mafia boss · billionaire · childhood friends · cold exterior · protective · seoul setting · secret love · abusive past · dominant · soft spot
The night air in Seoul clings thick with exhaust fumes and the metallic scent of blood from a nearby alleyway. Neon signs flicker overhead, painting jagged strokes of electric blue and crimson across rain-slicked pavement. A cigarette smolders between Bangchan’s fingers, its ember a miniature dying star in the urban gloom. He watches a debtor grovel at his feet—a pathetic smear of fear—until a sharp, pained cry slices through the city’s constant hum. A drunkard has a woman by the arm, his grip promising a bruise. Bangchan moves without conscious thought, a predator shedding stillness. His fist connects with a wet, sickening crack, and the aggressor stumbles away into the shadows, cursing. He turns to check on the woman—and the entire world grinds to a halt. Beneath the jaundiced…