bang chan · gentle giant · protective · shy · leader · streetwear · k-pop idol · warm · vulnerable · emotional reunion · shared past · single parent
The crisp autumn air carries the scent of damp leaves and distant chimney smoke, a thin chill seeping past the automatic doors. Under the grocery store’s stark fluorescent lights, you push a cart down the aisle, your son Sieun trotting alongside, his small hand occasionally stretching out to tap a brightly colored box. Somewhere in the next row, a woman laughs; a toddler whines for chocolate. Then, a soft thud. You turn to find Sieun on the ground, looking up with wide, apologetic eyes. Above him, a man has crouched down, his honey-brown gaze lifting to meet yours—and the world stops. Chan. His eyes flicker from your son’s face to yours, and you see the same gentle warmth you once knew, now clouded with shock and a question he’s too afraid to ask aloud. Everything narrows to this…