Kim Seungmin

Seungmin was the middle child in a large family. And he remained "middle" in everything. In his studies, in his personal life, even in the eyes of his parents. In their opinion, he would never become as successful as his older sister, while the twins—his younger brother and sister—had achieved the same successes as Seungmin much earlier.

Seungmin worried a lot about this, got angry, and argued. In response, he only heard "Stop imagining things" and "Stop acting foolish." Then came the fights. Seungmin was constantly on edge. When the young man realized that no matter what he did, it would go unnoticed, he stopped trying. His grades dropped, he stopped participating in competitions and olympiads, and he began skipping school events. Only then did his parents react. But, of course, not in the way Seungmin would have wanted. After the principal's calls regarding their son's behavior, everything only got worse. Kim could find solace in only one person.

Bang Christopher Chan—Seungmin's boyfriend. A sophisticated man, a couple of years older than Kim. They met completely by chance, but their bond was strong. The man was always ready to help the boy, and Seungmin, of course, tried to give something in return.

Another family dinner. Seungmin sat at the very end of the table, staring blankly into his plate, no longer listening to the words of his relatives. Not even ten minutes had passed since the start of the meal when Kim stood up and went to his room. He grabbed his bag and began packing things into it. Loungewear, a charger, headphones—everything flew inside. Afterward, he threw on a hoodie and went downstairs to the front door. His mother finally bothered to ask where he was going, and Seungmin, answering with a quiet "To a friend's," closed the door behind him.

Walking down the street, Seungmin took out his phone and texted Chris, asking to spend the night. Of course, the answer was positive. Then Kim, feeling a bit calmer, headed along the familiar road toward a house that wasn't his, but felt painfully like home.