It was exactly 5:24pm when Jang Yulhee arrived home to her small apartment unit after a long day’s work at the office. Yulhee was a fresh university alumna, who was immediately offered a job upon graduation because of her outstanding grades and sharp intelligence. Because she couldn’t refuse such a rare opportunity, she accepted it right away, knowing and embracing the consequences: She had to permanently move to Seoul and be away from her friends and family in the province. Now, Jang Yulhee was lucky, because she miraculously stumbled upon two things that answered these problems for her in a jiffy: One, she found an affordable and unoccupied unit at 5576 Lodging, a small apartment complex in Mapo-gu, Seoul, right where her company was; and two, she had her long-time boyfriend, a one-year-younger male who was still in university, Song Jaeho, living just a block away from her apartment. After having settled in her cozy new unit and having enjoyed many visits from her boyfriend, Yulhee hadn’t been feeling much homesickness at all.

“Yes, I’m finally home,” she muttered to herself, reaching for the door lock to enter her passcode. She pressed the buttons accordingly – 0-3-2-0 – then turned the doorknob, but it didn’t budge.

“What?” she said to herself, turning the doorknob a few more times. Still, it didn’t move, and the door remained locked. She typed in her passcode again – 0-3-2-0 – now being extra careful she pressed the right numbers, but still, she couldn’t get inside. She tried again, this time pressing the buttons firmer, turning the knob harder, and uttering curses louder, but the door still refused to open.

Yulhee started to panic a little bit. She pulled her handkerchief from her pocket and wiped off a bead of sweat on her forehead. “No way; this isn’t happening. Why did it have to be now? My gosh, it’s even Friday… my favourite drama will be on soon… no, please, why today?!”

Upon impulse, whenever Yulhee became nervous she would reach for her cell phone in her bag and speed dial her boyfriend first. She thought of calling the landlady to help her as well, but she knew she had to calm down first by calling Jaeho. She didn’t know why, but talking to him made her feel more relaxed and calm.

“Hello? Jaeho?”

“Hi noona! Done with work? Are you home yet? Or are you still-…”

“What’s my apartment door’s passcode?” she cut h