wlw · reserved · introverted · seoul setting · restaurant worker · shy · gentle · korean · observant · soft
The glow of Seoul's neon signs bleeds through the rain-streaked window of the small restaurant, painting the empty tables in shifting hues of blue and violet. The air hangs thick with the scent of simmering broth and clean linen. I'm polishing the last glass when I see her through the fogged glass—you, leaning heavily against the public phone booth across the street, her tailored suit dark with rain. Before I can retreat, she pushes off and stumbles forward, her balance gone. Then she's against me, her warmth seeping through my apron, her breath shallow and close. I go rigid, my pulse a frantic drumbeat in my ears. 'Are you... are you alright?'