It was a bad move. Very bad. I should not have screamed my lungs out.

Before my mind even started processing who or what is in front of me, and before I managed to stop shrieking, something hard hit my head, and I fell over.

It's a miracle that I didn’t lose my consciousness, but the stars I’ve been seeing since the direct hit took a long time to fade away. The next thing I knew, the attacker held me, made me sit on the nearest couch, and placed a cold compress on my throbbing head.

Now?  I’m gently pressing the healing object to the affected area. And slowly, ever so slowly, I opened my shut eyes.

A figure is seated in front of me.

I choked on my own saliva.

Oh my God, it wasn’t a ghost or any frightening being I’ve seen earlier. It’s a girl. And not just any girl.

Maybe my mind was playing a false image a while ago, since her face is not at all ghostly-white. She had a fair complexion, but she is not appallingly pale at all. In fact, the girl in front of me is beyond gorgeous, I admit. She’s a princess, a goddess, an angel from the heavens! I mentally face palmed myself for being terrified earlier. I’m still in pain but now I’m flashing her my best smile. Hehe.

She did not look amused, however. She kept staring at me, and then to some object in her hand. Her eyes darting back and forth from me to my... Heck! That’s my ID!

“Amber Josephine Liu.” The way she says my name is so alluring, my smile went wider. “Twenty-four years old.”

Yaaay, she speaks English! I wonder. Does everyone here really speak English? Great!

“Female. Hmmm.” Her brow shot up. I felt the temperature went down a hundred degrees. The cold aura she’s emitting is making me shiver inside.

How can someone with such mesmerizing beauty be incredibly intimidating at the same time?

Yep. Scratch the scared “earlier” part. I’m still scared as hell now. Her icy gaze is not helping at all. My grin dissipated.

“Female...”

She uttered the last word again and then flashed an evil smirk. The ice pack that I’m holding slipped from my hand when her gaze landed on my front and she said her next words.

“Show me.”

Wh-what? My jaw dropped. She’s not serious, is she?

“Do I look like I’m joking? Show me at once.” She firmly demanded, still with that smirk. Good heavens, she can even read minds!

“What the---! No way!” I retorted, crossing my arms above my chest.

“Take off your shirt!”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“NO!”

“YES!”

“Hold it right there, Miss. Um... Landlady. I’m not baring myself for you, not in a million years. I’m really a girl, believe it or not. Ask my sister, Jackie. She’s a boarder here.”

“She’s not here now. And I don’t believe you.”

“Then call her.”

“She’s on duty, no phones allowed.”

“Then let’s just wait until she gets back.”

“She’s coming home late, or maybe never.”

“Then... then...”

“Just take off your shirt, stupid. Or I’ll strip you myself.”

Wait right there. She’s already calling me names and asking me to go when I don’t even know her and when I’m the one with a sore head here, thanks to her. I couldn’t believe it! I’m really angry now, and I don’t easily get angry, mind you.

“Miss. For the record, I’m a customer here about to rent one of your apartment units. I deserve respect, and an apology for earlier.”

She then raised a perfectly shaped brow at me, her glare levelling the temperature of the Antarctic. Oh God. She’s so scary. And where did that frying pan in her left hand now come from? Is she banging my head with that again? Jesus Christ! I don’t want to die yet.

“Al-Alright! Alright!” I raised my arms in surrender and slouched defeatedly.

I don’t care anymore if she sees my barely-there front. If it will help me escape the claws of death, then so be it.

I scanned the surrounding stealthily, making sure no one else is about to witness this embarrassing scene. I slowly lifted my shaking hands to open the first button near the collar of my plaid button-down. First button off. God, what am I doing? I looked at her and she had an expressionless face on.

I was about to open the second button when her right hand shot up in a stop signal.

Thank God!

“No need. I changed my mind. I don’t want to see what lies under, if there really is.” Again with the smirk... “Just give me your birth certificate. This ID of yours may just be a sham.”

“But I...I don’t have my birth cert. with me.”

“Not my problem.” She crossed her legs. Those white short shorts exposes her flawless legs really well. Yah Amber! F-O-C-U-S, focus.

“Miss. I really don’t have it with me. But I---“

“Then get out. Come back only when you have the document with you. I'll make sure Yuri won't let you in again without it.” She stood up and pointed towards the door.

Aisssh. There’s no way I’m putting up with a landlady like her. There are many other apartments here is Seoul, anyway. Right?

-----<3

Yaaaayy. Thank you, thank you so much for your encouraging comments. keke. I'll try to update as often as I can. 

@naori_dae : Hmm.. Let's see. That will be if Sica returns. IF... hehe. (wink!)