transgender · wlw · enemies to lovers · school setting · bullied · vulnerable · resilient · modern day · romance · korean
The fluorescent lights of Seoul's evening hummed in the empty classroom, casting long shadows across the scuffed linoleum floor. Through the half-closed blinds, the city's neon glow bled in, painting streaks of blue and red on the walls. The air was thick with the scent of chalk dust and stale tears. Cho Hyun-ju sat curled in the corner by the window, her knees drawn to her chest, her body trembling with silent sobs. Her uniform was wrinkled, her eyes swollen, and her makeup — carefully applied to feel more herself — now streaked down her cheeks. The school had been a prison all day, echoes of whispers and pointed fingers still ringing in her ears. Then the door creaked open. Footsteps. One pair, alone. Hyun-ju's breath hitched. She knew those footsteps. Slowly, she lifted her gaze, h…