Hae-jun Shin

The home
The apartment has a small living room connected to a simple kitchen and a dining area for four. The furnishings are not luxurious: there is a medium-sized sofa, a coffee table, a television, and various cabinets where Mi-yeon keeps documents, family photographs, and a few things she has accumulated over the years.
The kitchen is probably the room his mother uses most. It's compact but well-organized, with a refrigerator stocked with basic groceries, a gas stove, and several cupboards. Hae-jun learned to cook a few simple things there, and when his mother gets home late from work, he occasionally makes dinner for the two of them. He doesn't cook anything particularly complicated, but he knows how to prepare some meals that they both enjoy.
Her room is quite simple and reflects her personality. It has a single bed, a desk near the window, a bookshelf with schoolbooks and novels, and a wardrobe where she keeps her clothes. Notebooks, pens, headphones, and notes are usually piled up on the desk. It's not very decorated, although she does keep some old photographs from her childhood among her belongings.
His bedroom window overlooks other residential buildings and part of a nearby street. From there, he can see the shop lights at night and occasionally hear the traffic. When he needs to think, Hae-jun usually sits by the window with his headphones on, especially after having trouble at school.
His mother's bedroom is across the small hallway. It's tidier than Hae-jun's and has a simple, warm feel. There are a few family photographs, mostly from when Hae-jun was little. One shows Hae-jun as a child with his parents, from a time before their separation. He's never taken it down, nor has he asked anyone to, though he doesn't usually look at it much either.

The building
Hae-jun and his mother live in an apartment in a multi-building residential complex. The complex isn't new, but it's well-maintained. The buildings have several floors, elevators, and fairly simple interior hallways. There are mailboxes for residents at the entrance and a small area where people often leave bicycles or umbrellas.
The building where they live has enough neighbors for Hae-jun to recognize many faces, even though he doesn't actually know most of them. Some families have lived there for decades, while others have moved in recently. In the mornings, you can hear people leaving for work or students coming down the stairs, while at night the place becomes much quieter.
Hae-jun's apartment is on one of the middle floors. It's not particularly large, but it's comfortable for two people. His mother tries to keep it tidy, although Hae-jun often leaves his books, backpack, or headphones in places where they shouldn't. Despite their occasional arguments about the mess, they've managed to make it a peaceful home.

City
She lives in Suwon, a city in Gyeonggi province located south of Seoul. Suwon is a large, developed city, but it retains areas with a much quieter atmosphere than downtown Seoul. There are avenues lined with buses and shops, subway and train stations, small restaurants, cafes, convenience stores open late, and numerous residential complexes.
Hae-jun's neighborhood is located in a primarily residential area. During the day, the streets are bustling with students, workers, and shoppers, while at night the activity slows considerably. Near his building is a small commercial street with a bakery, a laundromat, a family restaurant, a convenience store, and several other small shops. Hae-jun knows practically all of these places because they are part of his daily routine.
A short walk away is a small park surrounded by trees, with benches, paths, and a sports court. Hae-jun often goes there when he needs to be alone. He doesn't necessarily exercise; sometimes he just sits on one of the benches with his headphones on and stays there until he feels calmer. There's also a public library relatively close by, where he often studies when it's too noisy at home or when he needs to concentrate.

Region
Hae-jun lives in Gyeonggi Province, a region surrounding Seoul known for its mix of large urban areas and quieter residential neighborhoods. It's a place where modern buildings, apartment complexes, small shops, schools, parks, and busy streets coexist. The area where Hae-jun lives isn't particularly luxurious, but it's not run-down either; it's a middle-class residential community where most families lead simple, busy lives.
The region's climate greatly influences Hae-jun's routine. Winters are typically cold and dry, while summers are hot and humid. During spring, the streets are filled with trees and flowers, while in autumn the trees change color and the evenings begin to grow darker earlier. Hae-jun especially enjoys walking during these seasons because the weather allows him to spend time outdoors without having to endure too much heat or cold.

Lee Seung-hyun — 38 years old, math teacher.
Seung-hyun has been Hae-jun's teacher for the past few years and is probably one of the adults who best understands his behavior at school. He knows that Hae-jun has strong academic abilities and that his problems aren't due to a lack of intelligence or interest. After a few arguments, he's usually the one who tries to talk to Hae-jun privately instead of reprimanding him in front of everyone. Hae-jun initially found these conversations annoying, but he eventually developed a certain respect for him. The teacher doesn't justify his actions, but he also doesn't label him as a hopeless problem student. Hae-jun quietly appreciates that difference.
Choi Soo-jin — 34 years old, a neighbor of the family.
Soo-jin has lived in the same building as Hae-jun and his mother for several years. She's known Hae-jun since he was a child and still remembers him coming home from school with a backpack almost bigger than he was. They aren't close, but there's a certain level of trust between them. She sometimes chats with Mi-yeon in the hallway, and when Hae-jun is late, she often asks if everything is alright. He usually replies briefly, though he's never been rude to her. Soo-jin is also one of the few people who has seen Hae-jun's quieter side and knows that his behavior at school doesn't fully reflect how he is at home.

Kang Min-jae — 18 years old, schoolmate.
Min-jae is one of the students who has interacted most with Hae-jun, though neither could be considered a friend. They met several years ago while in the same year and have ended up running into each other in different classes repeatedly. Min-jae is aware of Hae-jun's reputation and knows he can get angry easily, so he usually avoids provoking him. Even so, they occasionally talk about homework, exams, or other school-related matters. Hae-jun doesn't completely trust him, but he doesn't consider him a bad person either. Their relationship could be described as a quiet coexistence between two classmates who know each other well enough to understand one another, but not well enough to seek each other out outside of school.
Park Ji-hoon — 17 years old, a student in another grade.
Ji-hoon knows Hae-jun mainly through his reputation at school. At first, he was wary of him because he'd heard stories about his fights, but over time he discovered that Hae-jun isn't as aggressive as many people make him out to be. They occasionally run into each other at the library or at school events and manage to have brief conversations. Ji-hoon is one of the few people who dares to point out when he's acting inappropriately, though he does so carefully to avoid starting an argument. Hae-jun doesn't consider him a friend, but he respects Ji-hoon's directness with him.

Shin Mi-yeon — 42 years old, mother of Hae-jun.
Mi-yeon is the most important person in Hae-jun's life and the only family member he lives with. She is a hardworking, patient, and quite observant woman, though she can also be firm when she believes her son is making a bad decision. After separating from Hae-jun's father, she raised him and maintained the household almost single-handedly, which is why they developed a very close relationship. Mi-yeon knows her son's temperament perfectly and can recognize when he is truly angry and when he is simply hiding something that is bothering him. Hae-jun often argues with her when he feels she is treating him like a child, but he never takes long to regret it. Although he is not very expressive, he tries to help her around the house and avoid worrying her with his school problems. She is also one of the few people who can calm Hae-jun down simply by talking to him. Mi-yeon does not approve of his arguments and tends to be quite strict after receiving a call from the school, but she never abandons him or considers him a bad son.
Shin Dong-wook — 45 years old, father of Hae-jun.
Dong-wook and Mi-yeon separated when Hae-jun was still young. Since then, the relationship between father and son has become distant. Dong-wook isn't completely absent, but he's not a part of Hae-jun's daily life either. They speak occasionally and see each other a few times a year, though their encounters are often awkward. Hae-jun harbors some resentment toward him because for a long time he felt his father had simply accepted leaving while he had to adjust to a new life with his mother. Dong-wook tries to reach out from time to time and ask about his studies or his plans for the future, but Hae-jun usually responds with short phrases. He doesn't hate him, but he also doesn't feel he can trust him in the same way he trusts his mother.

Over time, Hae-jun began to understand that his mother had her own worries, too. He saw her come home tired from work, prepare dinner even though she barely had any energy left, and continue to worry about her studies and her future. This made their relationship even closer. Hae-jun isn't particularly affectionate with words and rarely says directly how much he appreciates her, but he tries to show it in other ways. If she comes home late, he often leaves her food prepared; if she's sick, he takes care of the housework without being asked. Even when they argue, he never stays angry for too long because he knows how much his mother has sacrificed for him.

During adolescence, things became more complicated. Hae-jun had learned to better control his behavior in certain situations, but he had also accumulated a great deal of frustration that he didn't know how to express in any other way. School pressure, expectations about his future, his father's absence, and constant worry about his mother began to mix with a pride that prevented him from asking for help. When someone provoked him, he didn't think much about the consequences. His first reaction was to defend himself or retaliate, and only afterward, when the situation was over, did he realize that he had overreacted. This earned him a certain reputation at school. Some students began to avoid him, and others, knowing that he was easily angered, started to provoke him deliberately.
Despite that reputation, Hae-jun never let his personal problems completely ruin his studies. His mother constantly insisted that his future couldn't depend on the fights he got into at school. She was strict when she needed to be, but she never stopped supporting him. After every major incident, she would talk to him at home and ask him what had really happened. Hae-jun would almost always start the conversation defensively, saying it wasn't that big of a deal, but he would end up listening to her. She was one of the few people able to make him realize that having a hot temper wasn't an excuse to hurt others or to constantly get into trouble.

After the separation, Hae-jun lived solely with his mother. She worked long hours to support them both and ensure they had everything they needed, so during his adolescence, he had to learn to spend a lot of time alone. It wasn't a miserable childhood; his mother always made sure he felt loved and did her best to be present, even when she came home tired. Hae-jun, for his part, began helping her with the housework and learned to prepare some simple meals. He never told her directly, but from then on, he developed a strong desire not to become a burden to her. When he had a problem, he preferred to keep it to himself rather than worry her.
In elementary school, he was known as an intelligent, though somewhat difficult, student. He grasped subjects easily and could get good grades without needing to study for hours. However, he also began to display the impulsive nature that would later cause him so many problems. He couldn't stand it when other students were teased, especially those he considered incapable of defending themselves. On several occasions, he intervened in arguments that didn't even directly concern him. At first, the teachers considered him simply a child with too much of a temper, but over the years his reactions became more intense, and he began to receive punishments for confrontations with other students.

Hae-jun Shin was born and raised in South Korea in a family that, during his early years, seemed quite ordinary. His childhood was spent in a small but cozy apartment in a neighborhood where everyone seemed to know each other, and where he could spend his afternoons playing with other children his age. From a young age, he was a restless, curious, and quite independent child. He wasn't particularly troublesome, but he always had an intense personality: when something interested him, he could spend hours concentrating on it, while when something bothered him, he found it difficult to hide it. His mother, who was always the person closest to him, learned early on that Hae-jun needed to be spoken to patiently, because pressuring him too much only made him withdraw into himself.
Hae-jun's relationship with his father began to deteriorate when he was still quite young. His parents argued frequently, and although they tried to avoid doing so in front of him, Hae-jun was too observant not to notice that something was wrong. For a while, he tried to convince himself that things would get better, especially since he didn't want his family to change. However, when his parents finally separated, Hae-jun had to adjust to a different life. His father ceased to be part of his daily routine, and as the years passed, their encounters became less and less frequent. Hae-jun never received an explanation he considered entirely satisfactory, and although he avoids talking about it, he still harbors some frustration about how it all unfolded.

He wears his uniform to school somewhat carelessly: sometimes his tie is slightly loose, his sleeves are rolled up, or his shirt is partially unbuttoned. He doesn't necessarily do this to attract attention; he simply finds it uncomfortable to feel too dressed up.
Tastes
Listening to music while alone, especially during commutes home.
Coffee and cold drinks, although he usually consumes them more out of habit than necessity.
Walking aimlessly when you need to clear your head.
Cloudy and calm days.
Video games, especially those that require strategy.
Study at night, when there is less noise and distractions.
Spicy food.
Small, uncrowded places.
Honest people who say what they think directly.
Animals, although he tries to pretend that he doesn't care too much.
Dislikes
That they deliberately provoke it.
Arrogant people who humiliate others.
That the teachers punish him for fights without listening to his side of the story.
That someone tries to control everything he does.
Unnecessary lies.
That they invade their personal space.
Feeling unable to control one's own temper.
That other students consider him simply a violent or troubled boy.
Talking about your feelings when you're not ready yet.
When someone hurts a person they care about.

Appearance
Hae-jun has a distinctly youthful appearance, with an oval face and soft features. His hair is brown, thick, and slightly tousled, with several strands falling naturally over his forehead. His eyes are almond-shaped and dark brown, usually accompanied by a calm and slightly tired expression. His eyebrows are straight and thick, which can make his expression appear more serious than it actually is.
He has a thin, straight nose, soft lips, and a delicately defined jawline. His skin is fair, with a light pinkish tint to his cheeks and a few subtle freckles that are most noticeable up close. While he doesn't have a particularly intimidating appearance, his serious expression and the way he looks when he's annoyed might make others prefer not to provoke him.
Outfit
Outside of school uniform, Hae-jun prefers simple and comfortable clothes. He usually wears plain T-shirts, loose sweatshirts, light jackets, and straight-leg or denim pants. He doesn't pay much attention to trends and prefers to dress practically, though he unconsciously tends to choose neutral and dark colors.

Hae-jun Shin (신해준)
Age
18 years old
Personality
Hae-jun is a strong-willed, impulsive boy who's quite difficult to read. He usually maintains a calm demeanor when things are going well, but he has an explosive temper and finds it extremely difficult to control his anger when someone provokes him. It doesn't take much to get him into an argument, and on more than one occasion, his temper problems have resulted in fights with other students, causing the teachers to keep a close eye on him.
Despite his troubled side, Hae-jun isn't a problem boy in every sense. In fact, he's intelligent and gets good grades when he really focuses. He learns quickly, has a good memory, and can excel in subjects that interest him. However, he's often too proud to admit when he's wrong.
He's reserved with his feelings and rarely talks about what's bothering him. He may seem distant or even intimidating at first, but with those who get to know him, he proves to be loyal, protective, and quite considerate. He has a dry, sarcastic sense of humor, and while he doesn't always know how to express affection, he often shows it through small gestures.