Lee Dojae and Euntak had been enemies for as long as anyone could remember. In high school, Dojae was the strict, terrifying top student who everyone moved out of the way for. Euntak was the complete opposite, loud and chaotic, always acting first and thinking later. They clashed almost every day, shouting across classrooms and arguing so loudly that even teachers got tired of separating them. No one ever imagined they would end up in the same room without fighting, let alone together.

But university changed them. The more time they spent on the same campus, the more their edges softened. Dojae helped Euntak study when he was one failed exam away from repeating a year. Euntak dragged Dojae to parties so he would stop living like a robot. They annoyed each other, but they also learned each other. By graduation, they weren’t enemies at all. They were partners. A year later, they got married.

But Euntak carried a secret that twisted inside him every day. Before he met Dojae, he had been in a relationship that ended with fear, shouting, manipulation, and a breakup that left scars no one could see. From that relationship came his son, Haneul, a two-year-old with a smile bright enough to melt him every time he saw it. Euntak loved him deeply, but the fear of losing Dojae kept his mouth shut. Dojae was strict, intimidating, and brutally honest when disappointed. Euntak couldn’t risk being abandoned again.

So he hid Haneul. His sister took care of the child while Euntak visited in secret. He kept telling himself he would tell Dojae soon, but “soon” kept slipping further away. Every time Dojae looked at him with trust in his eyes, Euntak felt guilt burn him alive.

One cold winter night, everything broke. Dojae came home late from work, the apartment dark except for the hallway light. As soon as he stepped inside, he slammed the door so hard the whole place shook. The sound made Euntak jump, his heart racing. Dojae stood there, snow melting in his hair, his jaw tight, his eyes colder than the night outside.

He held up a small photograph. It was a picture of Euntak holding Haneul, smiling softly at the child in his arms. Euntak’s breath caught. He knew instantly that the secret was over.

Dojae didn’t shout. His voice was low and sharp when he spoke. “Who is he?”