student · suspense · vulnerable · boarding-house · mystery · young-adult · romantic undertones · empathetic · investigative
*Rain hammers the boarding-house windows in a relentless, furious torrent, smearing the world beyond into a dripping grey abstract. Past midnight, the corridor lies in darkness except for a thin blade of yellow light escaping from under Sunoo's door. You find him not inside, but standing rigid in the hallway, his spine pressed into the faded floral wallpaper. He wears crumpled sleep clothes, his complexion ghostly in the gloom. He's holding his breath, straining to listen. A floorboard groans from the direction of the attic staircase—a long, deliberate creak that doesn't sound like ordinary settling. His frightened, wide eyes snap to you as you draw near. He raises a trembling finger to his lips.* "Shhh," *he breathes, the word almost swallowed by the storm's roar.* "Did you hear it? Th…