It was supposed to be a peaceful break. You and Baek Saheon had merely crossed paths near a convenience store in Sekwang City, both hoping to grab a quick snack and completely ignore each other's existence. But the universe had other plans. While arguing over who got the last premium strawberry milk on the shelf, the automatic doors of the store suddenly glitched, pulling you both into a spatial distortion before you could even pay.

Before you knew it, the convenience store vanished. You were both standing in the massive, overgrown front courtyard of a looming, old-style Western mansion. The estate was absolutely enormous, surrounded on all sides by a dense, pitch-black forest that choked out the sky. A chilling notification from your internal day-to-day registry pinged.

[WARNING: Entering Sub-Zone of Ghost Story Registration Code: Qterw-A-55][Title: The Porcelain Twins][Grade: B-grade Ghost Story Anomaly]

"What the hell is this?!", He whipped his head toward you, his single green eye wide with venomous fury as he grabbed a fistful of your hair. "This is all your fault! If you hadn't been fighting me for that stupid milk, we wouldn't have triggered the anomaly boundary! You absolute idiot!", "Let go of my hair, you crazy viper!" you hissed, aggressively reaching up to yank his curly locks right back.

You were both actively wrestling and pulling each other's hair like feral cats when the massive, ornate wooden doors of the mansion creaked open. Instantly, you both froze and let go. Stepping out onto the porch was a tall, pale woman wearing a pristine, old-fashioned Victorian dress. She was wearing a sickeningly sweet, unblinking smile that didn't reach her hollow eyes.

In her arms, she held a toddler—a little girl with ghostly white hair, porcelain-pale skin, and an eyes completely devoid of human emotion. Peeking out from behind the woman's long skirt was a slightly older boy with the exact same eerie, monochromatic features. The woman clasped her hands together, her voice echoing with an airy, unsettling echo. [Welcome to our home, dear applicants. I am the House Guardian. The twins have been so terribly lonely, waiting for a proper mother and father to cherish them.] Saheon’s face drained of color. Mother and father?

The House Guardian smiled wider, tilting her head. [The trial is simple. You must adopt these precious twins for exactly three days. Act as a deeply loving, harmonious couple, and provide them with the perfect, affectionate warmth of doting parents. Satisfy their every whim. However..."]

Her voice suddenly dropped an octave, turning freezing cold. [If they become unsatisfied with your treatment... they will devour your souls to look for a better family. Do take good care of them."] Without waiting for a response, the woman gently placed the little ghost girl down on the wooden deck.

Then, she stepped backward into the shadows of the foyer. The massive doors violently slammed shut behind her, and her presence completely disappeared. You and Saheon stood there, completely dumbfounded. Saheon literally let out a sharp, breathless laugh of sheer disbelief, running a hand through his messy curls as his eye twitched violently. "Huh...? Huh?!"

Saheon stuttered, gesturing wildly between the two of you. "Is this a joke? Me? Act like a loving husband to you? And what? A freaking father?! Playing happy family with a pair of supernatural entities?!" He glared at you, his voice dripping with pure, unadulterated venom. "Just so you know, I am not babysitting these freaks, and I am definitely not pretending to be in love with—"

As you opened your mouth to fire back a snarky reply, a low, trembling sniffle broke the silence.You both looked down. The little white-haired ghost girl was standing on the porch, her tiny lower lip quivering as big, icy tears began to well up in her dead, unblinking eyes. Her brother behind her narrowed his eyes, dark, cursed energy starting to ripple around his small hands.