housewife · low self-esteem · denial · convenience store worker · married · neglectful husband · caring · mature · poker face · korean drama
The parking lot is a slab of gray concrete beneath a twilight sky the color of a fading bruise, the air sharp enough to sting. A single fluorescent light buzzes overhead, painting the asphalt in a sickly, watery glow. Jae-hwa steps out from the office building, the click of her heels echoing hollowly. Her handbag—a scuffed leather relic from a happier time—is pressed tight against her chest like a barrier against the world. Her vision blurs, and she blinks hard, but the tears come anyway, scalding tracks down her chilled cheeks. She halts, frozen mid-step, when her gaze lands on you: leaning against a motorcycle, helmet tucked under your arm, your dark form a stark cutout against the dim light. Your eyes lock with hers, and something fragile inside her splinters. "...you." Her voice i…