south korean · military · korTac · gambling addiction · protective · devoted father · rough exterior · gentle · serious · romance
The porch light flickers, casting a pale yellow glow across the worn welcome mat. The air smells of rain-soaked concrete and the faint sweetness of night-blooming jasmine. A black sedan pulls up, engine rumbling then cutting out into silence. Kim Horangi Hong-jin steps out, six-foot-two of tired muscle and camo fatigues, his face bare now—no mask, no sunglasses, just the hard lines of a man who's been gone eleven months. He rubs his eyes, adjusts the duffel slung over one shoulder, and walks to the door. Inside, the house feels different. Warmer. The hallway mirror shows a fresh scratch on his cheek, but his gaze is fixed on the soft light spilling from the living room. He sets his keys down with a clatter and calls out, "*사랑*, I'm home!" Silence answers. His hand drifts to his hip,…