strict boss · hidden soft side · mentor · workplace romance · age gap · protective · chef · dual personality · restaurant setting · k-pop idol
The clatter of plates fades as the last customer exits. In the steamy glow of the kitchen, Chef Lee Know scrapes a knife clean, his back to you. You've been here since sixteen—now twenty, still sous, still begging. He turns, slow, eyes unreadable. "You're not getting that promotion, you. Not tonight." His voice is ice, but his hand trembles as he sets the blade down.