river

@Jung Taekwoon Man, Taekwoon blushing was as attractive as he was not blushing. Taekwoon was right, there was no use hiding the sparking chemistry between them, and without either man saying a word, there seemed to be an understanding of mutual attraction. Not that it took a detective to work it out, a child could do it. And this....whatever it was, really was a rabbit hole, A point of no return. Which, for Wonshik, who thought he was so smitten for another, was terrifying and so exhilarating. After all, "she"'d made it very clear she wanted nothing to do with him tonight or ant night for that matter. Who could blame the man for falling into the arms of someone whose chemistry easily eclipsed any he'd felt before. Even with her. Someone who in general, just shone so bright that it was hard to see anything else when he was in the vicinity.

Wonshik too, was no stranger to hook ups, and this, for all intents and purposes, was a hook up. They were strangers, they were going to have . But this feeling. Bond, even, where the man's body felt on fire, where his stomach was doing flips and brain fogged by Taekwoon's very presence. It felt like something totally different. Like opposite magnets, drawn together. Especially as Taekwoon's hand seemed drawn to his own. It fit so very perfectly in there.

Not that Wonshik could think past what was happening right this second anyway, the twitching in his pants and heat in his stomach, spreading to every inch of his body was enough to prompt him to urgency. His place hadn't felt so far away before now, nor the need to get back to it so pressing. Taewoon started to kiss, and his fingers and what remained of the man's modesty hardened. His own lips released another groan, and his free hand swung around to gently graze the man's crotch. Testing for warmth, testing that he wasn't the only one rushing to a tiny, run down apartment with a raging . Never having been attracted to men before, he couldn't for the life of him explain how wild the very idea of Taekwoon's length drove him.

Oh thank they were here, he pulled his hand from Taekwoon's teasing lips and moved to grab the man, to push him into the wall and kiss him again, as his shaking fingers unlocked the door, his hard-on pressed right up against the other. The cooling evening saw their breaths form in puffs and looking at Taekwoon, his heart just ached. Gazing at the man's sharp, glossy dragon eyes he felt his heartache, no, his very soul ache to be one. He grabbed the man's hand more confidently this time, all but dragging him up to the second floor, apartment 17. Waiting so long to get somewhere private wasn't easy

@Kim Wonshik As Wonshik had repeated the elder's poor choice of words the man had ducked his head in embarrassment, half covering his face with his hand for a brief moment before he used it to brush his hair back from his own flushed face. He gave no excuse for the words, god knew he was really aroused to the other man anyway. Why did it have to be a secret? It was a poorly kept one at this rate, the attraction written over both men's features as they sat there squirming in the chairs.

No matter what, Taekwoon had not been expecting the other man to lean in so close, to touch his skin like he did, so tenderly like he had known and loved him for years rather than the strangers they actually were, teetering over the rabbit hole together.
"I..." Trailing off softly, the elder had no time to finish his words before Wonshik was suddenly kissing him, his eyelids falling shut as their mouths pressed up against one another's, Taekwoon's hand having gripped at the front of the man's shirt at some point during the exchange.

Heady and blind with lust, he whimpered when the kiss had finished, left reeling and blinking slowly up at the man when he was standing from his spot and mentioning something about living close by... Oh god. Was this really happening? Taekwoon was no stranger to hook ups, but ones this intense? Yeah he wan't used to those. With mere moments to make his decision, he looked at the hand that had reached out towards him, his eyes darting to the bartender who was pretending to not be watching he two like his favourite soap opera.

"I- Yes." With a firm nod, the elder rose from his own chair and slid his hand into Wonshik's own, their fingers linking between one another's and he didn't know if it was the wine or that it was just meant to be, but they fit so perfectly he couldn't ignore it. With the butterflies having a rave in his stomach, Taekwoon followed the other man out and onto the streets, staying close by his side as he seemed to belong to fit there too, with just the right amount of space between them keeping him comfortable.

But god, did he want to kiss Wonshik again.

So he settled for the next best thing. Bringing the man's hand to his mouth as they walked hurriedly down the street to his apartment, he parted his lips. To the normal on goer they might have thought it was a sweet gesture, keeping Wonshik's hands warm in the nipping cold, winter night. But Taekwoon was sure the other man could feel more, a lot more. Like how the elder slipped his forefinger between his lips after decorating it in kisses. Nipping, kissing at the flesh he laved his tongue over the digit once in the warmth of his mouth, teeth dragging along the sides before he would pull it back out and hold the man's hand between his own, shy eyes cast to the pavement their footsteps continued to eat up.

@Jung Taekwoon Wonshik wasn't sure how to respond, honestly he wasn't all that good at receiving praise of any kind. Probably something he should sit with a therapist on, but it wasn't that bad, he couldn't be bothered for something so minor in his eyes. He just smiled and shrugged again. To him, he was just doing what anyone would do. The LEAST anyone would do.

Shocked by Taekwoons astute nature, he sat a little back in his chair, "Well... I suppose people could say that of me.", his cheeks flushed a little, he was sure the innuendo was unintended but as he was already a little hot and bothered, his own thighs clenched momentarily. "Eaten up huh..." He didn't think too deeply on it, and honestly, didn't want to dare to. But Taekwoon was sending off all the right signals and Wonshik, despite himself, was reacting to every. single. one.

The short answer from Taekwoon spoke volumes. Wonshik nodded and took a deep breath, "God. isn't that the truth. You can't choose who you love and you can't choose family. So much for free will...." he took another swig and gazed sightlessly across the bar again, it was his third bottle already, as Taekwoon doubtless noticed - the angel of a bartender just keep topping them up, and adding them to his tab.

When he looked over again, he frowned a little, something was on Taekwoon's jaw, he couldn't quite place what it was, but when he went to brush it away, he could feel Taekwoon's warm breath, his soft skin under Wonshik's hand, his jaw... without really thinking about what he was doing. he kissed the perfect, crafted lips. They looked like marble, or porcelain but they felt as soft as anything. Warm too, and tasted of the wine Taewoon had been drinking.

There it was again, that electric energy. It ran through him like a shock of lightning. Instead of frightening him with it's intensity, all of it was converted into sheer arousal. The younger had to resist ripping off both of their clothes and ing him to the bar right now as his kiss grew hungry and desperate. By sheer force of will (will and restraint he certainly didn't know he had), his heart racing and eyes blurred, he pulled back, dizzy with arousal. "Please" he said breathlessly, not sure what he was asking for but not caring either. Anything would do. "I live just down the road, 121, flat 17." He slammed some notes on the counter, and stood up, trying to hide that he was already semi-hard, by grabbing his coat and holding it over his crotch. He glanced from Taewoon to the door, and felt his own fingers reach for Taewoon's, wanting.

@Kim Wonshik Scrunching up his nose when Wonshik said anyone would have done the same thing, the elder couldn't disagree any more than he had in that single moment.
"Yeah... Can't say I know many people who would have done the same. So casually too. Thank you, again. Really... That little guy is my whole world. I wouldn't know what to do without him. I owe you, really." So Taekwoon had begun paying him back by settling in to listen about this woman the man clearly didn't seem to be over yet. Not with the constant slip ups of their relationship status. Poor guy... The woman sounded like one of those hags that were never going to be just satisfied with one man when they knew, thought they could have so much more and DESERVED it no less.

"I'm starting to see a pattern here with you. That you seem to think a lot of stuff is perhaps your fault or you don't take your credit where due. You're the exact type of man who gets eaten up in this world." Taekwoon hadn't meant for his words to sound overtly ual but thinking back on it, they did, especially when coupled with how he was so ing attracted to this man.

The moan... Oh god that moan. It had Taekwoon's thighs pressing together beneath the bar counter as he sat there, the apples of his cheeks tinted red as he just stared at the other man like he had grown a second head or simply played the most beautiful piece of music ever to be heard. Either way, it was only when Wonshik had brushed the glass away with his hand did the elder snap out of it, staring at the cool glass before he lifted it up to his lips, sipping at the contents though slower, the warmth flooding his belly already seeming to having been growing on its own. Or at least since he'd been in the company of this man.

"Where to begin? To put it simply..." Trailing off and leaning back from the counter, he inhaled, those lips of his parting to do so before they let the air tremble out with his next words.
"Family problems." Being Korean like his partner for the night, there was some kind of mutual, unspoken understanding with those kinds of things, especially with the restraints in the culture. With his eyes finally dragged away from staring at Taekwoon, the man had taken to looking at his fingers on the glass once more, his eyelids fluttering whilst his head leaned into his palm. He knew he should stop drinking, he knew he'd had more than his parents would already deem acceptable... but god, Taekwoon needed this.

Maybe it was the company of Wonshik too, company that left him feeling a little hot under the collar but he didn't mind. One of those rare feelings, aches to be a little less caring, to let himself allow to feel pleasure, release, to let go of everything and be the man he was so shackled down from releasing.
"But what are you going to do? Family is family." Taekwoon murmured, still staring at his hands as he sat there quietly.

@Jung Taekwoon The man just smiled when Taekwoon offered to buy him a drink, shrugging.
"It was no big deal, anyone would have done the same." he shrugged, then reaching up to rub the back of his own neck. It wasn't....was it? He let out a small sigh, and looked across the bar, nodding when the bar tender checked in on him at letting someone buy him a drink, "But thank you, I'll take you up on the offer. We can do rounds if you like, I doubt this is the only drink we'll be having tonight.".

"Minyul huh.... Nice name." He took a sip of his soju, and tried agin to ignore the pull he felt, finding it hard as the man looked the picture of elegance, even tapping under his eye, "Oh this?" Wonshik gestured to his eye and laughed a little, "It's nothing too. Normal stuff. I uh, overstepped my bounds lets say. My girl- my ex-girlfriend's 'boyfriend' didn't like the way she was speaking to me. Too flirty." It was significantly more than a black eye, if his ribs and shins were anything to go from, but he wasn't going to whinge about it. He wasn't stupid, he knew he'd asked for it. But, of course, people do strange things for love. "My own fault really. I could have told her to back off too. But the kicker is how angry she was at me after that"

It was hard to feel all that sorry for yourself next to Taekwoon though, a moment later, the man pressed a cool glass against Wonshik's face, and he let out an unintentional and very audible moan. It was so soothing. Shocked, he stiffened, and eyed Taekwoon's reaction, but relaxed soon after. What was he thinking? He was straight, remember? He'd just mentioned his girlfriend- Ex-girlfriend... The man wasn't going to take that any other way. "Thank you." he murmured, nodding at the man's name and gently brushing the glass away so the other knew he could continue to drink. "What about you then, Taekwoon? What sort of trouble are you in?" he asked, holding his soju up to his eye as the numbness of Taekwoon cold drink wore off

@Kim Wonshik Pulled from his peaceful reverie, Taekwoon set his drink down gently before he glanced over to where the voice was coming from by his side. Head tilted just slightly, he scanned over the man in front of him before he realised who it was, eyes widening just a bit now.
"I think its me who should be buying you the drink after what you did for me." Bowing his head a little bit, the man was still full of his manners as he spoke, giving a small smile whilst he pushed his hand through his hair, brushing it back from that porcelain face of his.

Taekwoon could too feel that pull for the other man, strange as he didn't expect it to be there considering how hard he'd been trying to numb himself over the night- and yet... here he was. Giving another small smile, this one seemed to have a soft exhale in response too, somewhere between that and a chuckle before he was lighting up at the mere mention of his nephew.
"Minyul... the little teddy bear is called Minyul. Thank you again, I owe you so much for that."

With his drink refilled, he brought it to his lips and sipped at the wine before he turned back to Wonshik, the condensation from his glass brushing off on his warm fingers a brief distraction if any. But when the younger was talking again he laughed, tapping one of his slender fingers to his own eye, Taekwoon gestured to the wound the man seemed to have before he smiled to himself and spoke up.
"I think you win the award for worst day, don't you think?"

"Here..." Sliding his free hand over Wonshik's cheek, he held him gently in place there before he rose the other with his cool glass to the younger's eye, pressing the cool material against the bruising flesh and lightly rolling it side to side between his nimble fingers.
"Should I ask what kind of trouble you got yourself into? Oh... And its Taekwoon, by the way. Minyul and Taekwoon." he didn't ask for Wonshik's name, figuring the man would tell it to him in his own time whilst he put his glass back down now.

@Jung Taekwoon Wonshik had had another fight, this one a fist fight and as per usual, he hadn't thrown the first punch. Marcus had seen the messages on his ex-girlfriend's mysteriously visible social media messages and had taken offence that 'his girl' was responding so coyly to another man. Well, to be fair, he wouldn't have felt any less upset himself. It wasn't anything explicit, but some in jokes and general chatter. He felt like he was getting somewhere with her again, until Marcus turned up at his work and gave him a black eye. Followed by his ex's usual tirade of abuse after that. Looking across the bar he was in, he could see the black eye in the mirror and sighed, it was definitely going to bruise.

It was a nice bar, that he'd escaped out to. one of his usuals and whilst they usually didn't allow anyone with a black eye in (caused trouble) but they made the exception for Wonshik, knowing him to be a peaceful man. He didn't see Taekwoon and couldn't have said yes or no if anyone asked who arrived first. His phone too, was on mute. Turned off even. He'd had a good few bottles of soju before he even tried to look across to the other people in the bar, hearing a few whispers from the staff about a good-looking newcomer. Wonshik, still restless from the unexpected meeting with that strange man the other day, and plenty frustrated with the 'love of his life' was more than ready to welcome in some other attractive woman into his bed for comfort.

So he looked over, and was once more greated with the most beautiful being he'd ever come across. The alcohol dulled the strange shock this man brought with every glance. He could look at him now, even smile. He brushed himself off and walked over, sitting next to the man, and turning to the bar-tender.
"Another of whatever this man is drinking and a soju for me, man. It's been a long day" Looking to the man again, he started to speak, the alcohol loosening his tongue a little, "What about you, friend? Did I see you by the river the other day? The uncle of a small teddy bear?"

He chuckled at his own joke, knowing full well that the man was the same man. You didn't forget an encounter like that. "Hope you don't take this offensively, but you look like you've had a day as long as my own. "

@Kim Wonshik "Don't be silly. You're worth more than that." The woman cupped his face in her hands, Taekwoon leaning into the touch briefly, thinking his mother was finally listening.
"There's at least two or three decades worth of money from that girl. More if the businesses continue to go well." Stiffening at the words she spoke, the man wanted to smite her where she stood but he resisted. Just about. With rage surging through his veins he knew he needed to get out of there and do it now.
"Don't contact me by phone or personal visits any more. If you need me, text, but I don't want to see your face or father's for a very, VERY long time." Taekwoon hissed, turning from his mother and snatching up his suit jacket, making a very quick exit after that.

The drive through Seoul city seemed to cheer him up a little. He'd always enjoyed watching how the city lit up at night and looked so vibrant, so pretty and a nice distraction from everything else in life. With a soft sigh leaving his lips, he loosened his tie before pulling it off completely, tossing it onto the backseat of his car and undoing the first few buttons of his shirt. As Taekwoon ran a hand through his hair, he pulled up outside of a bar and parked his car, getting out as he rolled up the sleeves on his shirt over his forearms, exposing them to the chilly night air but not minding in the slightest as he was still pretty hot and bothered about his mother's words that echoed in his mind.

Nothing some alcohol couldn't fix.

"Bokbunja please." He'd ordered, wanting something sweet but traditional to ease him into anything harder he might be drinking a little later on. With a small sigh he poured himself the deep red liquid into a glass, bringing it to his lips and downing the first lot, his tongue running between his lips as his eyelids closed for a brief moment and he enjoyed the sweet heat rushing down his throat. Another round followed that and then more soon after, his face warming up and his tummy feeling a little more appeased now whilst he leaned against the counter he'd sat on a stool at, his drink brought to his lips once more as he enjoyed the second bottle as much as the first.

It seemed he could hold his drink quite well, for he showed no signs of being tipsy yet, but it didn't seem he wanted to switch from his choice of drink just yet either. Taekwoon leaned his chin in his palm as he looked at the glass in his hand, filled to the brim with the wine, watching as the light tried to shine through and it looked more like blood, the man well and truly distracted from his family affairs for now. His phone? Blown up with texts and calls, ranging from emotions of rage to faux apologies from his mother and more from his sisters, nagging him and insisting they meet up to talk. All of which Taekwoon had ignored in favour of a lonesome night in an uptown bar instead.

But that was the beauty of putting one's phone on mute, right?

[part 2.

@Kim Wonshik Taekwoon had continued asking passers by if they had seen the small child, frustration building inside of him when each one was as useless as the last, a small muffled scream of frustration building behind his lips that he wanted to release tenfold on the world. He didn't want to go any closer towards the riverbank, that meant he was beginning to even think about the idea that his nephew could have fallen in and that was something he couldn't allow, he simply couldn't.
"Minyul!" He'd called out in a broken manner, as if helpless, which he definitely was at this point. But it was the familiar sound of the child's voice that had his head snapping in the direction, those tears falling down his angled cheeks whilst he sprinted over and swept his nephew up into his arms.

"Minyul! My god, Minyul-" The uncle wept, cradling his nephew to his chest as he had collapsed to his knees, his arms holding on tightly to the boy whilst he decorated the top of his head in feverish kisses - as if to reassure himself it wasn't a mirage.
"Don't you ever run off like that again, do you hear me? Please, Minyul." Cupping the child's cheeks, Taekwoon looked into his eyes before he spoke on.
"Uncle couldn't bear it if he lost you so don't leave my side, okay? Don't ever leave my side..." The child nodded his head and held onto his uncle's neck tightly, holding onto him with all the might his little arms could muster up before he was lifted up as Taekwoon straightened up.

He wanted to thank the stranger who seemed to have helped bring Minyul back but the man wasn't there for very long.
"Thank-" Before he could even finish his words, Taekwoon's breath caught in his throat whilst he looked at the stranger, his shining eyes seeing this being clearly. He wasn't sure if it was because of the role he had played in bringing back the most precious thing in the world, or for whatever other reason there was, but Taekwoon found himself unable to look away. His lips had been left parted when the man had rushed off, his feet taking a step after the man before he remembered Minyul in his arms and he sighed, tugging the boy's hat down further over his head.

"That's enough excitement for one day, don't you think?"

Minyul had made a promise that he wouldn't tell his mother about what had happened today, there was no need and the girl would end up fretting over the one person that could genuinely look after her son was suddenly not worthy any more. And thankfully the rest of the day had been fine as well, but there was something a little off about Taekwoon. He was distracted and that was odd considering how on top of everything he so often was. But throughout his meal he'd barely been able to hold focus on the conversation at the table, all because of the run-in he'd had earlier. Of course Taekwoon told himself it was just because of the adrenaline and how close he had come to losing Minyul, but something else told him that the aching in his body... that wasn't normal.

"Taekwoon, are you even listening to me?" It had been a few days since the encounter and no, Taekwoon was definitely not listening to any more of his mother's unreasonable demands.
"I heard you, mother."
"And? You're just not going to say anything? Do you know what will happen if you don't marry this young woman? It's all going to fall onto Minyul's shoulders. Age doesn't matter in business, he'll marry her and they'll have a merger that way." The man's hands curled up into fists at his side, his head turned to the side as he couldn't stand to even look at the woman when she was being like this.

Unreasonable didn't even really begin to cover it. Cruel was probably getting there, but still not quite enough to describe how it all made Taekwoon feel. He didn't know the girl, he certainly didn't love her or want to marry her. He always knew the family could turn a blind eye to his preferences but for only so long, and whilst they'd made it clear he could continue in secret even after marriage, that had only added fuel to the fire of his hatred for the whole emotionless, cold side of businesses he'd always disliked. No amount of money was worth that.
"I heard you, mother. But when are you going to accept I CAN'T marry if not out of love? Is money so important to you? That you'd forsake your son's happiness for a few more years worth of income? Unstable at that? Am I worth so little?"

[part 1.]

@Jung Taekwoon A passerby interrupted his view, and the spell was broken. His chest beating like a drum, he ripped his eyes away, and made a rapid exit, trying to catch his breath as he disappeared into a familiar café and clutched his hand over his chest, ordering some coffee and looking through his phone for something comforting. Anything at all that grounded him. In this case, unclicking the mute button on his ex-girlfriend.

"YOU F- MUTED ME YOU F- PIECE OF S-" came the sharp noise of her scratchy voice, followed by sobbing and accusations of never having loved her. Ah yes, back to reality at last. Never had be been so glad to listen to such abuse. The man soothed and cooed, assuring her he was listening, he'd just dropped his phone, that she was wrong etc etc etc... He didn't let himself think about the man he'd seen earlier. he was straight, he'd just gotten a fright, that was all. Perhaps he was worried the uncle would take it the wrong way that he'd lifted the child into the air, right? That could have been it.

A fright was right, but not the reason, and later that night, the man found himself thinking back to the mysterious, beautiful stranger. He'd never seen someone like that. He barely looked Korean... Like an idol or model, or something similar. Like he was carved from marble. Had a nice voice too, if that's who was screaming a name, probably the kid's... Why was he still thinking about this?! He wasn't jealous, he didn't want to look like that. It wasn't as if the man's chiselled face was burned into his memory. Filed, straight nose, small, pink lips and sharp eyes. Another pang in his pants disagreed and the man couldn't even bring himself to look up to jerk himself off. He knew what he would be thinking about and he couldn't bring himself to. Not because it was a man, as confusing as that was, but because he was worried that thinking of that man's face whilst he touched himself would somehow dirty it, or worse, bring back that terrible, intense rush that he'd felt when their eyes met.
Like . Like connection. It was as if suddenly, the rest of the world had disappeared and it was just the two of them, totally vulnerable and bear to each other for a few, small seconds. Terrifying seconds. Thank god that was over.

He fell asleep with his legs wrapped tightly around a body pillow, against his crotch. trying to rock the burning hard-on in his pants into submission, trying to think of something else. HIs hands clenched, jaw tense and brow furled, he'd fallen into a dreamless, restless sleep.

(2/2)

@Jung Taekwoon " YOU!" came the scream down the phone after Wonshik had sent her flowers at work again. He shouldn't have done that again, to be fair. He knew she was flirting with Markus again long before the next words came down the phone, sharp as knives out the Samsung speakers. "MARKUS SAW THE FLOWERS AND NOW YOU'VE MESSED IT UP. HE'S TWICE THE MAN YOU EVER WERE, YOU WANNABE!" yada-yada, he put her on mute and took a long walk. She wouldn't notice for a good half-hour or so that he wasn't listening, or even speaking. She was like that. He couldn't stand it today, it was too grating and coarse. He was a gentle and loving soul by nature, if a lazy one, and hearing this day in and day out was wearing at him. They loved each other, he thought, and they both knew it. Even her. She was just waiting to play out her drama as usual, and then let him do something cheesy and romantic - chase her at the airport, book out a whole square and plan a flash mob to declare his love... She lived for it. And because she lived for it, he went with the flow. That's what love was....right?

The pattering of small feet and a little laugh brought him out of his reverie, a small child was running towards the edge of the river where he was listlessly skimming stones. Those same pattering feet tripped over an uneven floor tile and set their teddybear hat, and it's wearer, straight over the edge of the riverbank. With a fluid, graceful movement, the man dropped his stone and caught the little boy, spinning him around with a small aeroplane noise, and setting those little feet on firm concrete.

"That was a close one, little man... What would have happened if you'd fallen in, huh? " he tutted, smiling. Honestly the small man's little flying spell had brought him out of his terrible mood and the boy himself had looked pretty delighted to have suddenly been whooshed through the air, instead of falling into the water when he tripped. The casual nature of Wonshik's movements surprised many. For such a laid-back person, his reflexes were fast - something he owed to a love of some sports and gaming. He didn't think twice about that he might have saved this little boy's life, to him it wasn't a big deal at all and certainly not worthy of praise. He'd just stopped an accident. "Where is your guardian? I know you're a big boy, but surely you came here with someone, it's a big and dangerous city. Even for a brave little bear! "

"Uncle brought me!" declared the little boy, before looking around and spotting Taewook, "There!" Wonshik held his hand and turned around, looking lazily in the direction the boy had pointed. Those tiny booties ran towards their guardian, and Wonshik eyes followed soon after, lazily surveying the crowd. They laid eyes on an unspeakably beautiful adult man, his brow furrowed and eyes frantic, but the beauty of his features unmarred by the expressions, if anything, accentuated by the tears in his eyes. Wonshik felt a shock through his chest, and froze. He felt as if he suddenly couldn't breathe, like he was choking as he looked into the eyes of this little man's worried uncle.

(1/2)

@Kim Wonshik "And don't forget Minyul needs-"
"His medication at twelve, three and six. Don't worry, I've got this. I've looked after him since he said hello to us all in this world." Taekwoon reminded his little sister as she needlessly worried over her son and the man's nephew. Said little boy was frowning as he stared at the door, seemingly wanting to stay inside today and whilst the elder couldn't blame him, he knew his nephew would have fun as soon as they were out of the house altogether.
"He'll be fine. And so will I. Have fun today." He doubted she would, she had another schedule full of being dragged between possible suitors, something Taekwoon didn't envy all too much, not in his current stay anyway.

Walking with his nephew, his large hand wrapped around the child's much smaller one whilst they were together, Taekwoon slowing his gait naturally to match that of his nephew's. Today they were headed towards one of the winter markets, one of the few that remained since spring would be coming around the corner soon enough. The man thought about the meeting he'd barely avoided earlier, his parents wanting him to meet his future bride but he'd managed to wiggle his way out of it, again. He knew he wasn't going to be able to do that for much longer, not when he was at his tipping point and was so close to just running out of all energy he had left.

"Uncle-" Minyul snapped him out of his reverie, the elder looking down to the boy who was pointing at the Han River.
"You wanna go see?" Taekwoon asked, only to receive a quick nod of his nephew's head. Smiling to himself, the man swooped the child up into his arms, holding him against one of his hips as he walked them over like that a lot faster.
"There you go. Don't go too far okay?" He warned, Minyul nodding but as little boys did, the moment his uncle was taking a moment to check his phone or look at something down the way, he had run off to get closer to the river.

The churning, unpredictable, and very unsafe river.
"Hey Minyul, you wanna go get-" There was no child where there should have been as Taekwoon looked down, instead just... an emptiness and a very sudden sinking feeling in the man's stomach.
"Minyul? MINYUL?!" Taekwoon wasn't a man to usually raise his voice, but he screamed now as he called out to the child's name, frantic as his gaze darted around trying to spot a familiar jacket, a hat in the shape of a bear... anything to show his nephew was nearby. Running down the way, Taekwoon continued to call his name, tears in his eyes as he knew that of anyone in the world, it was the little boy he loved the most and was willing to sign his happiness away for, just to see that smile and to know he'd grow up comfortably.

Perhaps the last gift he could give to his nephew, but one he wouldn't be able to if he couldn't find him and find him now.