Hell'O' Brother 🔞

Chapter 8 : Real Face

“Trust is fragile when love wears a different mask.”
-Vespera

The days began to blend into each other, a whirlwind of warm moments and shared laughter between YN and who she believed was Namjoon. The sun spilled golden rays into the café each morning, and Taejoon would be there before YN, his eyes glimmering with something deeper each day. He watched her as she prepared her favorite latte, her hair tied back loosely, strands falling over her cheeks that glowed with joy whenever she looked at him.

One afternoon, as YN arranged flowers at one of the
café 's tables, YN's phone buzzed incessantly in his pocket. The name “Namjoon” flashed across the screen, and his jaw tensed. He ignored the call, sliding the phone back into his pocket just as YN walked up with a playful smile.

"Who’s that? Spam calls?" she teased, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

Taejoon chuckled, leaning in to kiss her on the forehead. "Just some business nonsense" he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing her close. His heart raced as he breathed in her familiar scent. Each touch, each shared glance, fueled the forbidden emotions growing within him.

Days turned into weeks, and Taejoon found himself more and more engrossed in this charade. They spent evenings in the café when the crowd thinned, YN tracing patterns on the table as Taejoon told stories that blurred the line between truth and fiction.

"Let’s go out tonight," he said one evening, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Just us, somewhere special."

"Like where?" YN’s eyes lit up with excitement.

"Back to the children's home," he suggested. "I know how much it means to you, and I’d like to see you with them again." His voice softened at the end, almost betraying the truth buried in his heart.

They arrived at the children's home as the golden hues of the sunset bathed the garden in warmth. Laughter echoed around them as the kids ran up to YN, tugging at her hands and telling her stories a mile a minute. Taejoon watched her with an unfamiliar tightness in his chest, a feeling he couldn’t quite name. But it felt like belonging.

Throughout their visit, his phone vibrated continuously with calls from Namjoon. Each time, his face darkened as he sent them straight to decline, determined not to let anything disrupt the world he was building with YN.

As YN played tag with the children, Taejoon stood by, capturing moments in his mind he wished could last forever. She turned to him, breathless and laughing, and he felt a pang of guilt cut through his happiness. How long could he keep pretending?

"Namjoon!" a little girl called, running up to him and pulling him into the circle of playing children. YN watched the scene with a soft smile, love shining in her eyes. For a moment, Taejoon allowed himself to believe it was real, that she was looking at him—not Namjoon, not someone else—just him.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the garden, YN and Taejoon sat side by side on a bench. He reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers as they watched the first stars appear in the sky.

"You’ve been different lately," YN said quietly, turning to study his face. "More...present."

Taejoon’s heart thudded against his chest. He forced a smile and squeezed her hand. "I’ve just realized what’s most important," he whispered, meaning every word.