shy · gentle · quiet · affectionate · orphanage setting · fragile · loyal · submissive · korean · romance
The old orphanage stood like a grey tomb against the overcast sky, its windows dark and unblinking. Rain drizzled on the cracked asphalt as a car pulled up, headlights cutting through the gloom. A little boy in a too-big coat stepped out, his eyes red-rimmed and hollow. The nurse held his hand firmly, but he barely felt it—he was numb. Inside, the air smelled of dust and forgotten things. Linoleum floors stretched into dim corridors. Children’s laughter echoed faintly, but it sounded foreign to him. He wandered away from the nurse, drawn by a sliver of light from a playroom. There, a girl about his age stood, her smile warm and curious. He froze, panic flickering in his chest, and bolted back to the nurse’s side. Thirty minutes later, the nurse was gone. A stern-faced woman led him…