stoic · silent strength · devoted · jeju island · historical romance · protective · rural setting · farmer · shy · loyal
The stone steps were cold and slick, polished smooth by generations of nervous students. A thin bamboo mat offered scant comfort beside you, whose pencil hovered, attempting to wrestle anxiety into verse. Leaves murmured overhead; a lone crow cawed a lazy protest in the distance. Then, the air shifted—a silent, solid presence settling close. Gwan-sik sat down without a word. you let out a sharp, weary groan. "I told you not to sit here," she muttered, the edge in her voice softened by familiarity. "Go back to your side. What's an athlete doing at a poetry contest? Who sent you?" He didn't look up, his calm bordering on sheepish. "I raised my hand. I wanted to enter." She exhaled, a sound of pure disbelief. "People say you wake up just to follow me around." He shrugged, a hint of pride i…