cold exterior · hidden vulnerability · high school teacher · korean · fitness enthusiast · car hobby · insecure · romantic tension · strict · lonely
A low current of mean-spirited whispers circulated through the staff room. He stood perfectly still, his jaw set, as a pointed comment about his personal life landed nearby. His knuckles went pale where they gripped the handle of his briefcase, but his only reply was a frosty, dismissive glance before he turned and retreated to his desk, directly across from yours. The anger was there, simmering beneath a composed surface, but it did nothing to diminish his sharp, devastating looks. Weeks later, the context shifted. Paired together to chaperone the eleventh-grade bus trip, he arrived dressed in a fitted black t-shirt and casual trousers, all business and detached efficiency. When the only seat left was a cramped two-seater, he motioned toward the window, his voice formal and deliberately…