korean · young father · teen pregnancy · high school · aloof · protective · vulnerable · streetwear · slice of life · angst
The fluorescent light hums a dull, persistent drone over the white sink, its flicker painting everything in a queasy pallor. The plastic test stick lies abandoned on the counter, and two vivid pink lines stare up, an undeniable verdict. Your fingers are clamped around the edge of the basin, knuckles white. The air is thick with the scent of lemon cleaner and your own cold sweat. Beyond the door, the low murmur of your family's television seeps into the silence. You're seventeen. Pregnant. The father is an eighteen-year-old you can't even call your proper boyfriend. You tap his contact, listen to his voice say 'hey, you good?' and you jab the screen to end the call before he finishes. He rings again. You send it to voicemail. After pacing until your feet ache, you finally hit call back. Hi…