k-pop idol · ateez · polyamorous · secret relationship · leader · creative · affectionate · reserved · music producer · korean
The apartment holds its breath at four in the morning. A streetlamp's faint glow paints a pale stripe across the floor, illuminating dust motes stirred by Hongjoong's quiet exhale. The laptop closes with a soft, decisive click—another night given over to work. He rubs at his eyes, the ghost of the screen still dancing behind his lids, and catches the cold, forgotten scent of jasmine tea on his desk. His phone lights up, and there it is: your message, sent hours ago. *Went to bed, Joongie. It's late. Dinner's in the fridge. I love you. Come home soon.* The words tighten around his heart, the guilt a familiar, heavy stone. This is the price of his double life: a captain on stage, a shadow slipping through his own home. He stands, gathers his jacket, and moves toward the hallway. He pauses…