Day Three. 9:12 AM.
Min-Jae stood in the kitchen, holding a frozen dumpling in one hand and squinting at the microwave like it was a dangerous artifact.
Soo-Min walked in, half-asleep in a hoodie twice her size, dragging her bunny slippers across the floor.
"Don't do it," she mumbled.
"I'm just heating breakfast."
"You're using a microwave from 2005 that makes noises like it's summoning demons."
Min-Jae smirked. "Have some faith in technology."
He shoved the dumplings into the microwave and pressed buttons with the confidence of someone who clearly didn't read instructions.
3… 2… 1…
BOOM!
The microwave popped, sparked, and a wave of smoke blasted out.
The fire alarm screamed. Soo-Min screamed louder.
"I TOLD YOU IT'S POSSESSED!"
"THE DUMPLINGS BETRAYED ME!"
They flailed around with towels, Bokki ran across the counter with a panicked meow, and Min-Jae tripped over a mop bucket.
Neighbor ajumma from next door barged in holding a fire extinguisher.
"Are you two okay?! Did your husband try to kill you again?!"
Soo-Min froze. "He's NOT my husband! He's barely human!"
Min-Jae coughed through the smoke. "I was just making breakfast, not arson!"
Ajumma stared between them, shook her head, and muttered, "Ah… young love. Always explosive."
---
Scene 2: The Visit from the Building Manager
11:30 AM. The apartment smelled like burnt soy sauce and regret.
The building manager showed up with a clipboard and a grim face.
"Mr. Kim, Ms. Lee, we've had… complaints."
Soo-Min: "About the explosion?"
Manager: "About… multiple things."
He held up a list.
Loud arguments.
Questionable cat noises.
Screaming at 3 AM.
One incident involving a flying slipper that landed on someone's balcony plant.
"Are you two… married?" he asked carefully.
"NO!" they both shouted.
Manager blinked. "Right. Okay. Just—please keep it down. And maybe don't use cursed appliances."
---
Scene 3: Accidental Couple of the Month
Later, they found a bulletin board in the lobby with building news.
At the top:
> "Couple of the Month: Unit 504 – Mr. Kim & Ms. Lee!"
Complete with a blurry photo of them arguing in pajamas while holding a cat.
Min-Jae nearly fainted. "HOW?!"
Soo-Min: "We're the least romantic thing in this building."
An old lady walked by.
"Your fights are so entertaining! We vote every month. You're our favorite couple."
Min-Jae: "Ma'am, I'm being emotionally assaulted."
Old lady: "Aww. You remind me of my third marriage."
---
Scene 4: The Group Chat Chaos
Soo-Min added Min-Jae to the building's residents group chat.
He instantly regretted it.
The messages included:
Mrs. Park: "Saw our cute couple again today! She was yelling but his face said 'I love her.' LOL!"
Mr. Han: "Microwave incident was lit. Literally."
Mrs. Shin: "Why does the cat wear a bowtie sometimes?"
Soo-Min: "They think we're secretly in love."
Min-Jae: "You threw a rice cooker at me two days ago."
Soo-Min: "And missed. That's called mercy."
---
Scene 5: Nighttime Reflections
10:22 PM.
The apartment was calm for once.
Min-Jae sipped banana milk. Soo-Min munched seaweed chips.
"Are we… cursed roommates?" he asked.
She tilted her head. "No. We're… sitcom-level cursed."
He chuckled. "You know what's worse? I'm starting to enjoy it."
She smirked. "Don't say that. The microwave might explode again."
Bokki meowed from the top of the fridge, now his official throne.
They sat in silence, watching a cooking show neither of them would admit they liked.
Min-Jae sighed. "We're gonna be the building's favorite drama until we move out, huh?"
"Better win a couple of awards, then."
---
End of Chapter 4