Claire Yoo—or Yoo Claire, depending on who was asking—was twenty-seven when she stepped back
into Seoul after six years abroad.
She had been living with her aunt—her mother's younger sister—studying and conducting research in
Europe. Now, with the airplane behind her and the Seoul air brushing against her cheeks, she looked
around the airport.
Only one person had come to pick her up.
Of course. It was no surprise. Her parents were probably buried in work. They always were.
"Hey, Claire! How was your flight?"
Her childhood friend, Seo Yeon-ah—Yeonnie—waved both arms in the air, smiling from ear to ear.
Claire let out a quiet sigh, her shoulders relaxing. She stepped forward, her head tilting slightly as if to
shrug off the disappointment.
"It was fine," she replied softly.
Yeonnie grinned. "Let's go home and get you cleaned up first. You've had a long flight, right?"
"Yeah, sure... Let's go," Claire said with a faint smile.
The two of them took a cab through the city. The wind touched their faces through the open window.
The quiet hum of the engine filled the silence, familiar and oddly comforting.
Yeonnie scrolled through her phone, grinning as she recorded a video for her Instagram story.
"Hey guys! My childhood friend just landed in Seoul from Europe!"
Her voice was excited, full of life.
Claire sighed again, shaking her head.
[Yeonnie is still the same as ever… I wonder if Mom and Dad are, too.]
When they arrived home, Claire paused in front of the familiar gate and took a deep breath.
Even though her parents never paid her much attention, she had still lived happily in this house once. It
held memories. Some warm, some cold.
Yeonnie tilted her head. "Let's go inside!"
Claire knocked on the door. No answer. She rang the bell and knocked again.
Finally, a maid opened the door with a puzzled expression.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"I'm Claire. Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Yoo."
The maid's eyes widened slightly, and she stepped aside.
"Please come in."
Claire entered, followed by Yeonnie. She looked around the house quietly, breathing in its silence. Then
she went upstairs to freshen up. Meanwhile, Yeonnie sat in the living room, sipping the tea the maid
brought.
[I thought Claire's parents knew she was coming… Then why aren't they here?]
She glanced down at her phone. A notification. "+107 New Followers."
Her eyes lit up.
[Like this… I'll be famous in no time. Hehe~]
Claire returned downstairs, freshly showered, water dripping from her hair. She wore sporty shorts and
a white tank top. She sat beside Yeonnie and glanced at her friend's radiant smile.
"What are you so happy about?" she asked calmly.
"I hit 10k followers! Yahhh!!" Yeonnie burst out, hugging her phone with joy.
Claire shook her head, smiling. "You're just as energetic and joyful as ever."
"Let's go to Bupyeong and party! What do you say?" Yeonnie grinned.
Claire gave a small nod. "Yeah. Let's go."
They took the subway to Bupyeong, watching the city pass by.Instead of drinking or clubbing, they enjoyed street food, window-shopping, and aimless wandering.
That was their kind of party—quiet, healing.
By 4:30 PM, the sun had begun to fall behind the skyline.
The girls boarded the subway back toward Seoul, tired but content.
Then—just as they stepped off the train and into the Seoul station—it happened.
The ground began to shake.
Claire and Yeonnie staggered. The floor rumbled. Screams erupted. A child cried nearby.
"Is this—an earthquake?!" Yeonnie gasped
Claire didn't answer. She narrowed her eyes, still and alert.
The tremors only lasted seconds…
But they felt like an eternity.
Someone screamed, "The exits are blocked! We can't get out of the station!"
Debris crashed down. Sparks jumped from a vending machine. Chaos cracked like thunder across the platform.
And then—
Silence.
Only panicked breaths, crying children, and pounding hearts.
Suddenly, a strange glow filled the station.
A holographic screen—transparent and flickering—appeared mid-air in front of everyone.
Like something from a manhwa or a game.
Words appeared across it, floating in eerie calm:
{ Welcome, new player.
Survive all chronicles.
Prove your worth to reach ██ ██. }