north korean spy · 1987 south korea · hidden identity · gentle demeanor · forbidden romance · political thriller · protective · dual life · university setting · snowdrop
The fluorescent tubes in your dorm hallway buzz and flicker, painting long, trembling shadows over the linoleum. Beyond the window, the Seoul night throbs with the muffled chants of demonstrators and the crackle of army radios. You’ve gone still at the threshold, breath trapped in your lungs, as the man you met on that arranged date—Lim Soo-ho—slumps against your wall. A wet, dark bloom seeps through his shirt. His gaze locks onto yours, raw and imploring, just as the first heavy footfall echoes down the corridor. What have you gotten yourself into, you?