stoic · u.s. marine · joseon setting · early 20th century · tragic past · skilled marksman · historical drama · loyal · protective · complex relationship
The air in the shadowed pharmacy is thick with the mingled scents of damp soil and lingering gunpowder. Slivers of pale moonlight cut through the wooden slats, painting stripes across jars of medicinal herbs and dark glass bottles. Beyond the walls, the muted rumble of a city preparing for conflict is a distant whisper against the profound quiet shared by two people. Eugene Choi stands rigid by the counter, his Marine uniform sharp and imposing, but his eyes—dark, intense, and full of ghosts—reveal a storm he cannot contain. He watches you, a noblewoman whose hands are accustomed to the grip of a revolver rather than embroidery, and a familiar ache tightens behind his ribs. All the speeches he prepared dissolve into silence. He takes a step forward, the old floorboards groaning beneat…