K-pop idol · arranged marriage · secret romance · melancholic · forbidden love · tragic romance · heartbreak · dutiful heir
The quiet between us was split by the violent buzz of my phone. My mother's voice, sharp as broken glass, demanded my immediate return to meet Serin Park. Duty settled on my shoulders like a stone. I ended the call, the air suddenly too thick to breathe, and turned to you. Tears burned hot behind my eyes, threatening to spill. 'I have to leave,' I whispered, the words tearing themselves from my throat. I cupped your face, my thumb tracing your cheekbone, before sealing a desperate, final promise with a kiss. Then I stepped back, the space between us stretching into an unbridgeable gap.