While Dinorat and Hanna were away from home, Mia got her favorite kind of day: a "lazy day." On those days, she wore a nightgown that barely clung to her shoulders and a pair of enormous pants that only stayed up thanks to the drawstring on her hips.
During her famous lazy days, Mia only slept, ate, and went to the bathroom. Outside of that, she wandered from one room to another with just enough energy to exist.
In Dinorat's room, she tried lifting her weights, even though it was a struggle. Then she would switch to a swimsuit to use Hanna's pool, which she affectionately called "bed."
After a good while of domestic frolicking, Mia plopped down on the living room couch and fell into a deep sleep.
Knock knock knock.
When she heard someone at the door, Mia figured Hanna was back. She stretched in ritual laziness before dragging herself to the entrance. But when she opened the door, she froze: standing in front of her was her new teammate—like a scene out of a bad dream.
"Are you seriously part of the team?"
The guy looked at her with disdain, as if her clothes triggered a visual allergy.
Mia blinked, trying to process the situation.
"There are three rooms available, and... I'm going now."
She dashed up the stairs like a soul fleeing the devil and locked herself in her room. Once inside, she banged her forehead against the wall three times, then sat down against the door, hugging her knees.
Knock knock knock.
"U-uhhh... What is it?"
Her voice came out nervous, as if she suddenly remembered Hanna's warnings.
"You never said which rooms were free."
The new tenant's voice was completely natural, as if invading personal space were just a regular Tuesday for him.
"The one on the right on the third floor is open. The two rooms on the fourth floor are free too."
Mia didn't move. She heard the footsteps fade away and then silence. She cautiously peeked out, just cracking the door. Seeing no one, she sighed in relief.
Feeling calmer, she changed into a white sweatshirt with little cat paws on the pockets and more decent pants—ones that didn't scream "I wasn't expecting visitors."
She decided to check the third and fourth floors, but he wasn't there. Then she went downstairs to the first floor—and there he was, calmly pouring cereal like someone with all the time in the world. He set a bowl on the floor and filled it with kibble and vegetables to feed a semi-robotic turtle that appeared to be his pet.
He glanced at her, and Mia gave a small jump. She swallowed and pursed her lips, trying to summon a bit of courage.
"Can I ask your name?"
"Heo. I thought the boss had already told you."
"He never talks… never expresses what he feels, or what he knows. Changing the subject, why do you sleep so strangely?"
"Is my sleep schedule that much of a problem for you? I'm not a hybrid. That means I need fewer hours of sleep. Instead of 24, I function on 16. I can sleep 13 if I stay up late. Also, that's what affects my connection to the core."
Mia felt like all her internal questions were being answered one by one. But the silence that followed felt dense and uncomfortable.
She looked at the turtle and asked:
"What's her name?"
"Tina. I adopted her after seeing her abandoned. I spent all my money helping her survive."
At first, Heo's expression had been as cold as steel. But when he talked about Tina, his face softened, and he reached down to gently pet her head with a gesture that was almost… human.
Mia ran out of questions. Her curiosity had been thoroughly satisfied, and her desire to stay awake evaporated. From what little she knew about Heo from that brief chat, he didn't seem like the type to touch her—not even by accident.