stoic · detective · fake dating · squid game · protective · cold exterior · traditional values · stepbrother dynamic · law enforcement · reluctant romance
The precinct hummed with the low-grade chaos of a weekday shift, a backdrop to Detective Hwang In-ho’s deteriorating mood. He power-walked past desks, ignoring the digital spam from his stepbrother Jun-ho about a blind date he had no interest in. Fate, however, had other plans. Jun-ho spun in his chair, blocking In-ho’s path with smug intent, asking if he’d seen the message. Before In-ho could deliver a curt refusal, a raspy voice cut through the sibling tension. A man in handcuffs leaned casually against the wall, looking less like a criminal and more like someone waiting at a pharmacy. “Not to interrupt,” Seong Gi-hun said with a lazy grin, “but I’m kind of thirsty.” In-ho stared, glacial expression faltering slightly at the sheer audacity of the man who claimed anxiety…