Jake's existence is twisted in complexity. On the surface he appears like any other person, but beneath the mask of his so called normal life, lies ugliness. He dreams to escape this harsh reality, he wants to experience the joy of living like a tru...
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A pair of legs anxiously tapped under the table. His mind wandered-why was he even here? His eyes scanned the large, empty room, avoiding eye contact at all costs as he waited for something to happen. The other guy had been quiet for a while now, and the air in the room felt heavy. It was suffocating Jake, as did the presence of the taller man.
He knew it was a terrible idea to be here, but he was curious. How had the person sitting in front of him ended up in a detention center?
The cold atmosphere, the crusty lighting, and the dead silence terrified Jake on the inside. The only thought keeping him sane was, I've been taking therapy. I can handle this.
"I didn't expect you to be here." A plain, nonchalant voice traveled through the air, making Jake flinch slightly.
No, I can't handle this, Jake cried internally. His attention returned to the person in front of him.
"Why did you call me here?" Jake spoke nonetheless. His voice wasn't shaking, succeeding for the first time in putting up a good cover.
"To warn you," Sunghoon said. Jake's entire body almost shivered at the straightforwardness. The tears he had seen earlier were far gone-it was probably all an act, but for what?
Feeling intimidated, Jake gulped down some saliva. He was trying his best to keep his movements subtle, hoping not to reveal the fear that was dawning on him with every passing second.
"Don't you like to play the good guy? The neutral one? Then what happened now? How did you end up on his side?"
Jake stayed silent, unsure how to respond.
"You look clueless," Sunghoon sneered. "Serves you right, I guess.
I wouldn't tell you the things I'm up to either-you're not worth the attention."
Jake grimaced. "Is this why you called me? Because you got bored of plotting against the one who made you everything you are today, and you decided to invite me here to take out the frustration you can't handle on your own?" he said, starting a spark of annoyance in the older's chest.
Honestly, Jake knew many of his brother's weaknesses; he just never used them against him. Well, today seemed like an exception.
Sunghoon's jaw tightened, straining some facial muscles. He calmed his rising frustration before speaking again, "Never knew you had a mouth before, Jaeyun. It's been a while since we were alone like this. I guess that's why you're feeling bold enough to speak." He leaned in, his voice dropping. Jake's core shivered at the mention; he was growing nauseous. "But I expected you to remember what I hate the most."
Jake's toes curled inside his shoes as he sat there nervously, listening to the older's threats in a tone as cold as ice. "Do not call that man my father," Sunghoon spat, his eyes narrowing.
"I'm surprised to see how eager you and Heeseung are to die," he continued.
"Still, don't rush. Doing things like this won't make me destroy you before Heeseung. I'll get to him first," Sunghoon stated. The comment was meant to provoke, designed to make Jake either scared or angry-this time, it was the latter.
"Keep Heeseung out of all this!" Jake retorted. "He's got nothing to do with us."
"Oh, but he does. He's been sabotaging me, meeting your precious father behind your back. Idiot got me jailed, but failed to destroy me."
Not true, Jake instinctively thought.
It was hard to believe that these allegations were actually true-that Heeseung had been doing all of this behind Jake's back. To make the situation worse, Jake had no idea. He hadn't sensed it because Heeseung was just too busy. He'd been clearing all the piled-up paperwork while attending meetings in the meantime.
It's only now that Jake realized how little time he spent with Heeseung outside the office.
"Liar," Jake whispered. Sunghoon saw Jake slowly raise his head, followed by his eyes, to look at him, fully meeting his gaze. "Liar," he said again, louder this time.
Sunghoon scoffed, his smirk widening.
"He's more of a nuisance than you are. I'll make sure-"
He was interrupted when Jake's hand slammed on the table, creating a loud thud that echoed across the room. "Can't you stop? Can't you just stop your madness?" Jake yelled. "Look at you-you're in handcuffs, in a freaking jail uniform, yet you're still thinking of hurting the only people around you." Jake's eyes teared up, forming a glossy coating over his dark brown orbs.
On the other hand Sunghoon's eyes darkened. "Don't push your luck, Jaeyun," he warned.
"What's our fault? Where is this hatred coming from?" Jake yelled again, his voice cracking. "You want to see me suffer? You want dad dead? Fine, I agree he's a horrible person, but he's done nothing to you. And what about me, Myung? What did I ever do to you to deserve this?"
"You don't know anything," Sunghoon said, his frustration slowly reaching its limits.
"Dad gave you everything!" Jake shot back, ignoring him. "He took you in, taught you, gave you the luxury that you couldn't have experienced with your own family, he treated you like his own son-"
"I said shut up!" Sunghoon's voice roared. Jake recoiled, suddenly realizing how far his anger had pushed him.
With regular updates? Maybe, maybe not-I can't guarantee it. But I'm definitely working on something.
This chapter had me stuck for so long; it was so complicated to write. I still don't think it turned out as well as I wanted, but I don't want to keep you all waiting.
I'm sorry for making you wait so long, and thank you for your patience. I'm committed to finishing this story for my amazing readers. I love you all from the bottom of my heart.
