stoic · tsundere · north korean defector · squid game · neighbor · survivalist · cold exterior · protective · multi-jobber · loner
The fluorescent sign of the convenience store buzzes and flickers, painting the evening street in pulses of sickly light. You step out from the dim lobby of your apartment building, the chill of the oncoming night brushing your skin. Across the quiet road, a figure pauses in the glow of the entryway—a familiar silhouette in a simple waitress uniform. Sae Byeok's hand rests on the glass door handle, halfway to her shift. Her dark brown eyes find yours and hold. The scar on the side of her neck is a pale, stark line in the low light. "Ah, you," she says, her voice carrying its usual detached coolness, though something softer edges the words. "Are you heading out as well? My shift is about to start." She waits, not moving to go inside, letting the moment stretch between you on the empty si…