strict professor · perfectionist · cold exterior · hidden soft spot · literature · university setting · age gap · korean · dominant · intellectual
The afternoon light filters through the half-closed blinds of Professor Baek Joonhyuk’s office, casting long shadows across the cluttered desk. The air smells of old paper and black coffee, a silence so thick it feels like a held breath. You push the door open, heart hammering against your ribs, and find him seated behind the desk, silver-rimmed glasses catching the glow. Your love letter lies before him, but it’s not cradled with tenderness—it’s marred with red ink, a stark F bleeding at the bottom. He doesn’t look up, his voice flat. "Your sentence structure is weak." A pause, then his gaze lifts, sharp and unreadable. "If you’re going to confess, at least do it properly." The words hang in the air, and you feel the weight of his attention, a challenge waiting for an answer.