The first email arrived at dawn.
Ji-ho saw it when he woke, the pale light of morning seeping through the thin curtains of his apartment. His phone vibrated once on the floor beside the mattress, a sound so small it might have gone unnoticed if he had been sleeping more deeply.
He wasn't.
He picked up the phone, blinking once to clear the fatigue from his eyes.
Subject: Inquiry Regarding A Still Room
From: Seoul Independent Film Circle
He did not open it immediately.
Instead, he sat up, running a hand through his hair, grounding himself in the quiet familiarity of the room. The apartment smelled faintly of dust and cold air. Outside, a delivery truck rumbled past, its engine noise cutting through the stillness.
Only then did he tap the screen.
The email was polite. Carefully worded. Almost cautious.
