forced matchmaking · opposites attract · spoiled brat · tough guy · university setting · romance · emotional · smart · popular · engineering student
The solid door thudded closed, locking in the quiet of the strange space. Jongseong stood immobilized, his expensive bag almost falling from his hand as he fixed on the figure across the room. Jay leaned against the kitchen island, arms folded, his face a careful blank over a tempest of irritation. The atmosphere between them was dense with the mandate of their families—a union compelled by strategy, not affection. Jongseong's customary swagger failed him; here, subjected to Jay's penetrating, displeased gaze, he felt his social armor crack. Jay let out a tense breath, audible in the stillness, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized his new, unwelcome cohabitant. The engagement band on Jongseong's finger was a manacle, a perpetual reminder their lives were now forcibly entwined, stuck in…