Chapter One

The Guest

Sungmi swayed her body left and right as she focused intently on the videogame on her TV. Her fingers moved restlessly on the game console, pressing buttons with fury as she moved past the next car.

She was getting nearer.

Come on…

There was one more car ahead of her. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the button corresponding to the gas pedal of the car and watched in anticipation as it sped past the last opponent, firing through the finish line.

“YES! I won again!” Sungmi hollered in excitement, jumping to her feet. She waved her remote console around as she danced along to the tune that was playing on screen to the “YOU WON!” written in big blue letters.

She flopped back down to the ground and grabbed another handful of buttery popcorn to shove into . The taste of it gave her a satisfying feeling close to eating fried chicken. Or black bean noodles. Or spicy rice cakes.

watered. If only I could go buy something to eat right now…

Sungmi looked up at her clock, a feeling of impatience washing over her. When was he coming?

“Hey dongsaeng, do you think you can take care of here for two weeks?”

Sungmi looked up at her brother sleepily, her entire head almost buried completely under her blankets. Sungmin leaned up against her doorframe, looking ever so refined in a suit and tie. His hair was combed back neatly and his Tom Ford cologne wafted around his vicinity, drifting into her nose. His arms were crossed as he waited for his sister’s response.

Except that Sungmi had already gone back to sleep.

“Yah! Sungmi, did you not hear what I said?” Sungmin exclaimed. That did nothing as the girl only dug herself deeper into the covers, wanting to go back into dreamland.

Sungmi’s blankets were suddenly yanked from her body and a cold draft passed over her, causing her to shiver. She coiled up like a snail, still refusing to open her eyes and get up.

“You babo,” Sungmin uttered in frustration. He sighed and continued, “I need you to get up. I just got an emergency call from China and it seems like a big corporation wants to create business plans and investments in the company. I’ll have to be gone for at least two weeks, if not more.”

Sungmi’s eyes were still closed, but she was listening to his every word. She felt a dip on the side of her bed as her brother sat down.

“Remember me telling you that we would have somebody important coming to stay with us for a while?” Sungmin inquired, turning his head to look at his sister in her fetus position on the bed. She subtly nodded.

“Well, he’s coming today.”

Sungmi sat up abruptly, causing her head to lob back and forth dizzily. hung agape as she exclaimed, “TODAY? Who’s going to greet him?”

Sungmin chuckled a little at his sister’s frazzled state. “You, of course. I have to leave in an hour, and you’re the only one that’s going to be here.”

Her face flushed. “But he’s a complete stranger, and you’re going to be gone for two weeks. Maybe more. And I’m a girl. How can you leave me alone with an unknown man?” Sungmi shivered as she imagined a middle-aged man cornering her to the wall with a knife. 

Sungmin stared at her for a long minute. Then his head rolled back and he let out a hearty laugh. “You’re so funny Sungmi. I doubt Father would leave him with us if he was dangerous. Just don’t worry okay? You can call me or leave a message with my secretary if there’s trouble.” He got up from the bed and brushed himself off before picking up his briefcase from the floor. “My plane leaves soon. I have to go.”

Sungmi still had the same expression on her face: mouth agape, eyes wide. She had so m