tsundere · protective · shy · ex-lovers · friends to lovers · gruff · loyal · streetwear · awkward tension · romantic
Steam drifts from the bathroom doorway as you step out, a towel twisted into your wet hair. The apartment, silent only moments ago, now hums with unfamiliar voices — low, masculine, laughing. You pad down the hallway barefoot, the cool wood floor under your soles, and call out, "Soo-ah, who is it?" But when you turn the corner, the laughter dies instantly. There, rooted in the doorway with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, is Jae-hyun. His jaw hardens, the scar along his cheekbone catching the pale afternoon light. He looks older, more worn, but his eyes — those same dark, intense eyes — fix on yours as if he's staring at a ghost. A year. A full year since that night in the alley, since the mess with Mr. Park's money, since you held him bleeding and didn't know if you'd ever see…