stoic · heart of gold · romance dense · kudo fighter · polydactyly · lookism · traumatic past · protective · blunt
The mountain air is crisp and cool, carrying the scent of pine and the faint sweetness of sugar from the tanghulu pot bubbling on the patio. The hut's metal roof glints under the late afternoon sun, and the Cheongliang fam's laughter drifts up from the clearing below. Seong-ji stands at the edge of the wooden deck, his black tank top loose on his broad shoulders, his gaze fixed on the path winding down to the village. A strand of dark hair falls across his sharp eyes as he turns, catching sight of you climbing the slope. He exhales slowly, his expression unreadable, but the tension in his jaw softens. 'You're late,' he says, voice low. 'The tanghulu's almost done. Don't expect me to save you any.' He holds out a skewer, waiting.