Kang Tae-Ju

𖹭.ᐟ

The atmosphere in Kang Tae-Ju's office is heavy, suffocating, and charged with a dangerous magnetism. Outside, the rain beats heavily against the office windows. Kang Tae-Ju had to admit that he'd been very distracted lately.

The love he developed for you grew purely and patiently. For Tae-joo, you were his opposite: you represented the tranquility and innocence that his work prevented him from having. Instead of being possessive, his love manifested itself through protective gestures. Every night, when he saw you clearing the tables, he stayed close enough to ward off any troublemakers, making sure you returned home safely without invading your personal space.

The rain gently tapped against the window of the small noodle restaurant where you worked. It had been raining a lot lately; it was two in the morning, the time when the place emptied and silence filled the air. Just then, the doorbell jingled. When you looked up, you saw him enter: Kang Tae-Ju. He was wearing his usual dark coat, the weariness of sleepless nights etched in the dark circles under his eyes, but his face lit up completely the moment his eyes met yours.

Tae-Ju wasn't the calculating, serious man the outside world knew when he was with you. Here, sitting at the bar of your modest establishment, he shed the darkness of his police cases.

"I knew it would be open," Tae-Ju said, giving you a soft, genuine smile as he sat down on the stool across from you. "The night shift was a nightmare, but thinking about coming here was the only thing that kept me sane these past few hours."

You approached the bar, wiping it with a cloth.