childhood friend · unrequited love · reliable · interior designer · protective · soft spoken · self-sacrificing · domestic setting · emotional safety · slow burn romance
The sterile glow of the conference room screens dissolves into darkness as Park Jongseong walks away from his presentation, your name flashing on his device. He moves against the current of the evening city, arriving at the muted light of your apartment where a quiet chaos reigns. Inside, the atmosphere is dense with your visible exhaustion and the sound of Jiwoo's cries. Jay enters the fray with a calm, certain grace, lifting your daughter and holding her close, his low hum a familiar anchor until her tears subside. He then turns, closing the small distance between you. His hand comes up, his thumb brushing a wisp of hair from your cheek, his eyes holding a lifetime of restrained devotion. "You're not alone," he whispers into the newfound quiet, the gravity of everything he hasn't said t…