Nari

Mina

The faint sound of the doorbell cut through the quiet hum of the apartment, drawing Chrystal's attention from the book she was reading on the couch. She glanced toward the front door, raising an eyebrow as she heard Man-shik's footsteps approaching.

"Who could that be?" she muttered to herself, flipping the page and pretending not to care.

Man-shik opened the door, and Chrystal's curiosity piqued at the unmistakable sound of a woman's voice—bright, lilting, and dripping with the kind of charm that made Chrystal instinctively sit up straighter.

"Man-shik! It's been so long," the voice said, full of exaggerated warmth.

Man-shik froze, his hand gripping the edge of the door. "Nari?" His tone wasn't quite warm, but it wasn't cold either. It was the careful, neutral tone people used when addressing someone they weren't sure they wanted to see.

Chrystal peeked over the back of the couch just as Man-shik continued, his voice lower now. "Why are you here?"

"Is that any way to greet your ex?" Nari replied with a teasing smile, brushing past him as if she belonged there.

Chrystal nearly choked on her own disbelief. Ex? She sat up straighter, her book now forgotten, and openly stared as Nari stepped into the apartment. The woman was stunning—sleek black hair that shimmered under the lights, a perfectly tailored cream coat, and knee-high boots that looked expensive enough to pay someone's rent. Her confident smile faltered only slightly when Man-shik didn't immediately respond.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by," Nari added breezily, as though popping in on an ex-boyfriend was the most normal thing in the world.

Man-shik closed the door with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "You should've called first."

"Oh, don't be like that," Nari said, playfully swatting his arm. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

Chrystal bit back a laugh, muttering under her breath, "Mission accomplished."

That's when Nari's gaze finally landed on Chrystal, and her perfectly arched brows lifted in mild surprise. "Oh, I didn't realize you had company."

"She's my roommate," Man-shik said quickly, his tone sharper than usual.

"Hi," Chrystal said, giving a half-hearted wave and a tight smile. Roommate? That's the best you've got?

Nari studied her for a moment, her smile never quite reaching her eyes. "Chrystal, was it? Nice to meet you." The words were polite, but the tone carried just enough condescension to make Chrystal's blood simmer.

"Likewise," Chrystal replied, her voice dripping with faux sweetness. She stood, brushing imaginary dust off her leggings, and grabbed her book from the couch. "Don't let me interrupt. I'll leave you two to... catch up."

As she walked past them, she felt Man-shik's eyes on her, as if he wanted to say something. But Chrystal didn't give him the chance. She slipped into her room, closing the door behind her with a little more force than necessary.

Inside her room, Chrystal paced, the book in her hands forgotten. His ex? She hadn't expected that. Not that it was her business, but still, something about the way Nari had swept into the apartment—confident, poised, and clearly at ease—rubbed her the wrong way. Or maybe it was the way Man-shik had looked at Nari: cautious, guarded, and a little... distracted.

She shook her head, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I need to get out of here," she muttered, grabbing her phone and firing off a message to her friends.

By the time Chrystal left the apartment, dressed in her favorite jeans and a cropped leather jacket, she had managed to convince herself that going out was the best possible solution. She met Mina at a lively café downtown, the kind of place where laughter and music drowned out all thoughts of unwelcome houseguests.

"Are you okay?" her friend Mina asked, stirring her iced latte as she studied Chrystal with concern. "You seem... distracted."

Chrystal sighed, running her finger along the rim of her coffee cup. "The distraction's name is Nari. She made a surprise appearance at the apartment earlier. Apparently, Man-shik's ex."

Mina's eyebrows furrowed as she sipped her latte, her gaze fixed on Chrystal. "So, what's the deal with this Nari woman? She just shows up unannounced? That's... bold."

Chrystal sighed, fiddling with the rim of her coffee cup. "Tell me about it. She said she was just in the neighborhood." Chrystal scoffed.

Mina leaned forward, her expression curious. "Wait, how do you feel about that?"

Chrystal blinked, caught off guard by the question. "What do you mean, how do I feel?"

Mina smirked knowingly, setting her drink down. "I mean, do you like him?"

"What? No," Chrystal replied quickly, too quickly, her voice rising just a bit. "He's—he's insufferable. You know that."

"Insufferable, huh?" Mina teased, tilting her head. "So why does the whole thing bother you?"

"It doesn't," Chrystal said defensively, crossing her arms. "It's just... weird, okay? She shows up all polished and perfect, and it's like she's testing the waters. I don't care what they do—it's their business—but I'm stuck in the middle of it."

Mina arched an eyebrow, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Right. Totally their business. Not yours at all."

Chrystal groaned, letting her head drop into her hands. "Mina don't....."

"I'm just saying," Mina said, her tone light but pointed. "If you didn't care, you wouldn't be this worked up about it. So... do you?"

Chrystal hesitated, her fingers tracing the edge of her cup. "He's... complicated," she admitted softly. "Half the time, I want to strangle him. The other half, I don't know, he's... not as bad as he seems."

Mina grinned, leaning back in her chair. "Not as bad, huh? That's a start."

Chrystal rolled her eyes. "Don't read into it. It's not like that."

"Sure, sure," Mina said, waving her off with a knowing look. "But for what it's worth, maybe figure out how you feel before his ex decides to stick around."

Chrystal sighed again, leaning back in her chair. "Easier said than done."

Back at the apartment, Man-shik sat across from Nari at the dining table, his hands clasped together as she recounted stories about her recent travels and career successes. She was animated, smiling brightly as she spoke, but he found himself nodding along half-heartedly, his mind wandering.

"...and then I thought, why not? It's not like I have anything tying me down," Nari said, her laugh light and melodic. "What about you, Man-shik? What's new with you?"

Man-shik blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. "What?"

"I asked what's new with you," Nari repeated, leaning forward slightly. "You seem... different."

Man-shik hesitated, unsure how to respond. He could feel her gaze on him, searching for something she didn't quite recognize. But instead of answering, he found himself glancing toward Chrystal's door, the memory of her irritated expression flashing in his mind.

"I'm the same as always," he said finally, though the words rang hollow even to him.

Nari tilted her head, her smile faltering for the first time. "Are you sure? Because you seem... distracted."

Man-shik sighed, leaning back in his chair. "It's been a long day."

Nari frowned, clearly unsatisfied with his answer. "Man-shik, I came here because I thought we could... reconnect. I know things ended badly between us, but I've changed. I thought maybe we could start over."

Her words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotion. But instead of responding, Man-shik found himself wondering where Chrystal had gone. Was she still upset? Was she with someone else? The thought made his chest tighten, though he couldn't explain why.

"Man-shik?" Nari prompted, her voice softer now.

He shook his head, forcing himself to focus. "I don't think that's a good idea, Nari."

She blinked, her expression unreadable. "Why not?"

"Because it wouldn't work," he said simply, standing and walking to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. "It didn't before, and it won't now."

Nari stood as well, her voice laced with frustration. "You don't even want to try? After everything we had?"

Man-shik turned to face her, his expression calm but firm. "It's not about trying. It's about knowing when to let go."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Nari nodded, her smile returning, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I see. Well, I guess that's my answer."

She grabbed her coat and walked to the door, pausing only to glance back at him. "Goodbye, Man-shik."

He nodded, watching as she left, the sound of the door closing echoing through the now-empty apartment.

When Chrystal returned later that night, the apartment was quiet. She kicked off her shoes and dropped her bag on the floor, glancing around the living room. Man-shik was sitting on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen with a drink in his hand.

"Oh, you're alive," she said, her tone light but cautious.

He looked up, his expression unreadable. "You're back."

"Observant as always," she said, crossing her arms. "Where's your guest?"

"Gone," he said simply, taking a sip of his drink.

Chrystal hesitated, then walked over to the couch and sat down on the opposite end. "Everything okay?"

Man-shik glanced at her, surprised by the question. "Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know," she said, shrugging. "She seemed... nice."

"She's my ex," Man-shik admitted abruptly.

Chrystal blinked, trying to hide her surprise. "Oh."

For a moment, they sat in silence, the tension between them easing into something quieter, something almost comfortable. And though neither of them said it out loud, they both knew that the night had shifted something between them—just enough to matter.