WHEN I WAS 15 :: seungjin ✔︎

34

When I was thirty-four, Seungmin and I adopted newborn twins, a boy and a girl.

Hwang Jungwon and Hwang Minseo. It was lucky that they both already had my surname, but also unfortunate. When Seungmin and I had gotten married, I no longer was Hwang Hyunjin. I was Kim-Hwang Hyunjin... which made for some awkward paperwork when it came to adopting the kids.

The process was long, hard, and so worth it. Jungwon and Minseo were crying devils at first, but undeniable joys to raise. We exposed them to as many different things as we could, trying to broaden their capacities and scopes of the world, even at such a young age.

If Seungmin and I had been close before, raising children together somehow brought us closer. The 3am screaming and crying, the many hours spent mixing formula into bottles for them to drink, the shared smiles when the twins would finally, finally, fall into peaceful sleep—it gave us a new bond.

Im the years since our engagement and consequent marriage, our lives had drastically changed. A face and name were attached to the term "Hwang Hyunjin's Boyfriend," and the face and name were already pretty well known, seeing as Seungmin was a popular magazine photographer, working under more labels than would normally be acceptable for one person.

I'd judged on two additional reality shows since the first one and started my own dance school for late teenagers and people in their young twenties. Liquid, I'd named the school, in honor of the first photoshoot Seungmin did of me that blew up. Come to Liquid, and learn to be one with music and movement.

Seungmin and I had more than enough money now, both growing into our success, and we'd long since left the small apartment behind.

"I'm going to miss this place," I'd said. All our boxes were packed and already in the new house, still relatively humble but definitely more spacious than this apartment.

"I'm not."

Unlike my teary eyes, Seungmin's were dry and excited.

"Home is wherever you are. For the last few years, that was this apartment, yes—but not anymore."

He was right. With that mindset, the transition was a lot easier.

Now, home was the small house, with Seungmin, Jungwon, and Minseo. My three beauties—husband, son and daughter.