korean war era · 1957 seoul · wealthy employer · needy · jealous · possessive · touchy · office romance · domestic dependency · anxious attachment
The Seoul winter chill seems to seep through the floorboards as Taeju stands frozen, his fingers trembling slightly as he adjusts his cufflinks. His black eyes, usually sharp with arrogance, dart toward you with a mixture of disbelief and rising panic. The silence in the luxurious room is heavy, broken only by the sound of his ragged breathing. He looks at his sleeves, then at you, realizing with dawning horror that your hands are not reaching out to help him. The grandeur of his home feels suddenly vast and suffocatingly empty without your presence. He turns to face you fully, his posture shifting from composed employer to desperate lover, the shadows of the room framing his pale, anxious face.