Morning sunlight spilled across the apartment balcony, painting the railings in gold.
Rien stepped out of his room with an easy, composed expression. He wore a fitted blue shirt, black formal pants, and a silver watch around his wrist. A steaming cup of coffee rested in his hand as he took a slow sip.
"A great morning," he murmured to himself.
He walked to the railing and looked down at the busy street below. Cars rolled past, shopkeepers opened their stores, and pedestrians hurried along the sidewalks.
Peaceful.
For about three seconds.
The door behind him suddenly opened.
A middle-aged man stepped out, glanced upward, and immediately froze.
His eyes widened.
His jaw dropped.
"WHAT IS THAT?!"
The man stumbled backward and pointed at Rien.
"Is that a monster?!"
Rien blinked once before turning around.
His calm smile never changed.
"Hello. My name is Rien Kinohutsu. I just moved into this apartment."
He politely pointed toward the open apartment door beside him.
The man stared.
Then stared some more.
Then tilted his head back further because Rien was absurdly tall.
At that moment, another door swung open.
A young woman in fluffy pajamas stepped out and immediately locked eyes with Rien.
Her entire body froze.
"..."
"..."
Then she dramatically placed a hand over her heart.
"Woah."
She pointed at him.
"A handsome god has finally descended from heaven for me."
Rien nearly choked on his coffee.
The middle-aged man ignored her completely and squinted suspiciously at Rien.
"You can't be Korean."
His tone carried the confidence of a detective who had solved a century-old mystery.
Before Rien could answer, another door opened.
Jin-Ah emerged with messy morning hair and a sleepy yawn. She stretched lazily before walking straight toward Rien.
"Good morning, Rien."
Without asking, she took the coffee from his hand and drank from it.
Rien watched silently.
She drank again.
Still silent.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man was staring at Rien like he had discovered an undiscovered species.
Jin-Ah noticed.
"What are you looking at, Shorty?"
The man twitched.
"I am not short!"
Jin-Ah glanced down at him.
Then glanced up at Rien.
Then back down at him.
The comparison was devastating.
The man's soul visibly took damage.
Clearing his throat, he pointed at Rien.
"Is this our new neighbor, Miss Jin-Ah?"
"Yep."
She casually handed the coffee back to its original owner.
Then she gestured toward Rien.
"This Eiffel Tower's name is Rien Kinohutsu."
Rien looks at her with a calm gaze.
"He's from another country and arrived yesterday. Unfortunately, a thief stole his wallet and belongings, so I let him stay in the empty apartment next door."
The man nodded thoughtfully.
"Oh. That's what happened."
For a moment, he seemed reasonable.
Then he ruined it.
"I should make something clear."
He puffed out his chest.
"I am the first man in this apartment building."
Jin-Ah blinked.
Rien blinked.
Even the morning breeze seemed confused.
Man continued proudly.
"Therefore, everyone should do as I say."
A brief silence followed.
Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked.
Jin-Ah pointed toward him.
"This short man is Seo Woo-Jin."
Woo-Jin frowned.
Then she pointed toward the pajama-clad girl.
"And this is his daughter, Seo Ye-Na."
Ye-Na waved cheerfully.
Rien offered a respectful bow.
"It is a pleasure to meet you."
Woo-Jin crossed his arms and nodded with exaggerated satisfaction.
"Excellent."
Rien raised an eyebrow.
Woo-Jin stroked his chin.
"That is the proper way to show respect to people above you."
Jin-Ah looked seconds away from committing a crime.
Fortunately, Woo-Jin was already walking away.
"Anyway, welcome to the building."
He entered his apartment and shut the door.
Ye-Na lingered behind.
She looked up at Rien, who seemed tall enough to touch low-flying aircraft.
A bright smile appeared on her face.
"You are very handsome, Mr. Kinohutsu."
Before Rien could respond, she giggled and ran after her father.
The hallway finally became quiet again.
Jin-Ah watched the two disappear.
Then she casually stole Rien's coffee again.
Sip.
"Hey—"
Too late.
She turned and walked toward his apartment.
"I'm getting late for work."
Another sip.
"I'm using your bathroom."
Sip.
"And while I'm getting ready, why don't you cook something better than coffee?"
She disappeared inside without waiting for an answer.
Rien stood there for several seconds.
Coffee-less.
Apartment invaded.
Authority ignored.
He slowly looked up at the bright morning sun.
Shaking his head with a faint smile, Rien followed her inside as the apartment door quietly closed behind them.
A little while later, the aroma of freshly cooked pancakes filled the apartment.
Rien carefully placed two plates on the dining table, each stack arranged with almost absurd precision. Satisfied, he removed his apron, folded it neatly, and hung it beside the kitchen counter before taking a seat.
Just then, Jin-Ah stepped into the kitchen.
Gone were the pajamas.
She now wore a crisp white shirt beneath a tailored black suit, accompanied by matching black pants and polished shoes. Her hair was neatly arranged, giving her the appearance of a capable professional ready to conquer the day.
She glanced at the plate in front of her.
Then tilted her head.
"Is this pajeon?"
Rien looked at the pancakes.
Then at her.
Then back at the pancakes.
His expression remained perfectly calm.
"No."
Jin-Ah blinked.
Rien folded his hands politely.
"These are Western-style pancakes. There are no onions, vegetables, or seafood inside them like South Korean pajeon."
"Oh."
She nodded as if she had just attended a university lecture.
"Makes sense."
Picking up her fork, she cut off a piece and placed it into her mouth.
She chewed slowly.
Swallowed.
Then froze.
Her eyes widened.
She looked at the pancake.
Then at Rien.
Then back at the pancake.
"This is amazing."
She immediately took another bite.
"No, seriously."
Another bite.
"This is really delicious."
Another bite.
"You are an incredible chef, Eiffel Tower."
Rien simply nodded.
"Thank you."
His tone was as calm as a lake untouched by wind.
Meanwhile, Jin-Ah was rapidly discovering new reasons to postpone going to work.
After finishing half the plate, she glanced at her watch.
"What are you doing today?"
Rien calmly cut another piece.
"I have some work to complete."
"What kind of work?"
"A few personal matters."
His answer was polite.
And completely useless.
Jin-Ah narrowed her eyes.
"You always sound like a mysterious final boss."
Rien took a bite of pancake.
"I see."
That was all.
Jin-Ah sighed.
Trying to extract information from Rien was like trying to interrogate a stone wall.
A very tall stone wall.
She continued eating until her plate was spotless.
Not a crumb remained.
Jin-Ah stared at the empty plate.
Then ran a finger across it.
Then licked the remaining syrup.
Rien silently pretended he had not witnessed that.
"Sounds like you'll be busy today," she said while standing up. "That's fine. I'm heading to work too."
She adjusted her suit and started walking toward the door.
Then suddenly stopped beside him.
Rien sensed danger.
Before he could react, Jin-Ah casually reached over with her fork.
Stab.
A piece of his pancake disappeared.
She placed it into her mouth and nodded approvingly.
"Perfect."
Rien looked down at the missing piece.
Then at Jin-Ah.
His expression remained unchanged.
Jin-Ah grinned victoriously.
"See you tonight, Eiffel Tower."
With that, she spun around and confidently walked out of the apartment.
A moment later, the front door closed.
Silence returned.
Rien looked at the half-stolen pancake.
Then leaned back in his chair.
Without a word, he extended his arm toward the nearby shelf.
His hand effortlessly reached a spare fork resting there.
Taking it, he returned to his breakfast as if nothing had happened.
The morning sunlight streamed through the window.
The apartment was peaceful once more.
He calmly took another bite of his pancake.
And enjoyed the temporary silence.