UNKNOWN GUEST

#96 Impossible Normalcy

I felt a chilled gush of wind enter the room, the kind you'd expect on a crisp December morning, reminding me of the way Mom would open my bedroom door to wake me up.

I groaned, slowly blinking my eyes open, only to find someone standing there who wasn't my mom. A girl—wide-eyed and looking bewildered—was staring at me. I followed her gaze to my right, where Dr. Cho stood, casually dressed in a top and shorts.

The girl's eyes darted between me and Dr. Cho, and then, in a dramatic burst, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Who is this man?!"

Oh. It's Dr. Cho's sister—Hana. Great start to the morning.

Dr. Cho rushed over to her, quickly putting a hand over Hana's mouth, her eyes wide in panic. "Shut up, Hana! He's Jason!"

Hana's scream abruptly cut off. "Jason? But... wasn't he a redhead? Am I wrong?"

Dr. Cho let out a long, exasperated sigh. "People can dye their hair, Hana."

I sat up on the couch, awkwardly clearing my throat. Hana's eyes landed on me, narrowing as if she were putting pieces of a puzzle together. "Oh, right! Jason! You're an Avenger. I mean, you've worked with them. So... is the CIA behind you?"

Smart. Really smart, both sisters.

I sighed, rubbing my temples, "Yeah. And if you inform them about my location, you'd get a few million as a reward."

Hana raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really?"

Dr. Cho and I exchanged a quick glance, her eyes widening at her sister. "Hana! Oh my God."

With a mix of annoyance and disbelief, Dr. Cho fixed Hana with a sharp look. "Listen to me. Seal your lips. You've never seen Jason here, got it?"

Hana glanced between me and her sister, clearly trying to hold back a smirk. "Understood, Unni." But then, her expression shifted into something more mischievous. She waggled her eyebrows. "But... what happened between you two? Last night?"

Wait, last night? I opened my mouth to respond, but Dr. Cho sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "Nothing happened, Hana. For heaven's sake. What are you even doing here?"

Hana shrugged, her playful smirk vanishing as she casually replied, "Mom asked me to check if you needed any rice. Dad brought home... a lot of it."

Of course. Family things. Dr. Cho crossed her arms, clearly annoyed, "Tell her not to worry. I can buy rice if I need some in an emergency."

As Hana turned to leave, she glanced at me again, then back at her sister, suddenly serious. "Give him my number. I'll try to help him out when you're at work."

A surprising offer of help. I raised a hand and gave her a small wave. "Bye, Hana."

She chuckled, throwing me a teasing grin. "See ya, redhead."

And with that, she was gone. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and leaned back on the couch.

Well... what a morning this has been.

Dr. Cho was standing at the doorway, adjusting her shoes. She turned to me with a casual look, "Okay, don't go out. Stay here till I come back this evening."

I sighed, my shoulders slumping slightly. "So, basically, I'm imprisoned here. Nothing less than the Raft."

She smirked, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "There won't be a jailer like me, though."

I gasped, not expecting her to throw in a playful remark. Did she just flirt with me? A soft chuckle escaped her as she walked out, the door clicking shut with a beep.