Stay By My Side ( TUC - So Mun x Hyeok-u )

Chapter - 2

[We're going to pretend the memory-reading scene never happened]

So Mun gently laid Hyeok-u on his bed and started treating him. He was shocked at how many wounds the redhead had. Once he was done, he just sat down next to Hyeok-u, lost in thought.

"So Mun-ah!" came a sudden shout from outside. "Come for dinner!" The brunette stood up, turning to leave when there was a tug at his hand. He turned around to see Hyeok-u gripping his hand. "Don't go. Please. He's . . . he'll . . ." Hyeok-u pleaded in his sleep. "Just a few minutes." Mun whispered and went for dinner.

"You've stayed up in your bedroom for a long time. Is something wrong?" his grandfather asked him at the table.

"No, no, it's nothing, I'm just, uh, working on something." Mun answered. "You were always bad at lying So Mun-ah." his grandfather chuckled while the boy smiled sheepishly. Luckily for him, his grandparents didn't ask anymore questions. He dashed into his room as soon as he was done only to hear small whimpers coming from the injured boy. He quietly shut the door and went to the bed. "What's wrong?" he asked. The other immediately gripped his hand and started crying softly. Memories that had resurfaced in Hyeok-u's mind flashed through So Mun's head. 

He saw years of pain and loneliness. He saw through the tough wall Hyeok-u had put up to hide his weak, vulnerable state. He gave Hyeok-u a sudden hug. The problem was Hyeok-u refused to let go. "Stay." he whispered. "Please." So Mun sighed and laid down next to him. 'He won't remember any of this tomorrow anyway.' he reminded himself. 

He hugged Hyeok-u, feeling the other relax in his embrace. What he wasn't expecting was a full-on confession and apology. It started with, "I'm sorry."

"I'm so sorry. For everything. I didn't know what to do. I was suffering so I made others suffer. I didn't  know how else to release my pain. Each time I punched someone I saw my father's face. I was entirely conscious of what I was doing yet I couldn't stop. It was . . . so . . . pressuring being the mayor's son. I acted proud of it to fool other people. I was acting so much that I was losing myself slowly. 

My mother left me when I was four. I can't even remember how she looks or sounds. The only thing I remember is that she asked me to stay strong. But I couldn't. I couldn't stay strong. Ever since she left, my father turned into a monster. He made sure to hit me in places which weren't exposed to the public.

I keep hearing his voice, "There are two types of people in this world - strong and weak. Which are you Shin Hyeok-u? You're weak, weak, weak, weak, weak, weak . . . . weak." It took me eight years  to report him because he's still my father whatever happens. He used to be so sweet and caring . . . before - before mother left. He used to say "Well done, son" for practically every single thing I did. And it hurts . . . it hurts so much knowing that I'll have nobody to love me . . . nobody who'll care for me. I hurt you and your friends because I was jealous. Selfish. And I deserve to get hurt like this because this was exactly what I did to others. And for all the pain and suffering I've caused . . . I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

So Mun was speechless. He had no idea about this. "I'm sorry." he whispered to the other boy who'd cried himself to sleep and was now curled up in a ball. "You did apologize to everyone. And you're trying to change. That's enough. I'll help you from now on. You won't be alone. I'll stay by your side, I swear." he promised and slowly drifted of to sleep with a troubled mind, hugging the redhead.

(I know I promised a longer chapter but Hyeok-u's long-ass speech was too long, sorry. Hope you had the patience to read it T-T. Feel free to comment, I have no idea how this is going, I need some feedback. Should I continue?)