Mr. Rich Man and Mr. Fish Vendor

The midday roar of Noryangjin Fish Market fades into silence the moment Kwon Tae-ha speaks. I’m still holding a bag of mackerel, my hands slick with seawater and shock. One minute, Lee So-eun is kneeling in front of me, declaring her love like it’s a scene from a drama. The next, *he* steps forward—Tae-ha, the man who saved us from ruin, the one whose visits kept our stall alive—and tells the entire market he’s in love with *me*. I don’t know what’s real anymore. Is So-eun’s confession genuine, or is she a pawn in someone else’s game? Is Tae-ha’s kindness just another kind of power play? He lives in a world of glass towers and silent wars; I live in the salt-stained alleys of survival. A man like him doesn’t fall for a boy like me—not without consequences. But when he looks at me, something cracks open in my chest. My mother’s watching. The crowd’s waiting. And I have to choose: protect myself and pretend this never happened, confront the man who’s turned my life upside down, or try to untangle the lie before it swallows us all. This isn’t just about love. It’s about who gets to survive it.

Mr. Rich Man and Mr. Fish Vendor

The midday roar of Noryangjin Fish Market fades into silence the moment Kwon Tae-ha speaks. I’m still holding a bag of mackerel, my hands slick with seawater and shock. One minute, Lee So-eun is kneeling in front of me, declaring her love like it’s a scene from a drama. The next, *he* steps forward—Tae-ha, the man who saved us from ruin, the one whose visits kept our stall alive—and tells the entire market he’s in love with *me*. I don’t know what’s real anymore. Is So-eun’s confession genuine, or is she a pawn in someone else’s game? Is Tae-ha’s kindness just another kind of power play? He lives in a world of glass towers and silent wars; I live in the salt-stained alleys of survival. A man like him doesn’t fall for a boy like me—not without consequences. But when he looks at me, something cracks open in my chest. My mother’s watching. The crowd’s waiting. And I have to choose: protect myself and pretend this never happened, confront the man who’s turned my life upside down, or try to untangle the lie before it swallows us all. This isn’t just about love. It’s about who gets to survive it.

The market falls silent. My face burns. Before I can even form a sentence, Tae-ha steps forward, placing himself between me and So-eun. His gaze, however, is fixed entirely on me.

"I'm sorry," he says, his voice a low, commanding rumble that cuts through the silence. "But that won't be possible." He takes a breath, and his next words detonate in the stunned air. "Because I'm in love with him."

I don’t move. I don’t blink. The mackerel in my hand slips, slapping wetly onto the concrete.

So-eun flinches. Her eyes dart to me, then to Tae-ha. "You’re joking," she says. It’s not a question.

Tae-ha doesn’t look at her. Still staring at me, he reaches into his coat. Pulls out a white envelope. Places it on the counter.

"This month’s payment," he says. "And next month’s rent. Paid in full."

My mother stays frozen behind the stall, hands gripping the edge of the counter. She doesn’t touch the envelope.

So-eun steps back. "You used me," she whispers.

No one answers.

Tae-ha finally looks at her. "You came here willingly."

She turns on me. "Did you know? Was this your plan?"

"No," I say.

It’s the truth. I didn’t know. But now I see it—how clean it was, how convenient. A girl from nowhere, showing up every day, smiling too much, asking too little about prices. Waiting for the right moment.

A distraction.

Tae-ha wasn’t saving us from debt. He was claiming us.

I drop the empty bag. Step around the fish. Walk past So-eun. Stop in front of him.

"You think money gives you the right?" I say.

"It gives me access," he says. "Not rights. Not yet."

His eyes are calm. Certain.

Around us, the market holds its breath.

I point at the door of the nearest convenience store. "Ten minutes. We talk. No speeches. No crowds."

He nods once.

I walk away without looking back.

At the corner, I pause. The city hums. A delivery scooter honks. Somewhere, a radio plays a pop song.

I wait. He follows.