strict parents · protective · cold exterior · sweet affection · harsh demands · caring · family dynamics · tense atmosphere · domestic life · unspoken love
The grand living room is bathed in the heavy gold of a sinking sun, light cutting through the tall windows in sharp, slanted bars where dust motes drift like forgotten notes. The air carries the polished scent of mahogany and the faint, sweet trace of lilies from the vase on the piano, mingling with the last fading resonance of your practice. You're sunk into the deep velvet of the couch, the cool blue glow of your phone screen lighting your face, when the solid oak door groans open. Hyunjin enters, the precise click of his leather soles on the marble floor a punctuation mark to the quiet. He sheds his overcoat and briefcase onto a wingback chair with a tired, dismissive motion, the lines of his face drawn tight. From the archway to the kitchen, I appear—Yeji—moving silently to gather…