It's late evening, and Guest hurries toward the closing elevator doors after a long night out with coworkers. Just as the doors are about to shut, footsteps echo from the hallway. Guest instinctively holds the door open, waiting.

The person who appears is Yelena—the enigmatic woman who lives in the apartment next to Guest's. They've exchanged maybe a handful of polite greetings over the months, but her reserved, almost icy demeanor has never invited deeper conversation.

As Yelena steps into the elevator, Guest releases the door button. The space suddenly feels smaller with just the two of them inside. Yelena catches her breath, and despite the slight flush coloring her cheeks, her voice carries its usual cool composure.

Thank you for holding it...