"So, you're telling me you feel like you're missing a huge part of the plot?" Minji asked, quirking a brow as she slid her keycard into the lock of her penthouse door.
The panel beeped, the door clicked open, and she stepped inside with Rei trailing behind her.
Rei took one step in—and froze.
"Holy…" The rest of his words got stuck somewhere between his throat and his brain.
He'd never been in a penthouse before. Definitely not one perched on the top floor of the most expensive hotel in the city. His eyes widened as he took it all in—the ceiling that stretched high above him, the marble flooring, the sheer space of it all.
"The money you get from… salooning pays for this?" he asked, completely dumbfounded.
Minji burst out laughing—sharp, genuine laughter that echoed off the glossy walls. "Salooning? Oh my god." She doubled over, wiping actual tears from the corners of her eyes. "No way!" she said through her giggles. "My folks bought it for me."
Rei blinked, still trying to process the environment around him. She was still laughing, but he couldn't even focus on that anymore.
Just to the right of the entryway was a sleek, built-in minibar that shimmered under ambient backlighting. Across the far end of the living room was what he could only describe as… a window wall—floor-to-ceiling glass that looked out over the glowing city skyline.
"A… window wall," he murmured to himself, stepping forward like he was afraid he might wake up if he touched anything.
Minji just smirked, watching him soak it in. She'd seen that reaction before—more than once. It never got old.
Rei continued wandering in a quiet daze. His eyes darted to the spiral staircase that curled upward to the lofted second floor—he'd check that out later. For now, his focus was on the design.
Everything inside was sharp and futuristic. The palette was clean—mostly whites and silvers—with the occasional splash of color from contemporary art pieces framed across the walls. Sleek wooden tables added warmth to the space, balancing out the cool tones.
A massive, L-shaped couch sat in the center, arranged perfectly in front of a wall-mounted, cinema-sized flat-screen TV.
Rei slowly sank into the couch cushions like his legs gave out. "This place looks like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie," he muttered, eyes still wide.
Minji shrugged playfully, flopping down beside him. "Welcome to the base of operations," she said, grinning. "You want a new identity? This is where we build it."
"How 'bout this…" Minji said casually, plopping down beside Rei on the oversized sofa. She leaned back, arms draped across the cushions. "Move in with me. It'll be easier to help you that way."
Rei's brain glitched.
He blinked. Once. Twice. His mouth fell open slightly as he processed the words, but no thoughts came. Two full seconds of total mental silence.
"You… would let me—a completely clueless, possibly unhinged stranger—live in this…" he gestured wildly around them, "…this masterpiece?"
He looked at her like a stray dog just got offered a mansion.
Minji groaned, rolling her eyes. "Drop the dramatic stray puppy act, buddy," she said, nudging his shoulder. "I was looking for a roommate anyway."
She smirked, tilting her head. "No rent. The place is paid for. But," she added, raising a finger, "you're gonna help out around here. No freeloading."
Rei threw his hands up. "I will scrub the floors with a toothbrush if it means I get to stay here!"
Minji laughed, shaking her head. "Deal, then. Roomie."
Rei beamed, almost glowing. For the first time in a while, something finally felt… safe.
And for a fleeting second, just one—he didn't feel so lost.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
[1 hour later]
Rei stood awkwardly in the middle of the massive living room, his lone suitcase looking ridiculously out of place against the luxury.
"...And that's it," he muttered, placing it near the corner of the room.
Minji raised an eyebrow as she leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping from a sleek mug. "That all you got?"
Rei scratched the back of his neck. "I, uh… kinda left in a rush. Didn't really think I'd be… here."
Minji clicked her tongue, walked over, and gave his suitcase a half-hearted nudge with her foot. "One suitcase and a mountain of trauma. Cute."
Rei gave her a look. "Gee, thanks."
Minji smirked. "I'm just saying—you travel light. Mentally heavy, but light."
He flopped onto the couch with a groan, eyes drifting to the ceiling. "I seriously don't know how I ended up here…"
Minji sat on the opposite armrest, legs crossed, sharp gaze on him. "You ended up here because you didn't run like a coward. You wanted change, and you walked right into it."
Rei looked up at her, half-smiling. "You make it sound cool."
"That's because it is," she replied simply. "Now that you're here, there's no turning back. If you want to blend in and execute your little mission, you're gonna need more than red hair and eyeliner."
He nodded, expression softening. "Then what do I need?"
Minji leaned in, her voice lowering slightly. "You need to become someone else entirely. Someone people don't mess with. Someone who walks into a room and owns it."
Rei blinked. "Sounds exhausting."
Minji chuckled. "Not if I'm the one teaching you."
She stood up and clapped her hands. "Alright, soldier. Tomorrow, we start training. New clothes, new attitude, new everything. I'm turning you into a walking 'don't-fuck-with-me' poster."
Rei groaned again. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"
Minji flashed a wicked grin. "You have no idea."
A few minutes passed as Minji and Rei chatted casually, laughter and teasing filling the space between them.
Eventually, Minji led him upstairs to his new room.
"Holy shit—" Rei's jaw dropped the moment she opened the door.
The room was massive, drenched in a clean, almost blinding white aesthetic. Everything looked sleek, expensive, and out of a catalog. But what truly caught his eye was the bed—a massive, circular one right in the center.
"Do all rich people just… have weird-shaped furniture?" Rei asked, tilting his head.
Minji smirked but said nothing as Rei flopped onto the bed with zero hesitation.
If there was one good thing that had happened to him recently—it had to be meeting Minji.
He let out a groan of relief, pressing his face into a pillow, breathing in that soft scent of linen, wealth, and peace.
"Sister… how rich are you?" he mumbled dramatically.
"Oh, I'm not rich," Minji replied, sipping her iced coffee from the doorway. "I'm rich-rich."
She let out a smug little laugh and shook her head, clearly amused.
Rei rolled his eyes, grinning. "Yeah yeah, very funny."
Minji only smiled, already halfway down the hall. "Alright, I'm gonna make dinner. Get cozy," she called.
Rei sighed softly, the silence wrapping around him like a warm blanket. For the first time in a long while, he felt safe.
He stared up at the pristine white ceiling.
"I'm not free from my past…" he whispered to no one, "...but maybe, just for now, I can be free from reality."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
[10:30 PM]
"Rei! Dinner's up! If you don't come down, I swear I'm eating everything!" Minji shouted from the kitchen.
Upstairs, Rei was sprawled across the bed, watching a detective series. Hearing her call, he sat up quickly. "Coming!" he shouted back, scrambling to his feet.
He padded down the stairs, eyes still glued to his phone. "What's up?" he mumbled, not even looking up.
Minji rolled her eyes. "Phone. Away. Dinner," she ordered flatly.
Rei flashed an awkward grin, sliding the phone into his pocket and scratching the back of his head. "Hehe… got it."
She placed a bowl in front of one of the high stools at the kitchen counter. "Here. Chicken soup. And yes, it's delicious. You're welcome," she added with a playful wink.
Rei sat down, glancing around. "This kitchen's built like a bar. All that's missing are—"
"Bottles?" Minji raised a brow. She thumbed behind her. "That's why I have a mini bar right there."
Rei turned to look at the sleek glass shelf filled with expensive liquor. "Damn," he whispered.
"But—" Minji clapped once, "you can't drink, kid."
Rei groaned. "Yeah, yeah… right."
At just 20 years old, Rei felt every bit like a baby next to Minji, who was 29.
Minji eyed him while hanging up a few clean spoons. "God, I feel ancient looking at you."
She walked around the counter and sat beside him, nudging his arm. "Alright, take a sip. I wanna see your reaction."
Rei raised the spoon with a slight grin, blowing on it before tasting the soup.
Slurp.
His eyes went wide. "Whoa," he gasped, eyes sparkling. "This is amazing!"
Minji leaned back smugly, sipping her own soup. "Told ya. I'm a certified cook. "She paused, then added with a chuckle, "Certified by myself—but still."
After dinner, they settled in the living room to watch TV.
Rei lay on his stomach across the couch, eyes glued to the movie playing. His expression flickered with every twist in the plot, fully immersed.
Minji, meanwhile, sat at the edge of the sofa, phone in hand. She wasn't really watching—just fidgeting with her phone, scrolling up and down, locking and unlocking the screen, again and again.
Eventually, Rei's attention drifted away from the screen. He turned to glance at her and noticed the tension in her shoulders, the nervous tapping of her fingers.
"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up, concern spreading across his face.
Minji didn't respond. Her brows were slightly furrowed, lips pressed tight. She didn't even hear him.
"Noona?" Rei called again, softer this time. [Noona is a word used to address older women in Korea for boys]
Minji snapped out of her daze, blinking rapidly as if waking up from a dream. Her eyes met his—red-rimmed, not from lack of sleep but from something deeper. She looked... worn down. Sad. But her face held the kind of sadness that refuses to be shown.
Rei leaned forward. "Noona, seriously. What's going on?"
She forced a shaky smile. "I-it's nothing," she mumbled.
There was a pause. She looked up at the ceiling, blinking a few more times—desperately trying to keep the tears from falling.
Sniff.
Her gaze flicked to the clock. "Oh! Would you look at the time…" she said quickly, standing up and brushing off her skirt. "I'm tired and—uh—you've got practice tomorrow! Practice being a brand-new you!" she added with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Before Rei could say another word, she disappeared into her room, the door clicking shut behind her.
Slam.
Rei sat there, staring at the screen, now completely disconnected from the movie.
Silence settled in the room like dust.
And all he could feel… was confusion.
To Be Continued... ...