"He's at the hospital," Jihan said, voice careful, choosing his words with visible effort. "There was an incident. He's stable now, recovering well, but—Mom, there's a lot to explain."
Chae-won's hand flew to her mouth, panic flooding her face. "What kind of incident?"
"Dad shot him."
The words landed like a physical blow, and Chae-won made a sound low in her throat, something between a sob and a gasp, her whole body curling forward as if she could somehow absorb the impact of it retroactively.
"He's okay," Jae-min said quickly, turning in his seat to face her. "Really okay. The surgery went well, he's already awake and talking. He's going to make a full recovery."
"Why would he—" Chae-won's voice broke entirely. "Why would his own father—"
"It's a long story," Jihan said gently. "One I think is better told once we're actually there and you can see him with your own eyes."
