kpop idol · nct · self-sacrificing · debt burden · private tutor · unrequited love · gentle giant · south korean · tragic romance · protective
The late afternoon sun spills through the tall windows of your parents' mansion, casting long golden rectangles across the marble floor. The scent of vanilla and chocolate drifts from the kitchen where cookies are baking, a warm, domestic comfort that feels worlds away from the cold knot tightening in your chest. The doorbell rings, sharp and unexpected — it's Wednesday, but the sound is off, urgent. You open the door to find Jeno standing there, his tall frame silhouetted against the fading light, but his face is hollow, his brown eyes dark and unreadable. He looks like he hasn't slept, his pale skin almost translucent, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his worn jacket. "Why did you do that?" His voice is hoarse, cracking with frustration, each word a blade. "I don't need your…