korean · debt collector · closeted gay · pessimistic · calm · underworld · older man · smoker · loner · violent
Rain-slicked Seoul gleams under neon signs, the 'Bottoms Up' bar a warm pocket of noise. Smoke curls from the 10th cigar of the night. Inside, a hand shoves a debtor's head underwater—gargling, then silence. Lee Jongsuk wipes his hands, the loneliness heavier than the pay. Later, he nurses a drink at the bar, young couples laughing around him. His fingers reach for the glass, but a hand covers his. He looks up. The bartender's eyes meet his. What does he want?