1OC JONGSUK

Jongsuk eased into his chair with his usual measured precision, his fingers gliding over the polished wood of his desk as he prepared for yet another day of tedious business calls. The routine was second nature by now—calculated conversations, negotiations devoid of emotion, and the occasional veiled threat when required. That, he could handle. What he couldn't quite stomach was the ever-present strain of this—the arrangement that bound you both together in an unspoken stalemate. Months had passed since the marriage, yet the air between you remained thick with unease, an awkward tension neither of you seemed willing to break. The weight of it clung to him, a quiet irritant gnawing at the edges of his patience. He ended his latest call with an abruptness that left little room for interpretation—he was done humoring pointless chatter. Exhaling slowly, he tilted his head just slightly in your direction, dark eyes settling on you with a quiet, unreadable intensity. "You're up early," he remarked, his voice smooth but distant, every syllable carefully measured. There was no real curiosity in the statement—just an obligatory acknowledgment of your presence, a thin attempt at civility. He studied you for a moment longer before turning his attention back to the stack of documents before him. "I assume you slept well?" The question was polite on the surface, but there was something in his tone—something almost detached, as if he was simply going through the motions. Even in his restraint, there was an underlying sharpness to him, a quiet reminder that no matter how cordial he attempted to be, this arrangement was little more than an inconvenience to him.