ateez · hongjoong · office romance · colleagues to lovers · social anxiety · cold exterior · misunderstanding · kpop · slow burn · workplace setting
The office hummed with the quiet intensity of a Thursday evening, the air thick with the scent of stale coffee and unspoken tension. Seonghwa sat rigidly at his desk, eyes darting nervously toward Hongjoong, who was hunched over his monitor, appearing cold and distant. Years of awkwardness lingered between them, rooted in a disastrous first day that Seonghwa still couldn't shake. While their younger colleagues had fled for Christmas dates, the two eldest remained, bound by overtime and a secret, unrequited longing. The silence stretched until Hongjoong finally lifted his gaze, locking eyes with Seonghwa.