𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 | 𝗦𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗿.𝟮 ✓

20

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The tension in the room was palpable, heavy and thick, as if the very air itself was charged with the conflict between the two brothers. Woo-Seok stood opposite Yoon-Gi, his face contorted with frustration and desperation. His eyes, usually warm and understanding, were now sharp, clouded with impatience. He had tried everything—reason, empathy, even pleading—but his younger brother refused to see reason. Yoon-Gi, his face pale and strained, stood with his back straight but his shoulders heavy, as if carrying the weight of the world on his fragile frame.

"Just go and see them," Woo-Seok urged once more, his voice tight with a mixture of anger and care. He could feel his patience wearing thin, but the words were coming from a place of concern for his brother and his family. Yoon-Gi stood motionless, his eyes cast downward, the refusal already in his heart.

"I can't… you know, hyung." Yoon-Gi’s voice trembled, weak and distant. He didn’t want to face this anymore. He didn’t want to face the pain, the guilt, the overwhelming shame that kept him from going to see his lover and child. His plastered hand—recently removed—was now used to wipe away the tears that had fallen without his permission.

Woo-Seok’s frustration flared, but so did his worry. He knew this wasn’t about them anymore. “Yoon-Gi,” Woo-Seok began, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “You know you're hurting him. And now it isn’t just about you two. Think about your child. Don't you want to see him? Don’t you want to hold him? After they get discharged from the hospital, not once you have held him.”

Yoon-Gi’s body tensed, his hand slowly falling to his side, clenching into a fist. He had visited them—once—when they were both sleeping, a fleeting, silent moment where he allowed himself to feel the warmth of his lover and child’s presence, but no one needed to know about that. He couldn’t afford to be seen. The truth of what had happened to him made it impossible to even entertain the thought of being close to them.

“Hyung, I can’t…” Yoon-Gi’s voice cracked, the weight of his pain choking the rest of his words. “You know what happened to me. I don’t want to touch them again.” His hand trembled as it reached up to wipe at his face once more, but it did nothing to stop the endless stream of tears that followed. “And why don’t you go to them?” he added bitterly. “Ho-Seok is your husband. You don’t always have to sacrifice your happiness for everyone else.”

Woo-Seok clenched his jaw, trying to hold back the flood of emotions that surged through him. He understood Yoon-Gi’s pain, but the self-destructive path his brother was on was one he couldn’t allow. “I’m not sacrificing anything,” Woo-Seok countered, his voice firm and steady. “I’m doing what will bring happiness to all of us. Just because of what happened to you doesn’t mean you’re broken, Yoon-Gi. You’re my brother, and you’re still that pure, innocent Yoon-Gi I’ve always known.”

Yoon-Gi’s heart twisted at the words, his throat closing as fresh tears spilled over. He couldn’t bear to look at his brother anymore, to hear the kindness and understanding that only reminded him of his own weakness. “But hyung,” he sobbed, pulling away from Woo-Seok’s attempt at comfort, “I can’t… I can never look into his eyes again. I can never touch him again. He’s pure… and I’m… dirty.” The words felt like acid on his tongue, the confession of his own inadequacies too much to bear.

Woo-Seok’s heart ached for his brother, but his resolve remained. He reached out, his hand resting gently on Yoon-Gi’s shoulder. “He loves you… not me,” Woo-Seok said quietly. “And that’s all that matters. I’ll start the process of divorcing him, and he’ll be all yours. He deserves to be happy too.”

Yoon-Gi’s eyes widened, his face going pale as the weight of the suggestion hit him. “No, hyung… don’t do that,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “What if he doesn’t want me anymore? I love him, but I don’t deserve him.”

Before Woo-Seok could respond, a familiar voice broke the fragile silence. It was calm at first, but it carried an undertone of heartbreak that made both brothers stiffen in shock.

“So, you both decided my future without me?” Ho-Seok’s voice cracked through the air like a thunderclap. His silhouette stood in the doorway, tears streaming down his face, his expression a mixture of betrayal and confusion.

“No, Ho-Seok, that’s not it,” Woo-Seok rushed to explain, turning towards his husband with an apologetic expression. “I just want your happiness.”

But Ho-Seok’s gaze was filled with fury now, his eyes red and swollen from crying, his body trembling with emotion. “Happiness?” His voice was thick with disbelief. “Without consulting me about what I want? Am I so undesirable to you that you don’t want me anymore? You’ve decided to divorce me without even asking if this is what I want? Don’t you love me or Ji-Min?”

His words hit both brothers like a punch to the gut. The air in the room felt colder, the silence deeper, as the truth of the situation settled like a heavy fog between them. Woo-Seok’s heart clenched painfully at the sight of Ho-Seok, the man he had promised to love forever, in so much pain.

“I love you both with all my heart,” Woo-Seok said, his voice strained with emotion. He stepped toward Ho-Seok, but his resolve remained firm. “But you wouldn’t be happy with me, and why should Ji-Min grow up with a stepfather when his real father is here?”

Ho-Seok’s glare hardened, his fists clenching by his sides. His voice was quiet, but it held the weight of a thousand broken promises. “You don’t get to decide who I will be happy with,” he said coldly. “Your love is enough for Ji-Min. He doesn’t need his biological father. I choose you, hyung. I want to be with you, not someone who left me on our wedding day.”

Yoon-Gi’s heart broke at the words, his body trembling with the pain of hearing his lover’s confession. Didn't he want his lover to choose his brother, then why is he feeling pain?

“Don’t say words you don’t mean, Ho-Seok,” Woo-Seok said quietly, his voice breaking through the painful silence. “It’s just your anger talking. Please, talk to Yoon-Gi. Listen to him before making a decision. I know you still love him, and I’m okay with it. Some people just aren’t meant to be together, and that’s you and me.”

Woo-Seok’s voice was soft now, but the weight of his words was undeniable. He reached out, resting his hand gently on Ho-Seok’s shoulder before pulling away. Without another word, he turned and walked toward the door, leaving the room behind him.

The sound of the door closing was like the final seal on their broken lives. Yoon-Gi and Ho-Seok stood in silence, both of them facing the harsh reality of what had been said, what had been broken, and what might still be left to salvage.