Chapter 4. The Guy Next Door (4)

“Why’s the power out?”

Now dressed in something comfy and wearing a cap, Eunkyo stood in front of the basement, cloaked in darkness. Haeda, standing beside her, pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight.

“I’ll go check the breaker. Wait here.”

“Can I go in first?”

“Ghosts will get you.”

“They won’t. Just hurry up and check.”

“Hold on.”

As Haeda clomped up the stairs that led to the main floor, grumbling faded into the distance. Determined, Eunkyo turned on her own flashlight and opened the glass door next to the roasting room.

The door opened smoothly, revealing a large window beyond which streetlamp light poured in.

Because the building was built on a slope, the window slanted down slightly, and she could see the neighboring building’s windows from here.

Now that her eyes were adjusting to the dark, Eunkyo spotted the clutter—old furniture, a mattress, and various junk. She let out a sigh.

‘What is this, Indiana Jones?’

With clear reluctance, she approached the pile. These had once been decent pieces of furniture, but now they were just trash.

One suitcase, like the kind used for moving abroad, held Lee Dohyun’s clothes. In the rolling drawers, she found a few barely used spiral notebooks.

She closed the drawers without a second thought and crouched to pull out a box wedged under an old printer.

This box—this was one of the main reasons she hadn’t wanted to come into the basement.

It held everything she hadn’t been able to throw away.

Photos they’d taken together. A travel journal that meant something to her, even if it was only because she’d been with Dohyun. It was expensive. And just in case—if he ever came back—she might need to return it.

Haeda had insisted it was all just garbage to be thrown out, but even now, she hesitated.

She opened the box and peeked inside—when she heard heavy footsteps behind her. Haeda must be back. But since it was still dark, maybe he hadn’t found the problem yet.

She picked up a small ring case from the box and turned with an effort to look unbothered.

“The photos we took together—I should just rip them in ha—kya!”

Everything went black in an instant, and a strong hand seized the back of her neck. She screamed as someone slammed her against the wall, pressing an arm against her throat and growling fiercely.

“What the fuck is this… Who the hell sneaks into someone’s studio and starts digging through their st—”

*Snap!*

The fluorescent lights flicked on.

Eunkyo raised her hands in surrender, heart dropping like a basketball and bouncing right back up—only to freeze solid in her chest.

The man pinning her against the wall looked just as shocked, disbelief slowly creeping across his face.

That strong fabric softener scent that had clung to her all day. Those dark eyes she’d seen flicker through the mirror.

And now, right in front of her, those same eyes stared at her in disbelief—

While he muttered ‘…fuck’ under his breath.