❃ ↷ ˊ- pelican town is all abuzz about YANG HANEUL, our resident 28-year old TEACHER. you know, the one who looks like BYUN BAEKHYUN? i don’t see it, but maybe that’s just because they remind me of A COLLECTION OF NOTEBOOKS FILLED FROM FRONT TO BACK, THE FAINT WHISPERS FROM THE FOREST CALLING YOU HOME, AND WARM LAUGHTER FILLING THE AIR BETWEEN GOOD COMPANY every time i see them at PELICAN PRIMARY SCHOOL. word around town is that they’re increasingly GREGARIOUS and POLISHED, but can get rather LABYRINTHINE. hope to see them around the valley soon!
ღ hello it is KLEE ( she/they, 21+, est ), coming at you live to introduce HANEUL, aka every mom’s ideal son-in-law with the unfortunate case of flighty behaviour ! he’s a recycled & reissued muse from years ago that i’d like to bring back to life and i feel that stardew is the perfect place for me to present the new version of him. under the cut you’ll find all the info you may possibly need on him ! if you’d like to plot, please hit the heart & i’ll reach out as soon as i can ! ( discord is available upon asking ! )
☁️ BACKGROUND ⸻
read his profile HERE !
TL;DR ⸻ this is the story of how a young man has decided to follow in the footsteps of his absent father, allowing the winds to guide him to his fated destination — wherever that may be. while he’s convinced that he cannot stay in one place for too long, he finds himself back to the only home he’s ever known to take care of his mother. maybe, just maybe, he will get off the rollercoaster ride he’s been on for the past couple of years and settle down like his mother wants him to.
TRIGGER / CONTENT WARNING ⸻ his backstory involves infidelity regarding his parents ( namely his father ).
28, scorpio sun / cancer moon / taurus rising, he / they, born & raised in pelican town.
another stardew valley native, but he was able to leave the small town once he graduated high school and travel for a majority of his young adulthood and see the world’s beauty as it is.
his family has been situated in pelican for three generations before he was born, and none of them ( except one ! ) had ever left for many different reasons. not that breaking tradition was really ever his intention, he’s known since he was a child that he would leave to see the world and come back with stories to tell.
he likes to think that his love for traveling comes from his father. the man wasn’t a local like his mother’s side of the family, and was constantly on the move. rather than having any memories with his dad as a child, he has memorabilia of all the places the man has visited with accompanying letters detailing his travels.
for a time, he never thought anything was weird with the absence of his father. the man was constantly communicating with their family, so he genuinely believed that the situation was completely normal. his father never acted out of character, as far as his mother could recall, so the both of them never expected he was doing anything wrong.
with the love of his parents flowing within him, he becomes known as the energetic, magnetic child with the brightest smile you have ever seen. he develops a strong reputation among the older folk around the town as the ideal son, who’s not only good in school, but popular and cute to boot too. his mother, ever the social butterfly, speaking so highly of him among her friends only amplifies it tenfold.
it comes to no one’s surprise that he chooses to study outside of stardew valley when he graduates high school. all his life he had always spoken of seeing the world, and it starts with getting out of the small town with zero regrets. his parents respect his decision and his father plays a big part in haneul’s transition from the small town to the busy city life of seoul.
after graduating, he begins to follow his father’s steps and travels to as many places as he could. he only comes back to pelican town for holidays or his mothers birthday, but only stayed for about three days before going away again. no matter how far he would go, he always promised he’d come home eventually which not only warmed his mom’s reluctant heart, but also the hearts of everyone she tells.
[ CONTENT WARNING START ] he finds out the real reason his father is away when he starts working for his company as a journalist. doesn’t necessarily explain to anyone that he’s his son, so he’s surprised when he meets another woman introducing herself as his father’s wife at the company a couple months into the job. he’s side-eyeing his father, who can’t seem to meet his eyes, before heading back out towards his next project.
he tells his mother immediately, heart stopped until he can get all of his words out in a panic. she can only laugh pitifully, explaining that she had an inkling of a feeling all along but didn’t want to ruin the fantasy of them in her mind. the confirmation starts her descending spiral into heartbreak full-force, and although she puts on a strong front in front of others and himself, he can’t help but feel guilty for confirming her worst nightmare for her. [ CONTENT WARNING END ]
he continues working for his father, who gives them whatever they want out of a guilty conscience. haneul milks the opportunity for what it’s worth, taking and taking from a man he used to idolize as petty revenge. he swears he doesn’t want to end up like his father, but he fears the idea so much that he swears off love altogether — he can never be hurt or hurt anyone if he never gives himself to anyone, right? ( wrong, he knows, but delusion has already settled ).
the last nail in the coffin that completely ruins any chance of his father regaining angel wings in his son’s eyes, not that he even had a slim one at that, was the discovery of another child from a completely different relationship that even the old man couldn’t remember. they came searching for him ‘as the last attempt of feeling like they had a family’, only to be told by his father that he had no room for them. haneul offers his hand to take them away to stardew valley, where he and his mom can take care of them until they feel like being elsewhere. [ wanted connection will eventually be issued ]
although he’s adamant about the fact that he is a man who can’t stay in one place for too long, he finds himself immediately rushing back to pelican town upon hearing the news that his mother was falling ill. he dropped everything a little over a year ago to be by her side, and finally picked up a teaching job ( putting his degree to good use for once… ) so he could support and take care of her better.
he’s itching to get back out of the town, but not until he ensures that his mother and newly-discovered sibling is safe — regardless of how long it takes. don’t get him wrong, he loves his job ! he’s always been gentle with children and the idea of shaping the next generation has always been an exciting idea, he wanted to live out his youth more and see more while he still can.
there’s no doubt that the reputation he has proceeds him, as it’s been a good few years since anyone has seen him long enough to decipher what he’s really like as a person. not that he really has anything to hide, but he reveals nothing about himself and more about the world around him. perhaps that’s about half of what makes him so interesting.
but maybe it’s time to really settle down and let his life slow down a bit… who knows?
although he is a wanderer, seemingly having no ties to anyone or anything, he has a very big heart that cares a little too much. it’s hard to admit, but he does always feel bad for up and leaving so quickly sometimes, unable to stay longer than he should. he has a firm belief that if he stays in one place for too long, he will never want to leave … which is why he is so troubled with staying longer in pelican town.
he knows all the ins-and-outs, and wants to explore new places, but he’s fallen into routine already and the idea of leaving after staying for so long seems difficult. it’s not like he really shows it, but the feeling of guilt lingers inside.
☁️ SCUFFED PLOT IDEAS ⸻
the classic & dependable best friend, the yin to his yang. definitely the person who knows him best, and sometimes better than he knows himself. they’ve stayed so close despite the fact he’s barely home, now where would he be without them?
perhaps friends he’s met on his travels? he’s been to a lot of places in a span of a couple years, so he’s not as surprised to see familiar faces in his hometown. on the bright side, they will have a personal tour guide if needed !
childhood friends and/or friends who grew apart? since 2011 up until late 2020 he has never stayed home for more than three years, and while he tries to make time for old friends who’ve decided to stay in pelican town all this time, it’s normal for friends to grow apart. maybe they can reconcile and become close again? or are they too different from their memories?
perhaps some exes or, more accurately, ex-flings / ex-somethings? he’s a wanderer with little to no ties, so how could he be expected to keep a lover? try as he might, he knows unless they come on his travels with him, there’s no way a relationship can be maintained without the tribulations that long-distance brings … which is why he would rather avoid any to begin with.
he’s an adult and it’s not uncommon for him to have a fwb or one night stands, and he prefers it this way for the most part. no strings attached is exactly what he thinks he needs.
the idea of pseudo-little siblings is so cute !! he’s a bit older than most of the muses, and he surprisingly has a lot of love to give to those younger than him who see him as some sort of older brother figure. he’s an only child, and has always wanted siblings, so prepared to be spoiled rotten if he adopts you as a sibling !
frenemies or enemies … perhaps someone who knows he’s not all that older locals say he is? after all, how is someone who always leaves seemingly without a care in the world for everyone else’s feelings a good person? under all the excitement of hearing all about his travels, the selfish act slips under the rug and its about time someone mentions it.
friends with lingering feelings aaaaaa. he knows his limits ! he doesn’t want to fall in love, and is doing his best to not let a ‘small crush’ develop into smth more, yet… something about them is so intriguing to him, and he wants to know more and more, little by little.
other ideas: younger muses in school that he can tutor ! he will always put time aside to help anyone with school. neighbors, strangers-who-keep-meeting-for-some-reason, friends of friends, family friends, and pen pals would be interesting dynamics too ! i’m definitely up for brainstorming if nothing immediately clicks.
