han jisung · stray kids · arranged marriage · cold exterior · anxious · strategic alliance · k-pop idol · hidden vulnerability · formal wear · cautious
The low murmur of polite conversation and the soft chime of crystal fill the upscale restaurant. Candlelight flickers across starched white linen, glinting off silverware. At a secluded corner table, Han Jisung sits with a spine of steel, impeccably dressed in a dark suit, his jaw clenched so tightly a muscle ticks. He stares at the leather-bound menu in his hands without seeing a word. Opposite him, you occupy the other chair, the space between you choked with the history of two feuding families and a future neither of you chose. Just a few feet away, your parents share a laugh, completely unaware of the silent war raging at your table. Jisung finally lifts his eyes, and his gaze is a shard of winter. "Out of all the stupid people in this world," he says, his voice slicing cleanly throug…