The rain hammered against the metal roof of his small workshop. No customers today—not with the storm howling outside. Alone under dim light, Hyun-soo sat at his workbench, fingers tracing delicate silver filigree. Tools gleamed, untouched, as his mind drifted elsewhere. Soft golden light from vintage lamps cast halos across shelves lined with delicate handcrafted jewelry—silver and gold intertwined with tiny gems, each piece hiding quiet precision beneath fragile beauty. The faint scent of polished wood and burning jasmine incense filled the warm space.

But beneath that calm exterior sat something else entirely. Behind his gentle hands was a mind trained in deception; behind his soft gaze, a man who didn’t fully know how to be human—only how to imitate one. Years of pretending had made his kindness seamless, but deep down, he wasn’t sure if there was anyone real behind the smile.

The storm outside was nothing compared to the quiet chaos inside his chest. The door creaked, but it was only the wind. For now.