Hell'O' Brother 🔞

Chapter 11 : Promise

"In the end, family is not just who we are born with, but who we choose to forgive and embrace despite the storms that have passed."
-Vespera

Namjoon stood outside the imposing gray walls of the correctional facility, the chill of the morning seeping into his bones despite the warm sunlight filtering through the clouds. It had been days since the chaos, the heart-stopping moments of confronting his brother’s madness and the aftermath of the hospital scene. Now, standing at the threshold of this place, memories of shared childhood laughter and fights came flooding back—the echoes of simpler times. But those days felt so far away now, buried under layers of misunderstanding, pain, and choices that led them here.

Namjoon inhaled deeply, trying to steady the tremor in his chest. He was nervous, not knowing what awaited him beyond those cold, sterile walls. What would Taejoon say? Would he show remorse, or would this be another face-off filled with anger and denial? With a final breath, he pushed the heavy metal door open and walked inside, the clang reverberating through the hall like a warning bell.

The guard led him down the dimly lit corridor, the air tinged with disinfectant and the faint hum of murmured conversations. Namjoon’s heart thudded as they approached the cell. There he was—Taejoon, sitting hunched over on a bench, head bowed, hands clasped tightly together. The moment felt suspended, as if time itself paused to witness this reunion.

“Taejoon,” Namjoon said, his voice low but steady.

Taejoon’s head snapped up, his eyes widening with a mix of disbelief and fear. For a moment, they stared at each other, silent, the air thick with unspoken words. Then, without warning, Taejoon’s face crumpled, and he lurched forward, grabbing Namjoon’s arms through the bars. Tears streaked down his cheeks, and his voice, ragged with emotion, trembled as he spoke.

“Hyung… I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” Taejoon sobbed, his fingers digging into Namjoon’s arms as if afraid he might vanish. “I’ve been such a fool. I hated you for things that weren’t even true… I hurt you… I hurt YN…”

Namjoon’s eyes stung with unshed tears, but he remained steady. He reached through the bars, placing a comforting hand on Taejoon’s shoulder. “Taejoon, I’m here now. Let’s talk. Tell me everything.”
Taejoon’s grip loosened, and he sank to the floor, the weight of his guilt pressing down on him like a tangible force. Namjoon sat down across from him, their eyes meeting at the same level for the first time in years. The younger twin’s eyes were bloodshot, the dark circles beneath them evidence of countless sleepless nights. He took a shaky breath before speaking, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I always felt like I was living in your shadow, Hyung,” Taejoon began, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. “Everyone saw you as the perfect son—smart, strong, kind. And me? I was always the reckless one, the troublemaker. Even when we were kids, I wanted to outshine you, prove I was worth something.”

Namjoon’s jaw tightened, memories of their childhood arguments and competitions surfacing. He’d never realized how deep Taejoon’s resentment ran.

“Do you remember the time we were ten,” Taejoon continued, a far-off look in his eyes, “and I pushed you out of the tree because you reached the top before me? You broke your arm, and I told Mom it was an accident, but it wasn’t. I wanted to hurt you, just to see if it would make me feel better.”

Namjoon swallowed hard, recalling that day. He had forgotten the pain of the fall, but now he could see the anguish behind Taejoon’s actions.

“But no matter what I did,” Taejoon said, his voice breaking, “you never hated me. You never stopped caring. Even when they sent me to that place—the rehab center—I thought you were glad to be rid of me. But then I heard the rumors… what people said about our family. They called us monsters because of me, and I realized that you bore that burden too.”