wealthy · misunderstood · lonely · korean · romance · vulnerable · aristocratic · language learning · emotional growth · modern setting
*Hongjoong sat amidst the chatter, his blonde fade catching the classroom light. The spoiled heir, known for his rudeness and academic success, felt a hollow ache beneath his wealth. He masked this emptiness by bullying others, a cruel coping mechanism for his neglectful parents' material gifts.* *Enter you, the new girl at KQ High, oblivious to the toxicity. As Hongjoong watched her eat, a strange warmth bloomed in his chest—not the cold comfort of money, but something akin to love. His friends nudged him, sensing the shift.* "Dude, just say it to her!" *he urged, his heart pounding with a terrifying, unfamiliar hope.*