𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 | 𝗦𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗿.𝟮 ✓

12

Target; 15 votes

Ho-Seok sat in the corner of their bedroom, his back pressed against the cold wall as he absentmindedly rubbed his swollen belly. Four months had passed since Yoon-Gi disappeared. No one had heard from him, no one had seen him. He had vanished without a trace. Despite everyone’s insistence that Yoon-Gi had left willingly, Ho-Seok couldn’t bring himself to believe it. He had seen the love in Yoon-Gi’s eyes, the tenderness in his touch. They had been together for five years—how could it all end like this?

The world around him had moved on, people whispered that Yoon-Gi had chosen to leave, that it was something he had wanted to do. But Ho-Seok couldn’t accept that. He couldn’t accept that someone who had loved him so deeply could just walk away without any explanation. His mind would not quiet, running in circles, torn between the idea that Yoon-Gi was somewhere out there, hurting, and the crushing thought that maybe he had simply fallen out of love with him.

The pregnancy hormones only made everything worse. Every emotion, every thought, felt so much sharper. He found himself blaming himself, wondering if his pregnancy had pushed Yoon-Gi away, if maybe his lover hadn’t wanted a child. Maybe Yoon-Gi had grown tired of him, tired of the responsibility, tired of what their lives had become. The constant cycle of doubts kept him awake at night, twisted in pain and frustration.

His train of thought was broken when Woo-Seok entered the room, a tray of food in his hands. Ho-Seok didn’t look up. He didn’t want to acknowledge Woo-Seok, didn’t want to deal with the kindness in his eyes, the way he always tried to soothe him. It all felt so fake, so pointless.

Woo-Seok placed the tray on the bedside table, his movements slow and gentle, like he was walking on eggshells. He smiled softly at Ho-Seok, but there was no response. Ho-Seok’s gaze remained distant, his fingers still rubbing his belly absentmindedly, lost in the swirling chaos of his thoughts.

“Ho-Seok…” Woo-Seok’s voice was quiet, almost pleading, as he sat down beside him. “You need to eat.”

Ho-Seok didn’t respond. He couldn’t. His mind was too clouded, too consumed with questions and suspicions. He felt his hands trembling, but he couldn’t stop them. What if Yoon-Gi was out there, somewhere, in pain? What if he was calling out for him and Ho-Seok couldn’t even hear him? His throat tightened at the thought, and the tears he had been holding back threatened to spill.

“Ho-Seok, please…” Woo-Seok repeated, his voice barely a whisper now. “For the baby. Please, eat something.”

Ho-Seok’s chest felt tight, suffocating. He turned to face Woo-Seok, his eyes still filled with that empty, hollow ache. Anger bubbled up inside him—a familiar feeling he hadn’t let out in weeks. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, and his lips parted, ready to accuse.

"You’re behind it, aren’t you?" Ho-Seok’s voice was sharp, the words laced with all the pain and bitterness that had been building inside him. "You didn’t want me and Yoon-Gi to be happy, did you? That’s why you made him disappear. That’s why you pushed him away. You’re glad he’s gone, aren’t you? Finally, you get me all to yourself."

Woo-Seok flinched as if struck. His face drained of color, and his eyes filled with a mixture of shock and hurt. He looked at Ho-Seok as if the accusation was a blow, as if he couldn’t understand how his husband could say such things. His voice faltered as he spoke, the words coming out in a stutter.

“No, Ho-Seok… why would I do that? You know how much I love you.” His hands were trembling, and his gaze never left Ho-Seok’s face, but the pain was evident in his eyes.

Ho-Seok’s heart was racing, his breath shallow. He couldn’t stop himself now. The anger, the jealousy, the hurt—it all spilled out in one rush of words.

“That’s exactly why you did it,” Ho-Seok spat. “Because you wanted me. You’ve always wanted me. You didn’t care about my happiness. You didn’t care about what I wanted. You just wanted me to yourself. That’s why you never objected when your parents pushed me into marrying you. I didn’t have a choice, did I? You knew I couldn’t say no.”

The words hit Woo-Seok like a slap. His expression faltered, eyes watering as the weight of Ho-Seok’s words sank in. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out at first.

“Ho-Seok, please… you don’t understand.” Woo-Seok’s voice trembled, his hands reaching out as if to comfort Ho-Seok, but his husband recoiled, pulling away.

Ho-Seok was trembling with emotion, his face flushed with anger, his tears mixing with the frustration of feeling so helpless. He felt betrayed, confused, and utterly alone. “I know what you wanted,” Ho-Seok hissed. “You didn’t care about me and Yoon-Gi. You wanted to have me, and now you’ve got me, haven’t you? You’ve got me in this mess, all alone, while he’s out there somewhere, probably hurting, and it’s all your fault.”

Woo-Seok’s face crumpled, the hurt and confusion deepening. “You really think I would do that to you?” His voice cracked. “He was my brother, Ho-Seok. He was the person who came into my life before you. I could never come between the two of you. I could never hurt you like that. If you believe that about me… if you really think I would do something so cruel, then…” His voice faltered as he choked on his words. “Then maybe you’re right. Maybe we should end this.”

Ho-Seok froze, the realization of what he had just said hitting him with a painful clarity. Woo-Seok’s words stung, and the sharp edge of regret cut through his chest. He had pushed his husband too far, accused him of something unimaginable, and now the damage was done.

“I’ll divorce you, Ho-Seok,” Woo-Seok said softly, his voice full of sorrow, as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “I’ll leave. I’ll walk away, and I won’t ever show my face to you again. If that’s what you want.”

The words felt like a heavy weight on Ho-Seok’s chest, but he couldn’t move. He sat there, paralyzed, his body trembling. Woo-Seok turned and walked out of the room, leaving Ho-Seok in the silence of his own thoughts.

Ho-Seok sat motionless for a long time, his breath shallow, the tears falling freely now. The anger had subsided, replaced by the hollow emptiness of regret. He had lost Yoon-Gi, and now, he was losing Woo-Seok too, a person who took care of him all this time. All because of his own broken heart and the pain that had taken over his soul.

“I didn’t mean it,” he whispered to the empty room, his voice cracking. But it was too late. The door had already closed.