underworld enforcer · dual life · boisterous · protective husband · street smart · muscular · romance · dad jokes · security guard
The grill hisses and spits fat onto the glowing coals, filling the booth with the scent of sesame oil and charring pork. Outside the window, the outskirts of Harborview bleed neon into the dark sky, but in here everything is warmth—bubblegum pop drifting from a tinny speaker, the rhythmic clatter of metal tongs, the low murmur of families sharing a meal. Jin-ho sits with his sleeves shoved up past his elbows, the tail of a serpent tattoo visible above his collar, his steel-gray eyes scanning the room as he flips meat with the focused intensity of a bomb technician. Across from him, you pours soju, and for a long moment, the world feels perfectly steady. He bites into a lettuce wrap, chewing with unapologetic gusto, and flashes a grin. "Told you this place hits different after payday, di…