While Myungsoo slept, Sunggyu served everyone tea. He apologized about his brother’s behavior and even tended to Woohyun’s bruises. He also untied Jungmin. He had actually taken Myungsoo to the hospital that morning. Finally, Sungjong had been able to persuade Myungsoo to go see the doctor. When they returned, Sunggyu had found Jungmin looking through the window suspiciously and had tied him up, thinking he was a robber. Myungsoo had entered the house to find Woohyun coaxing Sungjong to leave. Sungjong was afraid to leave lest Myungsoo found out and did something silly. Hence, Myungsoo erupted on Woohyun, who tried to call for help but ended up breaking his cell phone.

Sungjong offered to take care of Myungsoo as he slept and everyone agreed. When Dongwoo proposed that he should take Woohyun home, Sungyeol protested. He wouldn’t say why but he kept on glancing at Sunggyu.

Sunggyu let out a sigh.

“I think you three have earned the right to the truth. But don’t think too horribly of me when I tell you everything.”

Sungyeol jumped in his seat and said enthusiastically, “It’s ok, we already know you’re completely horrible and a jerk and a cruel brother—”

“Shut up, Sungyeol. Keep your big fat mouth shut!” Woohyun said.

Howon and Dogwoo looked embarrassed but Sungyeol didn’t back down.

“Oh please, look who’s talking. We trust you with an important mission and you mess it up. And you end up crying like a baby for help.”

“Excuse me, you couldn’t have even entered the house you coward and Howon had to save you because you were so stupid that you didn’t know what to do.”

“Yeah right, as if you were handling the situation very well.”

“Sungyeol, you were basically crying when you heard Woohyun was in danger,” Howon said quietly.

“As if! I just had…smelled onion. Yeah,” Sungyeol snorted but shut up after that.

Dongwoo and Jungmin left, giving them some privacy. Jungmin was fuming about being bound. He shot glares at Woohyun and Sungyeol, who had taken a picture of his tied form. Dongwoo tried to put him into a better mood by kissing him on the cheek but he was still shooting invisible lasers out of his eyes at the giggling duo; so Dongwoo promised to treat him at McDonalds. That got him into an infinitely cheerful mood and he sauntered away, arm in arm with Dongwoo.

When Sungyeol and Woohyun had finished eating all the biscuits that had been served to them, (“What a pig Woohyun, eating everything you find,”; “Nonsense Sungyeol, you literally ate everything on the table and would have eaten up the dishes as well if Sunggyu wasn’t here,”; “Guys, don’t give Sunggyu a headache, he’s aged,”; “Ahem, that’s Sunggyu hyung to all of you and I’m not that old.”) the room fell into a hush.

Sunggyu started grimly, without any introductions. “It had happened right after our parents died. They were away in England and I was looking after Myungsoo. He was only seven. But one night, Myungsoo had a nightmare and he called our parents and told them to come back. My mom really loved Myungsoo, so even though they had work they decided to come back on that day. The weather was horrible and I told them to stall a day but Myungsoo wouldn’t have it. He cried on the phone, so they decided to come anyways.”

Sunggyu removed his glasses and polished them on the hem of his shirt. The others couldn’t say if he was crying or not. But his voice sounded heavy. “The weather was too bad. Their plane crashed and they never came back.”

Sungyeol gasped, clutching at Howon’s shirt. Even though they knew Myungsoo was an orphan, they didn’t know how he had become one. They had never asked and Myungsoo never said. Woohyun patted Sungyeol gently on the back as a teardrop rolled down his cheek.

“And that’s when I became a—I don’t have words to describe myself. I hated Myungsoo because I blamed him for our parents’ death. I hated him because our parents loved him more since they listened to him and not me. I-I was horrible enough to tell a seven-year old who had just lost his parents that I’d rather have him dead and mom and dad alive.”

Woohyun shivered. The self-loathing was so deeply etched in Sunggyu’s voice. But he also felt sorry for Myungsoo; he couldn’t imagine what he had been through at that time.

I could never tell, none of us could. Maybe Sungjong could tell and that’s why he treated him differently.

“That’s when he developed the disease. He would cling to me like anything because I was the only one he had left. But I shoved him away because I couldn’t forgive him. I was only 13 and I couldn’t control my emotions. So I distanced myself from him. I put him through those torturous therapy sessions. And I haven’t touched him in 10 years. He soon learned to stay away from me, and before long he learned to hate me, loathe me, righteously of course.”

Howon shuddered to think that Myungsoo had lived through this hell. No matter what happened to Howon, he would go back home to a loving and comforting brother. His home was empty, but it was a ‘sweet home’ nonetheless.

Not that I have been any better than Sunggyu. How much pain I must have caused Sungjong, but he never said anything. He never even spoke badly about me and always defended me.

“I have a feeling after all this, Myungsoo would want you guys to know.” Sunggyu’s face looked somber but there was no sign of tears. Sungyeol and Woohyun, on the other hand, were crying bucketfuls.

“Thanks for telling us; we better leave now,” Howon said, standing up. Woohyun and Sungyeol followed suit.

“I think I’ll feel more relaxed if Sungjong spends the night here. I’ll send him tomorrow, ok?” Sunggyu asked Howon.

“I agree,” Woohyun said through his tears.

Howon nodded.

“I…” He wanted to say something so that Sunggyu knew he wasn’t alone in this. He wanted to express his feelings but he didn’t know the words.

“I understand.”

Sunggyu smiled, a small, sad smile.

“Thanks,” he said and added, “Goodnight,” to Sungyeol and Woohyun.

Everything will not be alright. We cannot gain back the time that has passed, but we can make up for it now, tomorrow and day after that.