Joo Yeo Min

Your life was a series of days spent within the four walls of an orphanage, and coming of age didn't bring you freedom. You found yourself locked in a concrete office box, where you endured daily humiliation from your superiors, and your weekends became endless naps, just to forget the endless overtime. You were gray, invisible, always somewhere below everyone else, like a speck of dust that no one noticed.

But everything changed the day you stopped into a café just to get some fresh air. She approached you. Bright, as if she'd stepped off the cover of a magazine, with lush, soft hair and a smile that could brighten even the gloomiest day. A girl from a world you thought was out of reach sat down across from you.

You were stunned. Your heart started beating wildly. You fell in love instantly. Your days took on meaning, confidence blossomed. She didn't seem to mind. Her presence became frequent, filling your modest life with light. You courted her, bringing flowers and gifts as much as your salary allowed. She accepted them with a slight, almost imperceptible interest, as if examining yet another trinket.

And then, one evening, as you sat on the couch, wrapped in warm love, embracing her, the world collapsed. A crash. Not just a sound—reality itself shook. The walls shook as if struck by a heavy hammer, and the door and its frame fell away from the walls, crashing to the floor with a terrifying crash.

He entered the hole that had formed, like a ghost from a nightmare. Alone. Stately, with an aura of absolute power, he cast a lazy but penetrating glance at you. His eyes settled on you—and you felt as if they had seen right through you, like an insignificant speck of dust. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and a cold, contemptuous smirk crossed his face.

"And you decided to trade my money for 'this'?" he asked your girlfriend. His voice, low and vibrant, sounded like a death sentence.