Woo Joon stood outside his front door, sighing heavily as he gripped the doorknob. He wasn't ready for this—not tonight. Not after what he'd seen at the club.
He slowly opened the door. The house was pitch-black.
Weird,he thought. Hae In never leaves the lights off.
He reached for the switch.
Click.
The light came on—and there she was.
His younger sister Hae In, standing dead still in the hallway like a ghost, her eyes wide and filled with silent fury.
Woo Joon jumped, startled. "H-Hae In…?"
He tried to tiptoe around her, but as he passed, she grabbed his shirt tightly, eyes locked on his face.
"Why are you late?" she said, voice shaking.
Woo Joon blinked. "W-What?"
Where is it?" she hissed.
Confused, he tried to pull her hand off his shirt, but she wouldn't budge. "Let go."
Hae In shouted, grabbing his collar harder. "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!"
Before he could react, she pushed him down onto the floor and climbed on top of him**, wrapping her hands around his neck and strangling him like a possessed girl in a horror movie.
"H-Hae In!" he gasped, trying to pry her hands off. He didn't want to hurt her—she was his little sister—but she was losing it.
He pointed weakly toward the front door.
"Choking voice: I… it's… the door…"
"WHERE. IS. THE. PIZZA?!"
Suddenly—
Ding dong.
The doorbell rang.
Hae In's eyes widened. She immediately let go, gasping. Woo Joon rolled over, coughing and grabbing his throat.
"I was… trying to tell you… that was the delivery guy…"
But she didn't wait for him to finish. She sprinted to the door, yanked it open, and didn't even let the delivery man say a word.
She snatched the pizza box, gave him a death stare, and slammed the door in his face like a thunderclap.
Woo Joon, still on the floor, muttered hoarsely, "You're insane…"
Hae In, already halfway to the kitchen, shouted, "You're lucky I didn't bite your ear
Woo Joon coughed violently, rubbing his neck. "You're insane. All this… over a darn pizza? You were seriously planning to kill me, weren't you, you crazy little gremlin?"
Hae In didn't even acknowledge him—she was too busy devouring the pizza like a starving wolf. Cheese stretched from her mouth as she bit down hard, grease already smudged across her cheek.
Woo Joon shook his head in disbelief and sat beside her on the couch. He gave her a light pat on the head.
"You really look ugly when you eat."
Hae In tried to reply, mouth full of food, but all that came out was a muffled grunt.
"Take your time, animal," he said, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV.
The screen lit up with breaking news.
"Tonight's headlines: A mysterious and violent incident at Club Everfall has left the authorities baffled. Eyewitnesses say a man was found dead in the VIP section, his body completely drained, though no blood was present…"
Woo Joon narrowed his eyes at the screen.
"Today was really strange," he muttered.
Hae In, still chewing, paused to glance at him. "That's really… bizarre."
He leaned back on the couch, lost in thought. "Something was off at that club. I was there for the mission, but it's weird. I felt like I was in the room the whole time… yet I don't remember anything."
"You want me to look into it for you?" Hae In asked, brushing crumbs off her lap.
"No," Woo Joon said quickly. "You'll cause trouble. You should just focus on your studies."
Hae In scoffed. "This isn't the first time I've helped you with a case, you know. It's been six years now."
"I know," he said with a sigh. "You've got a thing for mystery, and I get it. But this? This is different. Just face your studies, and I'll face my work."
Hae In leaned back and pouted. "You're no fun anymore."
Woo Joon looked at her. "And you're still nuts."
They both laughed a little—an awkward but warm silence settling between them as the news continued to echo in the background.