Chapter Text
character's guide and visuals!
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Emily Dickinson in Poems - 1850/86, wrote that separation is all we know about heaven and all we need to know about hell, while Dostoevsky reminded us that it is in separation that we feel and understands the strength with which we love, and then Anaïs Nin that love never dies of natural death, but dies because we do not know how to replenish its source, dies of blindness and errors and betrayals, dies of illness and wounds, dies of fatigue, from wear or opacity.
Well, Felix now wanted to die because he was sitting in the high school principal’s office, staring at the empty leather chair next to him and waiting for the arrival of the man responsible for this sudden reflection on the anatomy of love and its ruin: the father of his kids, aka is ex-husband.
"Mrs. Baek-'' Felix cleared his throat, his voice already trembling with nerves, “I’m so sorry, he’s been so busy with work lately, and he’s having a hard time finding space for-".
The heavy black wooden door suddenly burst open, making their heads turn toward the tall and imposing figure who had just crossed the threshold of the room.
"Good evening!'' the man exhaled between shallow breaths, ''Forgive me for the delay- There were some problems at the gallery. I’m really sorry, I tried to get there as soon as possible but unfortunately-".
"Mr. Hwang" the delicate voice of the principal interrupted him while he was excusing himself anxiously, "No need to worry. Your husband arrived a few minutes ago and informed me of your situation" she smiled graciously at the tall man, who sat down in the empty chair in front of her desk, without acknowledging the visibly annoyed stare of the blonde sitting next to him.
“Well” the woman sighed, folding her hands over a folder on her desk, “Now that you’re both here, I’d like to explain why I requested your presence today”.
“Did he do something wrong? Hit someone? Disrespect a teacher?” Felix blurted out with his anxious tone before he could stop himself.
Beside him came the unmistakable sound of a snort, quiet but sharp enough to make Felix’s head snap toward the man to his right, his glare as cold as glass while Hyunjin, of course, didn’t return it and pretended to be fascinated by the office decor.
Felix opened his mouth to retort, but the principal’s calm voice cut through the tension like silk.
"Don’t worry, your son hasn't done anything of that kind" she said gently, "I was just curious if you were aware that, in the past weeks, Niki has been arriving at school on a motorcycle that definitely requires a driver’s license he is far too young to possess" she explained, “And as a school we obviously have no right to take further action on this situation but we do have the duty to inform the families of what their kids are doing here” the principal concluded, almost amused by the men’s expressions that had just appeared in front of her.
One in disbelief and the other shadowed by guilt.
"No- Wait. Are you sure? That seems really strange- I mean- We haven't bought him any kind of motorcycle or other vehicle" Felix stammered, his hands tightening around the Prada in his lap, "Indeed, he just started studying for his driving license! I’m sure there must be some misunderstanding" Felix tried - in a state of pure shock - to justify his son, explaining the impossibility of the thing.
Mrs. Baek turned her gaze toward Hyunjin, who had been studying the reflection of the ceiling lights on her glass desk with suspicious fascination, trying to avoid meeting her gaze, "Mr. Hwang, do you agree with your husband?".
The black-haired man jerked his head up immediately, staring at the suspicious face of the principal, "Well" he muttered, "Maybe it belonged to one of his friends? And he just wanted to try it out?" he suggested with a goofy smile.
"Exactly!” Felix immediately jumped it in a desperate way to back his ex-husband up, “You know how teenagers are, always curious, always trying things just to impress their friends!" he forced an anxious smile, trying to control the shaking of his right leg.
“Well!” Mrs. Baek said, closing the folder, “In that case, I’ll leave it to you to clarify the matter with him. We only wanted to inform you, in case the situation escalates" she explained to the couple with a polite smile.
The two men nodded in unison, "Of course" Felix said quickly, "Thank you for warning us. I’m sure it must have been a misunderstanding".
"Oh, I’m sure about that, Mr. Lee" she said, while her gaze lingered, not on him, but on Hyunjin, who was still avoiding her eyes.
Did she know something?
The three said goodbye to each other politely and the two parents stepped out of the office, the air between them heavy with things unsaid.
As soon as the door closed behind their shoulders, the smile on Felix's lips collapsed and in its place appeared a cold, sharp expression that could have frozen time itself.
"Niki. Get up" his deep voice cut through the quiet hallway and made jump the tall blond boy that was sitting on one of the chairs outside the principal's office, “Now”.
The sound of the blond’s heeled red boots filled the long corridor, a pungent and decisive rhythm that bounced off the cream-colored walls.
"Dad-" Niki opened his mouth to speak, a terrified look on his face.
“Hey” Hyunjin placed a hand on his son’s shoulder, "Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him. Go to the car" his father reassured him, understanding Niki’s fear.
Angry Lee Felix was definitely not an easy thing to handle, and he knew it too well.
After taking a deep breath and gathering all the patience he had in his body, he exited the school, walking towards the blue range rover parked a few meters away from the building’s entrance.
The blond was waiting for him, leaning elegantly against the hood of the car, arms crossed and chin high while big dark sunglasses were shielding his eyes and a long white fur coat was wrapping his lean body.
If anger had a couture collection, he’d be the muse.
Hyunjin walked in his direction, stopping a few meters from him, as if he had in front of him a furious cat that could bite at any moment.
"Li- Felix" he corrected himself quickly, swallowing, "I know you’re angry now but- If you want I can talk to him" he continued, not sure of what he should have said.
"I mean- I think the motorbike he used was of his friends, Jake or Sunghoon maybe?" he supposed, waiting for an answer from the other.
"Let’s not be too strict with him, we also did things like that. Let’s try to hear what he has to say" he tried to continue, without receiving answers but only two large dark lenses that kept staring at him and covered the man’s eyes, hiding where he was looking.
No answer.
Just the reflection of his own nervous face mirrored in the bond's dark lenses.
Felix straightened, peeling himself away from the car with slow precision—each step he took toward him was deliberate, soundless, predatory and Hyunjin (tall, broad, theoretically unshakable) found himself taking an involuntary step back.
"Hyune…" Felix purred, his tone sugary enough to rot teeth as he tilted his head and leaned in just close enough for his perfume to hit - caramel and cedar and something dangerously sweet - and with two fingers under the taller man’s chin, whispered, "It would be better if you worried about cover those ridiculous teenage hickeys on your neck, my dear” he whispered bitterly, patting his shoulder gently, like one might pet a dog that’s just been scolded, “I’ll take care of Niki. Don’t worry” he smiled, a perfect, dazzling, absolutely fake smile.
Felix walked to his car and entered it to sit on the driver’s seat next to Niki, who was looking with an annoyed expression out the window, ignoring his father.
In a matter of seconds the car left, leaving Hyunjin petrified in the middle of his son’s school parking lot, unable to move due to the embarrassment and awareness of what his ex-husband had just said to him.
The sweet caramel scent of the blond was still lingering in the air.
Hyunjin blinked once, then twice, “That prick-” he muttered with clenched teeth as he held his motorbike’s helmet tightly.