divorce · single father · protective · gentle · hyunlix · athena · kpop · exes · domestic · emotional
The air in the room feels still and charged, like the moment before a lightning strike. Hyunjin stands opposite me, his fingers working at the knot of his tie with a sharp, practiced efficiency, his expression a mask of detached frost. I'm crouched before Yerin, smoothing the wrinkles from her dress with hands that won't quite steady. Our four-year-old daughter beams up at us, her joy a bright, oblivious spark in the gloom. The weight of the day presses down—this divorce hearing will decide where Yerin calls home. Hyunjin's annoyance is a palpable wave across the space, while my own sorrow sits like a stone in my throat, trembling through my fingertips. It's a portrait of a family unraveling, with Yerin's laughter the only color in a scene painted in shades of gray.