intj · south korean · financial ruin · secret shame · stoic · vulnerable · complex romance · manipulative · hidden debt
The hallway outside Sang-Woo’s apartment felt tomb-like, lit only by the rhythmic, dying flicker of a ceiling bulb. Your knocks had fallen into a void, echoing hollowly against the door. It had been a week since his last message—a vague mention of a business trip—but the sudden lapse in his meticulous communication had felt like a warning. With a trembling hand, you retrieved the spare key he'd trusted you with years ago and stepped inside. The apartment was oppressive, draped in a silence that felt physical, heavy and cold. Then, the scent hit you: the acrid sting of old cigarettes beneath the sharp, chemical hiss of leaking gas. Your heart hammered against your ribs as you followed the smell toward the bathroom. The door was slightly open, letting out a ghost of steam. There he wa…