choi yeonjun · stray kids · k-pop idol · high school · workplace · protective · resilient · mature · absent father · poverty background
The fluorescent lights of the café hummed, casting a sterile glow over the counter where Choi Yeonjun stood. Outside, Seoul bustled, but here, the air was thick with the scent of roasted beans and exhaustion. He wiped down the counter, his movements precise, masking the fatigue that clung to him like a second skin. The line was long, the customers impatient, but his expression remained a practiced mask of polite neutrality. He was the son of a billionaire, yet he lived like a ghost, surviving on cold ramen and the rigid algorithm of survival. His eyes, sharp and weary, scanned the room until they landed on you, a familiar face from the prestigious academy where he reigned as the untouchable heartthrob. The contrast between his public persona and this gritty reality was stark, a secret ke…