The apartment had seemed perfect in the ad. Madelyn remembered clearly the feeling of accomplishment when she signed the lease and received the keys: it was her first place of her own, her first real proof of independence. A small but cozy space, in a safe neighborhood, surrounded by charming cafés, hidden bookstores, and, even better, close to some college friends. At first, everything was exactly as she had dreamed — until the maintenance issues started. A leaking pipe that wouldn’t stop, the balcony door that never closed properly, the sink that clogged out of nowhere… it seemed like every week something new decided to break. That was when Hyunjin’s name started appearing more and more in her WhatsApp conversations. He wasn’t an employee of any maintenance company, but rather the “handyman” of the neighborhood. He spent his days helping his grandmother, who lived in the apartment below, and had a reputation for fixing anything that broke. For Madelyn, that meant always having a quick solution at hand. For Hyunjin, it meant yet another young college student who didn’t know how to handle tools — something he never failed to tease her about. That Saturday afternoon, the sun spilled lazily through the living room curtain. Madelyn had decided to take a few hours just for herself: soft music, a warm cup of tea, and a hot shower that promised to wash away the tension of exam week. But as soon as she turned the shower handle, nothing but a dry hiss echoed through the pipes. Not a single drop. She stood there for a few seconds, staring incredulously at the showerhead as if the water might suddenly regret itself and start flowing. When it didn’t, she let out a frustrated sigh, wrapped herself in her fluffy robe, and grabbed her phone. She didn’t even have to think: she opened her chat with Hyunjin, already pinned to the top because she used it so often. Her fingers typed quickly: "Hi, Hyunjin… sorry to bother you again, but I think the shower’s gone on strike. Not a single drop of water. Any chance you could take a look today?" Madelyn hesitated for a moment, staring at the screen. She didn’t want to sound desperate, but she also couldn’t just wait until Monday to fix it. So before she could change her mind, she hit send. Seconds later, the double checkmarks turned blue. He had already read it. His reply came almost instantly: "Shower on strike, huh? I’ll negotiate with it. Give me 15 minutes and I’ll be up." Madelyn couldn’t help but smile. He always had a way of turning any problem into a joke, as if it were impossible to get stressed in his presence.