The Brothers Kim

Chapter 48- Of Stolen Time

"Our exiled brother is coming home."

Junmyeon slammed his palms onto the table as he rose from his chair. "You cannot be serious!"

"Is that true?" Jongin queried. "Second brother... he is truly returning?"

Minseok maintained his unflinching gaze. Currently, all the Kims were staring back at him, their eyes wide with disbelief and their mouths slightly agape. "It has already been done."

"Father would not have approved of this," Junmyeon scolded. "If he were still alive, he would not have allowed this to happen. You are going against his wishes—"

"That may be," Minseok interrupted. "But our second brother deserves to know of Father's fate." He looked down at his clenched fist. "I had hoped for him to reconcile with Father before he..." Minseok swallowed as if trying to contain his grief. "It is lamentable that he did not make it in time."

Everyone in the room was quiet for a moment as they thought of Hyesung. But while the rest of the Kims mulled over their late relative, Taehyung, on the other hand, was pondering over a relative he had never met.

Second brother... he mumbled to himself, are we finally going to meet?

"We have not heard word of our exiled cousin for almost a decade," Namjoon murmured, bringing Taehyung back to reality. "I wonder what he must be like now as a man."

Taehyung stole a glance at the others who were contemplating Namjoon's remark. Apart from him, everyone else seemed to have some recollection of what their second brother was like before he was banished.

Jongin turned to Minseok, suddenly alarmed. "What if he is dangerous?"

The rest of the Kims peered at Minseok expectantly.

"He will not be," Minseok replied in the steadiest voice he could manage. Taehyung observed how Minseok's lips curled slightly as if he was uncertain. "It is true that he has been away for a long time, but he is our kin. If anything, uniting what family we have left is what this household needs," he turned to meet everyone's eye, "now more than ever."

Apart from Junmyeon, everyone hummed in agreement.

"You do not know what second brother will be like," Junmyeon interjected, exasperated that no one seemed to be heeding his warnings. "He is effectively a stranger. What if he turns out to be worse than what you expect?"

"Surely he cannot be..." Namjoon reasoned but even he sounded unsure. "I remember him having an amiable character—"

"Father exiled second brother for a reason," Junmyeon immediately cut in, "and we should honour it." He swept his gaze across the rest of the Kims before directing his attention solely on Minseok. "Brother, you have no right to repeal his banishment."

"Well," Taeyeon spoke, causing everyone to turn to her, "Cousin Minseok is the next head of the family." Junmyeon scowled at her as she continued, "So, as the head of the family, he does have the right to do as he pleases. And if that is to undo our cousin's exile—"

"Silence," Junmyeon snapped, making her blink in surprise. "Your opinion is not wanted. By allowing second brother to return, all of you are defying Father's wishes. Must I remind you that he is exiled and therefore no longer a Kim?" Junmyeon reiterated, "He is not one of us."

"Second brother's exile does not equate to his disownment," Minseok clarified. "He is still our brother."

"No," Junmyeon argued, "he is not. Second brother was stripped of all his privileges as a Kim when he left this household."