𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 ―𝐝.𝐨.𝐝

Chapter 35

[ Cho Seungmin's POV ]

There are actually two reasons why I allowed Eugene to stop calling me hyung: he's only 6 months younger than me, and he reminds me too much of my younger brother.

'Cho Seungmin' is my public identity. His father is a large businessman, and his mother is a housewife. He is an only child.

'Cho Shotaro' is my real name. It is the name of a child whose father is at the top of the Korean underworld and whose mother is a hostage sent for peace.

'Cho Shotaro' has one younger brother.

My father didn't want any more children. He was afraid that after putting his trust in me as a successor to his business, I would backstab him. He didn't want any more risks.

My mother wanted to live an ordinary life. So after begging my father, she was allowed to adopt a boy who wouldn't know anything about father's real job. He would inherit nothing. Mother agreed happily.

That boy's growing up with Mother in a separate house. To him, I am his step-brother who lives with Father. He knows nothing about the life I live.

I thought I would hate him. He was a child who was getting love from a Mother who was afraid of me. But when we were introduced to one another for the first time when I turned thirteen and he was nine, he smiled so wide...I forgot I was supposed to hate him.

I still think I have to hate him.

Even as I visited him every few months per Mother's request, those feelings remained.

So hearing Eugene, who reminds me so much of that younger brother, call me hyung so brightly, I felt weird.

Yesterday, when I saw him cry, I felt weirder.

I ended up going out of my way to comfort him. I wasn't sure what I was feeling at the time, but it was a mixture of confusion and relief.

I went to sleep that night without talking to my group.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

A few days passed.

The production team gave us our phones to search data for our concepts.

The episode of our rankings and talent show aired the day before.

Unlike in the past, I began to monitor. There was an article about me trending from a week ago.

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[ Cho Seungmin may be a delinquent ]
: This is all just speculation, but here are all the reasons why I think he's a delinquent.

1) No one has found any information about him
Nothing about school has been found, which is usually the first fact exposed. I bet he threatened others not to say anything, or he's just never gone to school at all

2) <Screenshot of Seungmin's abs showing from the PR live>
There are bruises and faded scars all over his body. This photo has been going around for a bit, and people have noticed that there are long scars. No one should have that many injuries unless they actively fight

3) <Screenshot of Seungmin's face>
Also, just look at him. His eyes are scary. He just has a face of a bully

4) <Screenshot from another discussion board of Seungmin holding an alcohol bottle>
I'm aware that he's of age, but drinking out in the open like that is immature for an aspiring idol.

5) <Multiple screenshots of Seungmin sitting or standing>
And the way he positions himself is like what typical school delinquents do. The man spreading, the arrogant look, etc.
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