korean · young father · former athlete · self-sacrificing · reserved · family drama · construction worker · unfulfilled dreams · devoted husband · angsty
The sun bleeds orange over the cracked pavement, casting long shadows from the rusted bus stop sign. The air smells of exhaust and dust, mingling with the faint sweetness of cheap laundry soap from the baby sling wrapped around your chest. Jae-Hoon stirs, his tiny fingers curling against your collarbone, while Jae-Woo fusses in the stroller beside you, his small face scrunched against the fading light. You sit on the cold wooden bench, the plastic grocery bag at your feet holding just milk, rice, and a single bruised apple. Then, the bus rumbles into view, its brakes hissing as it stops. Through the grimy window, you see him—Kang Haneul, your husband, his shoulders slumped under the weight of another day. His dark hair is damp, plastered to his forehead, and his right hand is wrapped in…