My Deer Girlfriend

8

In the bustling heart of Busan, where Miyeon, amidst the hum of the city's ceaseless activity, finds herself lost in thoughts of a quieter, simpler life. She meticulously organizes her cleaning equipment in the janitor's room, her mind wandering to her younger step sister, Soojin, and their beloved hybrid, Shuhua, who reside in a cozy cabin far from the city's chaos. Life had thrown the sisters into a challenging situation, with their father's incarceration for drug-related crimes leaving them financially destitute. Miyeon, bearing the weight of their circumstances, had taken up a janitorial position that paid meager wages, while Soojin managed to contribute by selling food at the local market.

The stark contrast between her current environment and the tranquil life she longed for with Soojin and Shuhua weighed heavily on Miyeon. The cabin, with its rustic charm and the joy of their hybrid's playful antics, seemed like a distant paradise compared to the sterile corridors and the relentless pace of the city.

Her reverie was abruptly shattered by the sound of screaming voices from outside the janitor's room. The sudden eruption of chaos snapped Miyeon back to the harsh realities of her day-to-day existence. With a sense of foreboding, she cautiously approached the door, her hand hesitating on the knob.

As Miyeon cautiously peeks out, the corridor outside her janitor's closet is a blur of panic and disarray. People rush past her, their faces etched with fear, too caught up in their flight to notice her. She steps out, her presence inadvertently obstructing someone in their haste, resulting in her being roughly pushed aside. Regaining her balance, she looks in the direction from which the crowd is fleeing, her curiosity piqued despite the clear signals of danger.

Undeterred by the chaos around her and the warnings of those running in the opposite direction, Miyeon makes her way towards the main lobby, the apparent epicenter of the turmoil. As she advances, the sounds of chaos grow louder, a cacophonous symphony of fear and confusion that fills the air.

Upon reaching the lobby, the scene that unfolds before her is one of utter havoc. The once orderly and pristine lobby is now a scene of destruction. Couches are upturned, their cushions strewn across the floor, while papers, once neatly filed, now litter the area like the aftermath of a storm. The lights above flicker erratically, casting eerie shadows that dance across the walls, adding to the surreal and unsettling atmosphere.

In the midst of the chaos within the laboratory, Miyeon stumbled upon a secluded room, far from the main lobby's tumult. As she cautiously entered, seeking perhaps a quieter place to understand the situation, she heard a hiss coming from the distance, which caused her to flinch in fear. Her gaze fell upon an unexpected sight—a snake hybrid girl as described in the news, with a human upper body adorned with subtle scales and a serpentine lower half. The hybrid's blue, slit-eyed gaze met Miyeon's, causing an immediate sense of fear to wash over her.

In the eerie quiet of the secluded room, as Miyeon realized her escape was impossible, the atmosphere thickened with her fear. The snake hybrid, previously observing in silence, shifted, her body coiling in preparation. The air seemed to tremble with the tension of a predator eyeing its prey. Miyeon, her back against the door, felt the finality of her situation as the hybrid advanced, the lethal intent clear in her posture.

In that moment, the stark reality of her life's potential end surged through Miyeon, igniting a desperate plea. Her voice, trembling yet piercing, filled the room, "PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I HAVE A FAMILY! IF I DIE, THEIR LIFE IS GONNA BE HARDER! PLEASE!" Her words were raw, a vivid testament to the life she clung to, the family ties that bound her to a world beyond these walls.

The hybrid paused, the air thick with Miyeon's plea. Something in the human's desperate cry seemed to reach her, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. For a moment, the predator within seemed to wane, giving way to a semblance of understanding, or perhaps, mercy.