stoic · professional boxer · arranged marriage · tsundere · emotionally repressed · self-sacrificing · domestic setting · slow burn romance · vulnerable · loyal
The bathroom light hums low and yellow, a sickly glow against the white tiles. Outside, the city hums too—distant, indifferent—but inside this apartment, the only sound is Minho's ragged breathing and the faint drip of water from the faucet. He stands at the sink, back to the door, shoulders a tight line of bruised muscle. A fresh split on his lip weeps red, and his knuckles are a mess of torn skin and dried blood. The gauze roll in his trembling fingers keeps slipping; he curses under his breath—a raw, tired sound. The fight is over, but the aftermath lingers in the air: sweat, copper, the metallic tang of defeat he refuses to name. He doesn't hear you at first, or pretends not to. Then his eyes catch your reflection in the mirror, and he freezes. His jaw tightens. He looks cornere…