"What the hell—?!"
"Ah—?! Hey!"
Noah scrambled in a panic, kicking off the blanket as he tumbled out of bed—nearly crashing headfirst into the floor...!
He quickly turned back, wide-eyed and gasping, only to see—
The 'woman' herself, still sprawled on his bed—surprised by his sudden overreaction.
"Wh-Who the hell are you...?!" Noah blurted out with an accusatory finger, his voice cracking between fear and disbelief.
The 'woman,' however, rather than being intimidated, her surprise quickly twisted back into annoyance.
"That should be my question!" she shot back, jabbing her own finger at him. "Who. Are. You?! And why are you in my domain?!"
"...Huh?"
Noah could only blink, baffled.
"...'Your domain'...?"
"That's right—my domain!" she snapped, pushing herself off the bed. "You are trespassing!"
And as she stepped into the pale moonlight spilling through the bedroom window... Noah finally got a good look at her.
A beautiful woman.
Long, flowing black hair cascaded down her back... framing her pale, porcelain skin. Draped over her was a black dress—
A simple ebony dress, yet it hugged her form close enough to trace the outline of her figure.
But what truly stole his breath... were her eyes.
Scarlet red irises.
Vivid. Piercing. So sharp that for a second, he felt like they were dragging him into their depth.
And for that moment... Noah was captivated.
Spellbound by her haunting beauty under the moonlight.
"—you listening? Hey!!"
"H-huh...?"
Noah was snapped out of his stupor by the woman's sharp voice—and of course, he saw the frustration evident on her face.
"Hey! I'm asking you here!" she barked, stepping up closer to his face! "Who are you and why are you trespassing my domain?!"
Noah couldn't help but take a step back at how dangerously close she was to him, but—
"Okay! Okay! Back off already!"
"—!? H-huh...?!"
He pushed her back by the shoulders, regaining his personal space. However—
"...How...?"
The mystery woman herself froze in confusion... as if whatever he'd done had greatly shocked her.
"Okay, first of all—what do you mean I was 'trespassing your domain'?"
"I-Isn't it obvious?" the woman shot back, puffing her chest as though declaring her right. "This property is my domain!"
He blinked; confused and somewhat taken aback.
"H-huh? Wait... does that mean you're the landlady here?"
"...'Landlady'?" She tilted her head, genuinely puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"
"...You're not even sure?" Noah frowned, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "I'm asking if you're the legal owner of this whole apartment complex—the building we are in right now."
"W-what nonsense do you speak of?" she snapped, her scarlet eyes flashing with defiance. "Anything that stands in my domain is automatically my property—thus this apartment complex, or whatever you mortals call it, belongs to me!"
"...What the hell are you even saying here...?"
Noah groaned, dragging a hand down his face in frustration.
"Forget it. Even IF you do "own" this piece of land, that doesn't mean you can just barge into my apartment however you please."
He straightened, pointing a finger at her with growing irritation.
"Look—I already got an official contract for renting this apartment. So... under THIS contract's duration, this place is LEGALLY mine! And YOU—" he jabbed his finger harder, "you're the one trespassing MY place! So please... would you kindly leave?"
Her jaw dropped at his audacity, as if she never expected him to defy her will.
"What...?! N-no! I-I will not leave this place!!" She pointed her own trembling finger back at him. "It's you who should leave!!"
"For fuck's sake..."
Noah facepalmed; his patience was already running thin... before he let out a tired sigh as he looked up.
"Out."
"W-what—"
"I said out!!!"
He grabbed hold of her arm—!
"—! W-what—?!"
—Which surprised her once again!
"H-how are you able to touch me—"
"I don't care. Get the hell out of my apartment."
And he started pulling her out from his bedroom... through the living room... and straight toward the entrance of the apartment—
All while she kept on protesting...!
"—Aagh...! Let me go...!" She continued to voice her outrage, trying her best to pry the hand holding and dragging her. "Y-you're the one trespassing my domain...! So...! Why am I the one that should leave...!?!"
But... Noah had decided to ignore her protests, opting to just focus on the door in front of him. He opened it—
"Kyaah—!?"
—And threw the intruding woman out from his apartment!
She landed into the cold night hallway with a dull thud, still reeling from being thrown out so harshly, before frantically turning around…
And saw the very man who had dealt her such treatment standing at the doorway with a stern expression...!
"I don't care if you're the owner of this land or some damn home invader—you're not welcome here. Try to barge in again, and I'll call the cops on you."
And with that... he slammed the door shut—! Leaving behind the shell-shocked woman staring at the door.
Back inside the apartment...
"God... what the hell is wrong with this apartment...?"
Noah groaned in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose—trying to ease the incoming headache.
"Everything here seems to be broken..." he muttered bitterly, "and how the hell did that chick even get in the first place? Don't tell me the damn door lock's busted too..."
He dreaded the thought, already imagining what else could've been broken in his apartment that might've let a stranger slip inside...
But then—
"You insolent mortal! How dare you treat me like that?!"
"What the...?"
The very same intruder's voice rang out again from behind him—from the very door that SHOULD have been firmly SHUT and PREVENTED anyone from entering his apartment...!
"Oh, for the love—how the hell are you entering my—"
However, as he turned around...
Noah froze on the spot. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes widened.
He was faced with the very woman herself with her pout sharp and childishly offended at his earlier harsh treatment...
...As she was phasing clean through the wooden door, her torso slipping past the solid barrier like it was nothing but smoke...!
"... ... ...Huh?"