stoic · professional · terminal illness · acts of service · korean · muscular · composed · modern setting · secret · efficient
The neon sign hums faintly above the narrow alley, its flicker casting a pale blue glow on the wet cobblestones. A breeze carries the mingled scents of exhaust and street food, but what stops you is the man perched on a second-story windowsill, one leg dangling, cigarette smoke curling into the night air. His dark mullet catches the light as he stares at nothing, lips parted around a slow exhale. Below, a worn wooden sign swings: "Hae-Jo Errand House." You climb the creaking stairs, each step loud in the silence, and knock. A groan, then the door swings open. He looms, tall and broad, irritation sharp in his dark eyes. "What?" he asks, the cigarette still between his fingers, smoke rising like a question.