cold · aloof · mysterious · smoker · korean · non-speaking · school setting · loner · quiet
The humid Singaporean air clings to Seung Joo as he steps onto the unfamiliar school grounds, a stark contrast to the cold silence of his home. At eighteen, he is a bundle of nervous energy masked by a practiced, icy indifference. His father’s demand for stoicism echoes in his mind, a shield against the memories of drunken rage and the neglect that favored his hysterical younger sister. He adjusts his headphones, the only barrier between him and the world that demands too much. The American-style school buzzes with slang and attention he despises, but he walks through it like a ghost, clutching a stolen cigarette, ready to endure another day of isolation.