ABOUT ETHAN
AGE: 34 years
BIRTHDAY: 11/21/1984
OCCUPATION: Homicide Detective
GENDER: Cis Male
NEIGHBORHOOD: St. Juan
HAS BEEN IN WESTWICK: 26 years
FACECLAIM: Steven Yeun
(–trigger warnings: death mention tw
While Hyun was born in South Korea and spent a few of his childhood years there, his parents ended up moving to America in hopes of a better future for him. And even after the move, they took frequent trips back and forth, which kept Hyun pretty well involved in both cultures at the time, becoming bilingual in both English and Korean. He’d led a fairly happy and normal childhood up until his baby brother Seok-li was brought into the world. Then, it felt like it only got better. His brother was unexpectedly born a little early and while they were back in South Korea. And rather than ever feel a surge of jealousy like some siblings did, Hyun loved his brother from the very moment he set his eyes on him. There was a bit of an age gap between them but that still never changed anything, either. He happily taught him everything he knew as they both grew older.
However, by the time Hyun had reached the age of eighteen, teaching had become a much bigger task. It was just another ordinary day. He was late leaving school and swung by a friend’s to pick his brother up. And honoring their secret tradition, they went to get some ice cream before heading home. Once they drew nearer to the neighborhood though, more and more emergency vehicles had sped by and a cloud of black smoke took over the sky. Their home had gone up in flames, taking everything with it—including their parents. The loss hit them hard but Hyun knew from that very moment, things were going to change. And fast. There simply wasn’t time for grief. He was already mature beyond his age but losing their parents pushed him that much further into adulthood. Hyun was determined to fight tooth and nail to make sure he wasn’t separated from his brother due to the circumstances, child services ready to swoop in. He was prepared to do anything and everything he could, but ultimately, their grandparents back in Korea had to step in, taking Seok-li home with them. It was better than losing him to the system but it was still a struggle. Because of this, he has always been more reserved and meticulous; hardworking. He pushed himself in every way possible to try and prove that he could take care of both of them. He always called to stay in touch. He sent pictures. Hyun did his best to try and make a home for them, ready for the day he’d be able to return.
It took two years before their grandparents deemed him ready. Hyun had a home for them to live in, a room just for his little brother. And their grandparents continued to help by sending a little money every month. Hyun could tell Seok was struggling initially and once again, he did everything he could. Over those two years, he found himself traveling down the path of criminal justice, going into the police academy to become an officer. That choice received a lot of ridicule more than anything else, however, he persevered, becoming a detective after a few years of experience. Part of it might have been to prove he could become something; proving old peers that had bullied him and his brother that he wasn’t going to stand for it anymore, being able to fight back. Not only for them but for everyone whose voice wasn’t heard. And even though it may not have been the right thing to do, and even though he wasn’t ashamed of his past and culture, Hyun had changed his name back while he was trying to get into the police academy. It was much easier to fit in then, his name more Americanized as Ethan Chambers. The decision did come at a small cost though, causing some tiffs between him and his brother for neglecting their culture.
Another part of the reason detective work intrigued Ethan was digging for the truth. He firmly believes his parents were killed and that the house fire was no accident. It bothered him that no one seemed to have any real answers as to what happened. He knew his parents. They simply weren’t reckless people, and nothing added up. But he’s never vocalized it to anyone; secretly digging around when and where he can. It’s something he’s never been able to let go of, among other things, since he’s become a detective.
✓ ambitious, brave, focused ✘ secretive, vindictive, workaholic
This role is played by Billie
