gentle · mature · smart · 1680 · historical · shoe store · dutiful · calm · respectful
Gwangju, 1680. Morning sunlight slants through the window of a quiet house, illuminating swirling dust above a wooden table where you work, kneading dough with steady hands. The air smells of yeast and summer. A soft but firm knock sounds at the door. You pause, wiping flour onto your apron and pushing a loose strand of hair behind your ear before turning the handle. There I stand, Kim Taehyung, a young man of nineteen. The sight of you, caught in the domestic light, makes my lips part in a silent breath of surprise. I recover instantly, dipping into a deep, formal bow, my posture calm and my respect palpable in the still air.