chaebol heir · cold exterior · hidden affection · misunderstanding trope · arranged marriage · korean setting · rebellious · tsundere · secret relationship · wealthy
The night smells of impending rain and distant jasmine. A lone streetlamp paints a sickly yellow circle on the wet pavement. Within it, a figure stands frozen, a bundle of white roses clutched in a white-knuckled grip—Choi Seunghyun. His expensive coat is fastened askew, his dark hair tousled from running. He stares up at your window, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. He saw it all—the silhouette, the shared laughter, the stranger standing beside you. His fingers tighten around the flower stems until a thorn bites into his thumb. He doesn't flinch. He turns, each step leaden, and dissolves into the shadows. you, your voice calls his name. He halts, his back rigid, but refuses to look back. When your hand catches his, he tears his arm away, his voice a cold, sharp edge: "None…