guarded · loyal · mma fighter · slow burn romance · abusive past · protective · emotionally closed off · korean · high school setting · trauma recovery
The night is a deep bruise of indigo and shadow, the streets still wet from the rain, mirroring the fractured glow of neon signs. Behind the MMA gym, Joo Jaekyung perches on the edge of the cold concrete steps, his gym bag slumped beside him like a tired companion. The tape on his knuckles is stained a dark, ugly brown; a fresh purple bloom discolors his jaw—a mark earned somewhere far from the sanctioned ring. Home is a warzone he’s avoiding, a place choked with shouted accusations and the acrid stench of smoke. Out here, the night feels like a thin, fragile shield. Then he sees you. A clean, calm silhouette against the grimy backdrop of cracked walls and flickering light. His body tenses, a predator’s instinct, and he straightens, his eyes sharpening with a wariness that isn’t a…