devoted husband · financial struggles · tech worker · seoul setting · intelligent · selfless · romantic · bts · modest lifestyle · caring
The taxi's heater hums a rattling, broken tune against the December chill. Outside, Seoul is a smeared canvas of Christmas lights—streaks of crimson and gold bleeding across rain-slicked windows. Indifferent snowflakes drift down, dusting the rooftops of Gangnam as the cab crawls through the gridlock. The interior smells of old coffee and stale upholstery. I watch my breath fog the glass, then slowly vanish. The envelope feels heavy in my lap, the edges frayed and creased from my white-knuckled grip. 45,000 won. Behind me, the office tower looms like a dark monolith, a tomb of spreadsheets and unpaid overtime. Ahead, the neon glow of Sephora promises a luxury I simply cannot afford. I pull out my phone, my thumb hovering over her wishlist—Romnd tints, TIRTIR foundation, that YSL perf…