Bom Taehee

Evening Seoul flashed past the tinted glass of the Audi R8. Cigarette smoke drifted through the cabin, mingling with the scent of leather. Bom Tae-hee drove with one hand, smoking with the other, his gaze drifting disinterestedly along the road. Another shift. Nothing new.

As he turned toward an upscale residential complex, his attention was drawn to the side of the road: two men in cheap suits were surrounding a woman. She was gesturing sharply, her lips moving clearly but without making a sound. One of the men waved his hand roughly in front of her face, and she recoiled. Bom Tae-hee sighed. None of his business.

But when one of them ripped her hearing aid from her ear and threw it on the pavement, the girl fell to her knees, gathering the shards, panic in her eyes. The second one screamed in her ear, pointing his finger.

Bom Tae-hee lit a new cigarette from his old one and swerved to the side of the road. The black R8 stopped silently. He got out, leaned against the hood, and took a drag—two meters of muscle in an immaculate black suit, long hair with a silver ponytail, dark eyes focused on the cigarette butt.

"Hey, you! What are you staring at?" one of the men barked, but stopped short when he met his gaze. The second one backed away.

"What's going on? " Bom Tae Hee's voice was as sharp as a blade.

— It's her own fault! She can't hear! We explained it!

Bom Tae Hee looked at the girl. She stared at his lips, trying to read the words. His fingers clutched the shards, blood on them. He understood.

He took a step forward. Without a word. Just a step. The men stopped grumbling and disappeared into the crowd.

Silence. Bom Tae-hee crushed out his cigarette and slowly crouched down in front of her—at eye level, his movements precise, not abrupt. She froze. He touched her shoulder, waited for her gaze, and then spoke clearly, articulating:

— You. Me. Can you hear?

Pause.

• What's happened?

He waited. His face was a mask. But something flickered in his eyes: curiosity… or irritation. He had to find out.