Chapter One: Her Life

The cold winter air met Mi Yeon’s face as she stepped out of the gallery, walked her way to the car park and entered her vehicle.

She started the engine and drove away from her workplace, driving by the still-busy streets and many buildings of Seoul.

Mi Yeon follows a routine like some people do: wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, go to work…she’s pretty much a normal person. The night lights of the city never failed to amaze her as she often stole glances from her window, careful as she drove on her way home.

The familiar apartment complex got nearer and nearer until she parked on her spot a few yards from the apartment’s entrance. Despite having a lawyer as a father, a doctor as a mother, and a producer as a brother, she never liked having to rely on their money even though they persuaded her at times.

The complex was a modern 25-storey building in Gangnam, where some of the successful, the rich and the famous lived. The walls were a posh white colour, the windows overlooking the crystal blue pools and lawns that were regularly mowed. Her own apartment was a gift to her from her family during her 19^th birthday, as a sign of independence into adulthood. I know right, who gives a house as a birthday gift? And at 19 years old too. 

When she first moved in two months after her birthday, Mi Yeon thought it was too rich for her liking. But when the time came to decorate, she eventually made her unit more comfortable and homey that she has grown accustomed to the wealthy surroundings around her.

Mi Yeon got out of the car and walked briskly inside the building, shivering as a chilly gust of wind touched her skin on the way.

“Good evening, Miss,” Jung Ho, a middle aged man with dark hair that matched his eyes, and a few wrinkles forming in his face, who worked as one of the security guards of the complex greeted her with a smile as she walked inside.

Like the outside, the interior was as well made. The reception was a wide space filled with the long wooden reception desk in the middle, leather chairs on the left side, along with tables where the residents sometimes socialised, drank their coffee, or watched from the flat screen TV. On the other side were the doors that led to the units, recreational rooms, and such. To be honest, it kinda looked like a hotel, but she soon realised that it was just the way the building was built.

“Hi, Jung Ho, and I told you to call me Mi Yeon instead,” Mi Yeon, with her poker face, looked at him

Not that she had a cold demeanour or anything, Mi Yeon rarely, I mean rarely used any emotion – especially in public. And with that, people easily judged her as someone anti-social. But there were some who actually talked to her, who saw that she wasn’t bad as what others thought her to be and one of them was Jung Ho, whom Mi Yeong thought as an uncle. It always made her uncomfortable that someone older than her would call her ‘Miss’, even though she constantly reminded him.

“It’s alright, Miss,” Jung Ho waved at her when she stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed with a ‘ting’, Mi Yeon pressed the ‘20’ button and waited as the lift slowly started to rise. She couldn’t wait until she gets to her place and rest: the day was more tiring that usual and she was exhausted.

The sound of the elevator’s bell distracted her as the doors re-opened again, and she stepped out.

Each of the residents of the building each had their own floors, therefore, 25 in total. As expected, all were wide in space and tall in height.

Mi Yeon entered her code and strolled inside her unit.

The walls, floor, sofa, chairs, and lights were a white colour – one of her favourites. On the back was a staircase that led to the rooms. The front on her living room was the window, a high ceiling set where she can see the city of Seoul, day and night.

Her bedroom has a pink-coloured wall on the left side, two double doors that lead to her walk-in closets, and again, high-ceiling windows opposite the bed.

 Mi Yeon took a long shower, letting the warm water heat her body from the freezing weather outside. After that, she quickly got dressed into her PJs, dried her hair, and settled with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands as she lay on her bed. This was what she called relaxing.

Fifteen minutes have passed, and a sudden ringing from the phone interrupted her. Mi Yeon sighed, who would call at 10pm in the evening?

“Yoboseyo?” she answered, a hint of tiredness in her voice

“Minnie? Are you alright?” the voice of her brother asked

Her only sibling, Hyun Ki, a 25 year old producer was always busy. Mi Yeon was rather surprised to hear from him now, since the last time she talked to him was what, a week ago? But even so, her family, despite the hectic schedules, would regularly make time for each other, and she was grateful for that.

“Yeah, I’m good. You?”

“Meh, busy as always, but it’s all great. Anywaaaaaaays! Umma and Appa wanted to have lunch tomorrow at the usual. They tried to call you but they couldn’t reach you. Figured you’d be at home, so yeah. Is something wrong with your phone? Do you need me to buy you a new one? You know it’s important to have it with you always….” And then Hyun Ki droned with his overprotective self

“Yah, Hyun Ki, my battery died, it’s no big deal. I’ll just meet you all there tomorrow, 12pm, yes?” Mi Yeon sighed

“Yep, be there at 12pm sharp. And I told you to call me Oppa!” He whined. How mature, for a 25-year old grown up

Mi Yeon rolled her eyes at her brother. She didn’t really like using ‘Oppa’ since she was put off with how the girls in the dramas tried to be ‘cute’. It made her cringe because she just can’t think of herself like that.

 “Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight,” She replied

“Get some sleep, Minnie. Tomorrow’s gonna be a long day~” Hyun Ki sang, a small hint of a mischievous tone in his voice