crooked hat “does mom and dad know this?” hajin finally looked up, his small face blank “yes”

“good” Hajin smiled at that and doyoung looked again at the figure in the hat leaning over his brother’s bed “I believe you” Doyoung repeated.

Upstairs you lay curled on the bed with one arm draped over your eyes. The migraine that had clawed its way into your skull that morning still annoyed you, dulled only slightly by the pills you’d finally taken. The room was lit only by the gray light seeping in through the curtains. You hated the way you'd raised your voice at sojung. It wasn’t who you were. You hadn’t wanted to take your anger out on her. She was just a little girl.

The bedroom door creaked open and your husband stepped in quietly, and his eyes landed on you “Hey” he said “You okay?”

“I didn’t mean to scare her”

“But I just… I saw that writing and I- I snapped” He came to your side and sat on the edge of the bed and brushed your hair back gently. He didn’t speak for a moment, just looked at you a nd leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to your temple, right where he knew the pain had settled. His hand slid carefully into yours “You don’t have to explain anything honey” he told you “Not to me. You carry this whole family on your back without ever asking for anything. I see it even when you don’t think I do” You turned your face toward him, eyes glassy, throat tight. He smiled softly, brushing your cheek with the back of his knuckles “You’re allowed to break sometimes. You’re allowed to lose your temper and cry and crawl into bed and shut out the world. You’re dont have to be the perfect mom, you’re you and that’s who I love. All of you”

“Even when I’m yelling at our daughter?” “Especially then” he said with a quiet laugh, leaning closer “Because I know how much it cost you. Listen you’re the best mother I’ve ever seen and I know this house, whatever it is, it’s getting under our skin with the renovations and all”

He really was the best husband you could’ve asked for. He looked at you like he still saw the girl he’d first fallen in love with and loved you even more now with your tired eyes and your worn edges. Sungchan builds houses but he also built you a home every day with every word and every touch. Even now in this old house he was the one thing that never made you afraid.

“Get some sleep” He brushed his lips against your forehead and his hand smoothed down your arm “I’ll check on the kids yeah?” You nodded and already feeling yourself sinking into the softness of the bed.

He spotted his two boys sitting close together inside the old treehouse, their small figures bent over something on the floor. He knew sojung would be in the playroom, probably in a world of tea parties with her stuffed animals. So he went looking for Chaeyeong.

He found her sitting at the kitchen table as she quietly ate. Her fork moved slowly through the pie and her eyes lifted as he approached

“Hey sweetheart, how is your day?”

“good, Im going to Sojung´s tea party after this”

He smiled gently as she stood, brushing off her skirt “thats good, she would like that very much” he watched her walk toward the door and before she slipped out, she turned back “What’s wrong with mom?”

For a moment he searched for the right words to say to his edest daughter “Mom’s just tired sweetheart. the house has been hard on us, there is much to do”

She didnt move but now her hand rested lightly on the doorframe. “No dad. What’s really wrong with her?” He looked up at her, brows knitting. “Sweetheart she’s just tired, that’s all”

But Chaeyeong shook her head “I’ve seen her at night. When I can’t sleep I see her walking around the house”

Confusion crossed his face “like sleepwalking?”

“Yeah last night she walked right past my room. I called out to her, but she didn’t stop. Her eyes were open but it didn’t feel like she was awake” He stared at her he cant recall you stir beside him. He would’ve known if you left the bed. Would’ve felt the space beside him go cold. But he hadn’t

“Are you sure sweetheart?” Chaeyeong didn’t answer. She just gave him a solemn look, one that said yes I’m sure dad and then she turned and disappeared down the hall toward her the tea party that was waiting for her upstairs.

Sometimes he forgot how young she still was. When she was little, she used to say things like “Lying is a waste of time” with a tone that always made him chuckle not because it wasn’t true, but because it sounded so odd coming from such a small girl with the eyes of his wife. So if she said she saw her mother wandering the house at night she had.

So when night fell and the rain had started light at first he wanted to ask you about it. But by midnight the storm had gathered its strengt and howled through the trees outside. There wasn’t much time to watch and see if you’d slip out of bed and drift through the halls like Chaeyeong claimed. Because suddenly a crash shook the house, followed immediately by crying from the twins down the hall.

The old heavy chandelier, the exact one hanging above the entrance had come down. Shattered with glass exploding across the floor. You bolted upright in bed with a pounding heart and your body still aching from the headache earlier but now overridden by instinct. The twins were screaming. You didn’t think but only ran. Down the dark hall and into the twins’ room, where Sojung and Hajin clung to each other. You dropped to your knees beside them, arms wrapping around them both as they sobbed into your chest “Shhh, it’s okay, it’s okay. I got you” you rocked them gently though your own heart was racing.

Downstairs, your husband was already halfway down the staircase, flashlight in hand surveying the wreckage. Doyoung was the first to follow him and Chaeyeong trailed quietly behind clutching the banister and her eyes looked from the shards of broken glass to the wide front door that had come slightly ajar swaying gently in the wind. No one had opened it and yet there it was. Open.

Something had passed through. Something had finally come in.

Chaeyeong opened her mouth to say the front door is open but the words caught in her throat. There was no space for them and no time cause the thunder cracked again with a splitting sound that rattled the windows and made Sojung whimper against your shoulder. You carried the twins downstairs, one arm around each of them, their faces pressed into your sides. The house felt darker than before, and even heavier now. The chandelier, the beautiful and old and grotesquely heavy chandelier you had joked about replacing was now a ruin and shattered crystal strewn across the floor. Sungchan and Doyoung were already there, their hands braced beneath the weight as they pushed the mass aside to clear a path.

“Are you alright?” you asked, your voice sharp and frantic as your eyes looked between your older children “Chaeyeong? Doyoung? Honey?” Doyoung gave you a nod while wiping sweat from his brow as he tugged at a length of broken chain while Sungchan answered you

“We’re okay honey. Just… Jesus this thing could’ve killed someone”

Chaeyeong nodded but her eyes didn’t meet yours. She was still staring at the front door and watched it creak back and forth in the wind.

“It must’ve come loose in the storm” Sungchan looked at the snapped bolts and the cracked ceiling told a different story. No wind could do this.

“Chaeyeong”

Sungchan glanced over his shoulder toward her “can you grab a broom? Let’s get this glass out of the way before someone steps in it”

The light from the storm outside lit across her face, making her look older than she was. Sungchan thought for a quick moment he saw the older version of his daughter. Then she turned and walked toward the utility closet. She moved quickly, her bare feet careful on the cold floor, and returned with the broom clutched tightly in her hand. Without being asked again, she began sweeping the jagged bits of crystal and glass into a neat pile. It gave her something to do. Something to keep her mind from the thought that the door had been open long before the wind had started to howl. You stood nearby holding Sojung and Hajin close.

Once the last of the glass had been swept away and the chandelier pulled to the side, the sense of immediate danger faded. The storm still raged outside, but inside, your family was gathered and breathing and that counted for something “Doyoung come with me” your husband said taking one of the flashlights and handing the other to his son “Let’s check the pantry and the garage, see if we have more batteries or backup lanterns” and they disappeared together down the hallway, You remained with the Chaeyeong and the twins. You looked at them and suddenly felt the deep ache of needing to make something feel normal, if only for a moment make a ritual against the fear “I’ll make hot cocoa” you said as you stood gently ushering your three children with you into the kitchen. you open the cabinets and reached for the old kettle and found the green cocoa tin. You kept your hands busy, your voice low and soothing as you narrated your steps for the children to fill the quiet.

The moment the kettle whistled and the cocoa was poured, you turned with a tired smile and ready to offer comfort. But as you turned around the room behind you was hollow and still and completely empty. Your smile faltered “Chae?” you called out and your brow scrunching. You turned in a slow circle with the cups still in your hands. “Sojung? jinnie?” Your heartbeat quickened as you stepped forward and the mugs trembling slightly in your grasp.

A high pitched scream filled with terror came from somewhere deep in the house. You couldn’t tell where. Your body moved before your thoughts could catch up, you set the cocoa down on the counter with a shaky clatter and rushed toward the sound and your breath catching in your throat “Chaeyeong!” you cried “Hajin! Sojung!” it felt like tortue, as their voices were bouncing off the walls coming from everywhere at once. You ran to the foyer and down the hallway but found them nowhere to be seen. You ran to the living room and to the staircase and back to the hall with every turn more desperate than the last. Your tears streamed freely now hot and frantic your hands trembling as you flung open door after door and you screamed “Where are you?!”

“Mommy…” You spun around and ran toward the entrance, feet pounding down the stairs and there they were. All three of them huddled together on the floor beneath the window, their faces streaked with tears. “Oh my God,” you gasped, dropping to your knees. “Where have you been?” You reached for them, touching their faces, checking their arms, their legs searching for scrapes, bruises, anything, just shaken

“Why did you leave the kitchen?” But Chaeyeong even though she was still crying looked up at you “We didn’t mom” “What?”

“We didn’t leave” she repeated “We were standing right there, in the kitchen. Calling you. You kept looking around. Kept running. But you couldn’t see us” your arms still wrapped around the twins who nodded through their sobs “No... that’s not… I ran all over the house. I looked everywhere-” “But we were right there”

“We were right next to you. You looked right through us” You stared at her, your mind fighting to catch up, to make sense of the impossible. Your hands trembled as you pulled them closer, your own tears falling now.

“Okay” you forced the calm into your voice as your heart pounded “Maybe I was… maybe I was confused. I- I didn’t see you. That’s all”

Sungchan stopped cold when he saw you on the floor, the kids in your arms and your face pale and streaked with tears, his eyes widen “What happened here?” he urgently set the box down on the floor and knelt beside you. You looked up at him, lips parted, but no words came at first. Your heart was still racing, your mind still reeling from Chaeyeong’s voice we were right next to you, but you couldn’t see us

“I- I thought they were gone Sungchan” you whispered to him “They screamed and I ran but they weren’t… they weren’t anywhere” Your husband’s brow furrowed and scanned the children “Are they hurt?” “No” you shook your head “Just scared, we all are” he reached for your hand and gave it a gentle squeeze “Let’s get everyone to the living room. Get warm and calm down”

Later that night you and your husband gathered blankets, lit candles from the box he’d brought. and the children eventually drifted off. You and your husband sat behind them on the couch, a blanket around your shoulders. You stared at the flames “I think I’m going insane”

Sungchan turned to look at you but didn’t interrupt “I mean it. I’ve never had migraines like this. the pounding is so bad I can’t even see straight and I keep dreaming about the kids getting hurt" You pause before you continue "No matter how fast I run I never get to them in time. Never” Your husband’s hand found yours but you couldn’t bring yourself to look at him “Then tonight… I ran through every room of this house thinking they were gone. I swear to you Sungchan they weren’t in that kitchen" You finally turned to him

“I’m scared” You shook your head, pressing your fingertips to your temple “I’m scared of what’s happening to me” He didn’t speak right away. He just took you into his arms and his breath was warm against your hair “You’re not going insane... you’re overwhelmed, exhausted honey. This place… it’s a lot. The move, the kids. The work and now all of this” You closed your eyes against the warmth of his chest, against the ache in your head, the tremble still in your fingers. “I just want to feel normal again” you whispered “Like myself” He kissed the top of your head “You’re not alone in it honey”

The next couple of weeks passed slowy. Your headaches were worse now. Not just sharp pulses behind your eyes, but full body aches that left you curled in dark rooms and your palms pressed to your temples to keep your skull from splitting apart. The sketches for the renovation, once your favorite part of this project and the thing that reminded you of the future you were building lay abandoned on your desk. You’d meant to be done by now. You’d planned to be moving on to the finishing phase instead you’d been taking longer and longer breaks, sometimes falling asleep in the middle of the day, waking disoriented and drenched in cold sweat from dreams you couldn't bear to describe and through it all, your husband carried the weight like he always did. He never said it was hard but you saw it in the tightness of his jaw cause nearly every night now, he was the one to rise when Sojung cried out from her nightmares and he would go to her every single time. You tried once to get up with him. But he stopped you by pressing a hand to your shoulder “Sleep” he whispered “You need rest. I’ve got her” and he meant it even when you saw the circles darkening beneath his eyes.

One time you were upstairs inside the twins’ bedroom walls as you tucked them in for the night. They were already nestled beneath their covers. You stood between their beds and smoothed their blankets and brushing their hair from their foreheads “goodnight my loves”

Hajin turned to look at you “Mom… you will protect us from monsters right?”

“Of course my love. Always”

“the big ones?”

“Yes.. even those”

Hajin’s brow furrowed deeper “..what if it´s not monsters?” Your smile faltered for the quick moment “What do you mean?”

He hesitated, then looked over at the corner of the room “what if I dream that I put poison into my body, so much poison my blood turns into it” then you heard Sojung´s voice “and what if I get so sad mommy.. I get so sad that that I don´t wanna live anymore”

“Sojung.. that wont happen”

“But what if its not a dream mommy?”

"mom?"

the voice came from behind you. It was Doyoung’s voice. You turned around slowly while wiping your cheek with the back of your hand. he stood in the doorway, squinting at you like he couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing in front of him. You blinked again at how bright it was now. The room was no longer dark, it was daylight. The lamp beside the bed was off and you glanced over your shoulder to se the beds were neatly made and no sign of the twins at all

“Doyoung?.. what… what time is it?” He tilted his head, clearly thrown off “It’s just after lunch” That wasn’t right. You had just been here tucking the twins to bed “where are the twins?”

“outside... mom.. are you okay?”

“Yeah” you said “Yeah I’m okay. I just need a little rest”

It was Doyoung who spoke first to Sungchan about what he just saw and how he had found you standing still in the middle of the day, your hand resting on a bed that hadn’t been used in hours, talking to children who weren’t there. It might have been easier for Sungchan to laugh it off, if it had only been that yet not when Chaeyeong said that she had found you walking around the house in the dark. Your husband didn’t tell you all of it right away. But eventually he asked you if you might consider taking a break just for a few days. The kids were safe, he could handle them and that maybe you could go visit your sister Jihyo and clear your head.

Of course you hesitated since you had never left all four of them at once, not even for a weekend.

But he was so insistent and you were so tired so you said yes.

The kids came out to see you off and you bent down to kiss Hajin who was quick to cling to your leg like you'd be gone forever. Chaeyeong hugged you tight around the middle as you just smiled and kissed the top of her head. Doyoung stood by the porch steps his arms crossed but you pulled him into a hug anyway "Keep an eye on things for me" you said

"do you have to go mommy?" Sojung said “I just need a little break” you told them all “Just a few days... I’ll be back before you know it”

Sungchan stood behind them, his hand resting on the porch rail. He didn’t say much as you got into the car, you glanced back at the house. It looked the same. dark and tall.

Chaeyeong was the first to turn, she was already retracing the familiar path to the room where she practiced her dancing. Doyoung stayed for a moment longer staring at the driveway expecting your car to reappear. Then he shoved his hands into his pockets and followed his dad back inside. The two of them had grown used to patching the house. Hajin grabbed a stick from beneath the porch and stated something about being a pirate and Sojung followed with him.

Upstairs Sungchan and Doyoung were now prepping to paint the new wall. Doyoung held the paint can glancing at the color “Dad, does this stuff dry fast? I don’t want it to drip everywhere”

“Yeah, it dries pretty quick” your son dipped his brush and started along the edge “Mom’s gonna like this”

Your husband nodded “Yeah.. she will”

scratch scratch. The noise came from just behind the section that Sungchan was about to paint. Your husband frowned and set down his brush. “Goddamn” he muttered, moving closer to the wall and pressing his ear against the drywall “If this is a rat’s nest…” your husband said “we’re gonna have to tear the whole wall down” The scratching continued

“Do you… think it’s rats?” Doyoung asked and Sungchan shook his head slowly “No telling big man” he grimly said “But whatever it is, it doesn’t want to stay silent” The sound grew louder. scratch, scratch, scratch scratch, scratch, scratch

“We’re gonna need some rat poison. wait here I’ll go grab some from the shed” Doyoung nodded

Doyoung pressed his ear against the wall again and it was impossible to ignore. His fingers curled tightly around the handle of a hammer resting nearby and without thinking he raised the hammer and brought it down hard on the wall. Crack and he struck again crack, crack each blow sending dust and fragments falling to the floor. The scratching abruptly stopped but doyoung hammered one last time, breaking through the surface. He reached inside the hole, shining the flashlight beam through the jagged edges. The space beyond was empty. No nests or rats. actually there were o signs of movement at all.

“Doyoung” his dad stepped into the hallway, the rat poison in his hand and he stopped when he saw the hole in the wall “What are you doing?”

“I heard the scratching again. So I hammered through”

Your husband sighed, running a hand through his hair “Alright well, did you find something?"

"no.. but I heard it right here”

“I’ll put the rat poison away again” your husband said “Wait here” He turned and headed down the hallway while doyoung stood by the hole. Minutes passed and while sungchan’s footsteps faded into the distance, a faint scratch from deep inside the wall made doyoung freeze.

“Dad!” he called out and Sungchan was just reaching for the top shelf in the pantry trying to carefully place the rat poison behind the jars and cans. He turned quickly at his sons shout “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“There’s something in the wall scratching again! It’s louder this time!”

Your husband’s calm face tightened for the first time “Show me” they hurried back down the hallway as they neared the hole, the scratching stopped. Your husband shone his flashlight inside the hole. Nothing.

“You know what, let´s take an off day” "but we didnt do anything today"

"thats okay"

Your husband wiped his hands on a rag and glanced over at Doyoung, who was still standing near the hole in the wall and took him with him to the kitchen, pulling out bread, cheese and some cold cuts from the fridge. The smell of toasted sandwiches soon filled the house.

The sandwiches were passed around and the kids settled into their seats. Chaeyeong poked at her food thoughtfully before looking up. “Hey, should we call mom? see how she’s doing?”

“Yeah, I want to hear her voice”

Sungchan pulled out his phone from his pocket “Good idea lets call her” The phone rang but went straight to voicemail

“Maybe she’s busy with aunt jihyo”

“Maybe she’s sleeping daddy” Your husband smiled gently at Sojung

“We’ll call her again tonight” he promised his children.

That evening after the plates were washed your husband called again. Then again and again and each time, the ring tone buzzed in his ear until it clicked over to your voicemail. The kids were already in pajamas and Doyoung waited a little longer in the hallway and watched his dad with a frown “Still nothing?” he asked and Sungchan shook his head “No. I’ll try again in a bit”

“She always picks up” “yeah.. I know.. maybe she forgot to charge her phone” But they all knew that wasn’t like you. Especially not after how hesitant you’d been to leave and how you’d kissed each of them twice, three times, and how your hand had stayed on the doorknob that morning.

He tucked them in one by one and assured them that you’d call first thing in the morning. He went back downstairs afterward with his phone still in his hand. He sat down on the couch and tried once more, straight to voicemail. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment, then set the phone on the coffee table and eventually he drifted off on the couch, the screen of his phone dimming beside him.

For the first time in weeks he slept deeply. The house was quiet around him and for once and it let him rest. Letting his breathing slow and let his fingers go slack on the arm of the couch. Upstairs the children slept too, though tonight someone was missing.

Sungchan woke up.

Chaeyeong was standing in front of him

Her face was confused, not frightened exactly but he could tell she felt unsettled “Did you call Mom?”

sungchan rubbed his face “Yeah.. I did. she didn’t pick up though” Chaeyeong didn’t move but her lips pressed into a thin line “Sweetheart what is it?”

“She’s in the kitchen”

He stared at her “what?” “She’s in the kitchen” she repeated “I- I saw her. I was still hungry and I saw her holding a tea tray in her hands. She talked about something… about the red door”

Sungchan didn’t wait to hear more “sweetheart. go upstairs. Wake Doyoung. Stay with your brother and the twins and go to the car-” "but dad!"

"Go now!"

She nodded and went toward up the stairs

He bolted down the hall, feet slamming against the hardwood as he turned into the kitchen. You were gone. There was no presence and no breath in the room except his own coming out fast and uneven. His eyes frantically scanned the room and then he saw the small box of rat poison he had shelved just hours earlier… now lying open on the counter, opened.

"no no no no no"

sungchan took the stairs two at a time and his hands already trembling before he reached the landing. The hallway was darker than it should’ve been. Then he saw it. The red door. It had stood closed and complety locked and no one had ever gone inside until now. The door was ajar enough for light to leak out. His stomach dropped as he ran. He shoved the door open with his shoulder and stopped seeing you were there in the center of the room seated like a bride at an altar dressed in a faded white dress. Your eyes ringed in red, raw from sleeplessness. You looked like a ghost still clinging to skin and in your hands was the tea tray. Sojung and Hajin sat on the floor and Sojung raised the cup to her lips making Sungchan slap the cup from her hand and the others crashed to the floor in a spray of shattered ceramic and a bitter smelling tea. You shot to your feet, eyes wild “What are you doing Sungchan?!” you shrieked “You can’t take my children away from me!”

Sungchan looked at you, chest heaving, throat burning and in that instant he felt terrified. “What are you even doing right now yn?!”

“This is insanity! do you even know what you’re doing?” The twins were sobbing now, huddled close together on the floor. Their tears fell with hiccuping cries that tore straight through Sungchan’s chest. You stood frozen and your voice no longer sharp but small “I don’t want them to be taken away from me” You weren’t screaming anymore you were begging.

He only looked at you like he didn’t see his wife anymore “You need help” he whispered. He bent down, scooping the twins into his arms. They clung to him still sobbing and their small hands knotted in his shirt. That’s when you screamed “No!” and Sungchan’s instinct reacted before thought did and he turned too fast that his elbow catching you by the side of the head with a crack. Your body crumpled like paper “God-” he gasped, reaching out too late. But you were already motionless on the floor. He didn’t wait to see if you were breathing. He ran down the stair while the twins wept in his arms.

Chaeyong and Doyoung met him downstairs “Dad! What’s happening?!” but Sungchan didn’t stop “Get in the car now”

“Dad where’s Mom?!” doyoung said while running after him “Dad-what happened?!”

Sungchan yanked open the car doors, setting the twins in the back. They were crying for you

“Dad?!” Chaeyoung’s voice cracked out “Dad, what about Mom?”

Doyoungs fists were clenched and the tears welled up in his eyes. Sungchan slammed the door shut. He turned once more toward the house. It loomed in the night and there in the second-story window of the red door room you stood. In your white dress and hollow eyes. Hands pressed to the glass while watching. Sungchan’s knuckles whitened on the wheel as the engine came to life. He looked straight ahead

“That’s not Mom”

— — — — — —

The four children tumbled out first, they could easily be heard by the sound of their hurried steps wanting to see the new home they were moving into. They raced against each other up the cracked stone before their parents could even turn off the ignition inside the car.

They noticed how quiet the house was inside as Sungchan stepped through the front door, followed by you. The childrens laughter echoed upstairs, both you and Sungchan could hear their footsteps exploring around the first floor.

The unpacking was slow that day. the only thing felt by each family member was how tired you became from lifting too many boxes and exploring the house. By sunset the house was full of life. Pizza boxes on the kitchen counter, kids arguing over who got which bedroom and the sound of an old record player found in the attic playing on low volume while you and Sungchan moved the furniture around.

Later that day, the children were finally asleep or at least quiet enough to pretend they were. You sat on the bare mattress with a glass of wine in your hand watching your husband fumble with the last moving box in your room.

“I was thinking” you said while leaning back “Once we finish the kitchen maybe we could open up that wall between the dining room and the living room to give it more light” He nodded, stepping over to sit beside you, his hand automatically finding yours “Yeah good idea and we could get that long table you want”

“you know me so well” you smiled at him “im your husband, its my job”

“I want this place to feel like ours you know? and not just something we fix up and live in but something that feels like a home for the kids" You wanted this house to be more than just a renovation project and to be more than a roof and walls. You wanted it to be the kind of place the kids would remember years from now. remember the hallways where they raced barefoot and remember the kitchen where they learned how to bake your grandmother’s cookies. Cause after everything and with the chaos of moving and the long months of saving and searching you just wanted this to be good.

A home, in the truest sense of the word.

“I’m really glad we’re doing this” you said “It feels good” Sungchan hummed in agreement

The scream cut through walls. You were on your feet before your wine glass hit the floor, your husband right behind you, both of you running down the dim hallway toward the children's rooms. Your heart pounded with a sharp instinctual panic a parent would know. the twin’s bedroom door was cracked open and inside you see Sojung sitting upright in her bed while clutching her blanket to her chest, her small face streaked with tears. Hajin was still asleep on his own bed. You rushed to her and gathered her into your arms. Her little body was shaking “Sojung what happened?” you asked while brushing the hair from her damp forehead.

“There was… someone in the corner” her voice was so small it barely made it past her lips “They were watching me” You turned instinctively, your eyes scanning the room and see nothing sort of the ordinairy. Sungchan stepped in to check the closet, under the bed and every corner she pointed to with trembling fingers “There’s no one here baby” he said softly and crouched beside you “Maybe it was a dream?” But Sojung shook her head

“It wasn’t a dream daddy” it made you exchange a glance with your husband, both of you trying to stay calm as you held Sojung.

Sojung was the youngest by only a few minutes, always the smallest and the softest of your four children. She always held her twin brother’s hand when he was scared and never forgot to say “please” and “thank you” no she always asked before touching things that weren’t hers. You used to joke that she was born already knowing right from wrong. You loved Sojung with your whole heart and with the aching love that only a parent can understand. She was your baby, your last one, the one who still reached for your hand without thinking. She was delicate about her, not weak but pure. She trusted so easily that you felt a constant need to protect her from anything that might bruise her softness. Something in your bones told you that if anything in this house ever tried to take her, it would have to go through you first.

A week passed and the house had begun to settle around you or maybe you had begun to settle into it. Most of the boxes were unpacked. The walls were still bare and somewhere in the dining room the sunlight pooled through the big windows, warming the floor where your tea sat forgotten beside a sketched layout of the second floor.

You fingers smudged with graphite and lines traced across the paper that you thought of many ways of how the house should look. "This wall could come down and that one could be opened up hmmm maybe a skylight if the roof could hold it" you hear the children’s laughter floated in through the screen door. Sojung’s voice and then Hajin's close behind with their older siblings calling out rules for a game. Sungchan was upstairs somewhere drilling and measuring probably also cursing under his breath when he had a wall that refused to cooperate. all of it ordinary sounds. Familiar sounds and when the children grew quiet you caught yourself holding your breath and listen to the stillness and then laughter would rise again and the spell would break and you’d go back to drawing lines across paper.

Sungchan was still drilling upstairs when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned just as Doyoung stepped into the room, hands in the pockets of his trouses. "Hey big man" your husband said, setting the drill down and brushing dust from his palms "What are you doing up here?"

Doyoung shrugged as his eyes scanned the room, the exposed beams and the mess of tools spread across the floor "Didn’t wanna play anymore. Got tired" Doyoung was thirteen now meaning that he was old enough to drift away from the younger ones and to seek other challenges. He watched his son take a seat on the edge of an unopened box his legs swinging just above the floor

"You’ve been working on this for hours dad, don’t you get tired?"

"All the time" his father smiled

"But someone’s gotta make sure the roof doesn’t fall in" He looked at his dad like he always did with deep admiration, but also with a reverence he tried to understand how someone could carry so much weight and never let it show. Sungchan had always been good at that, carrying stress like furniture and never letting the kids see the strain in his shoulders.

Doyoung picked at a splinter on the box "Do you think this house has ghosts?" he asked suddenly while keeping his eyes down not looking up at his father "What do you mean?" Doyoung just shrugged "I don’t know.. sometimes it just.. I hear stuff but it’s probably just pipes and whatever" He walked over and crouched down "This house is old"

Doyounf usually didn’t believe in things like ghosts. He was the logical one. While his youngest siblings ran screaming from stories about monsters under the bed, he would roll his eyes and turn the lights off himself. He liked when things made sense. So of course ghosts didn’t fit into any of that. Yet this house, this house was starting to make him wonder. It wasn’t anything obvious at first. Just things that didn’t quite add up. Like the way the hallway light on the second floor would flicker whenever he walked past, but only when he walked past or the old broken grandfather clock that sometimes made a click at exactly 6:06 in the morning. Doyoung would catch a glimpse of something in the reflection of the TV screen, only to turn around and find the room completly empty or he’d walk by the mirror in the upstairs hall and think that he hadn’t been alone the reflection. One night he swore he heard something moving above his room. and when he again mentioned it to his dad, he got a tired smile and a pat on the back. “Mice. Don’t let them get in your head” but it was already in his head.

Doyoung didn’t believe in ghosts. He told himself that again and again. But lately every time he passed that attic door he made sure not to look directly at the crack beneath it. Because once he thought he saw something on the other side. Something that for sure wasnt a mouse.

By dinner time the air smelled like garlic and tomato sauce. You stood at the stove stirring the last of the spaghetti. The children sat crowded around the table and the bowls in front of them steaming, their eyes wide and hungry. You barely had time to set down the final plate before forks were clattering. Sojung kicked her legs beneath the chair, her hair bouncing as she took her first bite “This is the best spaghetti in the world mommy!” she said with the red sauce painting the corners of her mouth. Hajin gave a thumbs up, he was too busy chewing to talk. Your husband then leaned over his elbows on the table, watching everyone with that look you knew so well, love.

He raised a forkful of spaghetti and said “I slaved over a hot stove all day for this. I deserve an award” You gave him a look “You sliced one onion” “Exactly honey” he said “and I cried the whole time” You laughed and felt love break open in your chest as your hand found his under the table. The children laughed as well with their mouth full of food, but right now you didnt care.

You sat back for a moment just to watch them your heart complelety full and your hand still loosely curled in your husband’s beneath the table. Chaeyeong, your second oldest, wiped her mouth with a napkin. She always had that kind of thing to her, a little older than her years “Can we paint our room?” she asked suddenly, glancing between you and your husband “Not just white but something cool”

Hajin perked up “Yeah! Like dark blue! Like the ocean!” but that eanred a groan from Doyoung “That’ll make it feel like a cave” Sojung nodded seriously “I want stars on the ceiling”

You and your husband exchanged a smile. “Tell you what” he said, pointing a fork at them “Once we sell this house for lots of money, we will start builing our dream home and if it doesn’t break the laws of physics or the family budget, we’ll figure it out”

“Really?” Chaeyeong grinned and you nodded “of course”

This house was just a step, like a project with profit. It wasn’t the home. But it was a promise to make enough to finally build the home you’d always imagined. You thought about many things and had many ideas but most importantly you thought about your children and how you would give them everything you didn’t have growing up. You wanted to make all their wishes come true. This house, strange and old as it was, was the beginning of that dream.

Four weeks had passed since moving in and the house and for all its age it had begun to feel familiar. The days were long and full renovation plans. Hajin had taken to watching the yard across the street. He would stand by the window in the early evenings, his forehead pressed to the glass and his small fingers smudging the panes “She keeps waving at me mommy” he told you one afternoon while you folded laundry “The girl from the yellow house. She stands near the fence every day”

You look at his eyes that reminded you too much of his father “Waving is a good sign right? Maybe she wants to play with you jinnie” but your son only shook his head “She never smiles when I wave back, she stops moving”

“Maybe she’s just shy sweetheart. Maybe she doesn’t know how to talk to new kids”

He didn’t answer you right away, he tilts his head and scruch his eyebrows “Her clothes look old”

You made a note to walk him over there sometime and to introduce yourself. But the days kept slipping past in sawdust and sketches, and somehow, you never got around to it. Meanwhile, your daughters had become obsessed with a red door they'd found on the second floor. It had no label or markings. It just had a deep and dull crimson paint that seemed to swallow the light around it. Chaeyeong and Sojung had tried every key in the house. Even the master but nothing worked “We’ll get it open eventually” Chaeyeong said. “Maybe it’s a tea room!” Sojung replied to her big sister. You brushed it off not daring to limit their imaginations. Doyoung had taken more and more to working alongside his father. Hauling tools and hammering frames and asking questions about wiring and structure. He was growing up faster than you'd realized.

Everything was ordinary.

The chaos of the day had settled into a much more calmer tone, the children had pulled soft blankets from the closets and the television lit against the living room walls. You could smell the buttered popcorn in the air as you sat curled up on the couch beside your husband. The Children had all piled onto the floor with pillows and snacks each of them jockeying for the best spot before the movie started. Chaeyeong had picked an old favorite of hers, something spooky but not too scary. She grinned as the opening credits rolled, very much proud of her choice. hajin layed on his stomach his chin in his hands while Sojung was already curled against Chaeyeong’s side. Doyoung sat leaning against the armchair his legs were stretched out and had a bowl of popcorn balanced on his knees.

“Okay, everyone got their snacks right?"

"yeah dad now shh!" Chaeyeong sushed him

"hey dont shush me or else we will switch to sugar-free candy young lady” your husband joked making Hajin’s eyes widened in outrage “Not sugar free candy! That’s just sad candy!” Chaeyeong rolled her eyes “You guys are annoying”

Sojung giggled “Jinnie just wants to eat candy forever” You glanced at your husband, warmth flooding your chest “He definitely gets that from you yn” you raised an eyebrow “Hey! I’m a role model, thank you very much!” You then look at your second oldest daughter, smiling at her. Chaeyeong seemed older than her years.

-

Night had come. Everyone was supposed to be asleep but Chaeyeong was awake. At first it was a banging against the wall from the wall next to the twins’ room, where Sojung and Hajin slept. She sat up and blinked into the dark her heart starting to race. What the…? she thought. Why are they awake? It’s late. The banging didn’t stop. It grew louder and even more insistent. Then suddenly they called out “Chaeyeong!” Her blood ran cold and anger rose fast, cutting through her fear. How dare they wake her? She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stormed down the hall. She flung open the twins’ door “What do you want??” The room was dark and the twins were fast asleep. They stirred slowly at the sudden intrusion and blinking the sleep from their eyes “Seriously, what do you think you’re doing?” The twins exchanged confused glances and neither of them answered. They looked at her as if she were the one who was mistaken.

“Why are you guys banging on my wall like that? Do you think it’s funny?” Hajin rubbed his eyes “We’re not banging” Chaeyeong’s frustration deepened, but the confusion in their voices made her pause “Then who was it? Who screamed my name?”

“We don’t know what you’re talking about” “Stop!”

“Somebody was clearly banging on the wall and I heard someone screaming my name” Sojung’s small hands clutched the blanket tighter around her “We didn’t scream” she whispered “and we didn’t bang on anything”

“Then who did?” she demanded an answer and the walls answered.

A loud bang echoed through the room, sharp enough to make them all jump. Chaeyeong’s heart lurched in her chest. The twins stared wide eyed, as silence fell again. They all turned toward the wall. the very one next to the twins’ beds from which the sound had come. For a moment, nothing. then the banging returned, it was rapid thuds making the wood shake. The heavy frame of a painting quivered on the wall and the closet door swayed against it as if it was being pushed by hands. The children screamed. Hajin and Sojung scrambled out of their beds and bolted to Chaeyeonga’s side, clutching to her and of course Chaeyeong wrapped her arms tightly around them while trying to hold back her own rising panic. The banging grew louder and more relentless

“Please… stop…” the children cried, voices trembling as tears streaked down their faces. Chaeyeongs grip tightened “It’s okay, I’m here. It’s going to be okay”

The banging kept pounding an assault that swallowed the room whole. Each thud rattled through the walls, through the floor and through children´s bones, until it felt like the house itself was shaking apart around them.

Just as the nightmare seemed endless, a sudden crash echoed through the hallway and the bedroom door burst open. Sungchan stepped inside and his eyes quickly taking in the chaos“Hey, hey, hey! what’s going on? what is happening?” The banging stopped abruptly, whatever had been tormenting the walls had pulled back at his presence. Hajin and Sojung clung tighter to Chaeyeong, their sobs slowing as they looked up at their father and searched for safety in his strong arms.

Your husband knelt down, gathering Hajin and Sojung into his arms. "Why were you guys screaming? What happened?”

“There was banging on the wall… and it wouldn’t stop”

“what?..” he got quiet for a moment

“maybe it was just the pipes. This house is old and sometimes things bang when the temperature changes”

Chaeyeong frowned “But Dad, it was really loud!” Your husband nodded understandingly “I know honey I believe you”

Ever since they’d moved in his mind had been restless, haunted by the things that didn’t make sense. Sojung often woke from nightmares, whispering about a woman who watched her while she slept, a presence too heavy to ignore and Hajin who lately spoke of an imaginary friend, one he’d never mentioned before and now Chaeyeong crying on the floor with her younger siblings

“We’ll keep an eye on it but for now try to get some sleep. I promise you’re safe here”

when Sungchan came back to his room, you were still lying in bed “Everyone alive?”

“Yeah… just the kids.. got quite a scare” you reached out to squeeze his hand "Guess kids have their ways of dealing with new places” you said now pulling him closer to you.

“I want to believe it’s all normal but I catch myself wondering if this new house is getting to them, you know... moving away from their friends and family” Sungchan confessed while glancing toward the window

“Maybe but we’ll keep them safe. That’s what matters” You squeezed his hand again

When you woke up, the bed was empty so you guessed your husband was already up and at work on the house. Today you decided to take a quiet day for yourself. You slipped out of bed, careful not to wake the children and let them sleep in after such a scare they had. You made your way to the reading room and settled into the worn armchair with a new book in hand. You couldn’t feel the hours slipping by until you finally looked out the window, the world outside was swallowed by night. How had time flown so fast? A sudden chill crept up your spine as you pushed yourself out of the chair and stepped into the dark hallway. The house was empty and dark. Had the kids already eaten? Were they asleep? You moved through the rooms. Doyoung and Chaeyeong were peacefully sleeping on their separate rooms. But when you reached the twins’ room, your heart caught Sojung’s soft sobs. You hurried to her side, dropping down beside the small bed where her face turned toward you “Shh it’s okay sweetheart” you whispered, wrapping your arms around her.

“Tell me what happened? Is it the lady again?”

She nodded “Yeah… her mouth big and it was wide open .. I tried to hide under my covers but she stayed.”

“You’re safe now Sojung. That lady can’t hurt you” You glanced down at your daugther “Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?” She nodded quickly, relief flickering across her face “Yes please” You took her hand and led her quietly down the hall to your room and let her curl up beside you “I love you my sweet girl, I will always be with you”

The next morning, despite the restless night and the uneasy weight pressing down on your shoulders, you woke up fine. As you slowly descended the creaking wooden stairs your husband appeared in the hallway. The moment his eyes landed on you, everything else seemed to fade away. He stopped to show you a smile spreading across his face “Wow” he breathed out. His gaze traced the gentle folds of your white floral print dress. “You look incredible” Without hesitation he closed the distance between you. His hands found your waist and pulled you close and his lips brushed against yours full of a love so profound it seemed to banish the stress creeping at the edges of your mind. His fingers traced gentle patterns along your back as he whispered against your lips “I don’t think I could ever get tired of telling you how beautiful you are” You leaned into him and felt the tension drain from your body.

As you pulled back from his embrace your eyes caught something on the wall behind him. A childish scribbles in crayon with bright red letters spelling out “Sojung” Your heart sank.

Why would she do that? You stepped closer and your fingers hovered near the scrawled name. Your husband followed your gaze “What are you looking at?”

You ignored him and instead screamed“Sojung!” Your husband jumped, he’d never heard you raise your voice like that before. The suddenness of it made his eyes widen in concern. Right now you didnt care she was asleep on your bed.

Almost immediately, Sojung appeared at the doorway. You pointed at the crayon writing on the wall “What is this?” She looked confused “Crayon?” “and why did you write that?” you pressed “I didn’t mommy” she shaked her head and a sharp pain stabbed your temples.

Your head throbbed making it hard to think “Sojung, don’t lie to me”

“I’m not lying, Mommy!” she insisted, tears welling in her eyes.

“Sojung!” you called again.

Before the tension could spiral further, your husband stepped forward and his hands raised gently “Honey, calm down” he said soothingly, his voice steady and grounding.

“No!” you said sharply, cutting him off before he could finish. Your voice was cold “She needs to know that she doesn’t get to do this. Sojung, go clean this off and after that go into your room and stay there until we eat” Your husband opened his mouth, clearly wanting to say something “Honey what are you even saying-” but you held up a hand and silenced him with a look “No” you said firmly “Not now. We’ll talk after. Right now, she needs to understand there are consequences”

Gentle, patient and always careful with the childrens feelings that was who you were. Even when discipline was needed being harsh was not in your nature.

Safe to say, he had never seen you like this before.

later after breakfast, Doyoung stood by the back door glancing out at the yard where the old treehouse stood, only a sliglhty visible by the branches and leaves covering it. Hajin hadn’t been inside since yo ate. so Doyoung slipped on his shoes and stepped outside. The air was still a bit cold. The old boards beneath his feet creaked as he approached the treehouse “Hajin?” he called out to his younger brother while his hand on the rope ladder, but got no answer.

He climbed up every step and pushed open the hatch and there was Hajin sitting down surrounded by crayons and a few pieces of paper around the floor “What are you doing out here little man?” Hajin looked up with a proud smile on his lips

“Drawing us” It was crooked but colorful sketch of the family all holding hands. You and Sungchan in the middle, Sojung and Chaeyuoeng on one side and then doyoung and hajin on the other. Everyone had big smiling faces and the house in the corner “That’s Mommy, that’s Daddy, that’s you, that’s me.” Hajin pointed to each figure as he named them “and that’s Sojung. I made her dress pink ‘cause it’s her favorite”

“This is really good little man!”

doyoung watched his little brother scribbling away and ruffled Hajin’s hair. Doyoung had always been “big man” and calling him “little man” made him feel older than he was. His gaze then drifted across the scattered drawings and his smile faltered. He picked up one and this one showed a tall figure, its limbs bending and its shoulders hunched so severely to fold over itself just to fit on the page. A black hat sat crooked on the head and though there were no eyes drawn or face at all, Doyoung knew it was watching.

The figure leaned over a tiny blue crayon version of Hajin curled in his bed. The man’s long arm just inches above his brother. He held the drawing and looked at another. This one showed the house and in the yard stood a little girl. She stood with her arm raised in a stiff wave. But what made Doyoung’s throat go dry was how hajin had drawn the windows of the house all dark, except his own. From that small square a black figure of himself looked down waving back at her.

“What is this?”

Hajin didn’t look at him but kept coloring another page, carefully shading the red door “Just stuff I saw” “When?”

“The tall man comes at night and the girl is our neighbour. She’s been waving for a long time”

“…Hajin” he said slowly, eyes still on the tall man with the crooked hat “does mom and dad know this?” hajin finally looked up, his small face blank “yes”

“good” Hajin smiled at that and doyoung looked again at the figure in the hat leaning over his brother’s bed “I believe you” Doyoung repeated.

Upstairs you lay curled on the bed with one arm draped over your eyes. The migraine that had clawed its way into your skull that morning still annoyed you, dulled only slightly by the pills you’d finally taken. The room was lit only by the gray light seeping in through the curtains. You hated the way you'd raised your voice at sojung. It wasn’t who you were. You hadn’t wanted to take your anger out on her. She was just a little girl.

The bedroom door creaked open and your husband stepped in quietly, and his eyes landed on you “Hey” he said “You okay?”

“I didn’t mean to scare her”

“But I just… I saw that writing and I- I snapped” He came to your side and sat on the edge of the bed and brushed your hair back gently. He didn’t speak for a moment, just looked at you a nd leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to your temple, right where he knew the pain had settled. His hand slid carefully into yours “You don’t have to explain anything honey” he told you “Not to me. You carry this whole family on your back without ever asking for anything. I see it even when you don’t think I do” You turned your face toward him, eyes glassy, throat tight. He smiled softly, brushing your cheek with the back of his knuckles “You’re allowed to break sometimes. You’re allowed to lose your temper and cry and crawl into bed and shut out the world. You’re dont have to be the perfect mom, you’re you and that’s who I love. All of you”

“Even when I’m yelling at our daughter?” “Especially then” he said with a quiet laugh, leaning closer “Because I know how much it cost you. Listen you’re the best mother I’ve ever seen and I know this house, whatever it is, it’s getting under our skin with the renovations and all”

He really was the best husband you could’ve asked for. He looked at you like he still saw the girl he’d first fallen in love with and loved you even more now with your tired eyes and your worn edges. Sungchan builds houses but he also built you a home every day with every word and every touch. Even now in this old house he was the one thing that never made you afraid.

“Get some sleep” He brushed his lips against your forehead and his hand smoothed down your arm “I’ll check on the kids yeah?” You nodded and already feeling yourself sinking into the softness of the bed.

He spotted his two boys sitting close together inside the old treehouse, their small figures bent over something on the floor. He knew sojung would be in the playroom, probably in a world of tea parties with her stuffed animals. So he went looking for Chaeyeong.

He found her sitting at the kitchen table as she quietly ate. Her fork moved slowly through the pie and her eyes lifted as he approached

“Hey sweetheart, how is your day?”

“good, Im going to Sojung´s tea party after this”

He smiled gently as she stood, brushing off her skirt “thats good, she would like that very much” he watched her walk toward the door and before she slipped out, she turned back “What’s wrong with mom?”

For a moment he searched for the right words to say to his edest daughter “Mom’s just tired sweetheart. the house has been hard on us, there is much to do”

She didnt move but now her hand rested lightly on the doorframe. “No dad. What’s really wrong with her?” He looked up at her, brows knitting. “Sweetheart she’s just tired, that’s all”

But Chaeyeong shook her head “I’ve seen her at night. When I can’t sleep I see her walking around the house”

Confusion crossed his face “like sleepwalking?”

“Yeah last night she walked right past my room. I called out to her, but she didn’t stop. Her eyes were open but it didn’t feel like she was awake” He stared at her he cant recall you stir beside him. He would’ve known if you left the bed. Would’ve felt the space beside him go cold. But he hadn’t

“Are you sure sweetheart?” Chaeyeong didn’t answer. She just gave him a solemn look, one that said yes I’m sure dad and then she turned and disappeared down the hall toward her the tea party that was waiting for her upstairs.

Sometimes he forgot how young she still was. When she was little, she used to say things like “Lying is a waste of time” with a tone that always made him chuckle not because it wasn’t true, but because it sounded so odd coming from such a small girl with the eyes of his wife. So if she said she saw her mother wandering the house at night she had.

So when night fell and the rain had started light at first he wanted to ask you about it. But by midnight the storm had gathered its strengt and howled through the trees outside. There wasn’t much time to watch and see if you’d slip out of bed and drift through the halls like Chaeyeong claimed. Because suddenly a crash shook the house, followed immediately by crying from the twins down the hall.

The old heavy chandelier, the exact one hanging above the entrance had come down. Shattered with glass exploding across the floor. You bolted upright in bed with a pounding heart and your body still aching from the headache earlier but now overridden by instinct. The twins were screaming. You didn’t think but only ran. Down the dark hall and into the twins’ room, where Sojung and Hajin clung to each other. You dropped to your knees beside them, arms wrapping around them both as they sobbed into your chest “Shhh, it’s okay, it’s okay. I got you” you rocked them gently though your own heart was racing.

Downstairs, your husband was already halfway down the staircase, flashlight in hand surveying the wreckage. Doyoung was the first to follow him and Chaeyeong trailed quietly behind clutching the banister and her eyes looked from the shards of broken glass to the wide front door that had come slightly ajar swaying gently in the wind. No one had opened it and yet there it was. Open.

Something had passed through. Something had finally come in.

Chaeyeong opened her mouth to say the front door is open but the words caught in her throat. There was no space for them and no time cause the thunder cracked again with a splitting sound that rattled the windows and made Sojung whimper against your shoulder. You carried the twins downstairs, one arm around each of them, their faces pressed into your sides. The house felt darker than before, and even heavier now. The chandelier, the beautiful and old and grotesquely heavy chandelier you had joked about replacing was now a ruin and shattered crystal strewn across the floor. Sungchan and Doyoung were already there, their hands braced beneath the weight as they pushed the mass aside to clear a path.

“Are you alright?” you asked, your voice sharp and frantic as your eyes looked between your older children “Chaeyeong? Doyoung? Honey?” Doyoung gave you a nod while wiping sweat from his brow as he tugged at a length of broken chain while Sungchan answered you

“We’re okay honey. Just… Jesus this thing could’ve killed someone”

Chaeyeong nodded but her eyes didn’t meet yours. She was still staring at the front door and watched it creak back and forth in the wind.

“It must’ve come loose in the storm” Sungchan looked at the snapped bolts and the cracked ceiling told a different story. No wind could do this.

“Chaeyeong”

Sungchan glanced over his shoulder toward her “can you grab a broom? Let’s get this glass out of the way before someone steps in it”

The light from the storm outside lit across her face, making her look older than she was. Sungchan thought for a quick moment he saw the older version of his daughter. Then she turned and walked toward the utility closet. She moved quickly, her bare feet careful on the cold floor, and returned with the broom clutched tightly in her hand. Without being asked again, she began sweeping the jagged bits of crystal and glass into a neat pile. It gave her something to do. Something to keep her mind from the thought that the door had been open long before the wind had started to howl. You stood nearby holding Sojung and Hajin close.

Once the last of the glass had been swept away and the chandelier pulled to the side, the sense of immediate danger faded. The storm still raged outside, but inside, your family was gathered and breathing and that counted for something “Doyoung come with me” your husband said taking one of the flashlights and handing the other to his son “Let’s check the pantry and the garage, see if we have more batteries or backup lanterns” and they disappeared together down the hallway, You remained with the Chaeyeong and the twins. You looked at them and suddenly felt the deep ache of needing to make something feel normal, if only for a moment make a ritual against the fear “I’ll make hot cocoa” you said as you stood gently ushering your three children with you into the kitchen. you open the cabinets and reached for the old kettle and found the green cocoa tin. You kept your hands busy, your voice low and soothing as you narrated your steps for the children to fill the quiet.

The moment the kettle whistled and the cocoa was poured, you turned with a tired smile and ready to offer comfort. But as you turned around the room behind you was hollow and still and completely empty. Your smile faltered “Chae?” you called out and your brow scrunching. You turned in a slow circle with the cups still in your hands. “Sojung? jinnie?” Your heartbeat quickened as you stepped forward and the mugs trembling slightly in your grasp.

A high pitched scream filled with terror came from somewhere deep in the house. You couldn’t tell where. Your body moved before your thoughts could catch up, you set the cocoa down on the counter with a shaky clatter and rushed toward the sound and your breath catching in your throat “Chaeyeong!” you cried “Hajin! Sojung!” it felt like tortue, as their voices were bouncing off the walls coming from everywhere at once. You ran to the foyer and down the hallway but found them nowhere to be seen. You ran to the living room and to the staircase and back to the hall with every turn more desperate than the last. Your tears streamed freely now hot and frantic your hands trembling as you flung open door after door and you screamed “Where are you?!”

“Mommy…” You spun around and ran toward the entrance, feet pounding down the stairs and there they were. All three of them huddled together on the floor beneath the window, their faces streaked with tears. “Oh my God,” you gasped, dropping to your knees. “Where have you been?” You reached for them, touching their faces, checking their arms, their legs searching for scrapes, bruises, anything, just shaken

“Why did you leave the kitchen?” But Chaeyeong even though she was still crying looked up at you “We didn’t mom” “What?”

“We didn’t leave” she repeated “We were standing right there, in the kitchen. Calling you. You kept looking around. Kept running. But you couldn’t see us” your arms still wrapped around the twins who nodded through their sobs “No... that’s not… I ran all over the house. I looked everywhere-” “But we were right there”

“We were right next to you. You looked right through us” You stared at her, your mind fighting to catch up, to make sense of the impossible. Your hands trembled as you pulled them closer, your own tears falling now.

“Okay” you forced the calm into your voice as your heart pounded “Maybe I was… maybe I was confused. I- I didn’t see you. That’s all”

Sungchan stopped cold when he saw you on the floor, the kids in your arms and your face pale and streaked with tears, his eyes widen “What happened here?” he urgently set the box down on the floor and knelt beside you. You looked up at him, lips parted, but no words came at first. Your heart was still racing, your mind still reeling from Chaeyeong’s voice we were right next to you, but you couldn’t see us

“I- I thought they were gone Sungchan” you whispered to him “They screamed and I ran but they weren’t… they weren’t anywhere” Your husband’s brow furrowed and scanned the children “Are they hurt?” “No” you shook your head “Just scared, we all are” he reached for your hand and gave it a gentle squeeze “Let’s get everyone to the living room. Get warm and calm down”

Later that night you and your husband gathered blankets, lit candles from the box he’d brought. and the children eventually drifted off. You and your husband sat behind them on the couch, a blanket around your shoulders. You stared at the flames “I think I’m going insane”

Sungchan turned to look at you but didn’t interrupt “I mean it. I’ve never had migraines like this. the pounding is so bad I can’t even see straight and I keep dreaming about the kids getting hurt" You pause before you continue "No matter how fast I run I never get to them in time. Never” Your husband’s hand found yours but you couldn’t bring yourself to look at him “Then tonight… I ran through every room of this house thinking they were gone. I swear to you Sungchan they weren’t in that kitchen" You finally turned to him

“I’m scared” You shook your head, pressing your fingertips to your temple “I’m scared of what’s happening to me” He didn’t speak right away. He just took you into his arms and his breath was warm against your hair “You’re not going insane... you’re overwhelmed, exhausted honey. This place… it’s a lot. The move, the kids. The work and now all of this” You closed your eyes against the warmth of his chest, against the ache in your head, the tremble still in your fingers. “I just want to feel normal again” you whispered “Like myself” He kissed the top of your head “You’re not alone in it honey”

The next couple of weeks passed slowy. Your headaches were worse now. Not just sharp pulses behind your eyes, but full body aches that left you curled in dark rooms and your palms pressed to your temples to keep your skull from splitting apart. The sketches for the renovation, once your favorite part of this project and the thing that reminded you of the future you were building lay abandoned on your desk. You’d meant to be done by now. You’d planned to be moving on to the finishing phase instead you’d been taking longer and longer breaks, sometimes falling asleep in the middle of the day, waking disoriented and drenched in cold sweat from dreams you couldn't bear to describe and through it all, your husband carried the weight like he always did. He never said it was hard but you saw it in the tightness of his jaw cause nearly every night now, he was the one to rise when Sojung cried out from her nightmares and he would go to her every single time. You tried once to get up with him. But he stopped you by pressing a hand to your shoulder “Sleep” he whispered “You need rest. I’ve got her” and he meant it even when you saw the circles darkening beneath his eyes.

One time you were upstairs inside the twins’ bedroom walls as you tucked them in for the night. They were already nestled beneath their covers. You stood between their beds and smoothed their blankets and brushing their hair from their foreheads “goodnight my loves”

Hajin turned to look at you “Mom… you will protect us from monsters right?”

“Of course my love. Always”

“the big ones?”

“Yes.. even those”

Hajin’s brow furrowed deeper “..what if it´s not monsters?” Your smile faltered for the quick moment “What do you mean?”

He hesitated, then looked over at the corner of the room “what if I dream that I put poison into my body, so much poison my blood turns into it” then you heard Sojung´s voice “and what if I get so sad mommy.. I get so sad that that I don´t wanna live anymore”

“Sojung.. that wont happen”

“But what if its not a dream mommy?”

"mom?"

the voice came from behind you. It was Doyoung’s voice. You turned around slowly while wiping your cheek with the back of your hand. he stood in the doorway, squinting at you like he couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing in front of him. You blinked again at how bright it was now. The room was no longer dark, it was daylight. The lamp beside the bed was off and you glanced over your shoulder to se the beds were neatly made and no sign of the twins at all

“Doyoung?.. what… what time is it?” He tilted his head, clearly thrown off “It’s just after lunch” That wasn’t right. You had just been here tucking the twins to bed “where are the twins?”

“outside... mom.. are you okay?”

“Yeah” you said “Yeah I’m okay. I just need a little rest”

It was Doyoung who spoke first to Sungchan about what he just saw and how he had found you standing still in the middle of the day, your hand resting on a bed that hadn’t been used in hours, talking to children who weren’t there. It might have been easier for Sungchan to laugh it off, if it had only been that yet not when Chaeyeong said that she had found you walking around the house in the dark. Your husband didn’t tell you all of it right away. But eventually he asked you if you might consider taking a break just for a few days. The kids were safe, he could handle them and that maybe you could go visit your sister Jihyo and clear your head.

Of course you hesitated since you had never left all four of them at once, not even for a weekend.

But he was so insistent and you were so tired so you said yes.

The kids came out to see you off and you bent down to kiss Hajin who was quick to cling to your leg like you'd be gone forever. Chaeyeong hugged you tight around the middle as you just smiled and kissed the top of her head. Doyoung stood by the porch steps his arms crossed but you pulled him into a hug anyway "Keep an eye on things for me" you said

"do you have to go mommy?" Sojung said “I just need a little break” you told them all “Just a few days... I’ll be back before you know it”

Sungchan stood behind them, his hand resting on the porch rail. He didn’t say much as you got into the car, you glanced back at the house. It looked the same. dark and tall.

Chaeyeong was the first to turn, she was already retracing the familiar path to the room where she practiced her dancing. Doyoung stayed for a moment longer staring at the driveway expecting your car to reappear. Then he shoved his hands into his pockets and followed his dad back inside. The two of them had grown used to patching the house. Hajin grabbed a stick from beneath the porch and stated something about being a pirate and Sojung followed with him.

Upstairs Sungchan and Doyoung were now prepping to paint the new wall. Doyoung held the paint can glancing at the color “Dad, does this stuff dry fast? I don’t want it to drip everywhere”

“Yeah, it dries pretty quick” your son dipped his brush and started along the edge “Mom’s gonna like this”

Your husband nodded “Yeah.. she will”

scratch scratch. The noise came from just behind the section that Sungchan was about to paint. Your husband frowned and set down his brush. “Goddamn” he muttered, moving closer to the wall and pressing his ear against the drywall “If this is a rat’s nest…” your husband said “we’re gonna have to tear the whole wall down” The scratching continued

“Do you… think it’s rats?” Doyoung asked and Sungchan shook his head slowly “No telling big man” he grimly said “But whatever it is, it doesn’t want to stay silent” The sound grew louder. scratch, scratch, scratch scratch, scratch, scratch

“We’re gonna need some rat poison. wait here I’ll go grab some from the shed” Doyoung nodded

Doyoung pressed his ear against the wall again and it was impossible to ignore. His fingers curled tightly around the handle of a hammer resting nearby and without thinking he raised the hammer and brought it down hard on the wall. Crack and he struck again crack, crack each blow sending dust and fragments falling to the floor. The scratching abruptly stopped but doyoung hammered one last time, breaking through the surface. He reached inside the hole, shining the flashlight beam through the jagged edges. The space beyond was empty. No nests or rats. actually there were o signs of movement at all.

“Doyoung” his dad stepped into the hallway, the rat poison in his hand and he stopped when he saw the hole in the wall “What are you doing?”

“I heard the scratching again. So I hammered through”

Your husband sighed, running a hand through his hair “Alright well, did you find something?"

"no.. but I heard it right here”

“I’ll put the rat poison away again” your husband said “Wait here” He turned and headed down the hallway while doyoung stood by the hole. Minutes passed and while sungchan’s footsteps faded into the distance, a faint scratch from deep inside the wall made doyoung freeze.

“Dad!” he called out and Sungchan was just reaching for the top shelf in the pantry trying to carefully place the rat poison behind the jars and cans. He turned quickly at his sons shout “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“There’s something in the wall scratching again! It’s louder this time!”

Your husband’s calm face tightened for the first time “Show me” they hurried back down the hallway as they neared the hole, the scratching stopped. Your husband shone his flashlight inside the hole. Nothing.

“You know what, let´s take an off day” "but we didnt do anything today"

"thats okay"

Your husband wiped his hands on a rag and glanced over at Doyoung, who was still standing near the hole in the wall and took him with him to the kitchen, pulling out bread, cheese and some cold cuts from the fridge. The smell of toasted sandwiches soon filled the house.

The sandwiches were passed around and the kids settled into their seats. Chaeyeong poked at her food thoughtfully before looking up. “Hey, should we call mom? see how she’s doing?”

“Yeah, I want to hear her voice”

Sungchan pulled out his phone from his pocket “Good idea lets call her” The phone rang but went straight to voicemail

“Maybe she’s busy with aunt jihyo”

“Maybe she’s sleeping daddy” Your husband smiled gently at Sojung

“We’ll call her again tonight” he promised his children.

That evening after the plates were washed your husband called again. Then again and again and each time, the ring tone buzzed in his ear until it clicked over to your voicemail. The kids were already in pajamas and Doyoung waited a little longer in the hallway and watched his dad with a frown “Still nothing?” he asked and Sungchan shook his head “No. I’ll try again in a bit”

“She always picks up” “yeah.. I know.. maybe she forgot to charge her phone” But they all knew that wasn’t like you. Especially not after how hesitant you’d been to leave and how you’d kissed each of them twice, three times, and how your hand had stayed on the doorknob that morning.

He tucked them in one by one and assured them that you’d call first thing in the morning. He went back downstairs afterward with his phone still in his hand. He sat down on the couch and tried once more, straight to voicemail. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment, then set the phone on the coffee table and eventually he drifted off on the couch, the screen of his phone dimming beside him.

For the first time in weeks he slept deeply. The house was quiet around him and for once and it let him rest. Letting his breathing slow and let his fingers go slack on the arm of the couch. Upstairs the children slept too, though tonight someone was missing.

Sungchan woke up.

Chaeyeong was standing in front of him

Her face was confused, not frightened exactly but he could tell she felt unsettled “Did you call Mom?”

sungchan rubbed his face “Yeah.. I did. she didn’t pick up though” Chaeyeong didn’t move but her lips pressed into a thin line “Sweetheart what is it?”

“She’s in the kitchen”

He stared at her “what?” “She’s in the kitchen” she repeated “I- I saw her. I was still hungry and I saw her holding a tea tray in her hands. She talked about something… about the red door”

Sungchan didn’t wait to hear more “sweetheart. go upstairs. Wake Doyoung. Stay with your brother and the twins and go to the car-” "but dad!"

"Go now!"

She nodded and went toward up the stairs

He bolted down the hall, feet slamming against the hardwood as he turned into the kitchen. You were gone. There was no presence and no breath in the room except his own coming out fast and uneven. His eyes frantically scanned the room and then he saw the small box of rat poison he had shelved just hours earlier… now lying open on the counter, opened.

"no no no no no"

sungchan took the stairs two at a time and his hands already trembling before he reached the landing. The hallway was darker than it should’ve been. Then he saw it. The red door. It had stood closed and complety locked and no one had ever gone inside until now. The door was ajar enough for light to leak out. His stomach dropped as he ran. He shoved the door open with his shoulder and stopped seeing you were there in the center of the room seated like a bride at an altar dressed in a faded white dress. Your eyes ringed in red, raw from sleeplessness. You looked like a ghost still clinging to skin and in your hands was the tea tray. Sojung and Hajin sat on the floor and Sojung raised the cup to her lips making Sungchan slap the cup from her hand and the others crashed to the floor in a spray of shattered ceramic and a bitter smelling tea. You shot to your feet, eyes wild “What are you doing Sungchan?!” you shrieked “You can’t take my children away from me!”

Sungchan looked at you, chest heaving, throat burning and in that instant he felt terrified. “What are you even doing right now yn?!”

“This is insanity! do you even know what you’re doing?” The twins were sobbing now, huddled close together on the floor. Their tears fell with hiccuping cries that tore straight through Sungchan’s chest. You stood frozen and your voice no longer sharp but small “I don’t want them to be taken away from me” You weren’t screaming anymore you were begging.

He only looked at you like he didn’t see his wife anymore “You need help” he whispered. He bent down, scooping the twins into his arms. They clung to him still sobbing and their small hands knotted in his shirt. That’s when you screamed “No!” and Sungchan’s instinct reacted before thought did and he turned too fast that his elbow catching you by the side of the head with a crack. Your body crumpled like paper “God-” he gasped, reaching out too late. But you were already motionless on the floor. He didn’t wait to see if you were breathing. He ran down the stair while the twins wept in his arms.

Chaeyong and Doyoung met him downstairs “Dad! What’s happening?!” but Sungchan didn’t stop “Get in the car now”

“Dad where’s Mom?!” doyoung said while running after him “Dad-what happened?!”

Sungchan yanked open the car doors, setting the twins in the back. They were crying for you

“Dad?!” Chaeyoung’s voice cracked out “Dad, what about Mom?”

Doyoungs fists were clenched and the tears welled up in his eyes. Sungchan slammed the door shut. He turned once more toward the house. It loomed in the night and there in the second-story window of the red door room you stood. In your white dress and hollow eyes. Hands pressed to the glass while watching. Sungchan’s knuckles whitened on the wheel as the engine came to life. He looked straight ahead

“That’s not Mom”

— — — — — —

There was a high pressure at such a prestigious place, this was still a law firm after all. Everyone was ambitious. People worked hard and wanted to stand out, even hoped for the best assignments however it wasn’t toxic. You liked the fact that no one was trying to trip you on the way up the ladder. Contrary to your last place, here there was respect and there was room to grow. You felt so lucky to have landed not just this job but a place where people remembered your name and where they looked you in the eye.

Then there was Jung Sungchan.

On most days you weren’t sure if he even remembered your name. and if it came up in a meeting (in someone else’s voice) his eyes glide past you like you were another piece of office furniture, you were present but irrelevant. He never asked how your weekend was. Never responded when you made a joke. Never offered so much as a glance when you slid into the conference room and took the seat beside him. You noticed that he never took his lunch in the break room, he would always disappear around the same time and returning as soon as break was over. He rarely checked his phone and you never saw him fidget or hesitate, ever.

One night, long after the rest of the office had went home you and Sungchan were the only ones left behind. You were buried in a mountain of paperwork. Your highlighter had dried out and your salt bread had gone stale. It was so silent that you could hear the ticking of the clock.

Sungchan was across the room at his desk near the window. You didn’t know what he was working on, something complex probably from the way his brow furrowed. His fingers fastly tapped at the keyboard. You tried not to look too long but it was hard not to notice him. He was striking. High cheekbones and a clean symmetrical jawline. His skin pale and smooth, it almost looked like a filter. His dark neatly parted hair fell just over his brow. He looked like he belonged in a magazine spread and not at a law firm. For a moment you debated saying something. Maybe a comment or a joke. Then your own doubt crept in. What if you broke his focus? What if whatever he was doing was high-stakes? Mt jung didn’t seem like the kind of person who appreciated interruptions.

But to your demise, your phone lit up with a burst of sound but not one notification, the chimes echoed loudly in the office. The screen buzzed in your hand as message after message flooded in.

Dinner. My place.

You’re coming.

Don’t make me drag you.

I made that pasta you love.

Are you alive??

HEL-FUCKING-LO??

You cursed under your breath at Chaewon and scrambled to silence your phone while your fingers fumbled across the screen. The sound kept going and when you finally got it to shut up you took a breath. That’s when you looked up and Sungchan was staring at you. His chair was angled just slightly toward you now and your cheeks flushed instantly. You opened your mouth but nothing came out. Not an explanation or an apology. Just a breath caught halfway to a sentence “Oh...” then you saw one corner of his mouth twitched and then he looked away.

He probably thought you were careless or too chatty or even awkward. Maybe he didn’t think you belonged at the firm. You weren’t sure which category he thought you fit into but you were starting to fear the answer. It got bad enough that one afternoon you found yourself hovering near Minyeong’s desk.

“Hey… can I ask you something kind of dumb?”

Minyeong looked up, her brown eyes behind her glasses “uhm yeah sure, whats up?”

“It’s about Mr jung..” She set her pen down “mhm?”

“I just…” you lowered your voice. “Do you think he… hates me?”

“Sungchan?” you nodded while suddenly feeling twelve years old.

“I mean he barely talks to me. Never looks at me"

“He doesn’t hate you” she said “I mean.. that man doesn’t even know how to hate. He barely knows how feelings work”

“He just…” spinning a pen between your fingers that you found on her desk. “you know.. communicates like a fucking rock”

“Exactly. Don’t take it personally. He’s like that with everyone until he decides otherwise”

You’d then asked her what he was like outside of work. She blinked like you’d asked her what it was like on the cure to cancer was “No one knows.. I mean he’s been here for years. Everyone respects him”

“But you’ve worked with him-” “Oh yeah. He’s brilliant. Absolute brain of steel. But also? A human fog. You can’t get a read that easy”

You couldn’t decide if that made you feel better or worse. Because the truth was that you noticed him. More than you wanted to. More than you should. Not just the way he looked which honestly was unfair but also the way his presence pulled you. He always seemed to be one step ahead with work, observing you guys from some high ledge while the rest of you scrambled through the chaos below.

“I just… I keep thinking he doesn’t like me. Or maybe that he thinks I’m not supposed to be here. It’s like I don’t even exist to him most of the time”

“He’s always been that way. You know.. reserved. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him talk about his life outside the office. Some people take it as being cold. I mean.. I used to”

“Has he always been like this?”

There was a pregnant pause “He had a rough year a while back” she said finally. “No one knows the full story and no one pried. But he disappeared for a while. Took a leave of absence. Came back more quiet and more guarded”

You let the conversation end like that. No follow-up questions and Minyeong had already turned back to her screen so you walked back to your desk and sat down slowly. You weren’t sure whether that made you feel better or worse.

Next morning Sohee stopped by your desk, he was holding a thick folder in one hand and balancing his phone in the other “Do you have a minute?” And you immediately nod and straightening up in your chair as he handed you the folder. It was pages full of contracts, financial statements and scattered emails printed out and clipped together. The cover sheet had a client name you recognized, Kang Minseo

“We’ve got a civil matter.. A vendor is suing our client, Kang Minseo, claiming a breach of contract and wrongful termination of a supply agreement” You turned in your chair to face him fully “So… we’re defending?” he nodded

“Client wants to push for early dismissal. Mr. Jung wants a first draft of the motion to dismiss on his desk by tonight I need you to help build the argument”

Your eyebrows lifted “Tonight??”

“He’s reviewing the whole package first thing tomorrow"

“How long should it be?” “Three to five pages max. It’s one section of a bigger motion, but Sungchan wants to see how you write so don’t hedge”

“And you’re sure he wants it tonight?”

Sohee exhaled “He asked me an hour ago. I said we’d get it to him by ten” You looked at the clock. That gave you seven hours “Okay...” you said quietly “I’ll get started now” He gave a quick nod and turned and disappeared.

You worked and worked and worked. Your fingers ached but the argument was solid. You reread the section four times. It was good. Maybe not perfect but good. You saved the file and checked the time. 9:53 p.m. Seven minutes to spare so you stood up and stretched then gathered your laptop to walk the printout down to mr. jung’s office.

But when you got there, the lights were off and his door was closed. You checked your phone and there were no messages. You’d been told ten pm. you even skipped dinner and he just left? Seriously? Still holding the file you pivoted and headed toward Sohee’s office where light was still spilling out into the hall. He was hunched over a second monitor his earbuds in. You knocked once on the doorframe. He looked up and pulled one earbud out “Hey”

“I finished the breach section" he reached out for it but paused when he saw your face “What?” “Sungchan’s gone. His office is dark and I dont know where he went”

“Really?” “Yeah” you said and folded your arms.

“I thought we were aiming for ten” “yeah that’s what he said...weird.. doesn’t sound like him to leave without checking”

Sohee shrugged “Just text him”

“I don’t have his number”

he reached for his phone “Right, sorry..” he scrolled for a second then held out his screen.

You tapped it into your phone carefully. Sohee gave you a small smile as he returned to his screen “Just tell him you’ve finished and attach the draft. He won’t be annoyed. If it’s good, you’ll hear back. If it’s not, he’ll let you know”

“Thanks”

You sat back down at your desk and typed out the message.

Hi Mr. Jung, I’ve finished the breach of contract section for the motion to dismiss. Let me know if you'd prefer I email it or bring a hard copy.

You hit send and leaned back but thirty seconds later, your phone buzzed.

Bring the hard copy. I’m home. Come by and drop it off.

You stared at the message. What?

Now?

The reply came instantly.

Yes. It’s an important document isn’t it?

You looked down at the printout in your hands. Sure, it was important and it was technically due today.

Okay. What’s your address? A moment later he sent it. It wasnt far, just ten minutes by car.

--

The cab pulled up to the address that he had texted you and your stomach dropped just a little when you looked up. The building looked expensive as hell, of course he could afford such a place. A woman at the desk gave you a polite nod as you approached and before you could even say a word, she gestured toward the elevators. “Mr. Jung is expecting you. Penthouse” a fucking Penthouse. You stepped inside the elevator and the doors closed as the numbers blinked upward.

Your heart thudded in your chest as you thought of what you would find when the door opened? Would there be a wife or would you hear a child’s voice from another room or the sound of someone else living there, someone who knew him outside of work and saw whatever version of mr. jung he kept carefully hidden from the rest.

The elevator slowed down and the doors slid open into a private hallway. You walked inside and reached the door and knocked on it and you heard the sound of footsteps from the other side of the door

mr jung stood in the doorway. the collar of a soft black t-shirt clinging slightly to his collarbone. His hair was damp and pushed back messily but there are a few strands falling forward like they hadn’t quite dried yet. His skin looked fresh and you see a faint flush of heat still lingering from the shower. He looked different, he looked good. God he was stunning. He tilted his head slightly “yn” You looked back to his eyes again, suddenly remembering the reason you were standing there in the first place

“Come in”

The apartment was clean. You saw dark hardwood floors and a long bookshelf lined agaisnt one wall. Across from it a low black modern couch angled toward a discreet wall-mounted TV. But what really caught you was the view. Instinctively drawn to the wide stretch of glass that made up the far wall. From here, you saw the Seoul skyline

“You live here alone?”

“Yes”

You turned around just as he walked over to the kitchen island, he wiped a hand through his still-damp hair. He pulled a sleek black binder clip from a drawer and gestured for the file in your hans. You handed it to him. He didn’t say anything right away and just opened it and started reading, his brown eyes scanning each page. You weren’t sure what you were expecting maybe praise? but the longer he read without saying anything the more that old insecurity crept up your spine. You cleared your throat gently “Um… is it okay?” He didn’t look up at first.

Then he nodded “Yes. It’s good"

Relief washed over you so fast it almost made your knees weak “Oh.. okay good”

Then he looked back at you “You’re tired”

You gave a soft laugh under your breath “Is it that obvious?”

“Only a little”

“It’s been a long day” Your arms now crossed over your stomach

“Do you want tea?”

You want to say no but of course you dont "sure"

you then glanced around and observed a single photo in a frame hanging on the wall. Mr. Jung with two other men and all three are smiling stiffly in suits, none that you find familiar. He returns with a steaming cup to you.

Right when you get the cup in your hands he got a call, and while he’s distracted taking it, you excused yourself and went looking for the restroom.

Your hand brushed against the wall as you walk. You press your palm flat and your fingers move to a small seam barely even visible. The wallpaper is new and has a different texture compared to the rest of the room. You realized the slightly newer sheen on it. Your hand was trembling as you slide along the seam pressing on it till you heard a click. A narrow panel gives way. You looked back towards the living room. He’s still on the phone and hasn’t noticed you. You eased the panel open and the smell hits full force. An animal instinct in your brain screams to you that you should run away but your feet move inside anyway. It’s not a full room. Just a crawlspace. It’s Claustrophobic and very much dark yet big enough to fit in. On the floor you see something or someone that sends chills down your spine. A body curled in on itself. The flesh pale and gray. One hand outstretched and the fingers were brittle and mouth hanged open. A thin line of dried blood trails from her nose and behind her the wall was scratched. You stumbled back and your hand covered your mouth

“I asked you to drop something off, not go digging” Mr. Jung stands in the hallway now and your back is to the open crawlspace. Her body behind you and between you and the front door is him.

“You weren’t supposed to see that” your eyes dart between the body behind you and the man in front of you. There’s no way out without going through him “I was hoping you weren’t smarter than this” Your voice cracks as you force it out “She- who is she?” He raises an eyebrow “She was my wife” he says “You weren’t supposed to know I had one. That was the whole point yn”

Your heel brushes the edge of her boot. You almost screamed. He sees it in your eyes. The fear and disgust. That’s when he knows you’re not going to stay quiet “such a shame” he murmurs. “You were a good assistant” then he lunges at you

——————————————————

Your new team had been nothing but welcoming. They’d invited you to lunch on your first day and Wonbin had been so kind to buy you an ade at the cafe next door since you didnt like the taste of coffee that the firm had.

There was a high pressure at such a prestigious place, this was still a law firm after all. Everyone was ambitious. People worked hard and wanted to stand out, even hoped for the best assignments however it wasn’t toxic. You liked the fact that no one was trying to trip you on the way up the ladder. Contrary to your last place, here there was respect and there was room to grow. You felt so lucky to have landed not just this job but a place where people remembered your name and where they looked you in the eye.

Then there was Jung Sungchan.

On most days you weren’t sure if he even remembered your name. and if it came up in a meeting (in someone else’s voice) his eyes glide past you like you were another piece of office furniture, you were present but irrelevant. He never asked how your weekend was. Never responded when you made a joke. Never offered so much as a glance when you slid into the conference room and took the seat beside him. You noticed that he never took his lunch in the break room, he would always disappear around the same time and returning as soon as break was over. He rarely checked his phone and you never saw him fidget or hesitate, ever.

One night, long after the rest of the office had went home you and Sungchan were the only ones left behind. You were buried in a mountain of paperwork. Your highlighter had dried out and your salt bread had gone stale. It was so silent that you could hear the ticking of the clock.

Sungchan was across the room at his desk near the window. You didn’t know what he was working on, something complex probably from the way his brow furrowed. His fingers fastly tapped at the keyboard. You tried not to look too long but it was hard not to notice him. He was striking. High cheekbones and a clean symmetrical jawline. His skin pale and smooth, it almost looked like a filter. His dark neatly parted hair fell just over his brow. He looked like he belonged in a magazine spread and not at a law firm. For a moment you debated saying something. Maybe a comment or a joke. Then your own doubt crept in. What if you broke his focus? What if whatever he was doing was high-stakes? Mt jung didn’t seem like the kind of person who appreciated interruptions.

But to your demise, your phone lit up with a burst of sound but not one notification, the chimes echoed loudly in the office. The screen buzzed in your hand as message after message flooded in.

Dinner. My place.

You’re coming.

Don’t make me drag you.

I made that pasta you love.

Are you alive??

HEL-FUCKING-LO??

You cursed under your breath at Chaewon and scrambled to silence your phone while your fingers fumbled across the screen. The sound kept going and when you finally got it to shut up you took a breath. That’s when you looked up and Sungchan was staring at you. His chair was angled just slightly toward you now and your cheeks flushed instantly. You opened your mouth but nothing came out. Not an explanation or an apology. Just a breath caught halfway to a sentence “Oh...” then you saw one corner of his mouth twitched and then he looked away.

He probably thought you were careless or too chatty or even awkward. Maybe he didn’t think you belonged at the firm. You weren’t sure which category he thought you fit into but you were starting to fear the answer. It got bad enough that one afternoon you found yourself hovering near Minyeong’s desk.

“Hey… can I ask you something kind of dumb?”

Minyeong looked up, her brown eyes behind her glasses “uhm yeah sure, whats up?”

“It’s about Mr jung..” She set her pen down “mhm?”

“I just…” you lowered your voice. “Do you think he… hates me?”

“Sungchan?” you nodded while suddenly feeling twelve years old.

“I mean he barely talks to me. Never looks at me"

“He doesn’t hate you” she said “I mean.. that man doesn’t even know how to hate. He barely knows how feelings work”

“He just…” spinning a pen between your fingers that you found on her desk. “you know.. communicates like a fucking rock”

“Exactly. Don’t take it personally. He’s like that with everyone until he decides otherwise”

You’d then asked her what he was like outside of work. She blinked like you’d asked her what it was like on the cure to cancer was “No one knows.. I mean he’s been here for years. Everyone respects him”

“But you’ve worked with him-” “Oh yeah. He’s brilliant. Absolute brain of steel. But also? A human fog. You can’t get a read that easy”

You couldn’t decide if that made you feel better or worse. Because the truth was that you noticed him. More than you wanted to. More than you should. Not just the way he looked which honestly was unfair but also the way his presence pulled you. He always seemed to be one step ahead with work, observing you guys from some high ledge while the rest of you scrambled through the chaos below.

“I just… I keep thinking he doesn’t like me. Or maybe that he thinks I’m not supposed to be here. It’s like I don’t even exist to him most of the time”

“He’s always been that way. You know.. reserved. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him talk about his life outside the office. Some people take it as being cold. I mean.. I used to”

“Has he always been like this?”

There was a pregnant pause “He had a rough year a while back” she said finally. “No one knows the full story and no one pried. But he disappeared for a while. Took a leave of absence. Came back more quiet and more guarded”

You let the conversation end like that. No follow-up questions and Minyeong had already turned back to her screen so you walked back to your desk and sat down slowly. You weren’t sure whether that made you feel better or worse.

Next morning Sohee stopped by your desk, he was holding a thick folder in one hand and balancing his phone in the other “Do you have a minute?” And you immediately nod and straightening up in your chair as he handed you the folder. It was pages full of contracts, financial statements and scattered emails printed out and clipped together. The cover sheet had a client name you recognized, Kang Minseo

“We’ve got a civil matter.. A vendor is suing our client, Kang Minseo, claiming a breach of contract and wrongful termination of a supply agreement” You turned in your chair to face him fully “So… we’re defending?” he nodded

“Client wants to push for early dismissal. Mr. Jung wants a first draft of the motion to dismiss on his desk by tonight I need you to help build the argument”

Your eyebrows lifted “Tonight??”

“He’s reviewing the whole package first thing tomorrow"

“How long should it be?” “Three to five pages max. It’s one section of a bigger motion, but Sungchan wants to see how you write so don’t hedge”

“And you’re sure he wants it tonight?”

Sohee exhaled “He asked me an hour ago. I said we’d get it to him by ten” You looked at the clock. That gave you seven hours “Okay...” you said quietly “I’ll get started now” He gave a quick nod and turned and disappeared.

You worked and worked and worked. Your fingers ached but the argument was solid. You reread the section four times. It was good. Maybe not perfect but good. You saved the file and checked the time. 9:53 p.m. Seven minutes to spare so you stood up and stretched then gathered your laptop to walk the printout down to mr. jung’s office.

But when you got there, the lights were off and his door was closed. You checked your phone and there were no messages. You’d been told ten pm. you even skipped dinner and he just left? Seriously? Still holding the file you pivoted and headed toward Sohee’s office where light was still spilling out into the hall. He was hunched over a second monitor his earbuds in. You knocked once on the doorframe. He looked up and pulled one earbud out “Hey”

“I finished the breach section" he reached out for it but paused when he saw your face “What?” “Sungchan’s gone. His office is dark and I dont know where he went”

“Really?” “Yeah” you said and folded your arms.

“I thought we were aiming for ten” “yeah that’s what he said...weird.. doesn’t sound like him to leave without checking”

Sohee shrugged “Just text him”

“I don’t have his number”

he reached for his phone “Right, sorry..” he scrolled for a second then held out his screen.

You tapped it into your phone carefully. Sohee gave you a small smile as he returned to his screen “Just tell him you’ve finished and attach the draft. He won’t be annoyed. If it’s good, you’ll hear back. If it’s not, he’ll let you know”

“Thanks”

You sat back down at your desk and typed out the message.

Hi Mr. Jung, I’ve finished the breach of contract section for the motion to dismiss. Let me know if you'd prefer I email it or bring a hard copy.

You hit send and leaned back but thirty seconds later, your phone buzzed.

Bring the hard copy. I’m home. Come by and drop it off.

You stared at the message. What?

Now?

The reply came instantly.

Yes. It’s an important document isn’t it?

You looked down at the printout in your hands. Sure, it was important and it was technically due today.

Okay. What’s your address? A moment later he sent it. It wasnt far, just ten minutes by car.

--

The cab pulled up to the address that he had texted you and your stomach dropped just a little when you looked up. The building looked expensive as hell, of course he could afford such a place. A woman at the desk gave you a polite nod as you approached and before you could even say a word, she gestured toward the elevators. “Mr. Jung is expecting you. Penthouse” a fucking Penthouse. You stepped inside the elevator and the doors closed as the numbers blinked upward.

Your heart thudded in your chest as you thought of what you would find when the door opened? Would there be a wife or would you hear a child’s voice from another room or the sound of someone else living there, someone who knew him outside of work and saw whatever version of mr. jung he kept carefully hidden from the rest.

The elevator slowed down and the doors slid open into a private hallway. You walked inside and reached the door and knocked on it and you heard the sound of footsteps from the other side of the door

mr jung stood in the doorway. the collar of a soft black t-shirt clinging slightly to his collarbone. His hair was damp and pushed back messily but there are a few strands falling forward like they hadn’t quite dried yet. His skin looked fresh and you see a faint flush of heat still lingering from the shower. He looked different, he looked good. God he was stunning. He tilted his head slightly “yn” You looked back to his eyes again, suddenly remembering the reason you were standing there in the first place

“Come in”

The apartment was clean. You saw dark hardwood floors and a long bookshelf lined agaisnt one wall. Across from it a low black modern couch angled toward a discreet wall-mounted TV. But what really caught you was the view. Instinctively drawn to the wide stretch of glass that made up the far wall. From here, you saw the Seoul skyline

“You live here alone?”

“Yes”

You turned around just as he walked over to the kitchen island, he wiped a hand through his still-damp hair. He pulled a sleek black binder clip from a drawer and gestured for the file in your hans. You handed it to him. He didn’t say anything right away and just opened it and started reading, his brown eyes scanning each page. You weren’t sure what you were expecting maybe praise? but the longer he read without saying anything the more that old insecurity crept up your spine. You cleared your throat gently “Um… is it okay?” He didn’t look up at first.

Then he nodded “Yes. It’s good"

Relief washed over you so fast it almost made your knees weak “Oh.. okay good”

Then he looked back at you “You’re tired”

You gave a soft laugh under your breath “Is it that obvious?”

“Only a little”

“It’s been a long day” Your arms now crossed over your stomach

“Do you want tea?”

You want to say no but of course you dont "sure"

you then glanced around and observed a single photo in a frame hanging on the wall. Mr. Jung with two other men and all three are smiling stiffly in suits, none that you find familiar. He returns with a steaming cup to you.

Right when you get the cup in your hands he got a call, and while he’s distracted taking it, you excused yourself and went looking for the restroom.

Your hand brushed against the wall as you walk. You press your palm flat and your fingers move to a small seam barely even visible. The wallpaper is new and has a different texture compared to the rest of the room. You realized the slightly newer sheen on it. Your hand was trembling as you slide along the seam pressing on it till you heard a click. A narrow panel gives way. You looked back towards the living room. He’s still on the phone and hasn’t noticed you. You eased the panel open and the smell hits full force. An animal instinct in your brain screams to you that you should run away but your feet move inside anyway. It’s not a full room. Just a crawlspace. It’s Claustrophobic and very much dark yet big enough to fit in. On the floor you see something or someone that sends chills down your spine. A body curled in on itself. The flesh pale and gray. One hand outstretched and the fingers were brittle and mouth hanged open. A thin line of dried blood trails from her nose and behind her the wall was scratched. You stumbled back and your hand covered your mouth

“I asked you to drop something off, not go digging” Mr. Jung stands in the hallway now and your back is to the open crawlspace. Her body behind you and between you and the front door is him.

“You weren’t supposed to see that” your eyes dart between the body behind you and the man in front of you. There’s no way out without going through him “I was hoping you weren’t smarter than this” Your voice cracks as you force it out “She- who is she?” He raises an eyebrow “She was my wife” he says “You weren’t supposed to know I had one. That was the whole point yn”

Your heel brushes the edge of her boot. You almost screamed. He sees it in your eyes. The fear and disgust. That’s when he knows you’re not going to stay quiet “such a shame” he murmurs. “You were a good assistant” then he lunges at you

——————————————————