Breakfast at the Hanseong Apartments was quiet and tense. Ha-rin sat at the small shaky table in their new place in Incheon. She stared at her bowl of instant porridge. It was a far cry from the fancy cafes they used to go to in Seoul.

"Do the girls at Sehwa High suspect anything?" Her mother asked. She was busy repairing her Marge Sherwood bag, one of the last expensive things they owned.

"No, Mom" Ha-rin said. She quickly raised her phone, using the black screen like a mirror to check how her lip tint was holding up. "They think we're just staying here while the villa is being fixed. They don't know Dad is in trouble..."

"Good" Her father muttered. He didn't look up from his coffee. "Just keep being the best. If people think we're poor, we lose everything."

Ha-rin grabbed her bag and ran out. She was late. If she missed the bus, she'd have to walk, and someone might see her.

She sprinted down to the 4th-floor hallway. The fluorescent lights flickering overhead. She threw herself in the elevator— a small and rusty box— just as the doors closed. She was gasping for air, her chest heaving, her vision blurring. "I really need to exercise more" she thought. She didn't even look to see who else was in the elevator.

Then, the elevator let out a high pitched screech, struggling to leave the 4th floor. A violent clank echoed. The lights flickered and went out.

Everything was pitch black. Ha-rin could already feel the heat starting to rise immediately 

"No, no, no" Ha-rin whispered. She pressed the F button. "Maybe it can go back up right? I promise I can just take the stairs... please" she thought.  But nothing happened. "I can't be late. Not today"

Minutes passed. The air got thicker. Ha-rin felt like the walls were closing in. She never felt this claustrophobic before. Her breathing felt loud and jagged. She reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her left ear — once, twice, over and over. Then she felt a tear rolling down her cheek. She tried to wipe the tears away, scared of what the figure at the other end might think. As more time passed Ha-rin's tears turned into loud messy sobbing.

"I can't do this anymore" she choked out through her tears. She didn't care that someone else was there. The darkness made her feel like she was alone in the world. And before she knew it, she started venting her frustration to the stranger. "I'm so tired of lying. Every day I pretend I'm still rich. I'm wearing this fake padding jacket because I had to sell the real one for rent. I have to skip lunch every day because I don't have enough on my meal card, so I tell everyone I'm on a diet. I'm scared.. I'm so scared they'll find out my dad messed up and lost his job."

She was gasping for air now, tugging at her cuffs until the fabric stretched. Letting it all out felt relieving for a bit. "I hate it here. I just want to go home." She slumped against the cold metal wall, her face still wet with tears.

"It's okay to be tired" a voice came from the corner. It was very calm and soothing.

Ha-rin froze. She had forgotten the stranger was also here. "Who... who are you?"

The girl didn't answer immediately. "Kim min-ji". "Isn't that a really common name?" Ha-rin asked.

Min-ji didn't reply to that. Instead, a sharp metallic smell filled the elevator. It was strong and cold, like the smell of handful rusty nails.

"What is that smell?" Ha-rin asked, covering her nose. "It smells like... like iron."

"it's just my bag" Min-ji's voice came from the dark, sounding bored. "I'm just taking some old scrap metal and tools to the recycling center for my dad before school. He's been working on the pipes in our kitchen all night."

"At this hour?" Ha-rin chocked out, the smell making her eyes water. She has always been sensitive to strong smells.

"He wants it gone before Ms.Kang sees" Min-ji replied

"Who's that?" Ha-rin asked

"Just the landlord... don't worry about it, Ha-rin-ah. Just keep breathing"

A sudden, sweet floral scent —like cheap cherry blossom spray — wafted through the dark, clashing sickeningly with the metallic smell, Ha-rin's head spun. Her vision went from black to a hazy grey.

When she finally opened her eyes, she wasn't in her own room.The ceiling was yellowed, and the air smelled of steamed rice and a faint hint of bleach. Ha-rin sat up with a jolt, her head throbbing with pain. She was lying on a thin mattress on the floor of a small, cramped studio apartment.

"You're awake" a voice said

Min-ji was sitting at a small wooden table, stirring a bowl of steaming porridge. In the daylight, she looked completely harmless — almost sweet— but average? She was wearing a soft, oversized sweater and had her hair pinned back. 

"Where am I?" Ha-rin whispered. She checked her phone. Her heart dropped. It was 8:00 AM, but the date was Tuesday. She had been out for twenty-four hours. "My place. Room 402" Min-ji said, offering a small, shy smile. "You had a panic attack in the elevator, remember?" You fainted. I didn't want to leave you there, and I couldn't find your keys, so I brought you here. You've been  drifting in and out of sleep all day. I made you some juk"

She pushed the bowl toward Ha-rin. She was being so kind, so helpful, but her eyes remained flat, watching Ha-rin's every move.

"I have to go" Ha-rin said, scrambling to her feet. Her hands were shaking as she tucked a strand of hair behind her left ear. "I missed school. My parents—"

"I told the security guard you went to a friend's house because you were stressed" Min-ji said calmly. "Don't worry your secret is safe with me"

Ha-rin froze. The 'secrets' from the elevator. Min-ji remembered everything. She tried to calm down and forget it. What happened can't be changed. She just has to make sure Min-ji won't say anything. Ha-rin went on her phone again and opened the school group chat, and her heart nearly stopped

[HELP: Has anyone seen Somi? She went missing during the blackout yesterday. The police are asking for witnesses]Somi. 

Ha-rin remembered her, the girl with a loud laugh. The girl that had her locker next to hers. As she went over the details again, she became more and more paranoid. What happened in those 24 hours? Suddenly she felt the need to leave.

As Ha-rin rushed to the door, she saw the big dark blue gym bag sitting by the entrance. It was zipped shut now, but as she passed it, that sharp, coppery smell hit her again. Min-ji just waved a small, pale hand. "See you at school, Ha-rin"