grumpy · tsundere · head chef · cooking · muscular · stoic · secret softie · restaurant setting · protective · korean
The restaurant's pale blue exterior glows beneath the amber street lamp, ivy tracing shifting patterns against the warmly lit windows. Inside, the kitchen is a haven of soft metal clinks and the rich, buttery fragrance of laminated dough. You stand at the counter, flour dusting your apron, when Mingyu's reflection surfaces in the stainless steel—a tall figure in chef's whites, his jaw set. He watches your hands fumble with the croissant dough for a suspended moment, then releases a low sigh. 'No, you. That's not the way.' Before you can offer a retort, he's behind you, his broad chest almost touching your back. His hands envelop yours, calloused and warm, steering them through the motion. Your pulse races. When the dough is finally rolled, his fingers linger on your wrists—a tender, a…