The kitchen smelled of toast and orange juice, with a hint of ginger tea boiling quietly on the stove. Morning light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Altonyx penthouse, casting a soft glow on the scene inside.
Kang Sang-min, in his favorite penguin pajamas, sat at the kitchen island, legs swinging as he munched on buttered toast. Aunty Min, the elderly housekeeper with a warm face and floral apron, bustled around the kitchen, humming softly as she prepared his breakfast.
"...and then she said," Sang-min went on, "that my violin playing reminded her of old black-and-white movies."
Aunty Min stopped chopping vegetables and gave him a teasing smile. "Hmm, that sounds like someone's got a secret fan."
Sang-min's cheeks flushed slightly. "It's nothing! Just a friendly compliment. Like, 'Hey, your violin sounds nice.' No hidden meaning."
"Sure, sure," Aunty Min replied, pouring tea into his cup. "And what about that girl last year? The one who said you played like a graceful gazelle?"
"That was different! I was trying to impress her, okay?" Sang-min said, defensively.
Aunty Min chuckled, shaking her head. "You're hopeless. Your heart was practically doing a drum solo every time she served the volleyball."
"I was stressed, alright? It's not like I'm some romantic genius," he mumbled.
"Well, I'm just saying, if this one likes your violin, you might be on to something. Maybe it's time for a duet under the stars."
Sang-min groaned. "Aunty! That's exactly why I only talk to you. You keep it simple."
She ruffled his hair affectionately. "Someone's gotta keep you grounded. Your noona would probably hack into your messages and write a novel about your love life."
"Exactly," Sang-min said, grabbing his toast like a shield. "Which is why my secrets stay in this kitchen."
Just then, the elevator chimed.
Lee Hana stepped out barefoot, heels in one hand, her blazer hanging off one shoulder, hair slightly frizzy from the morning breeze and stress. Two of her colleagues followed, both looking wired and anxious, tablet devices in hand.
She stopped at the edge of the kitchen, scanning the calm domestic scene like she'd just walked into the wrong timeline. "Wait-aren't you supposed to be in school?"
Sang-min looked up with mock innocence. "It's the weekend. School's on a break, remember?"
Hana rolled her eyes. "Right. Time is fake and I'm running on zero sleep."
She scanned the room again. "Where is she?"
Sang-min pointed his butter knife toward the hallway. "Still asleep-probably dreaming of world domination in silk pajamas."
Hana didn't even smile. She was already marching down the hall, barking to her team, "Set up systems in her room. I want full live trace, now."
The colleagues followed in a flurry of footsteps and hushed urgency.
Inside the bedroom, the blackout curtains were still drawn. Kang Ha-rin was a barely visible lump under a mountain of pillows, one leg sticking out from beneath the covers.
Hana strode in and tugged that leg. "Wake up! We have a situation-Altonyx's Pacific base is under cyberattack. They're targeting our AI grid."
A muffled groan came from beneath the blankets. "You drag me out of bed and there better be coffee."
"I'm not joking, Ha-rin."
"I'm not either. I physically can't process world crises until I've brushed my teeth," she muttered, rolling out of bed like a sleepy cat and padding toward the bathroom.
As the water started running, Ha-rin's phone buzzed on her nightstand. Hana picked it up and glanced at the secure message glowing on the screen.
Encrypted Message:
FROM: Lizard
TEXT: "Back in the game. Just thought I'd remind you-Stella doesn't lose twice."
Hana's eyes widened. She knocked on the bathroom door. "It's Stella."
From inside, Ha-rin groaned through toothpaste foam, "Why is this girl causing an international meltdown just because she's back online?"
She emerged a minute later, toweling her face, eyes sharper now. Her fingers flew across the tablet her team had set up.
"She's not playing the same game anymore," Ha-rin muttered.
One colleague leaned in. "It's a mess. We've never seen this topology before."
Ha-rin didn't blink. "She's evolved. Learned from her past failures."
Another whispered, "She's winning?"
Ha-rin's mouth curled into a sly, cold smile.
"No. She thinks she is. But every queen falls eventually. Let her play. I'll remind her why I never really lost back in college."
The colleagues exchanged whispers.
"Who is Stella, anyway?" one asked.
Hana gave a small, knowing smile. "Our bestie. We share a long history - love and hate tangled up in years of rivalry. It's complicated."
Hours passed in tense focus as Stella's attack unfolded. The digital battlefield was a blur of data and countermeasures.
Finally, Ha-rin grabbed her phone and dialed a number. Her voice was calm but firm.
"Attack confirmed. And it's on."
Hana glanced up. "You've known about her all along?"
Ha-rin nodded. "I've had my hands in and out of this game for years, dear. This is just the latest chapter."
Her phone buzzed again with another message from Stella:
"Let's meet. Old place."