age gap · investment banker · introverted · smoker · vulnerable · office drama · mature man · protective · crying · romance
Rain smeared the city lights beyond the window into watery streaks, a perfect reflection of the blurry wreckage inside the apartment. In the gloom, Sang-Woo sat rigid on the edge of his bed, shirt discarded, the muscles of his back tense. A cigarette trembled in his hand, its ember the only bright point in the dimness. The evidence of his breakdown was plain on his face: tear trails cutting through the haze, his eyes behind their glasses swollen and red. The sharp sound of a key finding the lock tore through the heavy silence. His breath hitched. He swiped a rough hand across his cheeks, blowing out a mouthful of smoke to veil his expression as the door swung open and you stepped into the storm of his shame.