Mochi stood frozen in the hallway as Security Guard Bob dragged Laddu away like a criminal caught stealing office furniture.
Her chest tightened.
"W–Wait!!" she blurted out."I don't even have his number!!"
Laddu twisted his upper body dramatically, one foot almost lifting off the floor.
"I WILL TEXT YOU—" he yelled,"IF I SURVIVE—!!"
Bob yanked him back by the collar.
"No talking!""Chairman waiting!"
Mochi spun toward Bob, panic flashing across her face.
"P-Please!" she said quickly."Do you have his number?!"
Bob nodded with the calm confidence of a man who had seen too much chaos to be surprised by anything anymore.
"Of course," he said."He is my friend."
Mochi felt a tiny bit of relief.
Then Bob continued.
"At night we drink together.""Play cards.""And he steals my snacks."
Mochi sighed.
"…Of course he does."
Bob took her phone, typed quickly, and handed it back.
"Here.""His number."
Mochi smiled, clutching the phone like it was a life-saving device—
Until Bob added, very seriously,
"But there is a very high chance this number will stop working."
Her smile froze.
"W–Why…?"
Bob looked away like a war veteran remembering old trauma.
"There is a dog," he said quietly."That… does it."
Mochi blinked.
"Does… what?"
"Bites all his phones."
Her shoulders slumped.
"…Ben?" she whispered.
Bob nodded once.
"Yes."
Mochi closed her eyes.
"…Of course."
That evening, Mochi returned home still blushing, phone clutched tightly in her hand like a fragile secret.
She opened the door.
And stopped.
Her entire family sat in the living room.
Not casually.
Not comfortably.
Strategically.
Candy sat cross-legged on a pillow like a tiny mob boss.Maya stood with her arms crossed, sharp-eyed and judgmental.Mother sipped tea slowly, the calm-before-drama kind of calm.Father held a newspaper he clearly wasn't reading.
Mochi took one step back.
"W-Why are you all sitting like this…?"
Maya pointed at the couch.
"SIT."
Mochi sat.
Candy leaned forward, deadly serious.
"Unnie," she said,"this is an emergency meeting."
Mother nodded.
"Yes.""Very important."
Father lowered the newspaper.
"We need to talk about Laddu."
Mochi's face turned red instantly.
"W-Why…?"
Maya began counting on her fingers like she was reading charges in court.
"He caused chaos at your workplace.""He embarrassed the boss.""He knows the chairman.""He ate the chairman's pet fish.""He has a dog enemy.""He lives in his office.""He sleeps next to alcohol.""He has imaginary meetings with himself.""He thinks he's the boss inside his brain.""He has survived a thousand firings by luck alone."
Candy raised her hand happily.
"And he is very funny!"
Maya glared.
"NOT the main point."
Father cleared his throat.
"So," he said calmly,"what exactly is this boy to you?"
Mochi's brain shut down.
"I—I don't…""We're not…""I just…""I mean—"
Mother smiled gently.
"She's in love."
"M-MOM!!!"
Candy jumped up.
"I SHIP YOU!"
Maya smirked.
"I give this relationship three weeks before he destroys our house."
Father nodded.
"As long as he doesn't eat our fish."
"STOPPPP!!" Mochi cried, burying her face in her scarf.
But her fingers tightened around her phone.
Around his number.
The next morning, Mochi woke with messy hair, sleepy eyes, and a soft thought repeating in her chest.
I hope Laddu is okay…
She reached for her phone—
BAM.
Her bedroom door burst open.
Candy marched in like a soldier.
"UNNIE! WAKE UP!"
Maya followed, authority radiating.Mother entered, serious.Father stepped in last, silent and commanding.
They surrounded her bed like a SWAT team.
Mochi blinked.
"…W-What's happening…?"
"Emergency," Maya said.
"We need updates," Mother added.
"We must confirm if that boy survived," Father said.
"CALL OPPAAAAA!" Candy yelled.
Mochi panicked.
"W-Wait! I'm not ready!""My voice—my hair—my breath—!"
Maya grabbed her shoulders.
"Doesn't matter.""CALL."
They dragged her to the living room, planted her on the couch.
Mother placed the phone in her hand.Father crossed his arms.Maya turned on speaker.Candy climbed into her lap.
Mochi trembled.
"C-Can this be private…?"
All four answered instantly.
"NO."
She swallowed and pressed the call button.
Ring…
Everyone leaned in.
Ring…
"He better pick up," Mother whispered.
Ring…
"He better apologize," Father muttered.
Ring…
"He better not be dead," Maya said.
Ring…
"He better say hi to me!" Candy squealed.
Mochi held her breath.
Then—
"The number you are calling… is switched off."
Silence.
Mochi stared at the screen.
"…Switched… off…?"
Candy screamed.
"NOOO!! OPPAAAAA!!!"
Maya sighed.
"He died."
Mother gasped.
"He fainted."
Father nodded.
"He deserved it."
Mochi's hands shook.
"…Switched off…"
Candy hugged her tightly.
"Unnie, don't cry!""Ben probably bit his phone again!"
Maya added,
"Or he dropped it in a toilet."
Mother sighed.
"Or Jin kidnapped him."
Father nodded seriously.
"Or the chairman is making him do sit-ups."
Mochi's eyes widened.
"I—I need to know if he's okay…"
Candy jumped up.
"LET'S GO FIND HIM!"
Maya cracked her knuckles.
"Let's interrogate people."
Mother grabbed her purse.
"We're investigating."
Father stood.
"I'll drive."
Mochi stared at them.
"W-Wait—ARE WE REALLY GOING?!"
All four turned to her.
"Yes."
Mochi swallowed hard.
Her family was terrifying.
But one thing was clear—
They were not letting Laddu disappear.
And somewhere out there, a chaotic boy with no phone and a dog enemy was about to be found.