Embers of Hope// Hyunlix

Chapter - 5

Jeongin POV: 

I shut the door softly behind me, feeling the weight of everything Hyunjin had just said pressing down on my chest. It hurt to see him like that—struggling, suffering in silence, clinging to some hope that Felix might change. But I knew better. I knew Hyunjin better than anyone, and I could see what this was doing to him.

As I walked down the quiet street, I kept thinking about Felix's face when I saw him. Cold, distant, almost indifferent to everything. It didn't make sense. How could he look at Hyunjin like that, when Hyunjin had done nothing but care for him all these years?

The memories of high school flickered in my mind, like snapshots I wished I could forget. The way Felix used to laugh with Hyunjin, how inseparable they were before the incident. And now, five years later, it was like all of that had disappeared. Gone, replaced by resentment and bitterness.

I couldn't help but feel angry. Not just at Felix, but at everything. At how life had turned out for Hyunjin. He deserved more—so much more than the life he was living right now. But what could I do? Every time I tried to help, he pushed me away, telling me he was fine, that he could handle it. But I knew my brother. He was breaking, piece by piece, and I was terrified that one day, there wouldn't be anything left.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and stared at it for a moment. Should I call Chan? Tell him everything? He'd been my rock for so long, the one person I could talk to when things felt too heavy. But part of me didn't want to burden him with this. He already knew what was happening—he could see it as clearly as I did. Still, I needed to talk to someone, to figure out what the hell to do next.

Before I could overthink it, I dialed his number. The phone rang a few times before he picked up.

"Innie? Everything okay?" Chan's voice was soft, comforting in a way that immediately made me feel like I wasn't alone in all of this.

"I don't know, Channie," I admitted, my voice sounding smaller than I wanted it to. "I just left Hyung's place. It's... it's bad."

Chan didn't say anything for a moment, but I could hear the concern in his silence. "Felix?"

"Yeah. He's still treating him like he doesn't exist. Or worse, like he's the reason everything in his life went wrong. I don't know how much longer hyung can keep this up."

I heard Chan sigh on the other end of the line. "You know Hyunjin. He's always been strong. But this... this is different. He's been holding on for Felix, hoping things will change. But if Felix doesn't let go of the past, I don't know how they're supposed to move forward."

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up inside me. "I hate seeing him like this, Chan. He deserves so much better."

"He does," Chan agreed quietly. "But he won't leave Felix. You know that, right? Hyunjin loves him, even after everything."

"I know," I muttered, kicking at a loose pebble on the sidewalk. "But how much longer can love keep him going if Felix doesn't love him back?"

Chan was silent again, and I knew he didn't have an answer for that. None of us did.

"We'll figure something out," he finally said, his voice steady. "Just keep being there for him, Innie. That's all you can do right now."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "Yeah. Thanks, babe. I'll talk to you later."

"Take care, Innie. And take care of your brother."

As I hung up, I felt a surge of determination. Hyunjin might not want to admit it, but he needed someone to stand by him, even if it was from the sidelines. And if Felix wasn't going to be that person, then I would be. I'd always be there for him, no matter what.

But deep down, I knew this couldn't go on forever. Something had to change. Either Felix would come to his senses, or Hyunjin would finally break. And when that happened, I wasn't sure if anything would ever be the same again. 

Chan POV:

I sat there, staring at my phone long after Jeongin had hung up. His words kept echoing in my head, and I felt that familiar heaviness in my chest—the same one I'd felt every time I saw Hyunjin's smile falter just a little too long or noticed how quiet he'd become.

Hyunjin didn't deserve this. He never did. And yet, here he was, trapped in a marriage with Felix that seemed to do nothing but hurt him. I hated it. I hated that I couldn't fix it. I hated that the Felix I used to know wasn't the same person anymore.

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing a hand over my face. Jeongin was right. Hyunjin was holding on for something that wasn't there, hoping Felix would somehow go back to the way he used to be. But Felix... he was different now. Cold, distant, always hiding behind that wall he'd built after the incident. The Felix we knew seemed gone.

And it wasn't fair. Not to Hyunjin. Not to Jeongin, who was doing everything he could to support his brother while watching him fall apart. I'd been their friend for years—since high school, we've all been, really—and it was hard not to feel helpless in all of this.

I thought about the old days when Hyunjin and Felix used to laugh together, the way they'd been inseparable, like the world outside didn't matter as long as they had each other. How did it all go so wrong? How did something so beautiful turn into something so broken?

I sighed, standing up and pacing the room. I hated this feeling of helplessness. I wanted to protect Hyunjin, to shield him from everything that was hurting him. But he was stubborn—too stubborn for his own good. He loved Felix, even after all the cold shoulders and harsh words. He loved him so much that he was willing to endure it all, hoping that somehow, one day, Felix would come back to him.

But how long could he keep hoping?

I grabbed my keys off the table. I couldn't sit here and do nothing. I had to check on him. Maybe I couldn't fix everything, but I could at least be there. Maybe if I talked to Felix...

No, that wouldn't work. Felix wasn't the kind of person you could just talk sense into anymore. He was too wrapped up in his own anger, too blinded by the past. But still, I couldn't stand by and watch this unfold without doing something.

As I drove over to Hyunjin's, I thought about what Jeongin had said—that Hyunjin was still hiding his pain. The bruises, the scars, both physical and emotional, that he'd tried so hard to cover up. It made my blood boil. How could his family—his own parents—treat him like that? How could Felix not see what Hyunjin was going through?

I pulled up outside the house and sat there for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts. I wasn't sure what I was going to say or do, but I knew I couldn't just leave Hyunjin alone in this. He needed someone. If Felix wasn't going to be there for him, then I would be.

With a deep breath, I got out of the car and walked up to the door, my heart heavy with the weight of everything that had been left unsaid. I didn't know how this would end, but I was sure of one thing: I wasn't going to let Hyunjin go through this alone. Not anymore.