BLIND DEVOTION : The Misconceptions of Me | B o o k 1 [EDITING]

Chapter 70: It's Time

In a park near the Old Port, Sooyoung, Youngjae and JB sat at a picnic table with drinks they bought at Starbucks. The air warmed up a little with the ray of sun passing through the dry branches of the maple trees. Even though the sky lit up, the atmosphere down there seemed quite bitter. Youngjae played with the straw of his iced Americano, eyes round and empty from the sudden revelations. He glanced at JB with some awkwardness.

"This isn't a joke?" Youngjae stuttered, head down.

"No, darling," Sooyoung replied.

"I'm your brother. Your real hyung," JB said while looking in front of him. He wouldn't look at any of them.

Youngjae turned to face him. "You knew?" he asked him.

"Last night... I just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, eavesdropping."

Youngjae glanced back at Sooyoung. "Ya, Omma-"

"Don't use 'Ya!' when addressing mom," JB hurried to say and they all became speechless. Sooyoung being called 'mom' by JB, Youngjae being lectured by his now-revealed brother, and JB turning awkward by his own words. He stared at the river not too far away from their place, escaping the subject for a moment.

"Om- Wait, are you even my own mother? Auntie Sora-"

"I'm your mother, Youngjae-ah," Sooyoung reassured him.

Youngjae suddenly felt at ease for few seconds before turning his head back to JB. His face was expressionless and swollen, dark clouds under his eyes.

"Why you did this?" Youngjae addressed Sooyoung. "Why hiding this from us? You've separated us!" Youngjae stood up and walked away in a distressed state.

"Youngjae-ah!" Sooyoung tried to catch him but JB blocked her. He gave her a look and then went after his little brother.

Youngjae slowed down his steps to JB's relief.

"I exactly know how you feel. I do," JB said.

Youngjae scratched his hair furiously and kicked the ground and fought the air. He didn't want to hear a word. JB let him do. After minutes of pacing up and down, cursing and fighting with himself, he crawled down and hid his head on the verge of tears.

"Youngjae..." He back hugged him for a moment and then lifted him up, standing on his feet. "Listen, we're two in this. Two innocent victims. We lived as cousins but we always acted as close siblings. Now, it's no difference between us. I've thought about this last night and I'd say it only make us closer."

Youngjae still stared down, head tilted to the side. "You don't hate me?... Me as your little brother?" his voice quivered.

"Of course I don't, babo-ya!" JB put his arm around his neck and pulled him in for a sincere hug. "The ones I should hate are our moms. Well, mom and aunt. Even now I don't hate them. I'm just very angry inside, and furious, and sad."

"No wonder people kept saying we look alike. Now I'm curious about how our dad looks like."

"We might learn some things about him today. Come on, Soo... Young is waiting for us."

As they walked back toward their table, JB pushed Youngjae to the front so he wouldn't escape. They sat across the table with Sooyoung waiting patiently. She watched their faces with concern. Youngjae started to play with his fingers avoiding his mom's gaze.

"We're ready. We'll listen to you," JB said.

Sooyoung sighed of relief and showed a little smile as if there was still hope. She locked her fingers together while clearing her throat.