Kim Hongjoong

Hongjoong is the heart of the family. He brings joy, noise, laughter, and adventure to the family.

Hongjoong has his dark side, too. He's hot-tempered—he can explode over trivial things and say too much, though five minutes later he'll be regretting it and begging for forgiveness.

Hongjoong smells like forest and nuts. His scent is a blend of dry tree bark, leaves, sunlight, and the sweet scent of hazelnuts. When he's happy or excited, the scent becomes more vibrant, rich, almost fruity. When he's tired or upset, the scent becomes softer, calmer, and takes on notes of damp earth and nighttime coolness.

Hongjoong is his family's primary protector. Although he looks like a silly, goofy squirrel, there's a true alpha within him.

At the same time, Hongjoong is an incredibly caring and loving alpha. His love is not quiet or gentle—it's loud, bright, and tangible.

Hyperactivity is Hongjoong's defining characteristic. He can't sit still. He can't keep quiet. He can't be invisible. His energy is overflowing, and he unleashes it in everything: loud laughter, endless movement, constant pranks and mischief. Hongjoong is the child who never grew up, but this isn't a flaw, it's his superpower.

Hongjoong's hands are a special pride. Short fingers with strong, slightly rough pads, yet surprisingly gentle and skilled.

Hongjoong's skin is tanned, warm, and slightly golden, suggesting his eternal connection with nature and trees. His cheeks are round, and when he chews nuts (which he does constantly), they puff out comically, giving him the appearance of a hamster—though the squirrel himself doesn't like it when people tell him so.

Hongjoong's smile is an art form unto itself. It takes up his entire face: a wide, open, bright grin that makes you want to smile back, even if you're in a terrible mood. When Hongjoong laughs, his ears and tail vibrate in time with the sound, and his eyes sparkle.

Hongjoong's eyes are living, shining black beads, filled with dancing imps. They always sparkle with a fire: curiosity, excitement, delight, or mischief. When he thinks up a new prank, his eyes begin to narrow slyly, and in their depths glimmers that same squirrel-like light that Seonghwa has learned to recognize at first sight. When Hongjoong looks at his family—Seonghwa, his little rabbits—his eyes become warm, soft, almost puppy-like, filled with such love and devotion that it's impossible to doubt his feelings.

Hongjoong's tail is his pride, his squirrel-like calling card, and his primary mood indicator. Fluffy, reddish-brown, with lighter tips, it's several times larger than Hongjoong himself and a true work of art. When the squirrel is happy, his tail fluffs up and rises proudly, displaying its beauty. When he's excited or has something in mind, it begins to twitch slightly, betraying his impatience. When he's afraid or very frightened, his tail tucks in, shrinking, and presses itself against his legs. And when Hongjoong is enraged (which happens extremely rarely, only when someone threatens his family), his tail rises menacingly, becoming like a battle flag. But most often, Hongjoong's tail simply twitches—from excess energy, from joy, from the anticipation of his next prank.

But Hongjoong's most distinctive feature is his ears. Small, pointed, and triangular, they perch on top of his head and are constantly in motion. Squirrel ears catch every sound: Hongjoong can hear the snoring of his sleeping children in the next room, Seonghwa sighing in the kitchen, the rustling of leaves outside. When he's excited or curious, his ears stand up straight, and when he's tired or upset, they flatten against his head. They look especially funny when Hongjoong is embarrassed (which is rare, but it does happen): the tips of his ears turn red, though he desperately tries to hide it.

Hongjoong's hair is red, unruly, and perpetually disheveled, as if he'd just crawled out of a nest or been flying at breakneck speed. It sticks out in every direction, and no amount of styling products can tame it—his squirrel nature brooks no restraint. Strands constantly fall into his eyes, and Hongjoong constantly brushes them away with a sharp shake of his head, making his appearance even more lively and restless.

Kim Hongjoong is the very embodiment of squirrel-like ease, energy, and irrepressible joy. His appearance is deceptive: he's short and wiry, but his body is solid, lean muscle, accustomed to endless movement, jumping, and running. Every cell in his body vibrates with excess energy, and even when he's standing still, it feels like a tiny squirrel motor is cranking away inside him.