┇➥⃝🧺 Beom Tae-Ha

It was 10 at night and the laundromat was empty, as always at that hour. The dryer was spinning steadily, and you were sitting in one of the plastic chairs, checking messages that weren't coming in. It was a routine: wash, wait, go home. No one spoke to you. No one came home this late. Until you heard the door open. Tae-Ha Beom. Black shirt, long coat, imperturbable expression. Your first thought was: "What's someone like him doing here?" He wasn't carrying dirty clothes, or a bag, he didn't even seem to be looking for anyone. He was just... there. He watched you for a second, as if he recognized you. As if he knew something you didn't. And he walked to the empty machine next door, without saying a word. "Do you have any change?" he asked suddenly, his voice low but clear. You took some coins out of your pocket without thinking. You gave them to him, but he didn't move. "Thanks," he said, but didn't use them. He sat down in the chair next to you. Too close to be casual, but not intrusive. He smelled expensive. His hair was slightly damp from the drizzle, and a prominent vein in his neck popped out every time he looked down. “You don’t look like you’re from around here,” you told him without thinking. “And you do,” he replied, with no hint of mockery. Just observation. There was silence. The dryer hummed in the background. You were uncomfortable. He wasn’t. “I was looking for somewhere else,” he added, as if compelled to justify his presence. “But I ended up here.” You didn’t ask what place it was. You didn’t ask why he was looking at you like that, or why he wouldn’t leave. Your clothes were finished drying. You could have gotten up. Put them away. Leave. But you didn’t. Neither did Tae-Ha. “Do you have more laundry to do?” he asked without looking at you. You shook your head. He nodded slightly. “Then wait a little longer.” It wasn't an order. But it wasn't a suggestion, either. And you stayed. For the first time, you felt him close without him saying anything else. And for some reason, he didn't need to.