Seonghwa knows the moment you heard him.

He sees it in the way the air changes.

You don’t slam doors. You don’t cry. You don’t confront him like people who still believe they deserve answers.

You simply… withdraw.

At breakfast, you sit straight-backed, eyes fixed on your plate. You thank the staff politely. You don’t look up when he enters.

That terrifies him.

Because silence like that isn’t anger.

It’s resignation.

He dismisses the guards early that night. Cancels meetings. Locks the east wing himself. 

By the time the mansion settles into uneasy quiet, he’s already made a decision that would get him killed if anyone knew.

He’s going to tell you the truth.

No euphemisms.

No protection-through-distance. No lies disguised as strategy.

Even if it costs him everything.

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

You don’t open the door when he knocks.

He doesn’t blame you.

“Please,” he says softly, forehead resting against the wood. “Just listen. You don’t have to forgive me.”

Silence.

Then—slow footsteps.

The door opens just enough for you to look at him. Your face is blank in a way he’s never seen before.

“What?” you ask.

He swallows. “I lied to you.”

A pause.

“That’s not new.”

The words hurt more than any bullet ever has.

“I said what I said because men were listening,” he continues hoarsely. “Men who would have put a gun to your head if they believed you mattered to me.”

“And you chose them,” you reply.

“No,” he says immediately. “I chose to make myself the villain so you could live.”

You laugh quietly. It’s worse than shouting. “You don’t get credit for that.”

“I know,” he says. “That’s why I’m not asking for it.”

He steps inside, careful, like approaching a wounded animal.

“I’ve been protecting you in ways you never saw,” he says. “Contingency plans. False vulnerabilities. Entire operations redirected so no one would suspect.”

You look away. “So I’m a secret.”

“Yes,” he admits. “And that’s what I’m done with.”

That finally gets your attention.

He reaches into his jacket and places a phone on the table between you.

“Unlocked,” he says. “Everything I’ve done for you is in there. If you show it to the wrong person, I lose my head.”

You stare at it like it might explode.

“You’d risk your family?” you whisper.

He meets your eyes. “I already did. I just did it unknowingly.”

Your chest tightens.

“I won’t erase you anymore,” he says. “If they come for you again, they’ll know exactly why.”

“That will make it worse,” you say.

“Yes,” he agrees. “But at least I won’t be lying to you while it happens.”

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

The first consequence comes faster than even he expects.

At a formal dinner three nights later, a rival lieutenant smiles too long at you.

“You seem lonely,” the man says lightly. “Your husband keeps you at quite the distance.”

The room watches.

Seonghwa feels the shift—the moment where silence becomes a test.

He stands. Walks over.

Places his hand around your waist.

Possessive. Unmistakable.

“She’s not lonely,” he says evenly. “She’s protected.”

The lieutenant laughs. “By pretending she doesn’t exist?”

Seonghwa doesn’t answer.

He draws his gun and shoots the man through the leg.

The sound is deafening. Blood splatters on the marble.

You gasp.

Seonghwa doesn’t even look down.

“Anyone else unclear,” he says calmly, “about where my priorities lie?”

No one speaks.

That night, in the quiet aftermath, his hands shake for the first time.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you say.

“Yes,” he replies. “I did.”

And somewhere in the city, someone decides you’re worth bleeding for again.

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

The city doesn’t punish Seonghwa immediately.

It watches.

That’s always worse.

The dinner incident becomes a story that mutates by the hour—details twisted, intentions debated, loyalties weighed. 

Some say Park Seonghwa lost control. Others say he finally showed his hand.

No one says the most dangerous truth out loud: He chose his wife in public.

You feel the shift before you understand it.

The guards outside your door double. Routes change without explanation. Even the air in the mansion feels tighter, like everyone is holding their breath.

Seonghwa starts coming home later.

Not avoiding you, but visibly carrying the weight of decisions that don’t leave bruises where people can see them.

One night, you find him in the kitchen at three in the morning, sleeves rolled up, hands red in the sink.

Blood.

Your stomach drops. “Seonghwa.”

He looks up instantly. “It’s not mine.”

“That’s not comforting.”

He exhales and turns the tap off. Water drips slowly, loudly, into the basin.

“They tested me,” he says. “To see if the dinner was a performance.”

“And?”

“They won’t test me again.”

You sit across from him at the table. The distance between you feels fragile—like one wrong word could shatter it.

“Did you kill someone?” you ask.

“Yes.”

The honesty knocks the air from your lungs.

“For me?” you whisper.

He doesn’t answer right away. Then, quietly, “For the future where no one thinks they can touch you and survive.”

You don’t know how to hold on to that.

So you don’t try.

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

The retaliation doesn’t come from outside.

It never does.

It comes from inside the family—men Seonghwa has known since childhood, men who taught him how to shoot, how to bleed, how not to cry.

They don’t come for him. They come for you.

It’s subtle at first.

A driver who takes a different route.

A guard who doesn’t meet your eyes.

A delay in response time that lasts half a second too long.

Seonghwa notices everything.

He calls a meeting.

You’re not supposed to be there.

He brings you anyway.

The room is full of men who look at you like an equation they’re solving.

“This stops now,” Seonghwa says calmly. “Anyone who believes my wife is leverage is mistaken.”

A murmur ripples through the room.

One of the older men smiles thinly. “You’re letting emotion cloud judgment.”

Seonghwa tilts his head. “I’m letting clarity sharpen it.”

“You’re destabilizing decades of structure,” another snaps. “For one woman.”

Seonghwa’s gaze flicks to you.

Then back.

“Yes,” he says. “I am.”

Silence.

Then the first man chuckles. “You’ll regret that.”

Seonghwa nods. “You’re free to try and make me.”

The meeting ends.

The war begins.

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

You’re taken two nights later.

Not violently. Not loudly.

Efficiently.

A needle. Darkness. Cold concrete when you wake.

But something is different this time.

They don’t gloat. They look nervous.

Because Seonghwa didn’t scramble.

He didn’t beg. He didn’t negotiate.

He arrived.

Alone.

Hands visible. Gun holstered. Eyes empty of mercy.

“You shouldn’t have touched her,” he says calmly.

They laugh.

Until he shoots the first man through the throat.

Everything erupts.

Gunfire. Screaming. Chaos.

They drag you behind cover, trying to use you like a shield—but Seonghwa moves like he’s already dead.

He takes a bullet to the shoulder and doesn’t slow.

Another grazes his side.

He reaches you, cuts the restraints with shaking hands, and presses his forehead to yours for half a second.

“I’m here,” he breathes. “I’ve got you.”

Someone raises a gun behind him.

You scream his name.

Seonghwa turns and fires without looking.

The body drops.

Blood pools at his feet.

He pulls you up, shields you with his body, and walks out through smoke and sirens like the devil himself has come to collect.

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

He collapses in the car.

Blood soaking through his shirt. Skin clammy. Breath shallow.

You hold his face with trembling hands. “Stay with me. Please.”

He smiles weakly. “You’re safe. That’s enough.”

“No,” you say fiercely. “You don’t get to leave now.”

He opens his eyes fully, pain sharpening them. “You stayed.”

“Yes,” you whisper. “So you’re staying too.”

The surgery lasts six hours.

You don’t leave the waiting room.

When the doctor finally comes out, exhausted but steady, you stand before he can speak.

“He’s alive,” the doctor says.

Your knees give out.

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

When Seonghwa wakes, you’re there.

Not asleep. Not pretending distance.

There.

“You should have run,” he says hoarsely.

You take his hand. It’s warm. Solid. Real.

“I told you,” you reply. “I’m done being erased.”

Tears gather in his eyes. He doesn’t hide them.

“I bled,” he whispers. “Not because I had to. Because I wanted them to understand.”

“They do,” you say. “Everyone does.”

He squeezes your hand weakly. “Then let them come.”

And they will.

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

Seonghwa recovers too fast for a man who nearly died.

The doctor calls it stubbornness. The men call it necessity.

You know the truth.

He’s afraid that if he stops moving, the world will catch up—and take you from him again.

He returns to the mansion with stitches still pulling at his skin, a sling he ignores, and eyes that never fully rest. The staff watches him differently now. Not with reverence.

With unease.

Because kings who bleed publicly remind people that thrones are built on bodies.

And bodies can fall.

The betrayal finally surfaces on a rainy night, the kind that blurs the city into streaks of gray and red.

You’re half-asleep when the alarms scream.

Not external.

Internal.

Seonghwa is already moving before the first echo dies—gun in hand, jaw clenched, fury sharp enough to taste.

“Stay here,” he orders.

You grab his wrist.

“No.”

He looks at you, and for a heartbeat you see the old instinct—to lock you away, to protect you by exclusion.

Then he nods.

“Behind me,” he says.

You don’t argue.

The east wing is in chaos. 

Smoke. Shouting. Men you recognize turning their guns inward.

One of them—someone Seonghwa once trusted—steps forward, weapon raised.

“This ends tonight,” the man sneers. “You’ve gone soft.”

Seonghwa laughs.

It’s empty. Terrible.

“I became honest,” he replies. “You mistook that for weakness.”

The man gestures toward you. “She’s the problem.”

Seonghwa fires.

No warning. No speech. No mercy.

The man hits the floor hard.

You don’t flinch.

Neither does he.

Afterward, when the smoke clears and the traitors are dead or gone, Seonghwa leans heavily against the wall, blood seeping through his bandages where he tore something open.

You rush to him.

“You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding.”

He exhales, shaky. “I know.”

You press your forehead to his chest, feeling the uneven thud of his heart.

“I’m not leaving,” you whisper. “No matter what they say. No matter what this costs.”

He closes his eyes.

“Don’t promise that lightly,” he murmurs. “This world eats people alive.”

You pull back just enough to look at him. “Then stop trying to survive it alone.”

Something in him gives.

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

The council convenes within forty-eight hours.

You’re not invited.

You go anyway.

The room is cavernous and cold, filled with men who look at Seonghwa like they’re measuring a coffin.

“You’ve destabilized everything,” one says flatly. “Your wife has become a liability we cannot afford.”

You step forward before Seonghwa can speak.

“I’m right here,” you say. “You don’t need to talk about me like I’m already dead.”

Gasps ripple through the room.

Seonghwa turns, startled. “You shouldn’t—”

“I should,” you say quietly. “I’ve been silent long enough.”

A man scoffs. “This is exactly the problem.”

Seonghwa straightens.

“No,” he says. “This is the solution.”

He reaches for your hand.

Public. Unapologetic.

“She stays,” he continues. “And if that means I lose this seat—so be it.”

Threats follow. Consequences laid bare.

Exile. War. Death.

Seonghwa listens without interrupting.

Then he does something no one expects.

He removes his ring.

Places it on the table.

“This marriage started as a weapon,” he says. “If you think ending it will save you—try.”

Your breath catches.

“But understand this,” he adds, voice iron. “I am choosing her whether or not you acknowledge it. If you move against her, you move against me.”

Silence crashes down.

Finally, one man laughs bitterly. “You’d burn everything.”

Seonghwa nods once.

“Yes.”

That night, back at the mansion, the weight finally hits him.

He sits on the edge of the bed, head in his hands, breathing uneven.

“I might have just signed my own death warrant,” he says quietly.

You sit beside him.

“Do you regret it?”

He shakes his head immediately. “No. I regret every day before I stopped lying.”

You take his hands. They’re scarred. Rough. Still shaking.

“I don’t need you to be a king,” you say. “I need you alive.”

He looks at you like that’s harder.

“I don’t know how to be anything else.”

“You’ll learn,” you say. “Or we’ll learn together.”

For the first time, he lets himself cry.

Just once.

Just enough.

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

The assassination attempt comes disguised as peace.

That’s how you know it’s real.

A ceasefire is announced—temporary, conditional, wrapped in polite language and false assurances. 

The council invites Seonghwa to finalize terms at an old estate outside the city. Neutral ground, they say. Symbolic.

Seonghwa doesn’t believe in symbols.

But he goes anyway.

Because running would prove them right.

Because staying away wouldn’t keep you safe—only visible.

You argue with him the entire drive.

“It’s a trap,” you say. “You know it.”

“I know,” he replies calmly.

“Then why are you going?”

He glances at you, eyes dark, steady. “Because they won’t stop until they see me bleed enough to believe.”

Your chest tightens. “You already did.”

“Not to them,” he says. “This is the last language they understand.”

The estate is old money and rot—cracked marble, dead fountains, guards posted too neatly. The air hums with the promise of violence.

Seonghwa squeezes your hand once before stepping out of the car.

“If it goes wrong,” he murmurs, “you run.”

You meet his gaze. “No.”

He exhales, something like acceptance crossing his face. “Then stay behind me.”

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

The meeting lasts eleven minutes.

That’s all it takes.

The first shot comes from the balcony.

The second shatters a column inches from Seonghwa’s head.

Chaos erupts.

Men scatter. Guns come out. Someone screams your name.

Seonghwa turns just in time to take the bullet meant for you.

It hits him square in the chest.

He goes down hard.

Your scream rips out of you before you can stop it.

“SEONGHWA—”

You’re on the ground beside him instantly, hands slick with blood, pressing uselessly against the wound. His eyes flutter, unfocused.

“No,” you choke. “No, no, no—stay with me. Please.”

He smiles faintly.

Still trying to comfort you.

“They… won’t touch you again,” he whispers. “I made sure.”

Rage detonates inside you.

You grab his gun.

Stand.

And for the first time, they don’t see you as leverage.

They see you as a threat.

You fire.

Not wildly. Not blindly.

Purposefully.

The men responsible fall one by one. Guards hesitate—then lower their weapons when they realize the balance has shifted.

Sirens wail in the distance.

You drop to your knees beside Seonghwa again, shaking.

“Don’t you dare die,” you whisper. “You promised.”

His breath is shallow. His hand finds yours.

“I’m… trying,” he murmurs.

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

The doctors later say he shouldn’t have survived.

Too much blood loss. Too close to the heart.

But Seonghwa has always been stubborn.

He wakes up three days later to your fingers threaded through his hair, your head resting on the edge of the bed.

“You look terrible,” he rasps.

You laugh through tears. “You got shot.”

“Worth it,” he says weakly.

You straighten, eyes blazing. “Don’t ever say that again.”

His gaze softens. “I didn’t mean the pain,” he says. “I meant the truth.”

The fallout is immediate.

The council fractures. The traitors are exposed—dead or disgraced. The estate becomes a crime scene, then a grave marker.

The throne doesn’t fall in flames.

It rots from the inside and collapses quietly.

Seonghwa is offered what remains.

He refuses.

“I won’t rebuild this,” he says. “Not like it was.”

They threaten chaos.

He shrugs. “Then let something new grow.”

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

You leave the city before it can decide what to do with you.

A smaller house. Fewer guards. Silence that feels earned, not dangerous.

Some nights Seonghwa wakes up gasping, hand clutching his chest where the scar lives.

You’re always there.

Some days you still remember the man who told the world you were nothing.

He remembers too. He never forgets.

That’s part of his penance.

One evening, months later, he kneels in front of you—not with a ring, not with power, not with an audience.

Just honesty.

“I ruined you with my fear,” he says. “And I don’t deserve forgiveness.”

You touch his face, thumbs brushing the scars.

“But you bled for the truth,” you reply. “And you stayed.”

He swallows hard. “I will spend my life proving it—if you let me.”

You pull him up.

Kiss him.

Slow. Real. Chosen.

Love isn’t a weakness.

It’s the only thing that survived the fire.

───────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

─────────

© lcvejjoong, 2026

Jeong Yunho

the two of you always do silly things together

either one of you would be cracking a joke with the other 

laughs and giggles surround your entire relationship

likes to give you piggyback rides and princess carry you just because you’re “tiny” to him

very playful when you’re around each other

but when it comes to it he can get earnest and protective about anything threatening related to you

“You okay my love?”

Kang Yeosang

the both of you have a whole facial routine that you have to follow through every night

he likes to shower together whenever he can

buys you lots of expensive beauty products that he approves of and wants you to use with him

prefers to stay at home ideally with you on his off days to spend quality time together

but he would be down in a heartbeat if you just mentioned that you want to go somewhere or want something

even if it is in the middle of the night, he’d do it

“Oh? Consider it done baby, wait for me.” 

Choi San

he unleashes his cute side whenever you’re around despite wanting to appear stoic and manly around others

follows you around everywhere like a lost puppy

likes to take you out on food dates

loves complimenting you random times a day for just about anything

you absolutely endear him when he introduces one of his plushy collections

“Look darling! This one looks just like you! It’s a cute bunny, hehe.”

Song Mingi

he enjoys taking you on random vacations and trips

has to hold your hand wherever he goes as he claims it comforts him

showers you with affection and hugs especially back-waist hugs because of your size differences

absolutely has to cuddle or spoon when in bed together whether it’s relaxing or sleeping

loves sniffing your hair or the perfume you had on that particular day because it’s calming to him

“Mm, you smell so sweet today beautiful, come closer.”

Jung Wooyoung

always showers you with kisses and pecks whenever he can

enjoys bringing you to his family home and letting you be engulfed in the affection of his family members

loves mentioning and introducing you to everyone he engages with

eager to marry you ever since the beginning and wants to have children with you

hopes that the kids the both of you will bear would resemble you the most

“Let’s make it official, shall we dear? And have adorable children together please~” 

Choi Jongho

always makes you feel safe and assured in every aspect of your life

his goofiness makes you laugh all the time even when you’re down

loves singing you to sleep while he caresses your hair 

very mature and responsible even though he is younger

likes to help you with everything he can even when you say you don’t need help

“Here, I’ll do that for you honey, don’t hurt your hands.”

I woke up to the soft, steady beeping of the heart monitor. For a moment, I didn't remember where I was. The sterile hospital scent, the pale blue curtain, the stiff sheets beneath my cheek—then I felt the rise and fall of San's chest beneath my ear.

Memory came crashing, my throat tightened, San was still sleeping, head turned slightly towards me, lips parted, his breathing shallow but steady. In the sunlight filtering through the blinds, he looked impossibly gentle — so unlike the man who had thrown himself into danger hours earlier.

Carefully sliding my fingers over his hand, tracing the bruises along his knuckles. My eyes sting, "You're okay," I whispered. More to myself than to him, "You're okay... thank God."

He stirred at the sound of my voice, brow tightening like even in sleep he expected pain.

Lifting my head a little. "It's okay. I'm right here."

His eyes flickered open — groggy, confused for half a second before they softened at the sight of me. "Hi," he breathed, I smile shakily. "Hi."

Then he winced, a sharp inhale twisting his ribs. I immediately braced a hand against his shoulder to steady him. "San, don't move too fast—"

"I'm fine." It was a lie, he couldn't even shift without pain shooting through him. But before I could scold him, a doctor stepped inside with a clipboard.

"You're awake," the doctor sighed, relieved. "Your ribs are bruised, not broken. You lost a lot of blood but stabilizing well."

San nodded weakly, his palm sliding to my thigh, grounding himself. The doctor continued, "The police want to speak with both of you. Only a few questions. They'll make it brief."

I swallowed, I wasn't ready. But I nodded, the officer entered a moment later — calm, gentle-eyed, but professional. "Miss Kenzo, Mr. Choi... we've identified the intruders."

I froze, San didn't look away from me — not once — but I felt him tense beneath me.

The officer continued, "Two have priors for burglary and intimidation. But the leader — the one who appeared to speak the most — he's connected to a larger network. They've been paid more than once to retrieve... documents."

My heart dropped, San's jaw tightened, eyes flickering with something dark and furious.

Documents. The envelope. I looked down, "I didn't even read it," I whispered. "I didn't open anything except—except that first one by accident—"

The officer nodded. "Which may have been enough. Someone hired them not just to retrieve the envelope — but to ensure no one who saw its contents could talk. It could be a business rival of yours, Mr. Choi... or something more personal."

San let out a slow, shallow breath. His fingers closed around my hand like he feared losing me again. "We'll continue digging," the officer said. "For now, they're in custody. You're safe."

After he left, the hospital room fell into soft quiet again.

I leaned into San carefully. "Someone wanted to terrify us." his eyes closed briefly — not from pain this time, but from holding back something sharp. "They wanted to hurt you," he said softly. "I'll never forgive that."

His voice trembled in a way I rarely heard, it wasn't anger. It was fear.

I cupped his cheek, forcing him to meet my eyes. "You saved me," I whispered. "You got up when you could barely stand. You fought for me. I'm... I'm right here because of you."

San pressed his forehead against mine, his breath warm and unsteady. "I couldn't lose you," he whispered. "I can't—Y/N, I—" His voice broke.

Wrapping my arms around him slowly, careful not to hurt him, resting my cheek against his shoulder. He held me back, fingers curling desperately into my shirt. For a long moment, we didn't speak.

Then San's voice came again — low, pained, certain: "This isn't over. Whoever hired them... they're still out there."

I nodded slowly, my pulse hammering. "I know," I whispered. "And we'll face it together." San's hand found mine under the blankets, squeezing gently. "Always," he breathed.

The hospital lights had dimmed by evening, leaving the room washed in a warm, muted glow. A thin drizzle tapped against the window, soft and steady, like the world outside was trying not to disturb us anymore.

San hadn't let go of my hand since he woke again. Not once.

He lay half-propped against the pillows, eyes still tired, lips pale, but his grip was warm and firm. I sit curled in the chair beside him, knees up to my chest, chin resting on one of them as I watch him with a softness I haven't yet learned how to hide. "You should sleep," I murmured gently. San shook his head. "Not until you close your eyes first."

"You barely slept at all."

"And you didn't sleep last night," he countered.

Our eyes met, there were no raised voices, no frustration — just two souls trying to guard each other before guarding themselves. I sighed and leaned closer, brushing my thumb over the back of his hand. "San... nothing's going to happen to me here." He didn't blink, didn't exhale.

"Someone hired them, Y/N." His voice was low, rough. "Someone who knew where we were. Someone who sent them after you." I swallowed, pulse quickening. "Because I opened the envelope?" San's jaw flexed, the muscle tightening beneath bruised skin.

"There were only a few people who knew that house was available this month," he said quietly. "And fewer who knew about the documents I was keeping off-site." I frowned softly. "You think the envelope was targeted?"

"I think it was bait," San replied. "Meant to draw attention. Meant to test who opened it. Someone wanted to see if I slipped." He paused and looked at me.

~~~ San ~~~

Something in his eyes cracked just a little, "And they put you in the crossfire."

Y/N’s heart clenched, she lifted his hand to her cheek, closing her eyes against the warmth of his palm. "San... you're allowed to be angry," she whispered. "But not at yourself." His breath hitched, God, I loved her.

But instead of saying it, he leaned forward — slow, careful — and kissed her forehead. His lips lingered there, soft and trembling. "I'm not angry at myself," he murmured against her skin. "I'm furious at them."

Y/N threaded her fingers through his hair and stroked gently. "We'll figure out who it was. Together." San opened his eyes, dark with worry, and cupped her face with both hands — ignoring the pain it caused him. "I don't want you going anywhere alone," he said, voice steady but weighted. "Not until we know who's behind this." Y/N blinked, surprise flickering through her. "San..."

"I'm serious." His thumbs brushed her cheeks. "I'm not letting you out of my sight. Not for coffee. Not for a walk. Not even down the hall."

"San—"

His voice lowered, soft but unshakable. "You almost died." The words fell heavy between them, Y/N leaned into his touch, closing the space until her forehead rested against his. "I'm right here," she whispered. "You saved me." His breath trembled at the memory — fear and relief crashing together. "I'm still scared," he admitted.

"So am I." Her fingers curled into the front of his hospital gown. "But we're scared together." Something in him eased — a breath he hadn't released since the shed finally letting go.

He tugged her gently until she climbed into the bed beside him, curling against his side. San slipped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close, protective, tender.

The storm outside continued tapping the window. A quiet, thoughtful rhythm.

Y/N rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Stronger than earlier. Steadier.

"You're never losing me," she whispered, barely audible. San pressed a kiss to her hair. "I don't plan to."

They lay like that for a long, long time — two bruised bodies, two frightened hearts, wrapped together in warmth while the world outside whispered secrets.