HEARTSTRINGS | CHANLIX

2

Chan hurriedly shuffled through piles of papers on his desk, his eyes bleary from lack of sleep. As a single father and a lawyer at a prestigious firm, he felt the weight of responsibility crushing down on him. His daughter, Evelyn, was his world, but balancing her needs with the demands of his career seemed like an impossible feat.

Changbin watched with concern as Chan buried himself deeper into his work. "Hey, hyung, maybe you should take a break. You've been pulling all-nighters for weeks now," Changbin suggested, his voice laced with worry.

Chan waved off Changbin's concern, a forced smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I'm fine, really. I just have a lot on my plate right now."

"Still," Changbin sighed. "You're overworking yourself. I can see how it's affecting your health."

Chan stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Changbin. "And who's gonna meet the deadlines if I do take a break?"

"Hyung... just take a few hours off at least," Changbin said, glancing at his watch. "Isn't it time for you to pick Evelyn up from school?"

Chan's eyes go wide. "Shit, I almost forgot!" He looked at all the files on his desk and sighed, pulling out his phone. "I'm gonna ask Minho to pick her up for me. I have a lot of work to get done today."

Changbin nodded in defeat. "Alright, well, if you need me, hyung, I'll be right outside."

Chan smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Bin."

As Changbin walked out of his office, Chan dialed Minho. He picks up after a few rings.

"Hey, Channie hyung, what's up?" Minho answered, his voice a little cheerful, which surprised Chan. Minho was famously known for his moody behavior.

"Minho, I need a favor," Chan said, trying to keep his tone steady despite the chaos in his mind.

"Sure thing, what do you need?"

Chan was surprised once again. When had Minho ever readily agreed to do stuff for Chan?

"I completely forgot about picking up Evelyn from school. Could you pick her up for me?" Chan asked, his voice tinged with guilt.

"Of course, no problem. I'll swing by her school right away," Minho replied without hesitation.

"Thanks, Minho. I really appreciate it," Chan said, relief flooding through him.

"No worries, hyung. I know you're probably drowning in all of your cases," Minho replied.

Chan laughed defeatedly, "You got me."

"Don't worry about it, hyung," Minho responded. "Just focus on your work for now and leave Evelyn to me. We all know she's more fond of me anyway."

Chan smiled and said his goodbyes as the line cut off. He let out a sigh of relief and returned to his desk, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. He knew he couldn't do it all alone, and having friends like Minho and Changbin made all the difference.