Luhan is waiting for someone at the prison. He is not the only one who was there but he is the only police officer who is the visitor there. Then, the door is opened with the officer bringing a prisoner that he knew which is his own brother; Lu Gao.

Lu Gao sits on the chair provided while facing Luhan. Both of them are looking each other. The only thing that separates them is the glass wall. Luhan decides to visit Lu Gao after he entered the jail for a month. They might have a bad blood but for Luhan, Lu Gao is still his brother.

Both Luhan and Lu Gao pick up the phone that was placed near them so that they could communicate with each other. In fact, that’s the only way for both of them to talk.

Lu Gao smirks bossily before he says something, “I’m surprised that I’m going to meet you here. Or you’re going to come here. I didn’t expect that.”

At this moment, Luhan has no words to respond to him. To be exact, he actually had no idea what is he supposed to say to him. They are not close at all despite that they are brothers. They are never close to begin with. Sometimes he almost thinks that he is just an adopted son of their family. The way of his family treated him is like they don’t want him in their life at all. Which might be true.

“I just wanted to.” He said shortly.

Lu Gao scoffs at his remark. “What else do you want from me? I mean, what else do you want to take from me? You finally got everything you want that you wished since you were young, Luhan.”

Luhan knows what he meant; his parents’ attention. Yes, that’s what he wished for. He wanted his parents to pay attention to him, to respect him, and be proud of him but no matter what he did, he was treated like a trash because he was a weak boy. Back then, he could say that he was better than Lu Gao in everything except fighting and he didn’t understand what’s so good about that. Did his parents perhaps have some sort of connection with gangster or mafia or something? Absolutely not. Besides, after what happened, Luhan could feel nothing but fakeness from his parents.

“I just want you to know that you have someone that cares about you.”

What goes around comes around. What you give, you get back. That’s what happens to Lu Gao now. Luhan received information from the officer that works in prison that Lu Gao often becomes a favorite victim of a leader of mafia in the prison. Every day, Lu Gao was beaten by the leader until he was injured badly and unlike when he was with Luhan, he didn’t fight back.

Luhan looks at him with his bruised eyes, swollen face and bleeding lips. According to the officer, he just got into a fight with the mafia’s gang and he just let himself being beaten by them.

Lu Gao scoffs with his statement. “Care? Since when did you care about me?”

He chuckles a little. Well, because what Lu Gao said is true. “Yeah, I never cared about you. Not until now.” Lu Gao raises his brow like he was about to ask why. “I don’t want you to feel lonely like how I felt before.” Lu Gao’s face changed before Luhan continues. “I don’t want you to feel left out like how I felt before.”

Both of them fell silent. Luhan’s words stunned Lu Gao so much. He started to remember the past where how much he loved to bully Luhan because he was such a weak boy who always crying. He realized while he was receiving the love from both of his parents, Luhan was staring at three of them in sadness. No one cared about him. Even their parents too.

Lu Gao remembered on the trial day. Their parents were there. Thought that they came to be with him but only to surprise him that their parents hugged Luhan and acted like a proud parents to him while Lu Gao was like invisible to them.

Not only Lu Gao who surprised with that, Luhan felt the same when his parents reached to him and all of sudden they hugged him. Seeing his parents acting like that to him made him speechless. It felt like his parents finally saw Luhan’s existence. They even said that they are proud with his achievements and now that he was promoted to a higher rank. Although that he finally proves to his parents that he is worth to his family, this is exactly not what he really wants. His parents were bragging to their friends about him when back then, he was never treated like he is their son at all.

“Why did you do this to me? I’ve done a lot of bad things to you. You supposed to hate me. I deserved all these.” Lu Gao asked with a soft voice while showing his face when he said that he deserved it.

“No one deserved to get beaten. You might do those things to me before but I don’t like it when people do it to others. It hurts a lot, you know.”

Lu Gao lets out a soft chuckle when Luhan said that. “Like how you felt before?”

Luhan replies him with a small smile. “Yes, like that.”

Unknowingly, both of them chuckle at each other which is something unexpected that happened between them like a brotherly bond is about to form.

“By the way, how is Seohyun?” Lu Gao asked.

Luhan’s smile is faded away once his brother asked about her. For some reason, he doesn’t like it when his brother mentioned her name but since he asked, he can’t just keep quiet. “She is fine.” He replied blankly.

“Does she know about us?” Luhan sighs and nods making Lu Gao sighs as well. “I’m sorry.” Luhan looks at him in bewildered because in whole life, this is the first time he apologized to him. “I ruined it for you.” Although it’s true, he still doesn’t understand anything. “I know that you love her so much but she knew about us. She probably hates you because of me.”

Luhan shakes his head because Seohyun didn’t hate him because of Lu Gao. “She knew that it wasn’t my fault. But she asked me how I feel when I caught you.” Lu Gao waits for him to continue. “I didn’t say anything to her because her incident was still fresh in her mind and so do I. I decided to keep quiet.”

Lu Gao nods after hearing his explanation. “I’m glad that she didn’t reject you.” Luhan’s brows furrow when all of sudden he said that. “I’ve been watching her but you’re always there with her. It’s great, isn’t it? To have someone by your side and they will protect you from any danger. I really wish that I have someone to be with me now. I feel very lonely.” Now he knows how it feels to be alone. It’s the worst feeling ever.

“Don’t worry. You have me. Even though I’m not by your side now but still, I’ll always with you.” No matter what, Lu Gao is still his brother. Whenever he saw other siblings from his schoolmates, he really wished to be like them; having someone to care each other, love each other, sharing each other. Well, maybe he does share with his brother but it’s more like Lu Gao is his parents’ first priority and he was given the leftovers.

“I don’t know that you’re so kind although I made you cry before.” Lu Gao never imagines that someone like Luhan is still giving him a second chance.

“I don’t know that you’re weak although you used to call me that.” Luhan immediately closes his mouth with his eyes wide open when he just said a wrong word to Lu Gao. When he was young, he used to hate the words like weak, coward, or anything that challenges Lu Gao. He went rage to whoever said that. Now that Luhan said it, he feels so scared if his brother is going to hate him again when things start to get better.

But much to Luhan’s surprise, Lu Gao lets out a chuckle like that word didn’t affect him at all. “Yeah, I’m weak, Luhan. I finally realized that.” Both of them chuckle at his words.

After that, Luhan and Lu Gao talk about other topics and without they realized, they have become closer than before. It’s something that both of them never imagine that it will happen someday. Blood is really thicker than water. No matter what happened, there is always someone who always there for you and it is your siblings.

“Mr. Lu, your time is up!” The officer announced indicating that the visiting time for Lu Gao is finished.

Lu Gao nods to the officer before he turns to Luhan with a disappointed look. He sighs before ends the conversation, “Would you come and visit me again, Luhan?” He really wants him to come again. For the first time, he feels calm and happy while talking to his little brother.

“Of course, I will. But I’m going to visit you once in a month. Recently, I’ve been busy since I’ve got promoted to Inspector. I hope you don’t mind.” Luhan got promoted after he successfully captured Lu Gao. New job, new work.

“I don’t mind as long as you will come and visit me. But please don’t let me wait for so long. I really want to see you. I really mean it.” Lu Gao said in hopeful.

Luhan nods to him as a promise. “I want to see you too.”

Both of them put the phone back to its place and get up from the seat. Lu Gao puts his palm against the glass wall and seeing that, Luhan immediately puts his palm against the wall where Lu Gao placed his palm at like they touch each other’s hand. They stay in that position before the officer pulls Lu Gao to bring him back to his cell.

“Seoju, don’t leave me! Or else, where am I going to stay after class?” Irene pleaded to Seohyun who was packing her thing to move out from her dorm.

Seohyun realized that she couldn’t stay alone without Luhan by her side. She doesn’t know why but she wants to be with him all the time. Recently, she became a totally different person. Unlike the reserved girl back then, she turned into a cheerful and bubbly lady. She is so happy because of Luhan and she feels safe because of him too.

She decided that to be with him all the time, she must move out from her dorm and stay with him in his house. He was hesitated to allow her at first but she had asked his parents’ permission to stay in his house and they were okay with it. She had brought him to her parents’ home to introduce him to her parents. After knowing about him, her parents agreed to let her to stay with him as long as they know their limits together.

Seohyun pulls the bed sheet from the mattress and folds it before puts it into her bag. She just smiles at her best friend's whining about her leaving. She didn’t know how to tell Irene before about her moving but if she didn’t tell her at all, Irene would be upset even more. It’s better to tell her earlier. At first, of course she was upset about it but she accepted it later on. Well, Seohyun is only moving out from her dorm not leaving the university completely. She still can meet her.

“You can always stay with your favorite juniors.” Seohyun referred to Seulgi, Wendy, Joy, and Yeri.

“But they are younger than me. I need someone who can understand me, someone who can…” Irene continues her grumbling about her disappointment. Even though couldn’t stop moving, her hands are also moving to help Seohyun to pack all her things.

= = = = = = = = = =

Luhan was waiting for Seohyun outside his car while scrolling through his phone. He is off duty today so it’s perfect to pick Seohyun up along with her things from her dorm. He hopes that her things are not a lot because his car wouldn’t fit with all her things but he highly doubts that.

“Is it true that Seohyun is going to stay with you?”

Luhan turns to the voice and saw two girls standing beside him like there is something that they are not satisfied. He nods to them before he looks back to his phone.

“She is so hypocrite. She acted like a victim when the head warden took advantage of her and now she wants to stay with a guy? Can you imagine what I’m thinking about?”

“Yes, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she comes to the college and she’s pregnant.”

“She’s staying with me because she is going to be my wife!” Luhan said casually and loud enough for the two jealous girls to hear.

They gasp when they heard that and was about to ask more when Seohyun and Irene come out from the block with her things. Seeing her, they immediately scurry off the place making Seohyun confused.

“What happened, oppa?” Seohyun asked while raising her eyebrow, feeling bewildered with the two girls action earlier.

“Nothing. It’s not worth it anyway.” He doesn’t want to explain to her anything about those two girls. “Are you done?” He asked whether she has finished bringing all her thing from her dorm.

She nods and they arrange everything in Luhan’s car. Once they are done, Seohyun wants to bid farewell to Irene. Irene makes a pouty sad face when Seohyun is about to leave.

Seohyun puts both of her palms on Irene’s cheek. “Baechu, take care of yourself. Don’t forget to eat and do your assignment. I’m going to be with you in the class. Don’t worry.” She pinches her cheeks making Irene squeals in pain.

They give a hug before Seohyun leaves the Block 9 that she stayed for two years and half. She waves at Irene and then looks at the Block 9 before it disappears from her sight. It is really sad to leave her dorm as she has a few months left before she finished her studies but she is looking forward to her new place to stay. With Luhan.

“Abeonim, ommonim, Joohyun didn’t know that both of you will be coming today. I told her that I have a night shift.” Luhan said Seohyun’s parents who were coming to his house when Seohyun is going to stay with him from now on. He thought that he wants to surprise her by bringing her parents to his home. He had to lie to her in order to pick her parents up at the countryside.

“It’s okay, dear. I would love to meet my daughter. I miss her so much. To tell the truth, I was hesitated to let her stay with you but this is the first time she trusted a guy.” Mrs. Seo said. Her parents knew that she had a trust issue with guys so when they heard that their daughter is talking about a guy, they were quite surprised with it.

Luhan opens the door of his home and he is expected to see Seohyun’s beam of happiness when he reached home and she is there standing far from the door presumably she just got there once she heard the door was opened by someone. However, instead of a happy face from her, she looks so anxious and soon after that, her eyes go wide when she saw her parents.

“Omma! Appa!” She runs to them and hugs them at once. She definitely didn’t expect that her parents will come. “Why did you come here and how?”

Mr. Seo puts his arm around Luhan’s shoulder and with a proud smile he said, “Luhan came all the way to our home just to pick us up.”

Hearing Luhan’s name, Seohyun turns to him but her smile is faded away. “Oppa, there are people who wants to see you.”

Judging from her tone, he has a bad feeling about the people that he is going to meet now. He walks towards the living room in curiosity, feeling curious about those people. With that, he knows that it’s going to be a bad thing and he is right. The people that want to meet him are his parents.

He doesn’t feel delighted at all. Not when his parents were looking down on Seohyun that day just because she was Lu Gao’s victim. They even threatened him that they will do everything just to make them separate and he couldn’t even bear to leave Seohyun in pain.

His parents stand up with a frown on their face. “Luhan, what is this dirty girl doing in your house? You remembered my warning, right?” His mother spoke in a loud and disgust voice.

“Hey, who are you calling my daughter dirty?” Mr. Seo raged but was stopped by Luhan and he told him that he can handle this.

Luhan turns to his parents and sighs because he doesn’t want any tension with his parents. “She is going to stay with me from now on.” He had to be honest with them and he knows that they hate it.

“How could you do this to us, Luhan? You betrayed us! We’ve done everything for you since you’re young.”

“What have you done to me when I was young?” Luhan raised his voice making everyone is surprised with it and decided to stay silent. “What have you done? I don’t remember anything. I don’t remember being treated as a son at all. What do you mean you did everything for me when I was young?” No one dares to open their mouth now that Luhan is finally explodes in front of his parents.

Seohyun was about to hold his arm to calm him down but her father stops her and mouthing her not to involve in this matter. However, she knows from his face that he tried his best to keep everything and hold himself from his outburst but it’s too much for him to handle it. She doesn’t want him to hurt himself and she really could feel how much his heart is aching right now.

“Do you know that I was the best student in my school? I did told you but all you said was ‘You’re just an idiot if you don’t know how to fight’. Why does fighting is important to you? What’s the benefit of it?” His voice starts to crack and his hand clenches into a fist as well as his body begins to shiver.

“So that everyone knows that I have a strong son that no one dares to lay a finger of our family. But you never took any interest on that.” His father claimed.

“I never took any interest on that? More like you insulted my appearance. I have a baby-face. Because of that you always said that I’m a weak person. Both of you were never cared about me. None of you paid attention to me back then. I don’t understand why you’re being nice to me all of sudden?” Luhan is shaking himself and he tries to blink back his tears so that it can’t be seen to his parents. He doesn’t want to show his tears again. He has to be strong in front of his parents.

Seohyun knows better. She goes to him and holds his arm while rubbing his back to soothe him. “Oppa, don’t do this. You’re hurting yourself.”

But he ignores Seohyun and keeps going while clenching his fist tightly. “You’re being nice to me now because Lu Gao disappoints both of you, right? Finally, you remembered your other son.” His voice cracks again. If he keeps going like this, he might breakdown in front of them. Not only them but Seohyun’s parents too. He doesn’t want to look weak anymore. “Actually, I’m quite happy that you finally noticed me but the reason why you noticed me because Lu Gao went to jail and you were embarrassed of it. If it wasn’t him going to jail, you will never notice me forever.”

Seohyun rubs his back in a quick pace to calm him down. “Oppa, please stop. I don’t want you to fight with them.” She doesn’t want him to fight with his parent because of her.

“But now, you pretend that you don’t know Lu Gao because of what he had done. If I’m not mistaken, he was your beloved son before. The son that you’re proud of.” Luhan goes to the table where all his medals and trophies are placed and takes one of the medals and shows it to his parents. The medal that he showed to them is his promotion medal as an inspector. He treasures it so much. “You’re proud of me because of this, right?” He walks to the window and throws the medal from there. His action caused everyone to freeze in their position as they were unexpected for him to do that. He looks at his parents in sorrow. “Will you still proud of me if I’m just a police officer without any rank?”

Seohyun and her parents turn to Luhan’s parents for an answer. All of them are waiting for it. What would be their answer?

“Why should I proud if you’re just a police officer? Everyone can be a police officer.” Luhan’s mother answered.

With that answer, Luhan looks down straight to the floor. He kind of expects that answer. Meanwhile, Seohyun and her parents are surprised with the casual answer from his mother. Everyone can become a police officer? Yeah, right! No one knows what kind of training they would give. Everyone can apply to become a police officer but only a few can stand the harsh training and Luhan proved that he could handle all those training just to be what he is now. Seohyun is about to go to Luhan once again but again her father told her not to.

“You’re right! Police officer is nothing. There is nothing that can make you proud as a police officer. I’m glad that I have promoted to inspector. That’s why I worked hard to save her because of that promotion.” Luhan said in flat tone and blank face. He takes a deep breath before he excuses himself to somewhere leaving his parents with Seohyun’s family.

= = = = = = = = = =

“Oppa?” Seohyun called Luhan who was standing at the rooftop while watching the scenery of the city. If he is really watching it. Luhan turns to her with blank face, probably still disturb with what happened earlier. Seohyun comes close to him and holds his arm. “Omma and I made a dinner. Let’s go!” She pulled his arm but he doesn’t give any reaction. “Your parents have gone home.”

That statement alone is enough for him to move his legs. It’s not that he hates them that he doesn’t want to see their face anymore but he feels guilty for raising his voice to them. No matter how they treated him, they are still his parents.

But Luhan stumbles while walking making Seohyun had to hold him tightly. “Oppa, are you okay?” She asked in concerned. Luhan used the railing as a support to make him stand. He feels he has no energy to do everything. “You-You go first. I will come later.”

However, she doesn’t want to leave him alone especially in this kind of state. At the time like this, he needs someone to be with him. She is about to say something when she feels someone’s hand on her shoulder and it is her father. Her father tells her to go back first while he stays here with Luhan.

With a heavy heart, she leaves Luhan and her father at the rooftop.

Mr. Seo stands beside Luhan but he doesn’t say anything. It is really awkward for both of them not to speak anything. There is nothing can be heard except the sound of the cars or birds flying in the sky.

“Tell me about your life, Luhan.” He said.

Luhan turns to him with slightly shock expression. Why does he want to know about his life? “What do you mean, abeonim?”

“Your life, your childhood. I want to know about it and I want to know about your brother. Why did he end up in jail?”

Luhan’s eyes widen after hearing that he wants to know about his brother. Why did Lu Gao end up in jail? The truth is that Seohyun’s parents had no idea that the monster who tried to take advantage their daughter is his brother. In fact, Luhan didn’t say anything about his brother after that incident.

“Is it true that your brother is the one who tried to my daughter?”

That question is really a sensitive question to him. He doesn’t know what to answer that. “That time, I don’t know that he was the one behind all this. I decided to accept the task that was given by my chief because of the promotion.” He isn’t lying. Yes, he accepted that task because of promotion. He wants it so bad so that he could show to his parents that he is also worth to his family. But he realized that even if that monster isn’t his brother, he is still being look down by them. “All I could think was with this promotion, they will be proud of me.”

Mr. Seo rubs his back softly. “They are proud of you.”

“It’s because my brother disappoints them. He went to jail and my parents feel so embarrassed with it. He used to be their beloved son and everything he did will be praised by my parents even if the things that he did was bad. I was his target for his bullying act. Every day, I was beaten by him. No matter how many times I cried, no one defended me. I was treated like garbage by my family.” Luhan wipes his tears that accidently fell from his eyes before he continues. “But I love my family. All of them. My father, my mother, and my brother, I love them all although I don’t know whether they love me or not. I really wish my parents treated me and my brother with love and no difference. I wish my brother and I will love and protect each other when one of us have a problem. I wish that I didn’t raise my voice-” He stopped and sighs after remembering the incident earlier. Even though he really wants his parents to know what he kept inside for all these years, he shouldn’t raise his voice to them.

Mr. Seo pulls Luhan into a hug while rubbing his back gently. Luhan’s breath becomes heavy and slowly his tears fall following a sobbing of a heartbroken boy. “Just cry, my son. I won’t scold you for being weak.” Mr. Seo mutters softly like a father would say to his kids.

Hearing Mr. Seo’s words, Luhan cries even harder like a boy who falls from the ground. How much he wished his parents would call him ‘my son’. How much he wished his parents would hug him like this. How much he wished his parents to say those words in soft voice. How much he wished his parents would calm him like this. He just wants a love from his parents. His legs tremble and he ends up sitting on the ground while still crying.

Mr. Seo didn’t let him go. Or more like he doesn’t want to. Judging from his crying, Luhan surely suffered a lot. He had to endure everything just to prove to his parents that he is strong enough. But every strong people have their own weakness too. Maybe for some people who might have witness this scene might think that it is such an embarrassment for a young guy to cry but for Mr. Seo, those tears are the tears of letting out the frustration that kept inside his heart throughout his life.

Mr. Seo won’t release his hug from Luhan until he stops crying, until he lets out his frustration. Luhan isn’t his son but his heart aches so bad from hearing his cry. “Just cry, my son. I won’t leave you.”

To all my readers, first of all, I would like to apologize for 1 month and 12 days of late update. I was so busy with my internship that I need to do reports and presentation. My internship has finished for now and I was given a month break for my second internship. But don't worry, my second internship's place will be my hometown and I will stay at home so I have time to update or create a new story coming up.

Secondly, I would like to apologize for the lack of SeoHan moment in this chapter and I feel guilty for posting this sad chapter when I didn't update for so long. You really deserve a happy and sweet chapter of SeoHan for my long absences.

Sincerely, shlx117.