Min-Ji walked through the hallway carefully holding the glass of juice with both hands.
The pills had dissolved completely now. No color. No smell. Nothing suspicious.
Just orange juice. Sweet.
Cold. Dangerous.
Outside Ha-Joon's bedroom door, she paused. Fixed her expression. Softened her eyes. Then knocked gently.
"Come in." She entered quietly.
Ha-Joon sat against the headboard of his bed wearing loose black sweatpants and a dark shirt, one arm resting behind his head while scrolling through his phone.
The room smelled faintly like soap and coffee. Calm. Simple.
Completely unaware.
He glanced up briefly. "…what is it."
Min-Ji smiled softly and walked closer. "You skipped breakfast."
"That's normal."
"It's unhealthy."
"I survive."
"Barely."
She handed him the glass.
Ha-Joon took it without much thought. Then simply placed it on the bedside table beside him.
Min-Ji blinked once. "…you're not drinking it?"
"Later."
Two words. Calm. Careless. And suddenly her chest tightened with irritation. "Why later?"
"I'm not thirsty yet."
"You should drink it fresh."
"I said later."
Still calm.
Still unreadable. Like always. Min-Ji forced another smile and sat on the couch near the bed instead. Her nails pressed lightly into her palms.
This man. This impossible man. She was standing right here. Trying.
Planning. Fighting.
And somehow his attention still drifted elsewhere lately. Toward Ji-Ah. Always Ji-Ah.
Ha-Joon finally looked up from his phone properly. His brows narrowed slightly.
"What's wrong with you today."
Min-Ji blinked immediately. "…nothing."
"You've been acting strange."
"I'm fine."
"You're staring."
"You're dramatic."
"That's Ji-Ah's job."
The sentence slipped out naturally. Without thinking.
And Min-Ji's smile almost cracked instantly. Far away from the mansion Ji-Ah sneezed suddenly inside the car.
Yoo-Na looked horrified immediately. "Was that a countryside disease?"
Ji-Ah stared. "We've been here twelve minutes."
"That's enough time for tragedy."
The road had grown smaller and rougher the farther they traveled. Tall grass. Old utility poles.
Tiny houses scattered far apart.
The kind of quiet rural place where even time itself seemed slower.
And unfortunately animals existed freely.
Yoo-Na suddenly grabbed Ji-Ah's arm violently. "There."
Ji-Ah nearly swerved. "What?!"
Yoo-Na pointed shakily toward the roadside. A cow stood peacefully chewing grass.
Completely harmless.
Massive dark eyes blinking slowly.
Yoo-Na looked personally threatened. "…why is it looking at me."
"It's eating."
"It's judging."
"It's literally a cow."
"Exactly."
"That means nothing."
"That means EVERYTHING."
Ji-Ah laughed so hard she nearly missed the turn.
Yoo-Na looked deeply betrayed. "You're not taking my survival seriously."
"You're scared of farm animals."
"They're too calm. That's suspicious."
Eventually they reached the address Seo-Jun sent.
The house stood near the edge of the village. Old. Small.
Worn by years of rain and weather. The roof slightly faded.
Flower pots sitting crooked near the entrance.
Laundry moving softly in the wind.
It looked poor. But lived in.
Warm somehow.
Ji-Ah and Yoo-Na stepped out slowly. Yoo-Na stared around the area cautiously. "…if a chicken appears, I'm leaving."
"You need therapy."
"I need civilization."
Ji-Ah knocked gently on the wooden door.
A moment later slow footsteps approached.
Then the door opened.
An elderly woman stood there first. Gray hair tied back neatly.
Wrinkled hands. Tired eyes that still looked kind.
Behind her appeared an old man wearing simple worn clothes and holding a newspaper.
Both paused seeing unfamiliar visitors.
"…yes?" the woman asked softly.
Ji-Ah bowed politely. "Sorry for disturbing you. We came to ask about someone."
The old couple exchanged glances.
Then stepped aside kindly. "Come in first."
The inside of the house smelled faintly like tea and old wood.
Simple furniture.
Old family photos. Tiny cracks along the walls.
Nothing luxurious. Nothing fake. Just honest poverty.
Yoo-Na sat carefully like the couch might emotionally collapse.
The old woman smiled gently. "Would you girls like tea?"
Ji-Ah shook her head politely. "We're okay, thank you."
Yoo-Na nodded too quickly. "Yes. Completely okay. Extremely okay."
Ji-Ah looked at her suspiciously.
After a few moments of silence Ji-Ah finally spoke carefully. "…do you know Min-Ji."
The old couple froze slightly.
Not dramatically. Just enough.
Enough to notice. The old man sighed first.
"…we haven't heard that name in a long time."
The old woman looked down quietly. "She doesn't visit anymore."
Ji-Ah exchanged a glance with Yoo-Na.
Then asked softly: "You raised her?"
The old woman nodded slowly. "For a while."
Yoo-Na leaned forward slightly now. "…for a while?"
The old man gave a bitter smile. "Until she decided poverty embarrassed her."
Silence settled quietly afterward.
Heavy silence.
Ji-Ah looked at them carefully. "She told me her parents died."
The old woman's expression changed immediately.
Pain.
Then disappointment. "…of course she did."
Ji-Ah hesitated briefly.
Then spoke honestly.n"Would you believe us if we said Min-Ji is hurting people now?"
The old couple looked at each other.
And surprisingly neither looked shocked.
The old man sighed tiredly instead. "She always wanted more than she had."
The woman nodded slowly. "She hated being poor even as a child."
Yoo-Na frowned slightly. "…you knew she could become like this?"
The old woman looked down at her hands. "We hoped she wouldn't."
Ji-Ah's expression hardened quietly.
Then she finally asked the real question. "…will you help expose her."
The old house had grown quieter.
Too quiet.
The warm kindness from earlier was gone now, replaced by hesitation hanging heavy in the air.
Outside, wind moved softly through old trees while somewhere far away a rooster screamed like it had unresolved anger issues.
Yoo-Na flinched immediately. "I hate this village."
Ji-Ah ignored her.
Inside the tiny living room, the old couple sat silently across from them.
The old woman kept twisting her hands nervously.
The old man looked tired now.
Older somehow.
Ji-Ah noticed it immediately. Something changed.
"…you said you wanted to expose Min-Ji," the old man finally spoke.
Ji-Ah nodded carefully. "Yes."
Silence.
Then slowly the old woman shook her head.
Yoo-Na blinked. "…what?"
"We can't help you publicly."
Ji-Ah frowned slightly. "Why not?"
The old man sighed deeply. "Because we don't want anything to do with her anymore."
The answer landed heavily.
Not angry. Not cruel.
Just exhausted. Like people who had already suffered too long.
The old woman looked down quietly. "She stopped being our daughter a long time ago."
Yoo-Na frowned harder. "So you'll just let her continue ruining people's lives?"
The old woman's eyes trembled slightly. "You think we haven't tried?"
Silence hit the room again.
Sharp this time.
Ji-Ah leaned forward carefully. "She's hurting people."
The old man nodded once. "I know."
"She's dangerous."
"I know."
"Then why protect her?"
"We're not protecting her."
His voice turned heavier now. "We're protecting ourselves."
Yoo-Na opened her mouth again angrily but Ji-Ah gently stopped her with a hand.
Because suddenly she understood.
Fear. Not love. Not loyalty. Fear.
The old man stood slowly and walked toward an old cabinet near the wall. He opened one drawer carefully. Then pulled out a small faded envelope.
Old paper. Yellowed edges.
Ji-Ah's expression shifted immediately. The old woman whispered softly:
"She fears this more than anything."
Ji-Ah carefully took the envelope.
Inside documents. Hospital records. School reports. Old photographs. And one specific paper that made Ji-Ah's face slowly still.
Yoo-Na leaned closer immediately. "…what is that."
The old man answered quietly. "Min-Ji's real name."
Silence. Ji-Ah's eyes widened slightly. Not just a fake background. Not just fake parents.
She had changed everything. Even her identity.
The old woman spoke softly now. "She ran away after what happened at school years ago."
Ji-Ah looked up immediately. "What happened."
The old couple exchanged glances.
Then the old man finally answered: "She framed another girl."
Yoo-Na froze. "…what."
The old woman nodded slowly. "A poor girl. She accused her of stealing. But she was innocent."
Ji-Ah's stomach tightened.
Because suddenly it sounded familiar.
Too familiar.
The old man continued quietly. "The girl was expelled. The family left town afterward. People found out the truth later. But by then…"
He looked down. "…Min-Ji had already disappeared."
Ji-Ah stared at the papers in silence.
This wasn't just manipulation anymore.
This was a pattern.
Min-Ji destroyed people.
Then moved on like nothing happened.
Again. And again.
And again.
"She buried her old name completely," the old woman whispered If this comes out everything she built collapses."
Yoo-Na slowly smiled.
Dangerous smile.
Satisfied smile. "Oh."
Ji-Ah looked at her.
Yoo-Na leaned back dramatically. "Oh she's FINISHED finished."
The old man pointed carefully at the envelope. "Take it."
Ji-Ah blinked. "But you said you wouldn't help."
"We won't appear publicly."
The woman answered softly. "But if the truth reaches people…"
She looked away tiredly. "…then maybe it's time."
Ji-Ah bowed deeply. "Thank you."
The old couple nodded quietly.
No relief on their faces.
Just sadness.
Outside the village air felt warmer now.
The road dusty under sunlight.
And Yoo-Na immediately attached herself to Ji-Ah's arm the second they stepped outside.
Completely attached.
Like survival depended on physical contact.
Ji-Ah looked down. "…why are you holding me like that."
"There are creatures here."
"There are PEOPLE here."
"And animals."
"You're unbelievable."
Yoo-Na walked carefully beside her breathing dramatically.
Every tiny sound made her flinch.
A chicken moved somewhere nearby.
Yoo-Na gasped violently.
Ji-Ah looked exhausted already. "You're acting like nature is hunting you."
"It IS."
Then suddenly squish.
Silence.
Yoo-Na stopped walking.
Ji-Ah stopped too.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Yoo-Na looked downward.
Then her face collapsed into horror.
Absolute horror. "…Ji-Ah."
Ji-Ah already knew. "…no."
"Ji-Ah."
"No."
"I STEPPED IN SOMETHING."
Ji-Ah looked down.
Cow poop.
Fresh cow poop.
Yoo-Na screamed.
Not elegantly.
Not gracefully.
A full dramatic scream echoed through the village.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH"
Dogs barked instantly.
A window opened nearby.
Someone dropped something metal in the distance.
"I'M GOING TO DIE."
"You're not dying."
"IT TOUCHED MY SHOE."
"That's how the ground works."
"GET IT OFF."
"STOP SHOUTING."
"IT'S EVERYWHERE."
"It's literally one shoe!"
Several villagers began peeking outside curiously now.
An old woman looked deeply concerned.
A child started laughing.
Ji-Ah immediately bowed apologetically over and over. "I'm so sorry! She's from the city!"
"That explains it," one villager muttered knowingly.
Meanwhile Yoo-Na clung harder onto Ji-Ah's shoulders like a traumatized cat.
"GET IT OFF."
"I CAN'T REMOVE YOUR FOOT."
"DO SOMETHING."
"You're embarrassing Korea."
Then thankfull ya teenage village boy hurried over holding a bucket of water.
He looked both amused and concerned. "…should I pour this?"
"YES."
"PLEASE."
"RIGHT NOW."
The boy dumped the water carefully over Yoo-Na's shoe.
The muddy mess washed away instantly.
Yoo-Na looked seconds away from tears.
Then immediately ran toward the car at full speed.
Actually ran.
Ji-Ah stared after her in disbelief. "…wow."
The villagers laughed softly now.
Even Ji-Ah smiled.
Then she bowed one last time politely toward them all. "Sorry again!"
"It's okay!" someone laughed back.
"Take your friend home safely!"
By the time Ji-Ah reached the car Yoo-Na was sprawled dramatically across the seat breathing hard.
Hand against chest.
Expression devastated. "I need water."
Ji-Ah climbed in calmly.
"I survived rural warfare."
"You stepped in poop."
"It attacked me."
"You stepped on IT."
"That's victim blaming."
Ji-Ah laughed quietly while starting the car.
Then patted the envelope inside her bag.
The evidence. The old identity. The secret. Finally.
Something real enough to break Min-Ji's perfect image apart.
Yoo-Na groaned dramatically beside her. "Get me back home."
Ji-Ah nodded. "Now?"
"Yes."
"Immediately?"
"Yes."
"You sure you don't want to explore nature?"
Yoo-Na looked at her like betrayal itself. "Drive the car, Park Ji-Ah."