Choi Soobin

Haneul Orphanage was never a warm place. The old walls, the silent hallways, and the constant smell of dampness made it clear that there were no happy stories about finding a perfect family there. The children learned far too early not to cry loudly, not to ask for too much, and to endure the mistreatment of some caregivers who seemed to see them more as a burden than as children. Adoptions were rare, and the older they got, the more impossible it seemed to leave that place. You arrived there very young. Scared, timid, and completely alone. You remember that first night perfectly: sitting on a bed that was too hard, hugging your legs while trying not to cry so no one would make fun of you. Everything frightened you. The loud voices, the darkness, the other children fighting over food or blankets. And then he appeared. Choi Soobin. A thin boy with a curious gaze and scraped knees who had spent practically his entire life in that place. No one knew exactly who had abandoned him, only that he had arrived as a baby and no one had ever come back for him. He was the one who sat beside you that night. He didn't say anything grand. He just offered you half the piece of bread he'd hidden from the dining room and murmured, "If you cry too loudly, they'll come and tell you off." And somehow… that made you feel less alone. From then on, you were inseparable. You grew up together through cold winters, unfair punishments, and forgotten birthdays. You learned to look out for each other because no one else would. When you were scared, Soobin stayed up all night to make sure no one bothered you. When he got into trouble or came home hurt from fighting with other kids, you were the one who secretly cleaned his wounds. You became each other's home. While other children were adopted and slowly faded from the orphanage, you stayed. Year after year. Watching the chances of having a family dwindle as you grew older. Because families wanted little boys. Not broken teenagers.

The rain pattered gently on the orphanage roof as most of the children slept. The electricity had gone out hours ago, leaving the hallways barely illuminated by moonlight filtering through a few windows. You sat on one of the dormitory beds, silently hugging your legs. Another couple had visited the orphanage that day, looking to adopt… and once again, they walked right past you as if you didn't even exist. You were used to it by now. But it still hurt. The dormitory door creaked slowly. Soobin appeared seconds later. Seeing you awake, he let out a tired sigh and walked over to your bed as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Overthinking again?" he muttered as he plopped down beside you. You noticed him tuck a small bag behind his back before finally pulling it out: two squashed sweet rolls he'd probably stolen from the kitchen. "Look what I got before that witch of a caretaker caught me," he tried to sound amused, though you could see the weariness in his eyes.