moi·e·ty

  [mȯi-ə-tē]

noun

one of two equal parts: two equal moietie​s.

Each story continues with some kind of conflict. An event that causes the characters to realize that their tale is just about to begin. A problem that will affect every single link; relentlessly.

Let’s say that this problem is not something one can describe with a single word. To be honest, pages need to be stained with ink and books need to be devoured before understanding the essence of everything that caused it to happen.

A life must be lived to understand everything that’s about to begin.

My heart hurt when they opened the door for me. Something was not right. It wasn’t the house, which was immense, but the stress. This was the first time I felt something odd doing what I was told to do. Was it because my job was at stake? It made me doubt, without any question, but I let those thoughts fade away and make place for my alter ego.

Someone opened the door for me and let me in. I introduced myself and showed my letters. To get into a dollhouse, one needed to endure Kafkaesque procedures. Hyoyeon had taken care of it for me.

The maid was petite and quiet. She could not stop staring at me while walking through the mighty hallway; her eyes showing me something that leaned closely towards fright. I nodded at her, a sign that I wasn't hostile, but that did not take away her tension.

She opened a large door and followed me into some kind of living room. A man was sitting on top of the table. He did not fit into this life. Even I was nicely dressed, able to make some kind of impression. But this guy, he was…How could I explain this? Nonchalant? He had a little grin on his face and his lips.

“Welcome, customer. It’s your first time being here?” this was not a question, I interpreted it as a threat. He was questioning me whether I was okay. He jumped off the table and walked around me, like a snake, watching every inch of my being.

I kept staring at the wall in front of me, my gaze rather cold. “You write nice letters. I would not guess you being gay.” he stopped and lifted a brow when he saw my face collapse. G-gay? I balled my fists and swore to God that I would kick Hyoyeon in the face if she wouldn't be my boss. But she was and I needed to play along. I did not want him to get suspicious.

“Well, I am. I’m very gay.” it was hard for me to not change from serious to baffled and show him how stunned I was to be informed what Hyoyeon really thought of me. Or she was just and evil creature. 

“I bet you are.”, he said sarcastically. “You just don’t look like one. Too stiff, you know?”

“Yes, I know.” I answered and sighed. This wasn’t going anywhere. What was there to solve? A man killed himself and lured me into this mission with a note that seemed more personal to me than my ID. Normal? Highly unlikely.

“Minori, send in the dolls.” the guy grinned and showed me his uneven teeth, there were silver ones too. How could this person be a rich landlord? A clue that I needed to hold on to.

Minori, the maid, was a creature that could’ve crawled out of a fantasy book. I bet she was following some Japanese subculture, but I could not guess what kind. This was way beyond the plain Lolita. This was grotesque.

They were all looking at me with their big eyes. Trying to understand that I showed up here to eat away their existence bit by bit. I had learned that some dollhouses were a bit more human than others, but looking at these dolls, I did not even want to know how they were treated.

“Get those girls out of the room, Minori. He’s not interested in th