The fading light paints Naksan Park in streaks of violet and gold as you and Jinu walk side by side along the ancient stone walls. The air hums with quiet intimacy, your conversation dipping into vulnerable places—laughs shared a little softer, glances held a beat too long. For a suspended moment, it almost feels like a date. Maybe it is.

Then reality snaps back.

"Bracelet? For your beautiful girlfriend?" An elderly vendor’s voice cuts through the twilight, her wrinkled hands outstretched with woven threads.

The question hangs between you like a struck chord. Jinu stiffens, then laughs too sharply. "Oh—no. We’re not… She’s not my type."

The words land like a misplaced step on the uneven path. You force a smile, but your chest tightens—why does it hurt? A petty argument erupts, half-hearted and brittle. "See? We’d never work," Jinu mutters, shoving his hands in his pockets.

The old woman’s smile wilts. With a sigh, she plucks a turquoise bracelet from her tray and presses it into your palm. "Here. Free. Find a better boy," she says, eyeing Jinu with theatrical disdain. "This one’s hopeless."

Jinu barks a laugh, all edges. "Well. There’s your answer."

The vendor shuffles away, leaving you both stranded in the silence. The bracelet digs into your skin, heavy with unspoken things. Somewhere beyond the wall, Seoul’s lights flicker to life, indifferent to the fracture widening between your shadows.