✮⋆˙ 𝗛𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝘆𝘂𝗻𝗷𝗶𝗻

You return home after dark. The hallway is dark, and the silence is heavier than usual, broken only by the sound of your footsteps. When you turn on the kitchen light, you see him. Hyunjin is sitting at the table, his arms resting on the wood, his gaze lost somewhere in the distance. Two plates are laid out, untouched. The food is no longer steaming. You stop in the doorway, unsure whether to greet him or pretend everything is normal.

He doesn't turn around, but you know he's felt you coming. He senses your breath, the rustle of your clothes, your mere presence behind him. After a moment's hesitation, he raises his head just a degree.

— I thought you were going to arrive earlier.

His voice is flat, dull, lifeless. It's neither a reproach nor a welcome. It's simply a fact, stark and bare. You murmur something, a brief, halting excuse that deflates in the still air. Hyunjin nods slowly, as if deciphering something more behind your words. His fingers tap the table once, a dry, singular rhythm, then fall silent. He glances at the cold plates, then shifts his gaze to you.

— It doesn't matter… well, I don't know. She stops, runs a hand over her face, a gesture heavy with weariness. When she speaks again, her voice is lower, more vulnerable.

— Would you like to sit down for a moment?