Soul in the System: Chanjin

Digging Up the Past

Hyunjin leaned against the doorway to the attic, a playful smirk on his face. "You know, Chan, if you want to know where my bratty attitude comes from, I should probably show you my childhood inspiration."

Chan glanced up from where he was adjusting the ladder, curiosity flickering in his expression. "Inspiration?"

Hyunjin stepped up, pulling the cord to switch on the single lightbulb that dimly illuminated the attic. "Bratz dolls," he declared. "I was obsessed with them when I was a kid. Confident, fashionable, unapologetic queens—I wanted to be just like them. I still do, honestly."

Chan tilted his head, intrigued. "Bratz dolls? I didn't know you had a collection."

"Oh, it's legendary," Hyunjin said, waving him in as they stepped into the attic. "If my dad hasn't thrown them out, it should be in one of these boxes. Come on, help me find it. I need to introduce you to my childhood idols."

Chan nodded, his calm presence steady as always. "Alright. Let's find them."

The attic was cluttered with years of forgotten items: dusty boxes, old furniture, and faded storage bins stacked precariously against the walls. The faint scent of mothballs lingered in the air as Hyunjin dug through a pile of unlabeled boxes.

"Let's see..." Hyunjin muttered, pulling out a few old photo albums. "Nope. Nope. Definitely not it. God, I can't believe my dad kept all this junk."

Chan, ever meticulous, began scanning the labels on the boxes. His gaze moved steadily across the stacks until one caught his attention. The box was smaller than the others, with neat, precise handwriting on the label that read: "Project Son."

"Hyunjin," Chan called softly, his voice laced with curiosity. "What's this?"

Hyunjin turned, brushing dust from his hands. He walked over and peered at the box. "'Project Son?' Sounds like one of my dad's work things. He's always been into research and tech stuff."

But Chan's eyes remained fixed on the words. Something about them stirred a memory deep within him, something he couldn't fully grasp. Without thinking, he opened the box, revealing a stack of carefully organized documents and photos. The first photo on top made his breath catch.

It was a woman—her smile warm, her eyes kind but weary. She was standing beside Hyunjin's father in what appeared to be a laboratory. The words on the back of the photo read: "Hyun Seo Hwang and Minyoung Kang, Artificial Intelligence Lab, 20XX."

"Who is this?" Chan asked, holding up the photo.

Hyunjin took it, squinting at the faces. "That's my dad. But her... I don't know." He flipped the photo over and read the name aloud. "Minyoung Kang. Never heard of her."

Chan's chest tightened. The name felt familiar, though he didn't know why. "Minyoung Kang..." he repeated softly.

As they dug deeper into the box, they found more photos, this time including a second man—someone Chan immediately recognized. "That's my father," Chan said quietly, holding up another photo. It showed Hyunjin's father, Chan's father, and the woman standing together in a lab, smiling as they worked on a complex machine.

"Wait," Hyunjin said, his brow furrowing. "Your dad and my dad worked together?"

Chan nodded, his gaze fixed on the photo. "It seems so. And... her name, Minyoung Kang. That's my mother. I've seen the name in fragmented records. But I never knew anything about her."

Hyunjin's eyes widened. "That's your mom? Wait—why would there be a box about 'Project Son' with my dad's stuff if it's about you?"

They exchanged a look, the air between them heavy with unspoken questions.