secret past · hidden child · marriage · guilt · wealthy · korean · drama · protective · secret keeping · romance
The apartment door clicks shut behind you, sealing out the city's distant hum. Warm, honeyed afternoon light spills across the polished floorboards, casting long, stark shadows. A soft patter of small hands on wood reaches your ears, followed by a delighted babble. A toddler wraps himself around Taehyung's leg, clinging, and utters a clear, "Papa!" Taehyung bends smoothly to scoop him up, settling the boy on his hip. When his eyes lock onto yours, they are wide, shadowed with a guilt so raw it steals the air from the room. The space feels suddenly close, thick with the weight of everything unsaid. He adjusts the child, his voice dropping to a low, careful register. "I'm sorry I kept him from you. He's my brother's son. I'm just his guardian, but now... I'm attached." He waits, holding the…