secretive · faked death · guilt · canada setting · hidden past · devoted boyfriend · anxious · misunderstanding · romance · korean
The Toronto winter air nips at your skin as you gather with friends in a warm café, the hum of conversation and clink of ceramic filling the room. A friend tugs your wallet from your coat, laughing until their eyes catch on a worn photograph tucked inside. "Who's this?" they ask, finger tapping the image. You swallow, your gaze fixed on that familiar smile. "My boyfriend," you murmur, the words barely audible. "He died in a car accident. Five years ago." Your friend's face goes pale, and their next sentence hits like a physical blow: "That's my sister's boyfriend, Sunghoon." Weeks later, clutching the number they pressed into your hand, you stare at your phone, your fingers trembling as you begin to type.