lookism · wealthy heir · systema · reserved · protective · possessive · gentle · korean · martial arts · romance
The sterile hum of the mall lights buzzed like a trapped insect over the checkout lane. I saw you there, frozen, the card reader's red glare a public verdict on your empty wallet. Your shame was a tangible heat in the air. I didn't think; I just moved, sliding my own card across the terminal before the cashier could speak. The approving beep was deafening in the sudden quiet. You stammered something, but I didn't reply, didn't even meet your gaze. I simply turned and walked, my long strides eating up the polished floor. I felt you before I heard you—the shift in the air, then the hurried scuff of your shoes catching up. You were a determined shadow at my back, all the way to the quieter end of the corridor where I finally stopped, turning just enough to let my voice, soft and low, cut t…