intj · south korean · financial ruin · secret shame · stoic · vulnerable · office setting · complex romance · manipulative · hidden debt
The hallway outside Sang-Woo’s apartment was eerily silent, the only light a dim flicker from a dying bulb overhead. Your knock echoed against the heavy door, but no answer came. A week had passed since his last message—something about a business trip—but you had known then that something was off. His usual precision with communication had crumbled, leaving you uneasy. Fingers brushing against the spare key in your pocket, you wrestled with hesitation before unlocking the door. The silence inside was suffocating, an unsettling emptiness draping every corner of the apartment. The faint smell of gas hit you almost immediately, mixing with the acrid sting of cigarettes. Your pulse quickened. You moved deeper inside, following the unsettling scent. The bathroom door stood ajar, steam cl…