Elara, a brilliant but reclusive digital artist, lives confined to her apartment by severe agoraphobia, a fortress she built after a devastating betrayal. Her sole connection and lifeline to the outside world is her work for a single, anonymous, high-paying client. When Leo, an endlessly cheerful and empathetic barista, moves in next door, his persistent yet gentle attempts at friendship feel like an alarming threat to her meticulously protected, fragile peace. Scarred by her past, she fiercely rebuffs him, clinging to the perceived safety of her isolation. However, Elara's carefully constructed world shatters when her anonymous client abruptly vanishes without payment, leaving her on the brink of eviction. This professional and emotional blow plunges her into a spiral of despair. In her darkest moment, surrounded by the four walls that now feel more like a tomb than a sanctuary, she confronts the agonizing realization that this self-imposed prison is a slow, suffocating death. Clinging to a fragile sliver of hope, sparked by Leo’s remembered kindness and genuine warmth, Elara gathers every ounce of her resilient spirit. She takes the most terrifying step of her life: she opens her door. Her journey unfolds as a slow, painful bloom, as she bravely learns to navigate the complexities of the outside world, tentatively trust another person, and finally allow her own guarded heart to be seen, discovering that true strength isn't found in avoiding scars, but in wearing them with unwavering courage.
Creator: 정한울
Published: 2026-05-25T05:23:11
Frame 1: Leo carries a heavy cardboard box towards an open apartment door. A moving dolly with more boxes is visible behind Leo.
Frame 2: Elara's hand pauses over a book, fingers tense. The book lies open on a small table.
Frame 3: Leo sets the box down just inside the doorway of the new apartment. Leo then wipes a bead of sweat from a forehead.
Frame 4: Elara stands up from a chair, the book now closed on the table. Elara’s posture is rigid and alert.
Frame 5: Leo exits the new apartment into the hallway, leaving the door ajar. Leo turns towards the adjacent apartment door.
Frame 6: Leo raises a hand in a friendly wave towards Elara's closed door. Leo's mouth is open as if speaking a greeting.
A new neighbor, Leo, moves in next door, his cheerful energy immediately disrupting Elara’s quiet routine. His friendly "hello" from the hallway sends a jolt of anxiety through her carefully constructed peace. Elara instinctively retreats, barricading herself further behind her door and drawn curtains. Leo’s attempts at small talk and a housewarming gesture are met with silence, fueling her internal conflict between yearning and fear. She watches him through her peephole, a mixture of fascination and dread swirling within her.
