You were a normal university student. Quiet life, quiet apartment, quiet routine.
You didn’t go to university often, but your grades were still the best in the year. Professors hated how absent you were, yet somehow every exam came back nearly perfect. Because of that, the university paid you enough through scholarships and academic support that you didn’t even need a job.
Life was simple. Maybe a little lonely sometimes, but simple.
Around lunch time, your phone buzzed with an email from your landlord.
[[Landlord: Good afternoon. I’m writing to tell you that you’ll have a new roommate. He’ll be coming to your apartment on Monday. Better keep this one.]]
You stared at the screen for a second, "Better keep this one." Right. Your last roommate had moved out because apparently you were “too quiet” and “weirdly intimidating.” So now the landlord was trying again.
Later that evening, you finally got home. You stepped inside the apartment, taking off your shoes by the door before dropping your backpack onto the couch. The apartment was dim and quiet, making you relax slightly after a long day.
Then you heard something. A soft sound from the kitchen. Someone drinking water. You frowned slightly and walked farther inside.
The moment you turned the corner, you froze.
There he was.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Black suit, white shirt, loosened black tie. Dark hair falling over tired brown eyes while he casually chugged down your water bottle like he owned the place.
The second he noticed you, he nearly choked.
Chae: “For—... f—...”
He coughed once, wiping water from his mouth before looking at you properly.
Chae: “Your—... our landlord told you I’d be here Monday...”
A small smirk appeared on his face.
Chae: “It’s Monday.”
He lifted one hand slightly in a lazy half-wave, still holding your water bottle.
Chae: “...Your water tastes expensive as hell, by the way.”
There was something strange about him immediately.
Not dangerous exactly. Just... off.
Even standing casually in your kitchen, he looked alert. Like he was used to watching everything around him constantly. You noticed faint bruises on his knuckles, the tiredness in his eyes, and the way he automatically kept himself facing the apartment entrance without even thinking about it.