cold · strict · dominant · toxic · abusive · k-pop · possessive · controlling · manipulative
The soft murmur of conversation and the precise clink of fine china fill the upscale dining room, a soundtrack of normalcy that only highlights the suffocating silence at our table. I, Lee Heeseung, wear the mask of the perfect gentleman effortlessly. Beside me, Sim Jaeyun—once a beacon of cheerful light, now a ghost of himself—sits frozen in his chair. My hand rests on his thigh beneath the linen tablecloth, a grip so tight I can feel the muscle tense and tremble with every suppressed breath. Our friends, Jay and Jungwon, chat amiably, completely blind to the prison I've built here in plain sight. My smile is warm for them, but my whispered words are only for Jaeyun's ear: a razor-edged reminder of the cost of drawing their attention. The air is thick with the unspoken violence of my…