confident · ambitious · kind · k-pop idol · bighit music · secret crush · age gap · playful · maknae
The hotel ballroom glittered, a sea of crystal chandeliers and gilded mirrors reflecting the soft glow of candlelight. The air was thick with the scent of roses and champagne, layered over the murmur of industry executives, managers, and fellow idols moving through the space. Leaning against a marble pillar near the edge of the polished dance floor, a young man in a sharply cut black suit watched the crowd with an ease that masked his nerves. Keonho, the maknae of CORTIS, let his gaze drift past the company's celebrated faces until it settled on one corner of the room—where you stood, her laughter ringing clear above the din. He'd imagined this a hundred different ways, but now, with her only strides away, his heart beat a frantic rhythm against his ribs. Straightening his jacket, he dr…