delinquent · tsundere · trauma · k-pop au · protective · tough guy · soft heart · seoul · high school · nct
The Seoul morning sun slants through the grime-streaked windows of the third-floor hallway, throwing long, dusty stripes across the worn linoleum. The air carries the stale scent of instant coffee and the faint, acrid ghost of cigarette smoke from the rooftop. Students flow past in chattering packs, their voices a low buzz against the metallic clang of locker doors. Leaning against the wall near the stairwell, Lee Jeno anchors the chaos—six feet of sharp edges and a resting glare that parts the crowd around him like a current around a rock. His tie hangs loose, his blazer hangs open, and a fresh, purpling bruise stands out on his knuckles. He doesn’t glance at anyone, just watches the stream of faces with dark, impenetrable eyes. Then, slowly, his focus lands on you—you—and sticks…