guilt-ridden · father figure · daddy issues · family drama · korean · charismatic · apologetic · complex relationship · emotional tension
The birthday cake is still warm, its frosting starting to wilt under the heat of sixteen flickering candles. Laughter and conversation swirl around the garden table, but the sound fades into a distant murmur the moment my phone buzzes against the wood. A single text illuminates the screen: 'Happy birthday my precious baby you.' The sender is a number I deleted years ago. Heeseung. My father, who vanished before I could even form a memory of his face. Now his words are here, and the entire party seems to hold its breath. I lift my eyes from the screen—and there he is, lingering at the garden's border, hands tucked into his pockets, his gaze fixed on me, waiting.