In a parallel universe, Woo Do Hwan is not a South Korean actor but a young man born in North Korea. Do Hwan's life has been a series of escape attempts, survival strategies, and small victories over hardship. Together with his mother, he fled North...
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The baby was so small, so incredibly fragile, but Do Hwan held him close, feeling the faint warmth of his son's tiny body against his own heart. He could feel the weak but steady rhythm of Eo Jun's breaths, each exhale filling him with a sense of fierce protectiveness as he tucked the edges of his shirt around his son, feeling the warmth and the faint beat of Eo Jun's pulse against his skin.
As he rocked slightly, Do Hwan spoke to his son, his voice as soft as a lullaby. "You know, Eo Jun, when I first came here... I was scared too." He paused, letting his hand rest gently on his son's back. "I didn't know the language. I didn't have anyone except... well, except for Elise, and she's been very kind. But it's hard. It's hard trying to survive when you don't know if anyone will understand you, if they'll accept you."
Eo Jun shifted, his tiny hand brushing against Do Hwan's chest, and a faint, involuntary smile crossed the father's face.
"But you..." Do Hwan continued, his voice cracking slightly. "You've already made it this far. You're the bravest person I know, Eo Jun-ah. Stronger than me." He chuckled softly, the sound carrying a mixture of pride and sorrow. "Maybe... maybe that's why I feel like I can keep going. Because if you can... then maybe I can too."
In that moment, Eo Jun's eyelids fluttered, his tiny mouth forming another soft squeak, and Do Hwan felt his heart swell with a strange mixture of hope and despair. The infection and brain bleed that had caused his son so much pain seemed, at times, an insurmountable mountain. But here, holding his baby, feeling that warm, fragile life pressed against him, Do Hwan knew that he would face any hardship, any darkness, if it meant seeing his son grow.
The quiet was interrupted by a few more gentle squeaks as Eo Jun attempted to vocalize, his small body squirming slightly against his father's chest.
"I know, I know, my little one," Do Hwan murmured soothingly, pressing his cheek gently against the crown of his son's head. "It's not fair, is it? But we're in this together. I'll be here, every step of the way. No matter what."
Time seemed to stretch as they sat together, the minutes melting into each other in the quiet, sterile room. The steady hum of machines, the faint shuffling of nurses in the distance, the warm weight of his child—all of it made Do Hwan feel grounded in a way he hadn't since crossing the border all those years ago. Eo Jun was a part of him, a reminder of the life he was now bound to protect.
As he held his son close, Do Hwan felt a sense of resolve settle over him. Yet these struggles now seemed somehow bearable. If he had to fight, he would, because he was no longer fighting only for himself. He was fighting for Eo Jun, his tiny, brave son who had already endured more than most.
And as he sat there, his voice soft and warm as he murmured to his son, Do Hwan knew that whatever the future held, he would be there to face it together with Eo Jun.
He listened intently to the sounds his son made, the soft hum of the machines around them fading into the background. Eo Jun's face scrunched up slightly, his tiny fingers twitching as he struggled to move his limbs, the softest effort from such a small, determined soul.
