Chapter 1.5

A bright morning in Hallstatt. 

Hae-soo neatly parked a cute, compact convertible that matched her vibe and got out with a pleasant mood. 

She lifted the sunglasses she had worn to block the sunlight on the way up onto her head and stretched deeply. 

A long flight, a roughly three-hour train journey, and the drive from Salzburg to Hallstatt. 

It had been an incredible journey. So much so that she seriously wondered if she might collapse from exhaustion before even getting to rest. 

Of course, she had taken short breaks in between, but they were just that—minimal rests. 

Throughout the journey to this place, she had cursed her past self for scheduling such an insanely tight itinerary. 

But the moment she arrived in this small village, Hae-soo felt as though she had received the reward for her long, arduous journey all at once. 

“This is absolutely stunning.” 

Hae-soo smiled brightly as she gazed at the blue lake right in front of her. It felt as if the fatigue that had been weighing heavily on her shoulders was washed away in an instant. 

“Happiness you can’t buy with money is right here. And thanks to Baek In-ah, I get to enjoy it for free for a while. I’ve really picked an amazing friend.” 

Every time she opened her mouth, praise poured out. 

She couldn’t enjoy this feeling alone. Without even considering the time difference, Hae-soo immediately called In-ah. 

The ringtone went on for quite a while. At the end of it, In-ah’s slightly subdued voice came through. 

－Hello. 

“Baek In-ah!” 

－Ah, you startled me. What’s up, did you arrive?” 

“Yeah, just now. Wow, this place is seriously incredible. It’s so beautiful.” 

Hae-soo once again poured out words of admiration. Even repeating the same words over and over didn’t feel tiresome. It was just that beautiful. 

Perhaps Hae-soo’s happiness was clearly conveyed even from the other side of the globe, as In-ah let out a small laugh. 

－Have you gone into the house yet? 

“No, not yet. The village is so pretty that I’m just sightseeing for now.” 

－Since you’re on the phone, go check out the house first. There’s someone managing it, but since it’s been empty for a long time, there might be places that need repairs. 

“I’m sure they’ve taken care of it well.” 

－I get that you’re super excited about your first-ever vacation, but I’m saying this for your sake, so go check the house first, okay? 

A slightly disapproving tone came through the phone. Even so, Hae-soo was simply thrilled. 

Even if In-ah treated her like a disobedient child and scolded her, for now, everything just felt wonderful. 

But she couldn’t ignore In-ah’s persistent urging any longer. 

Putting off the irresistible village sightseeing for a while, Hae-soo grabbed the key she had received from In-ah and headed toward the entrance of the house owned by Taeseon Group. 

“I’m realizing all over again how amazing a friend you are. I mentioned it last time too, but I’m really grateful. Thanks to you, I think I’ll be able to rest comfortably.” 

－It’s not that I’m amazing; it’s my grandfather who’s amazing. I just got lucky to be born as my mom and dad’s daughter. And anyway, since the house is just sitting empty, while you’re there, you’re managing it on behalf of our family, so we’re grateful too. 

In-ah spoke in a tone so casual it almost lacked any emotion. Because of that, Hae-soo couldn’t help but let out a wry laugh. 

It was astonishing how someone born into a family that ranks among the top three conglomerates in South Korea could be so down-to-earth. 

Moreover, In-ah had been consistently like this since childhood. She always said the amazing one was her grandfather, who built Taeseon, and that she was just lucky. 

Sometimes she might seem a bit naive, but Hae-soo genuinely cherished and liked In-ah. Perhaps the reason they had remained best friends all this time was because In-ah had such an easygoing personality. 

“……Huh?”

It was at that moment when Hae-soo was deep in thought about In-ah while trying to unlock the door with the key. Before she could even properly turn the key, the front door slid open with a soft creak. 

Hae-soo looked through the slightly opened door with a puzzled expression. A strange sight immediately caught her eye. 

On the Nordic-style tiled floor of the entrance, a pair of sneakers sat conspicuously alone. 

－What’s wrong, is there a problem? 

Perhaps finding the sudden silence odd, In-ah’s voice came through the phone. 

She had definitely said this house hadn’t been touched by anyone in a long time. 

For the door of such a house to not be properly locked was strange enough, but to also find sneakers at the entrance made it even more bizarre. Still, Hae-soo shook her head for now.  

“Ah, no, it’s nothing. You said it hadn’t been touched in a while, but it looks pretty tidy.” 

Even as she spoke as if nothing was wrong, she cautiously glanced around the house. She wondered if perhaps the person managing the house might be there. 

But no matter how much she looked and looked again, the house was eerily quiet, and not a single soul was in sight. 

“……Maybe these are shoes left behind by the caretaker.” 

Hae-soo muttered softly while scanning the house once more. But as expected, there was no trace of anyone to be found, no matter how hard she looked. 

“Must be a spare pair of shoes for the caretaker.” 

No matter how much she thought about it, there was no other explanation. Only then did Hae-soo relax a bit and start searching for the light switch in the first-floor living room. And just as she flipped the switch on, 

Shaaaa. 

Suddenly, the faint sound of water falling began to echo. 

Hae-soo’s face froze in surprise as she glanced around the house. 

“What, what is that?” 

－What’s wrong? Is something happening? 

In-ah’s voice, now tinged with tension, came through the phone in response to Hae-soo’s startled muttering. This time, even Hae-soo couldn’t pretend everything was fine. 

Hae-soo gripped the phone tightly with a frightened expression. 

“I suddenly hear the sound of water……?” 

－Suddenly? I haven’t heard anything about a leak. 

“No, it’s not that kind of sound. It’s like someone showering.” 

－Showering? Who would be showering in someone else’s house? 

In-ah asked in a tone of disbelief. Hae-soo felt the same disbelief, but for her, fear was the bigger issue. 

Hae-soo tilted her ear toward the sound and tiptoed in its direction. As the distance closed, the sound of the shower became clearer. There was no room for doubt. 

“I’m in front of a door in the middle of the first-floor hallway, and I can hear the shower sound coming from here.” 

－A door in the middle of the first-floor hallway? Huh? That’s the bathroom. 

“Ha, it’s definitely the sound of a shower, then!” 

－Hey, does that even make sense? Do you know how long that house has been empty? 

“Then what is this sound? Isn’t it the caretaker taking a shower here?” 

－Are you serious? Say something that makes sense. Why would they shower here when they have their own perfectly good house? Stop talking nonsense and just open the door. 

“What?? Why, why should I!” 

At In-ah’s sudden suggestion, Hae-soo recoiled in horror and stepped back. Just moments ago, this place had felt like the perfect haven, but now it suddenly felt like she had stepped into a haunted house. 

－If it’s a leak or something, don’t we need to contact the caretaker? 

“No way. I’m telling you, this is definitely the sound of a shower!” 

－Then maybe the faucet is turned on?” 

“A perfectly good faucet? Why would it be?” 

－That’s why I’m telling you to check if it’s fine or not. 

In-ah demanded firmly. This put Hae-soo in a difficult spot. If she had her way, she’d also firmly refuse. But the reality was that she was the one who had to stay in this house for a while. 

In other words, if she didn’t resolve this situation, she would be the only one to suffer. 

“Ha, isn’t this kind of thing supposed to be handled by the caretaker?” 

Ultimately succumbing to reality, Hae-soo grimaced. Then she tightly gripped the doorknob. Fear washed over her like a tidal wave, but there was no other choice. 

She squeezed her eyes shut and yanked the door open with all her strength. 

“Where is the caretaker, and what are they doing that they don’t even know if the bathroom faucet is off or not……!!” 

Her complaint-like words echoed through the bathroom before she could even finish. And then, Hae-soo helplessly dropped the phone she had been holding with a dull thud. 

Through the hazy steam, a face she could hardly believe appeared before her. 

“Huh.” 

“Cr-Crazy……!!” 

It was Baek In-wook.