Sims says: This is the last chapter! Many thanks to the readers who have followed this series so religiously, I can't thank you guys enough. 

 

 

 

‘Please don’t faint later okay, Yoochunnie?’ I stood in front of my brother, trying to readjust his tie.

 

‘I’m scared yet excited. I’m sure this is my best collection yet, but then…’ Yoochunnie bit his lip.

 

‘All done! Now go out there and present your work to the judges in the gallery!’ I pushed him out of the apartment’s front door.

 

‘I’m still scared,’ Yoochunnie tried to walk back into the house.

 

‘Yoochun, I have to drive you there then head for an emergency meeting. I can’t afford for you to walk in and out of that door any more!’ Yunho shouted from the lift lobby.

 

Wincing at Yunho’s loud voice, Yoochunnie resigned to his fate and gave me a quick hug before going into the lift with Yunho.

 

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‘If I don’t get a single award or even worse, get criticisms the whole day, that means I won’t be home tonight,’ I told Yunho in the car.

 

‘Don’t make Jae go into a nervous breakdown. I’m sure he’ll be in a worse state than you,’ Yunho frowned.

 

‘Lie to him that I’m out celebrating then.’

 

‘I promised never to lie to him and no, I’m not going to do another crazy favor for you. Man up and face the real world.’

 

I gulped.

 

‘Worse comes to worse, you can help paint stuff to decorate my company’s building.’

 

I managed a weak smile.

 

That was the best thing I’ve heard so far that day.

 

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‘Jaejoong, you’re spacing out a lot today,’ a student’s voice boomed from beside me.

 

I almost jumped in my seat, ‘Sorry, it’s just that my brother’s having an art competition today. If he doesn’t make it, he’d most probably lose his way in life.’

 

‘Good luck to your brother then. But I’m sure even if he falls off track, you’ll get him back on the right path!’ another student smiled.

 

I smiled too.

 

‘Okay, now where were we?’

 

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‘I will do fine. I will do fine. I will do fine,’ I kept chanting in my head, but my chattering teeth gave away my feigned confidence.

 

I looked at my watch, it would be half an hour before the gallery doors open.

 

I decided to walk around to view the works of my other competitors.

 

My heart sank even further. I knew some of their names because their works were featured in newspapers or magazines before.

 

My fate was sealed: I was doomed for failure.

 

What made me think I could stand a chance against more experienced artists?

 

‘Are these inspired by real life events?’ I turned and saw the person I hated the most: The famous art critic that gave me a bad review 11 months ago.

 

‘Yes, this collection depicts scenes from my life,’ I almost said with gritted teeth but the man before me had the power to break me even further if I were to show him disrespect.

 

‘Very moving… Yoochun,’ the critic squinted to read at the nametag on my blazer.

 

I was stunned.

 

A positive critique from the most terrifying man in the industry.

 

I bowed deeply, ‘Thank you very much, sir.’

 

‘I would love to have the pleasure in meeting your brother. I presume that other person in the paintings is your brother right?’

 

‘Yes, that is my brother. I’m sure he would feel likewise.’

 

The critic nodded at me then proceeded to view the other artworks on display.

 

Maybe I had a chance at winning after all.

 

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‘I’m warning you Jae, if Yoochun doesn’t come home tonight, that means he’s out crying by Han River,’ Yunho said on the phone.

 

‘He told you that in the car?’ I was worried.

 

‘Minus the Han River part, but I’m sure he would do go there because we found him doing just that countless of times.’

 

‘Poor dear,’ I sighed as I single handedly cleared my desk in the staffroom.

 

‘I told him he could work for me if he failed.’

 

‘How dare you! He won’t fail!’ I spat.

 

Some of the teachers looked at me because of my sudden outburst.

 

‘Sorry,’ I mouthed to them and they carried on with their work.

 

‘But seriously, Jae. He’s talented, but uninspired. You’ve got to admit it!’ I could feel the sadness in Yunho’s voice.

 

‘I agree, but the both of us are to plaster smiles on our faces later when we attend the announcement of the winners later,’ I warned him.

 

‘We’re going!?’ Yunho cried.

 

‘Yes, we are!’ I was adamant.

 

‘We never discussed this.’

 

‘I just suddenly feel like going there. And it’s to prevent Yoochunnie from running away if there’s bad news.’

 

‘But I’ve got… wait,’ sounds of mouse clicking were heard in the background, ‘I’ve got back to back meetings.’

 

‘So?’

 

‘It’s the annual shareholder’s meeting. The biggest and most important meeting in every financial year and I can’t skip it!’

 

‘And who am I?’

 

‘You’re Jaejoong, Yoochun’s elder brother and the high school teacher who can just drive there in that car I bought you last Christmas.’

 

‘Are you sure that’s your final answer?’

 

Typing was heard in the background.

 

‘Are you ignoring me now?’ I was annoyed.

 

‘I’m Yunho, the biggest failed CEO in the whole entire world who just lied that I’ve got a high fever just to accompany my lover to his brother’s little art competition.’

 

‘That’s why I love you,’ I hung up.

 

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‘This year’s showcase was a spectacular one. I’ve seen new noteworthy talents this year and I’m sure they’ll eventually make it big in the future with experience and more hard work. It was hard deciding on the big winner but I won’t regret this decision,’ the chief judge smiled at the crowd.

 

I crossed my fingers.

 

‘The winner will receive the honor of having their artwork published on the cover of ‘wART’s in’ magazine, one of the most famous art magazines in the world dedicated to featuring new and rising talents in this field and of course, a 10 page spread in next month’s issue.’

 

I really wanted it so badly. My classmate in university had won this competition 2 years ago and after her works were on the cover of the magazine, she was well on her way to riches. Last I heard, she had bought herself a massive mansion in Beverly Hills.

 

‘Yoochun?’ I looked to my left at a fellow competitor.

 

‘Yes?’ I asked.

 

‘The judge was calling your name.’

 

‘What for?’

 

‘You’re the winner!’

 

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‘You painted me? You painted both of us?’ Jaejoong spluttered as he helped carried my works into his car.

 

‘Of course! And this collection’s called ‘The Brotherhood’. You remember that old geezer who gave me the bad critique? He totally had a change of heard and said my works were moving this time! I almost laughed out loud in his face!’ I chuckled.

 

‘Yoochunnie, you stole this bottle from me?’

 

‘Technically, it’s ours right?’ I smiled at my bottle of disgusting teeth.

 

‘You even displayed this,’ Jaejoong shook his head.

 

‘To garner interest! I was desperate to win that I pulled out all the stops! See, a collage of my pathetic test results! Scenes of you by my bedside! You defending me! You pulling off all nighters!’ I kept shoving the portraits into Jaejoong’s face.

 

‘Stop!’ Jaejoong laughed, ‘I should be the winner because after all, I’m the main star in all of them!’

 

‘Yeah right, but I’m the artist!’ I argued.

 

‘We both won,’ Jaejoong decided as he closed the hood of the car.

 

After we safely got my collection home, Yunho, Jaejoong and I went to the hottest bar in town.

 

Yunho was so cool as he went into the back of the bar to talked to the manager. A few minutes later, everyone was cleared out to make way just for the 3 of us.

 

‘How much did it cost to get rid of everyone?’ I enquired.

 

‘Not much,’ Yunho shrugged.

 

‘What do you expect? He wipes his with cash after he take a dump,’ Jaejoong drawled.

 

‘I don’t!’ Yunho retaliated.

 

‘He shreds money for fun when he has nothing to do in the office,’ I continued.

 

‘Stop it, you two!’ Yunho frowned.

 

‘Making fun of your money is so enjoyable!’ Jaejoong playfully shoved Yunho, ‘Anyway, we’re here to celebrate Yoochunnie’s big break, not come up with creative ways to waste notes!’

 

‘That’s right,’ Yunho rolled his eyes.

 

‘Roll those one more time and l’ll have them picked out with my bare hands,’ Jaejoong never tolerated any form of Yunho’s ‘rebellion’ against him.

 

Yunho simply nodded at Jaejoong, ‘I won’t do that again.’

 

I pitied him.

 

Yunho was so whipped.

 

Jaejoong and I drank the night away without a care but Yunho only had a glass of beer as he had to stay sober enough to get our drunken asses home.

 

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On the journey home…

 

‘Jaejoong, I wonder what will happen to me if I never had you in my life.’

 

‘You’d probably die young.’

 

‘True.’

 

‘Yoochunnie, I wonder what will happen to me if I never had you in my life.’

 

‘You’d probably live long.’

 

‘Why?’

 

‘No worries, more sleep, more time to yourself.’

 

‘True.’

 

‘Do you hate having me as a brother?’

 

‘No.’

 

‘Why?’

 

‘Your trials in life made us both stronger.’

 

‘Hmm.’

 

‘Yoochunnie, if I died today…’

 

‘You won’t.’

 

‘Why not?’

 

‘You can’t bare to leave me behind.’

 

‘I love you, Yoochunnie.’

 

‘And I love you too.'

 

Silence.

 

‘Do you love me or Yunho more?’

 

‘You of course, my dearest Yoochunnie.’

 

‘Hey, I’m here okay…’

 

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