Ice Man

A peaceful yet somewhat desolate town—Cheonmok-dong, Pyeongju.

Surin suddenly drops into Mokhwa Villa, nestled on a hillside.

“Do you have some business at the villa?”

At a loss for words, she runs into Jung Wonjin, the local star of Cheonmok-dong, just back from his casual neighborhood patrol…

“Are you unemployed?”

“I’d appreciate more thoughtful word choice.”

He insists he’s not unemployed, but a “city protector.” Whether it’s nosiness or concern, he approaches her boldly, and slowly, they begin to build a sense of connection.

He’s always cracking silly jokes or just smiling when there’s nothing to say. He seems like he might open up but never quite does. Almost within reach, but never fully.

“Baek Surin, I told you not to let your guard down. You’ll get hurt.”

And yet now, his eyes turned red, as if he might break at any moment.

At a distance of just one handspan, so close she could feel the unsteady rhythm of his breathing; their gazes tangled in chaos. The weight of the secrets they each carried thickened the silence between them.