🔵② Siyeon - Chapter 2: A Decision That Did Not Need Applause
Siyeon and Luca had lived together for more than a year by now. The apartment had long stopped feeling temporary. It carried their routines, their habits and the understanding that came from sharing limited space without feeling confined. Until graduation, they found ways to support themselves without asking for more. Siyeon earned small amounts of money through street music, playing whenever the city felt open enough to listen. Luca spent more and more time programming, building small apps that sold well enough to cover their share of rent to his father and still allowed for the occasional delivery meal when neither of them felt like cooking.
On the day of their graduation, excitement and tension existed side by side. They prepared carefully, checked everything twice and spoke little on the way there. During the ceremonies, the weight of the moment lingered, heavy but bearable because they were together. By the time the celebrations began afterward, that tension dissolved into laughter. The future no longer felt like something waiting to happen. It felt close, almost tangible.
That closeness followed them home later that evening. Standing at the edge of another major change, the transition into working life, Luca seized the moment without planning it any further. In the quiet of the living room, with the day still echoing in their bodies, he asked Siyeon to marry him. His voice wavered despite his certainty, his heart racing faster than he could control. Siyeon did not hesitate. Surprise gave way to joy instantly and she accepted through tears, wrapping her arms around him as if the answer had always existed between them.
A few weeks later, they married in the smallest circle possible. Only parents and siblings attended. The decision was deliberate. Luca’s family had long been viewed with skepticism in Dowon and his father wished to shield both of them from unnecessary scrutiny. He wanted their path into working life to remain uncomplicated and unburdened by associations that others might judge unfairly.
The ceremony itself was quiet, almost understated. There were no grand gestures, only certainty. When it ended, nothing about their lives felt radically different. They returned to the same apartment, the same routines, the same shared space. The difference lay elsewhere. What they had already been living now carried a name and the future they stepped toward did so with pure intention rather than shaky assumption.
🔵 To read the full Siyeon story from the beginning, click here.
(Sua Sponte = latin; "of one's own accord" / "voluntarily")
Luca had taken the entire week off. For the first time in months, no deadlines waited on his computer, no customers needed technical support and no unfinished projects occupied the back of his mind.
Meanwhile, Siyeon continued her usual routine at Adam Entertainment, spending her days between recording sessions, rehearsals and meetings that had long become part of her daily life.
On the second morning of his vacation, Luca received a short message. It came from Emily.
Harang River Park. 11:00.
Nothing more. He smiled to himself, then sighed.
Every member of the Martin family knew that someone was always paying attention to where everyone else was. It was simply part of growing up in their household. But this... this hardly felt like coincidence anymore. Emily had somehow known he would finally have time.
She was already waiting when Luca arrived. As soon as they spotted each other, both of them smiled. Luca walked over and embraced his older sister without hesitation. It had been far too long since they had seen each other outside of family obligations.
"How are you?" Emily asked.
"I'm good."
"You look rested."
"I finally slept more than six hours."
A faint smile crossed Emily's face.
"Good."
The conversation could have continued. With anyone else, it probably would have. With Emily, it didn't. She had never cared much for small talk.
"So," she began calmly, "we should probably talk."
Luca nodded. He had expected as much.
"As the second child," she said, "and the eldest son of the Martin family..."
Emily folded her hands in front of her.
"...you'll eventually hold an important position."
Luca remained quiet.
"And before that day arrives, we need to understand how you intend to involve Siyeon."
A brief pause.
"And your future children."
The words landed softly, but they carried considerable weight. Luca lowered his eyes for a moment before answering.
"I've already told several of Father's advisors."
Emily nodded.
"I know."
"I don't want anything to do with the family's business."
Silence.
"I never have."
He looked back at her.
"I chose a different life. A quieter one."
Emily's expression barely changed, but something inside her seemed to sink.
"You think I don't understand that?" she asked quietly.
Luca didn't answer. She looked out across the river before speaking again.
"The family has already taken enough from us."
Her voice remained calm, but for someone who knew Emily well, there was unmistakable sadness beneath it.
"It pushed Octavia away."
She paused.
"I don't want it to push you away too."
For the first time since sitting down, Luca saw something that Emily almost never allowed anyone else to witness. Fear. Not for herself. For him.
Luca remained silent for several seconds. Then he looked directly at his sister.
"Sua Sponte."
The two Latin words hung quietly between them. Emily closed her eyes for the briefest moment. Then nodded. She understood exactly what he meant.
"So be it," she replied softly.
"You can have time."
Another pause.
"But remember one thing."
She met his gaze once more.
"You can ask for time."
"But leaving..."
Her voice became firm again.
"...has only ever been all or nothing."
Luca slowly nodded. That had always been the rule.
Emily stood first. Without another word, the two embraced once more. This time, the silence between them carried far more meaning than anything either of them could have said.
When they finally stepped apart, a black sedan rolled quietly to the curb. A chauffeur stepped out and opened the rear door. Emily gave her brother one final look, then disappeared into the waiting car. Within moments, it blended back into the traffic along the river.
Luca remained in the park. He wasn't ready to go home yet. The conversation had left his thoughts far too restless. Instead, he wandered toward the outdoor fitness area overlooking the river. He stretched first. Then practiced yoga beneath the mild afternoon sun. Later, he picked up a pair of light dumbbells, allowing the repetitive movements to quiet his mind.
Normally, exercise cleared his thoughts. Today, it barely made a difference. Emily's words echoed again and again.
You can have time.
Leaving has only ever been all or nothing.
Luca looked across the water. For years, he had believed that building a life with Siyeon had been enough to leave the Martin family behind. Now he understood something he had spent a long time trying not to acknowledge. No matter how far a Martin walked... part of the family always walked with them.
🔵 To read the full Siyeon story from the beginning, click here.
🔵② Siyeon - Chapter 5: The Day He Came to Collect Something
Every morning began with the same ritual. Before Luca left the loft for work, he sat down at the piano and played a few pieces he had known since childhood. It had not been his choice back then. His parents had insisted on it, guiding him through lessons he had once found unnecessary, even embarrassing. Over time the resistance had faded though. The melodies stayed with him and what once felt forced had become familiar.
Siyeon woke to those sounds and totally loved it. The notes carried gently through the open space of the loft, filling the rooms before the day properly began. There was something steady about it, something that made waking feel less abrupt. She rarely moved at first, simply listening as the music unfolded and settled.
By the time Luca finished and joined her in the kitchen, the morning had already begun.
They met there briefly before he left for work, sharing a few quiet moments between routine and departure. That day, Siyeon invited him to join her in the evening. Her family planned to meet at Central Park, nothing formal, just time spent together. Luca agreed without hesitation. He had come to feel comfortable among the Scotts, in a way he never quite had within his own family. With them, things felt lighter and definitely less complicated.
Their workdays passed without interruption. Luca moved through his tasks with ease, solving minor issues and refining code without the pressure of urgent problems. Siyeon’s day followed a similar rhythm. The studio remained calm, allowing her to record vocals and practice new choreography without the usual sense of competition pressing in from all sides. It was the kind of day that went by almost unnoticed, defined more by consistency than by events.
In the early evening, they met at the subway exit near Central Park. The air carried the last warmth of the day and the park felt open and unhurried. They found a bench where the sunlight still reached and sat close together, their hands resting naturally in each other’s.
After a while, Luca stood up and offered to get drinks from a stand across the park. Siyeon nodded and watched him walk away before settling back into the comfortable silence.
She did not expect to see Octavia.
The familiar figure approached from the path, and for a moment, the encounter felt almost out of place. They greeted each other with a brief embrace before Octavia sat down beside her. Their conversation remained light, shaped by the kind of details that filled ordinary days. Nothing seemed unusual. Nothing demanded any attention.
Then both of them looked up at the same time. Across the grass, Luca stood with Henry. Beside them, another figure had joined - David Martin.
Within moments, more people gathered. What began as coincidence shifted into something larger, a convergence neither planned nor avoided. Members of both families stood together on the open field, forming a small circle. At first, the atmosphere remained easy. Conversations overlapped and laughter followed the occasional joke. Even Henry and David seemed to find common ground, exchanging remarks that drew smiles from those around them.
Siyeon stayed closer to Yujin, observing more than speaking. Nearby, Luca remained engaged in conversation with the others, adjusting naturally to the shifting dynamic.
David’s attention eventually turned toward Siyeon. He spoke about her music, mentioning that he had recently heard some of her songs on the radio and had been pleasantly surprised. His tone carried approval, measured but genuine. He also thanked Henry and Yujin for taking care of Octavia during a difficult time. As he spoke, his gaze lingered briefly on his daughter. The dark lenses of his sunglasses hid his expression, but something in the angle of his head made the moment feel heavier than his words suggested.
The conversation continued for a while longer, but its tone had shifted slightly, almost imperceptibly.
After about forty-five minutes, David excused himself. He mentioned a business appointment that could not be delayed and moved through the group with composed efficiency, shaking hands with each of them before stepping away. Octavia followed him without hesitation.
Siyeon watched them go.
There was nothing in the scene that stood out clearly. No raised voices. No visible tension. And yet, as she observed their figures disappear along the path, an odd unease settled somewhere she could not quite reach.
She could not explain it, but it stayed with her.
🔵 To read the full Siyeon story from the beginning, click here.
The afternoon light rested over Harang River Park, stretching across the water in golden reflections. Luca had not planned to stay long. He had only come to clear his head, to step outside the rhythm that had taken hold of his days again.
He noticed Cassian before he fully registered it. Standing near the path, dressed as always now - clean lines, pressed fabric, a suit that felt slightly out of place against the casual movement of the park and yet somehow fitting him perfectly.
Luca approached with an easy smile.
“Still going with that look?” he asked, gesturing toward the suit. “I won’t lie… it confused me at first.”
Cassian glanced down at himself briefly, then back up.
“Yeah?”
Luca nodded. “Yeah. But it works. You wear it well.”
A small pause settled between them, comfortable enough not to demand filling.
“How are things?” Cassian asked after a moment. “With you and Siyeon?”
Luca’s expression remained steady.
“We’re good,” he said. “Just… busy. Work’s been a lot for both of us.”
It wasn’t a lie. Just not complete.
Cassian accepted it with a quiet nod. He didn’t press further. Neither of them did. They stood there a little longer, exchanging small observations about the city, routines, things that stayed safely on the surface. Then, without needing to say much more, they parted ways again.
At the studio, the atmosphere felt entirely different. Voices overlapped, bright and eager, filling the short break between sessions. A few of the younger trainees had gathered around Siyeon, their attention fixed on her in a way she had grown used to, though it never fully settled.
“How do you stay so consistent?” one of them asked, eyes wide with genuine admiration.
“And your stage presence… it feels so natural.”
Another chimed in before Siyeon could answer.
“I want to be like you someday.”
Siyeon smiled. She answered carefully, offering small pieces of advice that sounded right. Practice. Patience. Trust the process. The kind of words people expected to hear, the kind that fit neatly into business conversations like this.
They listened closely, nodding along, holding onto every sentence as if it carried something essential.
For a moment, Siyeon watched them instead of speaking. The way they looked at her. The certainty in their admiration. It was simple. Clean. Easy to understand.
She wondered, briefly, what they would see if they looked a little closer. Not at the performances. Not at the rehearsals. But at everything that stayed hidden behind it.
The thought passed as quickly as it had come. By the time the break ended, she had slipped back into place without hesitation.
When she returned home that evening, the loft was quiet. The kind of silence that did not feel empty, only waiting. She stepped through the rooms slowly before making her way up to the rooftop terrace. Luca was already there.
He sat on one of the loungers, his posture relaxed but distant, his gaze resting somewhere beyond the city skyline. The last light of the day stretched across the open space, softening the edges of everything it touched.
Siyeon didn’t say anything at first. She simply sat down beside him. For a while, they stayed like that. Side by side. Silent. Breathing in the same rhythm without needing to acknowledge it.
The city moved below them, distant and steady. Then, almost without planning it, Siyeon spoke.
“I keep thinking about it,” she said quietly.
Luca didn’t ask what she meant.
“I know,” he replied.
The words settled between them, heavier than anything they had said in weeks. She drew in a slow breath.
“It felt real,” she continued. “Even if it was only for a short time.”
Luca leaned forward slightly, his hands resting together, his eyes fixed on the ground for a moment before he spoke.
“I started thinking about things I didn’t even realize I wanted yet,” he admitted. “Like… it was already part of something bigger.”
Siyeon nodded.
“I was scared,” she said. “But not in a bad way. Just… aware.”
Another pause. This one different. Not empty. Not avoiding. Present.
“I didn’t know how to talk about it,” Luca said after a while. “I thought maybe you needed space.”
“I thought the same about you,” she replied softly.
A faint, almost incredulous smile crossed his face.
“Of course you did.”
She let out a quiet breath that almost resembled a laugh. For the first time since it had happened, the weight shifted. Not gone. But shared.
“I miss it,” she said.
Luca nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
No explanations followed. No attempts to make sense of it. Just the acknowledgment. Somehow, that was enough. The evening settled around them, softer now. The air felt different, lighter in a way neither of them had expected.
Later that night, the loft carried a familiar kind of calm again. Luca sat on the couch, the television running quietly in the background, more presence than focus. The light flickered gently across the room. Siyeon sat beside him, a book resting open in her hands. They didn’t speak much. They didn’t need to.
At some point, Luca shifted slightly closer, his arm brushing against hers. She didn’t react, but she didn’t move away either. The distance that had existed between them for weeks had finally given way to something else. Not a solution. Not an answer. Just closeness. Real, steady and genuine.
Siyeon turned a page. Luca let out a breath, his attention drifting somewhere between the screen and the moment itself. For the first time in a long while, the silence felt right again. Not heavy. Not fragile. Just shared.
Somewhere within that understanding, a thought settled gently into place: Maybe they really could carry everything that came their way. Together.
🔵 To read the full Siyeon story from the beginning, click here.
Luca stepped out earlier than usual today, leaving the loft behind to take a break from the constant rhythm of his work. The park nearby offered a kind of openness he rarely allowed himself during the week. He walked without a plan at first, simply following the paths as they curved through the trees and open spaces.
At some point, he stopped. A small keyboard stood not far from one of the open areas, left unattended or perhaps shared among visitors. Without much hesitation, he sat down and began to play. The sounds were simple at first, exploratory, but they quickly settled into something more confident. People passing by slowed down, some stopping in their tracks entirely. Conversations stopped, replaced by the lively presence of music drifting through the morning air.
Luca did not perform for attention. He played because, for once, there was nothing else expected of him.
Across the city, Siyeon moved through a different kind of rhythm. The streets of Dowon carried their usual flow, guiding her toward the subway station. From there, the familiar route brought her to Adam Entertainment, where the building stood tall and composed, reflecting the structure of the world she had chosen to step into.
The day before, her mother had mentioned something unexpected.
Yujin planned to visit the company. Not for a formal application, but to explore possibilities. It had come through Henry’s connections, an extension of the network he had built over time. Siyeon wanted to be there, not out of necessity, but out of support.
She arrived a few minutes early and waited near the entrance. When Yujin approached, they greeted each other warmly, the familiarity between them cutting through the formal atmosphere of the building. Up close, Siyeon noticed something immediately.
Her mother did not seem nervous.
Siyeon asked her about it, expecting at least a hint of uncertainty, but Yujin simply smiled. She explained that there was nothing to worry about. This was not an interview, she said, just a conversation, a way to understand what might be possible. There was no pressure attached to it, no expectation that something had to come from it.
Before stepping away, Yujin paused. She asked Siyeon if it would truly be alright for them to work in the same place. Not just as colleagues, but as mother and daughter within the same structure. The question carried a weight, even if it was asked gently.
Siyeon answered without hesitation. It would not bother her. If anything, she said, she would be happy about it. Yujin nodded, reassured, and then continued on her way.
The moment passed. But something else remained, unseen.
In the background of their days, a different reality had already unfolded. One that neither Yujin nor anyone else in the family knew about.
Siyeon had been pregnant. For a brief time, the knowledge had existed only between her and Luca, held carefully, almost protectively. It had brought a quiet kind of happiness, something fragile but real. And then, just as quietly, it was gone.
The loss came only weeks after they had learned about it. Neither of them spoke about it outside of their home. Even there, the silence remained.
It was not distance, not in the way people might expect. It was something else. A shared understanding that the weight of it needed to be carried individually first, before it could become something they faced together. They moved carefully around each other, not out of avoidance, but out of respect for the space each of them needed.
Siyeon spent more time on the rooftop terrace.
The sunlight there felt constant, something she could rely on when everything else seemed less certain. Sometimes she lay on the sun loungers, letting the warmth settle into her skin. Other times, she moved through slow, deliberate yoga routines, focusing on breath and balance, grounding herself in something physical and present.
Luca found his own ways.
After long days of work, he often retreated into quieter rituals. A bath that lasted longer than necessary. A book held open but not always read. Moments where his thoughts could exist without needing to be solved or explained.
They did not speak about it. Not yet. But the absence was there, shaping the spaces between them in ways neither of them fully understood.
🔵 To read the full Siyeon story from the beginning, click here.
The weekends were very different from the rest of the week. During the workdays, Siyeon and Luca were often pulled into demanding schedules that rarely aligned. Her work as an idol trainee required long hours of vocal practice, dance rehearsals and constant evaluations, while Luca spent most of his time developing games and applications, slowly building a name for himself among local studios. But when the weekend arrived, they made an active effort to slow down.
Sometimes they spent the time together, going on simple dates around the city or settling onto the couch in the evening with a show neither of them followed too closely. Yet just as often, they allowed each other the freedom to pursue their own interests.
Luca enjoyed visiting the local gaming café. The place attracted programmers, players and hobbyists alike, and he enjoyed the atmosphere of people discussing mechanics, storytelling and technical details that most others would never notice. Conversations there often drifted toward new ideas for apps or potential collaborations. It was also an easy way for him to gauge what people actually wanted from games, something that helped him more than any market report ever could. Between conversations, he liked to try out new releases. Titles he might not have bought for himself at home but could explore freely in the café.
Siyeon, meanwhile, preferred something more familiar. Outside of her life with Luca, she often used her free time to visit her family. Her mother meant the world to her and her younger half-brother Cassian had always held a special place in her heart. Their family gave her a sense of grounding that the entertainment industry never could.
That evening, she met Cassian at the Ullim Temple. The temple grounds were calm, softened by the moonlight, and when they saw each other, they greeted one another with a warm, tight embrace. After exchanging the usual questions about work and daily routines, Cassian instantly began talking about the recent move into his new home with Octavia Martin. The move had been quick and exhausting, he admitted, but he sounded energized as he spoke. He told Siyeon about the plans he had for the future: finding a well-paying job, building stability, eventually starting a large family of his own.
Siyeon listened with a smile. It was obvious that Cassian was doing better than he had only a few weeks prior. Back then, the subtle tension in their father Henry’s behavior had weighed heavily on him. Now, that pressure seemed to have lifted.
Their conversation was interrupted when someone approached them from behind. Yujin appeared, carrying a few shopping bags and looking pleasantly surprised. She had stopped by the temple on her way home and noticed them from a distance.
Cassian greeted their mother politely, though Siyeon caught the brief flicker of annoyance in his expression. He had probably hoped to talk a little longer without parental oversight. Still, he kept his tone warm and the three of them spoke for a few minutes. Yujin soon excused herself, explaining that she still needed to prepare dinner for everyone waiting at home.
Once she disappeared down the path, the siblings resumed their walk through the temple grounds. They continued talking for nearly another hour, their conversation drifting between light topics and deeper reflections.
Eventually, Siyeon slowed her steps and looked at Cassian more thoughtfully. She told him she was happy to see him so excited about his future, but also encouraged him to take things slowly. Life had a habit of surprising people when they least expected it. He should keep his plans, she said, but remain open to the unexpected.
Cassian thanked her sincerely and promised he would keep her advice in mind. Yet as they said goodbye that evening, Siyeon could already sense something familiar in his determination. Cassian had inherited more than just their father’s instincts. He had inherited Henry’s stubbornness as well. And people like that rarely changed their course once they had chosen it.
🔵 To read the full Siyeon story from the beginning, click here.
🔵② Siyeon - Chapter 3: Where Passion and Peace Aligned
Luca found work quickly. He accepted a position as a junior developer at DW Soft, trading long nights of coding at home for structured days and a noticeably better income. Siyeon’s path unfolded differently, but no less unexpectedly. During one of her street performances, she caught the attention of a talent scout from Adam Entertainment. What had once been a way to earn a little extra money became something more serious. She entered training, spending her days between vocal lessons, dance practice and hours devoted to her instruments. Their routines shifted, but they moved in the same direction.
One weekend, Luca told Siyeon he had a surprise for her. He led her through one of the wealthier districts of Dowon, past quiet streets and carefully kept buildings, until they stopped in front of an old factory. Inside, the space opened up completely. The hall had been renovated into a wide loft, light spilling across open rooms and high ceilings. The furniture stood somewhere between eccentric and deliberate, chosen with an attention that felt unmistakably personal. Luca watched her take it in before telling her that he wanted to buy the property. The idea landed instantly. Siyeon laughed, overwhelmed, and said yes without hesitation. A few days later, they moved into this new place.
The months that followed felt effortless. Work, love and home aligned in a way that required no negotiation anymore. After long days of training, Siyeon liked to sit quietly with her guitar or lose herself in a book, the noisy city drowned out by distance and brick walls. Luca often went for walks after work, circling Harang River Park or passing through the grounds near Ullim Temple, letting the day settle before returning home.
Despite busy schedules, they guarded their shared time carefully, especially on weekends. It mattered to them, not out of obligation, but intention. Their bond deepened steadily, shaped by small habits and mutual attention. Somewhere between routines and cozy evenings, a shared understanding took form. They both wanted a family someday. Not immediately, not urgently, but definitely. Whatever they built next, they wanted it to be rooted in the same care they practiced now.
🔵 To read the full Siyeon story from the beginning, click here.
After months of hesitation and half-spoken thoughts, Luca Martin finally confessed his feelings to Siyeon. He told her that he had fallen in love with her and that he did not want to keep postponing the truth any longer, because every moment spent by her side had already become something precious to him. Siyeon felt overwhelmed with happiness. She had carried the same feelings for a long time and hearing him speak them out loud made everything suddenly feel real.
They both wanted a life that felt independent and self-determined, even at their young age. Together, they asked their parents for permission to live on their own. The following day at school, they met with nervous excitement, only to embrace each other with relief and joy when they realized that all parents had agreed, including Yujin and Henry. Luca’s younger sister Octavia congratulated them as well, smiling politely, yet her reserved tone lingered in the background, leaving a subtle distance that Siyeon didn't quite understand.
Their search for an apartment turned out to be easier than expected. David Martin owned several houses in Dowon and offered one of them to the couple for a small rent, wanting to support their decision without taking control away from them. To balance things out, Henry paid for second-hand furniture, allowing Siyeon and Luca to settle in quickly and focus on building a shared routine rather than worrying about expenses.
Despite the excitement of their new life together, both continued to take school seriously. They attended classes diligently and rarely missed a day. Siyeon skipped school a couple of times, overwhelmed by everything changing at once, while Luca remained steady and responsible, grounding both of them when things felt too much. Their grades stayed solid. Siyeon maintained her average and Luca continued to be a model student.
Freedom felt exhilarating, but it also came with moments of quiet uncertainty. Some evenings were filled with laughter, dancing in the living room and dreaming about the future. Others were marked by silence, doubt and the realization that independence meant learning as they went. Still every shared moment confirmed one thing: this was the life they had chosen together and for the first time it truly felt like their own.
