Beneath The spotlight

Chapter 16: Unfinished Questions

Joong sat in his living room, staring blankly at the soft glow of the lamp. His hands were clenched tightly in his lap, the tension in his body refusing to dissipate. Dunk had left, but his words lingered like a shadow, refusing to let Joong find peace.

“You left... and you didn’t tell me.”

Joong closed his eyes, leaning back into the couch. He hadn’t expected Dunk to show up—not after all this time. For years, Joong had convinced himself he had made the right choice. Leaving Dunk, leaving everything behind, was the only way he could protect Kian from the chaos of their strained relationship.

But Dunk’s reaction… it had struck something deep within him.

“Daddy?”

Joong’s eyes snapped open, his thoughts interrupted by the soft voice of his son. Kian stood at the edge of the living room, clutching a small plush toy in his hands. His dark eyes—so much like Dunk’s—blinked at Joong, full of sleepy curiosity.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Joong said softly, forcing a smile as he held out his arms. Kian hesitated for only a moment before toddling over to him and climbing onto his lap.

“Who was that man?” Kian asked, his voice small but filled with curiosity.

Joong froze. He had been hoping Kian wouldn’t ask, that the boy wouldn’t even remember the encounter. But Kian was smarter than most kids his age—observant and intuitive. He had picked up on the tension between Joong and Dunk, and Joong knew he couldn’t brush it off too easily.

“He’s… someone I used to know,” Joong said carefully, his arms wrapping protectively around Kian. “But you don’t need to worry about him, okay? He’s not important.”

Kian tilted his head, clearly unsatisfied with the answer, but he didn’t push. Instead, he rested his head against Joong’s chest and hugged his plush toy tighter.

“Do you not like him?” Kian asked after a moment, his voice muffled.

Joong felt his heart tighten. Did he like Dunk? That was a question he couldn’t even begin to answer. Their past was complicated, tangled with misunderstandings and unspoken emotions. Dunk had always been a mystery to Joong, someone he couldn’t fully figure out, and it was part of what had made their dynamic so volatile.

“I don’t know,” Joong admitted quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of Kian’s head. “But what matters is that I like you. More than anyone in the whole world.”

Kian giggled at that, the sound soft and sweet, and it was enough to momentarily ease the weight on Joong’s chest.

“Okay, Daddy,” Kian said, his voice laced with innocence.

Joong held him close, his eyes drifting toward the door where Dunk had stood just hours ago. He had managed to keep his secret for five years, but Dunk wasn’t going to walk away from this. Joong knew him well enough to know that Dunk wouldn’t let things go unanswered.

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Across Town

Dunk sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel tightly. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each one more unsettling than the last.

That boy.

He couldn’t get the image of him out of his head. Kian’s wide eyes, the familiar curve of his jawline, the way he had looked so much like Dunk when he was a child. There was no denying it now—Joong had been hiding something.

“Why would he keep this from me?” Dunk muttered under his breath, his voice low and bitter. He had spent years wondering what had happened to Joong, why he had left without a word. Dunk had been angry, sure, but he had also been hurt. Joong had just vanished, and now, five years later, he was back—with a child who looked eerily like him.