Don't Blame Me || Jeongcheol

Chapter 30

Seungcheol's heart skipped a beat at the sight of Jeonghan, his anger stirring again. He straightened, his jaw clenching, but he kept his voice low, not wanting to wake Haneul.

"I did what I had to do," he said, his tone sharp. "Haneul needed comfort, and you weren't there."

Jeonghan approached him slowly, his face a mask of exhaustion and guilt. "I know," he whispered, his voice filled with regret. "Seungcheol, I..."

He paused, his eyes flickering towards Haneul's room. "Can we talk?"

Seungcheol stared at Jeonghan for a moment, the anger still burning within him. But the tiredness in Jeonghan's eyes, the weary slump of his shoulders, made him nod stiffly. "Let's go to the living room," he said.

They walked in silence to the living room, the tension between them palpable. Jeonghan sat down on one of the sofas, his shoulders slumped. Seungcheol remained standing, leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

For several moments, neither spoke, the heavy silence stretching between them. Finally, Jeonghan broke the silence. "Seungcheol," Jeonghan began, his voice cracking slightly. "When Haneul was born...I never thought...I never thought this would happen."

His voice trailed off, and he paused, his eyes downcast. Seungcheol's said nothing, waiting for Jeonghan to continue.

Jeonghan took a shuddering breath, his hands clenching and unclenching on his lap. "I never wanted to be a dad, you know? I never wanted responsibilities. But when Haneul was born, I looked at his little face, and... something changed."

He paused again. "And then...I started making promises. I promised I wouldn't work as much, I promised I'd be there for him. But I broke them, didn't I?"

"I didn't have money I worked as a spy thief under my boss. Then him getting kidnapped, you helping me, us. You knowing my secret killing someone which turned out to be your parents." Seungcheol remained silent knowing despite everything.

He clenched his fists. "Did you ever stop to think about what that meant for Haneul?" he asked, his voice hard. "Did you ever consider the risk you were putting your son in?"

Jeonghan looked up at Seungcheol, his eyes filled with sorrow and regret. "Of course I did. I tried to quit, I swear." He ran a hand over his face, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "But it's not as easy as just stopping. I have debts, people who I can't just drop."

Jeonghan's voice was pleading, his expression desperate. "I never meant for Haneul to get involved, I swear. I always tried to keep him safe, to keep him away from what I do."

Seungcheol's anger flared. "But he did get involved, Jeonghan. He got involved because of you."

He pushed himself off from the wall and started pacing, his hands clenched into tight fists. "Do you have any idea what Haneul was telling me just now? He misses you. He misses the father that promises stories every night, who sings songs when he brushes his hair. A father who's never there when he needs him."

Jeonghan's expression was one of deep pain at Seungcheol's words. "I know," he whispered, "I know, and it kills me. But what am I supposed to do?"

"I can't just quit. I can't just abandon the life I've lived for years. I don't have another profession. I don't have another way to make money or keep a roof above our heads."

"I always wanted Haneul to have a happy, normal life...but look at us now. I'm a thief, running from something in my past. How can I give Haneul a normal life when I'm the definition of 'not normal'?"

Seungcheol's heart ached at Jeonghan's confession. He knew Jeonghan's situation all too well, the burden he carried and the impossible choices he faced.