The sky over Seoul was a quiet grey that evening — not stormy, just heavy with the kind of stillness that seemed to listen. The four women had spent their day apart, in their own corners of the city, unaware that the same unseen thread had followed each of them.
By the time night fell, the house smelled faintly of rain and coffee, the living room lights casting a soft golden glow over the walls. One by one, they drifted in — tired, distracted, carrying stories that didn't quite make sense yet.
---
Lila
Lila came first, kicking off her shoes with her usual dramatic sigh. Her apron still smelled of roasted beans, and a faint stain of milk clung to her sleeve.
"Busy day?" Re-ha asked from the couch, sketchbook open across her knees.
"You have no idea," Lila groaned. "I burned the coffee machine. Again."
Re-ha smiled. "That's becoming a habit."
"Yeah, but this time was… different," Lila said, lowering her voice as she sat. "I was taking notes for the new menu. And I wrote something I didn't mean to."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't even remember hearing it, but suddenly the number 4114 was on the page. I don't know how. It just came out."
Re-ha froze for a moment, eyes flickering toward the letter still folded neatly on the table. "That number again…" she murmured.
Lila frowned. "Again?"
Before she could answer, the front door clicked open.
---
Agani
Agani entered, clutching a folder from work and looking pale. "Sorry, I'm late," she said softly. "My boss called me in last minute."
"Rough day?" Nira asked gently from the corner, where she'd been quietly reading.
Agani nodded, slipping onto the couch. "He wants me to visit a property tomorrow — an old travel site listed under the company's restoration program. But…" She hesitated. "It's in an area that's… odd."
Re-ha looked up. "Where?"
Agani's fingers tightened on the folder. "House 4112."
The room fell silent.
Even Lila's easy grin faltered. "You're joking."
"I wish I was," Agani said quietly. "When he said it, something in me just—stopped. Like I knew that name before."
"And it's near the 4114 district," Re-ha whispered. "The one they say used to be an artist's colony. Most of the houses there are abandoned now."
"Creepy," Lila muttered, hugging a pillow.
Agani sighed. "Probably just old rumors. But still… it feels strange."
---
Nira
They turned as Nira closed her book, her calm face thoughtful. "I had something strange too," she said softly. "At the university."
Re-ha frowned. "You started your new job today, right? How was it?"
"Fine, at first," Nira replied. "I was in the staff room. A few professors were talking — gossip, really. They were saying that all the houses from 4113 to 4120 are haunted. That people who move there… don't stay long."
Lila made a face. "Haunted? Please, I'm already scared of my electricity bill."
But Nira didn't laugh. "When I heard them mention it, I felt dizzy. I tried to stand, but everything went black. Next thing I remember, I was lying on the floor, and someone was calling my name."
Her calm voice trembled slightly, and Re-ha reached out, touching her hand. "Nira…"
"I'm fine now," Nira said quickly. "But something about that number—those houses—it's like they mean something to us. All of us."
Silence fell again. The kind that makes every sound louder. The ticking of the small wall clock suddenly felt too sharp.
---
Jin and the Letter
Just then, a familiar voice broke the tension. "Is this a bad time?"
Jin stood at the doorway, umbrella in hand, raindrops still sliding down his jacket.
Re-ha exhaled. "You could've texted."
"I did," he said with a half-smile, stepping inside. "You didn't read it. Thought I'd check on you instead."
Lila grinned. "Aww, how romantic. Should we give you two a moment?"
Re-ha rolled her eyes but smiled despite herself. "Sit down, Jin. You might as well join the chaos."
Jin glanced at the faces around him, sensing the tension immediately. "What happened?"
"The letter," Re-ha said quietly. She opened the folded paper and set it in the center of the table. "They've all seen something connected to it today."
Jin studied the digits — 4114 — his brow furrowed. "That can't be coincidence."
"Maybe it's linked to that area," Agani murmured. "4112, 4113, 4114… all close together."
Lila leaned forward. "You think someone's trying to tell us something?"
"Or warn us," Nira said softly.
The wind rattled the window, punctuating her words.
---
Small Moments of Light
Jin looked around, his expression softening. "You've all had long days. Maybe it's just a strange connection, not something dark."
Lila huffed. "You sound like Re-ha."
"Good," he said, smiling at her. "She's the rational one."
Re-ha gave him a mock glare. "Excuse me, I'm the stylish one. Rational comes second."
That earned a small laugh from everyone — the first sound of warmth in the room all evening. Even Nira smiled faintly.
Agani leaned back, exhaustion showing in her eyes. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we should rest. Tomorrow I'll visit House 4112 and see what's there. It might give us some answers."
Jin looked concerned. "Go with someone. Don't go alone."
Before Agani could reply, a familiar voice came from the hallway. "Don't worry, she won't."
Everyone turned. Ij stood there, leaning casually against the doorframe. He had that same easy grin that always managed to both annoy and disarm Agani.
"I heard you were assigned to that area," he said, walking in. "Boss told me to assist you. Guess we're partners for this one."
Agani blinked, surprised. "You?"
He smirked. "Don't look so disappointed. I promise not to get us lost."
Lila snorted. "Oh, this is going to be fun."
Re-ha smiled knowingly, catching the slight blush on Agani's cheeks.
---
The Shared Realization
As the conversation softened, the group slowly relaxed — tea cups in hand, quiet laughter weaving through the air. For a while, it almost felt normal again.
Then Nira spoke, her tone thoughtful. "You know what's strange?"
Everyone looked at her.
"We all came from different places. Different lives. And yet, somehow, we ended up here — in this house, in this city, with this number following us."
Her words hung heavy in the warm air.
Re-ha's gaze dropped to the letter again. "Maybe we were meant to."
Lila tilted her head. "You think it's fate?"
"Maybe not fate," Agani said softly, her voice distant. "Maybe unfinished stories — finding each other."
A quiet filled the room. Jin reached for Re-ha's hand, squeezing it lightly. She didn't pull away.
The rain had stopped, but the air outside still shimmered with that post-storm clarity, the kind that made everything feel newly written.
---
The Ending Note
Later that night, after everyone drifted to their rooms, the house fell silent again. The folded letter remained on the table, a forgotten shadow under the dim light.
A soft breeze from the open window rustled its edges, and for a brief second, the paper shifted — revealing faint, almost invisible markings beneath the printed numbers.
Lines. Curves.
They weren't random. They looked like a map.
And just as the clock struck midnight, the letter's edges fluttered once more — as if something unseen had breathed across it.
In the next room, Re-ha stirred in her sleep.
In another, Lila whispered restlessly.
Agani dreamed of an old gate marked 4112.
And Nira, eyes open in the dark, whispered the number under her breath — not in fear, but in quiet recognition.
"Four-one-one-four."
Outside, far away across the river, in the district no one visited anymore, an abandoned mansion stood silent.
And inside, in the dust and dark, a clock began to tick again.
---