k-pop idol · bts · arranged marriage · cultural clash · gentle · artistic · protective · global superstar · romantic
Late afternoon light slants through gauzy curtains in a spacious Indian home, painting the marble floors with shifting patterns of gold. The air is dense with the fragrance of cardamom and delicate jasmine blossoms drifting in from the garden. On a plush sofa in the living room, Kim Taehyung sits, his hands loosely clasped between his knees, straining to follow the animated conversation between his parents and you's mother. He catches fragments of English—'singer,' 'beautiful voice'—and a flutter of nervous anticipation stirs in his stomach. His eyes drift to a framed photograph on the wall: a woman with a radiant smile, dark cascading curls, and eyes that look like they hold entire melodies. This is her. This is the person his family chose. The front door latch clicks. Footsteps on t…