I Cant Keep Up With My Brothers Feelings After He Regressed || MTL

5.

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Despite Jae-ha's attempts to stop him, Jae-yoon clung to him with a voice full of raw sincerity.

“Hyung, you endured it all. I thought it was your choice. But that wasn’t the truth.”

“Hey, hey, I really don’t understand what you’re saying…”

“It’s okay, hyung. I know now. You sacrificed yourself for me from the very beginning.”

Having barely managed to finish speaking, Jae-yoon collapsed to his knees at Jae-ha’s feet, wrapping his arms around him and sobbing.

“Even though you were falling apart because of those trash bastards, I didn’t see it. I found out the truth too late, and by then, it was already… I’m sorry, hyung. Coming back was the only thing I could do.”

One moment, he had shocked Jae-ha by saying he wished he weren’t his brother, and now he was telling this unbelievable story.

“No one will ever hurt you again. I’ll protect you. You don’t have to believe me, but please, just do as I say, hyung.”

Jae-ha was at a loss for words.

In Jae-yoon’s mind, Jae-ha’s friends and everyone around him had committed all kinds of crimes against him.

Even though Jae-ha had no idea how his brother had come to think this way, Jae-yoon’s tears and desperate pleas were not fake.

The truth behind what Jae-yoon was saying didn’t matter at the moment.

Just seeing his brother trembling and sobbing while clutching his legs made Jae-ha’s stomach tighten and his hands clench instinctively.

One thing was for certain, regardless of everything else:

This guy is definitely my brother.

Even though the feeling of patting his hair was unfamiliar, it made sense—after all, the last time he’d patted his brother’s head was years ago, so of course it felt unfamiliar.

“So, if what you’re saying is true, all of this will happen in the future, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Right now, everyone’s good to me. Why would they change like that?”

“… I can’t tell you that yet.”

“Even if you think I won’t believe you, at least try to explain. Who knows? Maybe if it’s a good enough reason, I might believe you.”

It was a reasonable suggestion, but Jae-yoon remained firm.

“Not yet.”

Even as he said no, he avoided eye contact and clenched his jaw like a child afraid of being scolded. The way he looked reminded Jae-ha of how he used to nervously hide school assignments among the recycling. Seeing that same anxious look on Jae-yoon’s face now, Jae-ha decided to let it go for now.

“Will you be able to tell me later?”

Jae-yoon nodded without hesitation at Jae-ha’s question. Jae-ha was surprised, having expected him to say no again.

“When?”

“I’ll bring proof soon. Once you see it, you’ll believe what I’m saying.”

“And if I don’t believe you even after seeing the proof?”

“… Then I won’t force anything on you.”

The mention of proof made it seem like there would finally be some closure to this story, whatever the proof was. That thought reassured Jae-ha a bit.