#tenderlove

a  soft,  unfamiliar  voice  cuts  through  the  rising  wind,  startling  him  out  of  his  quiet,  numb  haze. “ i'm  fine, ”  mutters  automatically,  his  tone  quiet  and  reflexive  as  he  keeps  his  head  lowered. finally  turns  his  chin  toward  the  sound,  squinched  left  eye  struggling  to  focus  through  the  swollen,  blurry  skin  left  behind  by  koen's  fist.  the  sight  of  who  is  actually  standing  on  the  lonely  peak  catches  him  completely  off  guard,  the  breath  catching  in  his  throat. “ oh...  hi, ”  says,  the  greeting  stumbling  awkwardly  over  his  swollen  lip  as  he  recognizes  areum.  adjusting  his  posture,  tries  to  pull  together  whatever  tiny  shred  of  composure  he  has  left,  terrified  of  looking  pathetic  in  front  of  her.  “ umm — no,  it's  okay.  i  have  an  umbrella, ”  lies  softly.  forcing  a  small,  reassuring  smile  across  his  face  despite  the  clear  emptiness  of  his  bare  hands. looks  up  toward  the  darkening  sky,  his  voice  dropping  into  a  gentle,  protective  cadence.  “ i  think  i'll  stay  for  a  little  bit,  but  you  should  head  down.  it  can  pour  anytime  now. ”

"Your order has arrived!" He announces his arrival once he has closed the door behind him and kicked his shoes off. "And a few extras on the side." The side dishes are mainly for him. After a whole evening spent delivering pizzas and whatever else people have bought with them, the male can't think of eating one, which is why he chose a couple of chickens and tteokbokki. "How was your night?" He inquires while walking further into the apartment, straight to the kitchen, where he places the plastic bag and a box of pizza on the table.

It had become something of a routine now. Every morning, before tying on her apron at her brother's café, sakura would find herself stealing a glance through the front window toward the flower shop next door. Sometimes she would catch him, hyunwoo the florist next door, carrying buckets of fresh flowers inside, other times carefully arranging bouquets in the display window or, on the more amusing mornings, speaking to the plants as if they were old friends who had simply stopped by for a chat. She had long since stopped finding it strange; if anything, those little moments had quietly become something she looked forward to. On the mornings when she didn't catch him doing something wonderfully odd, the café somehow felt a little less lively. The familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee still clung to sakura's apron as she stepped out of the café, balancing two paper cups in one hand while carrying a small cardboard box in the other. Her older brother had insisted she return it to the flower shop next door after it had been left behind, teasing her that she was slowly becoming the unofficial messenger between the two stores, not that she minded of course. The little bell above the flower shop door chimed softly as she stepped inside, the warm scent of roses, eucalyptus, and freshly watered lilies surrounding her. Her gaze naturally wandered through the shop, searching among the colorful blooms until it landed on the familiar figure crouched beside a shelf of potted plants. A small smile immediately found its way onto her lips. " good morning," she greeted brightly, her voice carrying the same warmth she brought into the café every day. " are you taking care of your little friends again?" She approached quietly, watching him for a moment with amused curiosity before bending down to a tiny succulent nearby. After seeing him do it countless times, she lowered her voice and leaned closer to the plant, trying to imitate his serious tone. " you're doing very well today," she whispered encouragingly. " keep growing, okay? I believe in you." A soft giggle escaped her as she glanced back at him, unable to hide the amusement sparkling in her eyes. She had no idea when she had started finding his strange little habits so endearing, but somehow, they had become one of the highlights of her mornings. " oh, right," she remembered, lifting the cardboard box slightly. " your shop left this at ours again." Then she held out one of the iced coffees toward him, her smile growing a little wider. " and my brother accidentally made an extra iced latte this morning." She tilted her head playfully, her fingers still wrapped around the cup as she offered it to him. " i thought it would be a shame to let it go to waste." Her eyes briefly wandered around the flower shop before returning to him, the familiar warmth in her expression lingering. " besides... I figured someone here might need the energy. taking care of this many plants looks like hard work."

The world had always known hajun as a man who never stopped moving. As the ceo of one of the country’s largest tech companies, his days were consumed by meetings, negotiations, and decisions that left little room for anything else. People saw his silence as arrogance and his composure as coldness, never knowing that beneath it was simply exhaustion. Years of chasing success had left him with everything he could ask for, except the one thing he quietly lacked; someone to come home to. So he buried himself in work, returning each night to a penthouse that felt far too large and empty. That was until violet became part of his routine. Hiring a private chef had started as a simple solution to his impossible standards and his picky eating habits, but somehow, she became the only person who could make his evenings feel less lonely. Her cooking was warm and familiar, a small comfort he found himself looking forward to more than he wanted to admit. Beyond the meals, it was her presence; the quiet way she moved through his home, the faint scent of food lingering in the kitchen, the reminder that someone had been there, and that slowly made the space feel less like a place he simply slept in. They never spoke much, only exchanging brief greetings and quiet thanks, but there was an unspoken understanding between them. Two people who were used to being alone, finding comfort in the silence they shared. That familiar routine changed when a storm swept across the city, forcing hajun to finish his work from home. Expecting the penthouse to be empty, he was caught off guard by the soft clink of porcelain coming from the kitchen. Following the sound, he found the woman still there beneath the warm lights, her calm presence standing in contrast to the thunder and rain crashing against the windows. For a moment, he simply watched her, surprised by the unfamiliar feeling of seeing someone else in his home. “...you’re still here?” he asked quietly, his gaze shifting from her to the storm outside. “i thought you had already gone home.” After a brief pause, he glanced back at the rain pouring down. “ it’s getting worse. The news is telling everyone to stay indoors.” His expression softened slightly before he added, almost hesitantly, “ why don’t you stay here tonight?” Realizing how sudden it sounded, he cleared his throat and quickly explained, “ there probably won’t be any taxis or buses available right now. I’ll be working in my office anyway, so you can use one of the guest rooms until the storm passes.”

“ they  want  to  sue  me  for  not  letting  their  kid  die.  did  i  get  it  right ? ”  asks  lazily,  letting  his  head  tilt  forward  until  his  eyes  meet  hers. a  faint,  mocking  smile  touches  the  corner  of  his  mouth.  the  room  smells  of  cheap  coffee  and  institutional  polish. a  stark  contrast  to  the  metallic  reality  of  the  emergency  bay  where  he  operates.  knows  exactly  how  the  board  views  him. an  expensive,  volatile  necessity.  a  man  who  routinely  bypasses  protocol,  ignores  frantic  consent  forms,  and  drags  terminally  unstable  patients  back  across  the  line  through  pure  brilliance.  his  methods  leave  behind  a  trail  of  furious  administrators  and  terrified  families,  but  his  survival  rates  remain  an  untouchable  shield.  the  hospital  spends  millions  protecting  him  simply  because  no  one  else  in  the  building  can  replicate  what  he  does  on  a  daily  basis. “ should  i  offer  to  kill  their  child  then ? ”  tone  dropping  into  a  flat register  as  fingers  tap  an  uneven  rhythm  against  the  armrest.  “ because  that  would  have  been  the  outcome  if  i  didn't  do  it.  correct  my  wrong. ”

and when the guy finally stirs, what feels like another small eternity later (and yes, maybe kitty took a nap in between all this too) and kitty starts seriously needing to pee, kitty gasps, getting up on his feet. he reaches out for him, fingers gripping onto his hand before he can actually realize what he is doing. "are you okay? do you know where you are? do you need water?" wow kitty, ten out of ten for not freaking out and not overwhelming the guy as soon as he wakes up.

Dabin is sitting on the bed, a phone in her hand, and she's scrolling her social media feed. She looks bored, but she's not. She is waiting. She's waiting for her friend to come out and show off the outfit she urged Naeun to try on. They will be going out to see what the night will bring for them, and it will be fun. At least, that's what the femme has decided. Nothing will ruin their night, and it will be her mission to have Naeun enjoy the night. "Is it on already? Or do you think it's ugly? I have other choices in my closet if you want to look." Her voice is a little raised for the other to hear in the bathroom, and she glances from her phone to look at the bedroom door.

the past couple of weeks were full of rehearsals in preparation for this year's grand performance. finalists for the lead roles were paired off to eventually compete for their coveted spots. chiyo's opposite was a man she's only known through passing whispers in the ballet scene. their first encounters were hardly anything to write home about, with their instructor's guidance helping lead their private practice and acting as a buffer. this would be their first session completely alone, and it already started off with a hiccup. twenty minutes past call time came and went. all of which were impatiently counted out by chiyo. she busied herself by planning out her next week in painstaking detail in her spring polka-dot planner, down to the second, until the name on the call sheet finally walked through the studio's double glass doors. "you're late. hopefully because of something good," said without bite and completely pristine, like anger wasn't something she held closer than most. she smiled brightly, each tooth a polished pearl, all too good at hiding unsavory emotions with practiced poise. "are we, um, still good to rehearse today?"