Chapter Text
Moon Jo was reading the book he ‘borrowed’ from Jong Woo. The Metamorphosis, the title read. It was an intriguing story about a man who undergoes a transformation—a literal transformation from a human to a hideous bug, a figurative transformation from a man who once could provide for his family to a useless person who can no longer integrate into society.
Moon Jo liked this story. He liked this story a lot.
He sensed in the new tenant a potential to become somebody greater than himself, someone who was just as much an artist as Moon Jo. All Jong Woo needed was the right push, and he will soon undergo a transformation as well.
Ah, if only Jong Woo could see what a gift he possessed. Then he would be willing to let Moon Jo push him the way he needed to be pushed.
While flipping through the pages, Moon Jo came across a small photo of the tenant and his girlfriend together. He held it up to get a better look at it. Based on the background, it looked like they were at an amusement park. The girl was wearing those character-based ear headbands, and both of their faces had an innocent and childish glow to them. They looked so happy together, living a normal life like everyone else.
Moon Jo looked at the pretty girl with derision. She was the final obstacle to his plan of transformation. Nothing kept a person more intact than a person they loved.
He pulled out a small photo of himself, a picture he had taken with a young lady he met while volunteering at the senior nursing home. Not that he cared too much about the photo or the events of the photo. He then ripped the photo of Jong Woo and this girlfriend, separating their faces with a single tear that cut in between their bodies. He tossed away the photo with the woman, and he covered the picture of the woman Moon Jo was standing next to with the image of the tenant, as if the two of them were standing together in one photo.
Moon Jo’s face expanded into a cruel smile.
One day, they will be together.
Forever.