Weakness (Jang Hanseok x fem OC)

Chapter 54

Doorway the rooftop remained thick with tension, though Hanseok had long since shaken off Kiara’s grip. Her fury still crackled in the air, but now, it was accompanied by something else—a sharp undercurrent of realization.

Hanseok never spoke without reason. His words, no matter how cruel, always carried truth.

And if Hanseo had reacted the way he did earlier…

Kiara clenched her fists. What did Hanseok tell him?

Before she could demand answers, the rooftop door swung open again, this time with less force. Hanseo stood in the doorway, his shoulders stiff, his expression carefully blank, but his eyes—those betrayed him. They flickered between Hanseok and Kiara before settling on the older brother he had never truly understood.

Kang, who had been silent all this time, exhaled smoke and muttered, "This should be fun."

Hanseo ignored him. His focus remained solely on Hanseok.

“Is it true?” His voice was quiet, almost hesitant. “Did you really say that to them?”

Hanseok studied him for a long moment, then scoffed. “So what if I did?”

Hanseo’s fingers curled into fists at his sides. “Why would you say that?”

“You already know the answer.”

Silence.

Hanseo’s lips parted slightly, as if forming a retort, but no words came. His eyes darted to Kiara, seeking something—maybe reassurance, maybe denial—but she remained unreadable.

Hanseok tilted his head, as if amused by Hanseo’s internal struggle. Then, in a voice void of sympathy, he said, “You don’t have friends, Hanseo. You have leeches who stick around because of your family name and your money. The moment you stop giving them what they want, they’ll drop you like trash.”

Hanseo flinched.

“I’m just saving you the trouble of learning that the hard way.”

Hanseo’s breathing turned uneven, his mind flashing through the memories—the late-night calls asking for favors, the constant need to prove himself, the way they laughed when he bought them drinks but never once reached into their own pockets. He had always ignored it, pushed it aside, convinced himself that friendship was supposed to be like that.

But hearing it out loud, from Hanseok of all people, made his stomach twist.

“You don’t know anything,” Hanseo snapped, his voice sharp but unstable. “You don’t know what it’s like—”

“I don’t?” Hanseok’s lips curled into a slow, cold smile. “Do you really think I don’t know what it’s like to be surrounded by people who only see you as a tool? To have people watch you, judge you, expect things from you?”

For the first time, something dark flickered behind Hanseo’s eyes. He had always feared Hanseok, though he could never quite explain why. His older half-brother was never outwardly violent, never lost his temper, but there was something about the way Hanseok spoke, the way he observed people, that sent chills down Hanseo’s spine.

Now, with that unnerving smirk and those piercing eyes boring into him, Hanseo felt that fear creep up again.

Kang, who had been watching with growing disinterest, finally sighed and flicked his cigarette away. “As much as I love watching family drama, this is getting old.”

Kiara shot him a glare, but Hanseo barely noticed. His hands were shaking. He hated that Hanseok could see through him so easily.

“You don’t care,” Hanseo finally spat, his voice bitter. “You never did.”