The night had been colder than usual.
Jin Tae-Hyuk sat quietly inside a cramped storage room, leaning against a stack of cardboard boxes. The faint scent of dried food, plastic packaging, and cleaning supplies filled the air.
It was not comfortable.
But it was hidden.
After several days wandering the city, Tae-Hyuk had learned an important truth about this strange world, everything belonged to someone. Buildings, streets, even the small corners of the city were claimed and monitored.
Sleeping outside invited trouble.
So he had chosen this place.
The storage room belonged to a small convenience shop tucked between two larger buildings. Its back door had been unlocked late at night when the workers finished unloading goods.
Tae-Hyuk had slipped inside unnoticed.
For the past three nights, it had been his shelter.
He kept perfectly still now, eyes closed, breathing slowly as he circulated Qi through his body.
The rhythm calmed his mind.
Outside the thin door, he could hear the faint sounds of the shop opening for the morning.
The chime of the entrance bell.
Footsteps.
The rustling of bags.
A young woman's voice greeting customers.
Tae-Hyuk had observed her before.
She worked the front counter almost every morning.
Her voice was gentle, patient, even when customers were rude.
Unlike the hidden Murim practitioners he had encountered in the city, she possessed no trace of Qi whatsoever.
Just an ordinary person.
Which made this place safe.
Or so he believed.
The storage room door suddenly creaked open.
Tae-Hyuk's eyes snapped open instantly.
A girl stood in the doorway.
She looked to be in her early twenties, wearing a simple shop uniform and holding a clipboard in one hand.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Her eyes widened.
Tae-Hyuk remained perfectly still.
The silence stretched.
Then.
"AH!!"
She nearly dropped the clipboard.
"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!"
Tae-Hyuk stood slowly, raising his hands slightly to show he meant no harm.
"I meant no disturbance," he said calmly.
The girl stared at him like he had just appeared out of thin air.
"You're… you're sleeping in our storage room!"
She glanced around nervously.
"You're not a thief, are you?"
Tae-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
"Thief?"
"Yes! Someone who steals things!" she said.
"I have taken nothing."
His tone was so calm that it actually confused her.
She looked him up and down.
His clothes were unusual. Not exactly old-fashioned… but strange enough to stand out.
His posture was straight, almost disciplined.
And despite clearly being a homeless stranger hiding in their storage room, he didn't look nervous at all.
Which somehow made the situation even stranger.
"…You can't just live in here," she said finally.
"I understand," he replied.
"Then why are you here?"
Tae-Hyuk considered the question carefully.
"I required shelter."
The honesty caught her off guard.
Before she could respond
"HEY! NOONA!"
A loud voice shouted from the front of the shop.
Heavy footsteps approached.
A teenage boy burst into the storage room.
He looked about sixteen, messy hair, sharp eyes, and an expression stuck somewhere between annoyed and aggressive.
The moment he saw Tae-Hyuk, his entire posture changed.
"Who the hell is this guy?!"
His fists clenched immediately.
"Did he steal something?!"
"No, wait."
But the boy had already stepped forward.
"Hey! You!"
He jabbed a finger toward Tae-Hyuk.
"If you're causing trouble here, I'll throw you out myself!"
Tae-Hyuk blinked slowly.
The boy's stance was sloppy.
His balance is uneven.
His temper… extremely short.
But Tae-Hyuk remained calm.
"I have caused no trouble."
"Yeah right!"
The boy stepped closer, clearly ready to start a fight.
The girl quickly grabbed his arm.
"Min-Jun! Stop it!"
"I'm just asking him what he's doing here!"
"You're not asking, you're threatening him!"
Tae-Hyuk silently observed the siblings.
The older sister was calm, cautious.
The younger brother was like a small explosive waiting to go off.
And then..
Another voice called from the front of the store.
"Seo-Yeon?"
The voice was older. Slower.
An elderly man appeared at the doorway, leaning slightly on the frame.
His hair was gray, his back slightly bent with age.
But his eyes were kind.
"What's going on?"
The girl, Seo-Yeon quickly turned toward him.
"Dad… we found someone sleeping in the storage room."
The old man looked at Tae-Hyuk.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he sighed.
"Young man," he said gently.
"Have you eaten today?"
The question surprised everyone in the room.
Even Tae-Hyuk paused.
"…No," he answered truthfully.
The old man nodded slowly.
"Come sit," he said.
"We'll talk after breakfast."
Min-Jun looked completely outraged.
"Dad! You can't just..!"
But the old man raised his hand calmly.
"That's enough."
The shop fell quiet.
Seo-Yeon glanced between her father and the mysterious stranger standing among the storage boxes.
Something about the man felt unusual.
He spoke strangely.
Moved strangely.
Even the way he stood was different from anyone she had ever met.
But he didn't feel dangerous.
Just… lost.
Little did she know the danger that had quietly followed him inside.