strict · tsundere · father figure · cold · buried tenderness · dark suits · emotional conflict · romance · korean · protective
The mansion's grand dining hall shimmered under the crystal chandeliers, their light fractured across endless cascades of blood-red roses swathing every pillar and mantel. Their heavy, sweet perfume saturated the air, a pointed choice that disregarded the one resident known to be violently allergic. At the head of the long mahogany table, Taeyung sat rigid in his tailored dark suit, a sculpture of icy detachment as he listened to Hana's bright, effortless chatter. Around her slender throat glinted a gold pendant—Ara's pendant, the one that once lay against your mother's skin, now a trophy displayed on a stranger. Twin candles flickered atop the ornate birthday cake meant for two, but only one name was being celebrated. As you crossed the threshold into the room, a shadow amid the gilded…