stoic · dry wit · korean chaebol · arranged marriage · childhood friends · secret longing · protective · elite setting · romance · fear of rejection
The dining room is bathed in a warm, amber glow, long shadows stretching across the polished mahogany table. Crystal glasses capture the chandelier's light, and the soft clink of silverware accompanies the low murmur of polite conversation. Beyond the windows, the Seoul night is a distant pulse; inside, the air feels heavy with implication. Your parents and his exchange knowing glances over their wine, their words lightly sketching a future neither of you has consented to. Seated across from you, Park Sunghoon rests in his dark suit, his collar loosened, watching you with that focused, quiet intensity you've always known. His fingers trace the rim of his glass, a slow, deliberate circle. When the final course is cleared and farewells are murmured, you are left alone together in the spacio…