Taeyeon sat between Yoona and Sunny, with Hyoyeon and Sooyoung across from them. They were all gathered around the mahogany coffee table in the living room, a light-brown carpet with black patterns lay under their crossed legs. Cans of beer sat on the surface of the table and Taeyeon was on her third can. She listened to their stories, laughed with them and even shared some stories of her own. Hyoyeon seemed to be the most talkative from the group, as what she have observed, followed by Sooyoung and Yoona. Sunny was quiet most of the time but she did laugh along with them.

"So Taeyeon, what's your story?" Sunny said before sipping from her can of beer.

Taeyeon looked at her for a moment before she looked at the rest of the girls, who were also looking at her with expectant eyes. "Uhm," she started, not really sure what story her housemates wanted to hear. She didn't have a story, she wanted to say, but she doesn't feel like disappointing her new housemates so she chose to talk about the most obvious thing about her - her work.

"I'm a painter," she continued after a long pause. "Been painting since I was eight. I worked part-time in a gallery when I was in high school, studied fine arts in college and got hired by my mentor--friend--professor right after graduating college."

"Wow, your life sounds so easy." Everyone turned to look at Yoona just after she spoke. "What?" she said, raising her brow at her housemates. "I mean, getting a job right after graduating from college sounds easy, she didn't even have to spend all her time and money to look for a job."

Hyoyeon hummed and nodded. "Yoona's right. I remember I failed five job interviews before landing a job in this town."

"What do you do? I mean, no offense, but I don't see any big companies here and you seem like the type who works in an office," Taeyeon said.

Hyoyeon's lips stretched into a wide smile. "Did you guys hear that?!"

Sunny rolled her eyes. "Too bad you don't work in an office and doesn't wear those y secretary suits at work."

Taeyeon chuckled. "y secretary suits," she whispered to herself. "What a way to describe it."

"Whatever, Soonkyu," Hyoyeon snorted. "Anyway, Taeyeon, I work at the library just two blocks from here."

Taeyeon almost spit his drink out, an eyebrow arching at Hyoyeon before she saw Sooyoung nodding her head.

"Ironically," Sooyoung said. "The loudest person in this house works at the quietest place in this town."

"At least I have work," Hyoyeon said with pride, side-eyeing Sooyoung before raising her can of beer before sipping from it.

Sooyoung snorted. "Don't look at me like that, I have work, too."

Sunny snickered. Yoona continued eating. Hyoyeon looked at Sooyoung, challenging her. Taeyeon looked at them with amused eyes. She'll definitely enjoy this place.

"I manage this house full of overgrown kids," Sooyoung said. "That's one hell of a work."

"Sure," Yoona said with full. "When you say managing this house you mean ordering us around and making us do all the house chores, right?" She wipes the corner of her lips. "Must be one hell of a work."

“Not to mention collecting house rents,” Sunny added.

“Hey!” Sooyoung bellows playfully. “A girl needs her money, too. Besides, how will I pay the house bills if I don’t ask rents from you?”

“This is how all our parties end,” Hyoyeon grinned at Taeyeon. “But don’t mind them, as Sooyoung said; a house full of overgrown kids. Including herself.”

“Sounds like a fun place to stay in,” Taeyeon raised her can of beer and proposed a toast at Hyoyeon, who did the same before they both chuckled.

“So, what’s your real story?” Hyoyeon abruptly said and everyone fell silent, their eyes focused on Taeyeon and she felt like a specimen under a microscope.

“That was my real story,” Taeyeon said.

“No crazy ex, no -crazy lover, no divorced parents, no fixed marriage, no nothing?” Hyoyeon said.

Taeyeon laughed. “No,” she said. “I don’t think I can handle the stress of those.”

Hyoyeon made a face, taking another can of beer from the table. “What kind of boring life are you living?”

“Excuse me?” Taeyeon said.

“I think that's just how most artists are,” Yoona said. “I’ve read it from Juhynun’s book.”

Taeyeon can’t remember a Juhyun from earlier and so she just assumed it was one of Yoona’s friends from her school.

“Juhyun is my best friend,” Yoona said proudly, her lips stretching out into a toothy grin.

“You’ll get to meet her when she drops by to help Yoona with her assignments,” Sooyoung said. “She’s a sweet girl. Everybody here loves her.”

“Even the ‘do-not-disturb’ tenant?” Taeyeon said out of curiosity. She wondered if the tenant from across her room gets along with everyone, too.

“Who?” Yoona said.

“The person occupying the room across mine?” Taeyeon said.

“Oh, Krystal unnie?” Yoona said, her smile never fading.

“That’s her name?” Taeyeon said. “It sounds like a foreign name.”

“We really shouldn’t be talking about her,” Sooyoung commented. “She might hear us and... who knows what she’ll do.”

Taeyeon looked at Yoona, who nodded at what Sooyoung said, then to Hyoyeon and Sunny, who wouldn’t meet her gaze. “What do you mean?” Taeyeon asked Sooyoung, her curiosity skyrocketing.

Sooyoung ducked her head and moved her face closer to Taeyeon, who sat across from her. Yoona, Sunny and Hyoyeon did the same, too, making them all look like they were sharing a national secret that nobody should hear besides them. “Krystal arrived two weeks before you, and since then there had been many animals missing. First it was just pet rabbits from the neighbors, and then it became goats from the farm just around the corner. Last night a girl went missing in the forest and guess what?” Sooyoung said.

Taeyeon’s eyes widened. “What happened?”

“Krystal went home early in the morning,” Sooyoung said. “I saw her, but she didn’t see me.”

“And?” Taeyeon said, her voice eager.

“There was blood in her shirt and lips. Too much blood. I was so terrified I pissed on my pajama pants.” Sooyoung shivered at the memory. “I can’t even look at her the same way now.”

Taeyeon gulped. “Are you saying that this Krystal i-is..”

“Don’t say it,” Hyoyeon urged. “They can hear you when you talk about them. Even if you’re from miles away.”

“Just don’t forget to lock your doors at night.” Sunny added.

“B-but why are you still letting her stay in your house?” Taeyeon said, her eyes wide as she looked at Sooyoung.

“She won’t leave,” Sooyoung whispered. “And she pays five times the amount the three of them pays.”

“But she’s dangerous,” Taeyeon whispered, her head turning from left to right every now and then. “What if she starves and decides to—no, no, I don’t want to die here!”

“She won’t kill you if she doesn’t know that you suspect her of being a—“ Sunny was cut off by the loud sound of the front door opening that echoed inside the still house. Their eyes widened and their hearts raced before a girl in navy blue hoodie came in. Taeyen feared for her life.