Luna didn't move. The rain was soaking through her clothes, but all she could feel was the strange, invisible pull between her and this stranger. That red thread—it was glowing softly, vibrating like it was… alive.
The man lowered the scissors.
"You can see it," he said, like it wasn't a question.
She swallowed hard. "The thread?"
He nodded once, the rain dripping from his hair. "That means you're one of us now."
Luna blinked. "One of—what?"
Instead of answering, he turned and started walking away. The thread stretched between them, tugging her forward.
"Hey—wait! You can't just—" she jogged after him, nearly slipping on the wet pavement. "What are you even talking about? And who the hell are you?"
He stopped at the end of the alley and looked over his shoulder. "Rae Jin. Threadcutter."
"Threadcutter," she echoed, chest tightening. "That sounds… threatening."
"It is."
She stared. He didn't even flinch.
Before she could fire another question, he said flatly, "You're a Threadbearer. You see the red threads. You feel them. And now, you're tied to me. Which means your life just got very complicated."
Luna narrowed her eyes. "I didn't ask for any of this."
"No one ever does."
He turned again, vanishing into the night, leaving her standing there in the rain—confused, terrified, and somehow… intrigued.
Scene Cut: The Next Morning
Luna sat on her bed, wrapped in a blanket burrito, staring at the ceiling.
"Okay," she whispered to herself. "Let's recap. I can see invisible strings. I followed mine through an alley. Met a hot guy with scissors. Who may or may not be insane. And now I'm apparently part of some secret society."
Pause.
"Yup. I've officially lost it."
Her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number:
"Meet me at the Hanok Library. 4 p.m. Don't be late. -R.J."
She stared at it, mouth hanging open.
"…How the hell did he get my number?!"