Pieces | Heejake | Enhypen

chapter thirty six

26 Oct | 19:46:08

Jake stood in his old house, one he had almost forgotten existed. He didn't bother to recall how long it had been since he left this dreadful place.

"Welcome back, Jaeyun."

In the pitch-black darkness of the abandoned house, the voice sounded demonic. An eerie coldness hung in the air.

While trying to figure out where the voice came from, Jake could hear his own shallow breath.

His pupils frantically moved, trying hard to gather even the slightest amount of light. Soon, Jake felt the presence of a tall man standing almost a meter away.

"Did you watch the video I sent Heeseung?" Sunghoon questioned, his voice laced with arrogance and mischief.

"Enough's enough, Sunghoon. Let's stop," Jake said in a frail, helpless tone. His desperation to turn things back was clear.

Sunghoon's aura shifted upon hearing Jake's suggestion-not for the better, but for the worse.
"Why? Why should I? I don't recall you telling your father to stop," Sunghoon said.
"And who's going to take revenge on him? You will?" he raised an eyebrow.

In a soft tone, Jake replied, "You'll end up dying... just like your parents."
He hadn't come to provoke the older boy, but to give him another chance-just like the thousand chances he'd given him over the past six years.

Sunghoon scoffed. "Do you suddenly care about me- now that I've become a threat to your lover?"

"I've always cared about you. After all, you were my first best friend-and my only brother."

In Australia, Jake had been all alone. Most of the kids at school treated him differently because of his ethnicity, as if he were an alien from another planet. During those times, he often felt lonely. Sure, his mother was there to support him, but once she got caught up in her work, Jake would hardly receive any call of concern.

All that time, he craved attention and relatability-a friend who'd stay by his side, a human who was just a little like him.

Finally, he found that person-someone who was willing to give him all the affection he craved. That person was none other than his own brother.

Back then, Sunghoon was like him in many ways-but also different. He helped Jake explore his own personality.

Jake became so attached to Sunghoon that when he sensed him getting distant, he immediately wanted to fix it. He tried to understand Sunghoon the way Sunghoon had understood him-but he was failing miserably.

When the secret about Sunghoon's family's murder came out, Jake made it his mission to stay by his side, no matter how much the older boy pushed him away. He wanted Sunghoon to know that he was not alone-that no matter what happened, he'd always be his brother.

But Jake stopped trying... after getting betrayed. What made him stay after that was the fear of what Sunghoon could do to him-and to their father.
Or maybe... he still cared?

"Liar," Sunghoon scoffed again, slowly approaching. "If what you say is true, then come back and live with me-of your own will?"

By the time the question ended, he was just centimeters away.

Jake could most definitely yell 'never' but decided to let silence answer that question for him.

Sunghoon jaw tightened before he spoke- "Thought so," he breathed near Jake's ear. "You smell unfamiliar. Let's get you cleaned."
With that, he took hold of Jake's wrist and started leading him toward the bathroom attached to their previously shared bedroom.

Even in the darkness, they knew exactly where to go. The house's layout was imprinted in their brains-their muscles trained to navigate its turns and corners.

"I told you I'd show you just how evil your father really was. Maybe then you'll understand why I can't stop."

The darkness began to lift slightly-light spilled faintly from beneath the bathroom door, softly illuminating the bedroom.

Sunghoon opened the bathroom door, the harsh light spilling into the gloom. Jake hesitated at the threshold, his body tense. But before he could step back, Sunghoon's hand tightened around his wrist.

"Get in," he said, nodding toward the tub.

Jake obeyed. Not because he wanted to-but because he feared what Sunghoon might do if he didn't. The cold porcelain felt like ice beneath his feet as he climbed in.

Sunghoon took a seat on the vanity, still watching him. Then he turned the knob.

Before Jake could process anything, Sunghoon grabbed the shower hose and pointed it in his direction. Icy water sprayed out.

Jake gasped, startled. The freezing droplets felt like needles piercing his skin. His white office shirt became soaked as the water ran from his torso down to his legs.

"When I was ten, I made the mistake of spilling a glass of water on the dining table-right in front of the guests," Sunghoon began.

Jake could barely hear him. The cold was so shocking that his senses were going numb. The sound of water hitting the floor seemed louder than usual. Even so, he tried to focus on Sunghoon's words.

"The guests left around midnight. After that..."

Jake was now soaked head to toe.

Sunghoon placed the shower head back, then took Jake's arm and slowly pulled him closer. Jake didn't resist. After all, coming here had been his decision.

"I was thrown out of the house. It was a thunderstorm that night," Sunghoon continued.

He watched Jake's face-water droplets hung from the ends of his wet hair. For a few seconds, Sunghoon stared at him, as if seeing him for the first time in years.

He slowly pulled the hem of Jake's shirt from his tailored black pants.

"For three hours straight, I hammered on the door. I didn't stop until my knuckles swelled. It was a dark, cold, dreadful night. But no matter how much I begged or cried, he didn't let me in."

His voice dropped, almost soft.
"Well, you know who did? The house help-after he fell asleep."

He leaned in toward Jake's neck and sniffed. The unfamiliar scent was now gone. He further nudged his head in the crook of Jake's neck.

The gesture sent chills down Jake's spine. Something inside him knew that Sunghoon was aware he was risking his life-and yet, he had no intention of stopping.

Jake realized that he might never get the peaceful life he dreamed of with Heeseung. There was nothing he could do to make things right-unless fate led one of them to their deathbed.

His life with Heeseung had just begun. So he would make sure he wasn't the one who died first.