“What?”


Yoseob took a deep breath and stared straight into Daniel’s eyes, “Let’s break up. Let’s stop this mistake and move on with our lives as friends just like we had before we had gotten together.”



“Am I a very terrible boyfriend? Did I do something wrong? Tell me, tell me baby and I’ll try to change!”



The smaller male shook his head and gave the spluttering male a hug, his back comfortingly, “No, you were terrific! The problem lies in me. Daniel, I should not have accepted your confession five years ago just because I couldn’t bear to say no anymore. That was the most foolish thing I’ve done and I cannot hide from this anymore. I have to admit that I have made a mistake and let both of us have a chance of experiencing true love.”



The taller male pulled himself away from Yoseob’s embrace and held his hands tightly, “What makes you think that this is not true love? Do you even know what love is? How could you so easily push this aside and tell me that this isn’t love?”



“I don’t know,” Yoseob pursed his lips thoughtfully, “I don’t know what love really is, I mean, who really does? All I know is that when love hits me, I’ll know that that is love. And right now, there’s just too many question marks in my feelings for you and I am just not sure that this is what you actually deserve.”



Daniel released his firm grip on the smaller male’s hands only to reposition it on his shoulders, “Tell me, who else is more deserving than you? You have been by my side since you were 15 and now ten years later, you are just pushing me aside so easily? I don’t know what to do without you, Yoseob. I’ve lived the past ten years in so much bliss and happiness. Even when I was studying abroad, every time we made a video call, I am instantly rejuvenated. Even a simple message from you would make my day.



Is that not love?



What about the many nights I spent with you, hugging you to sleep and bearing with the glaring lights while we fall asleep? I never minded those. And those times where you get extremely tired and moody in school and I would buy you food, bring you on fun outings? You loved those didn’t you? Yoseob, I know you love me. Think about it, if you didn’t, how could you have bear being in a relationship with me for five years?”



The smaller male lowered his gaze and stared at his fingers that were busy fiddling with the hem of his shirt, “Well, for three, you were abroad. The other two, I don’t know… I guess, time just flies by without me even knowing. Daniel, I know we had many good memories.” Yoseob bravely fixed his gaze back to Daniel’s, “And I think we can create even better ones. Just… not as lovers. I know this would be really hard for you initially but I’ll do anything to make things easier. I’ll move out of this place, I’ll quit my job at your company.”



“And where would you go?” Daniel challenged, “Where would you go when you have been so dependent on me and my family’s money since you were fifteen.”



There was a growing mound of frustration lodged at Yoseob’s throat but he swallowed hard and stared at the taller male pointedly, “I have my own savings from my previous job and this job’s salary. Although technically you are paying for my salary, I’m pretty sure I deserved and worked hard for it. If you are going to talk about the money used to finance my remaining school years and my living expenses here, I’ll pay you back then. Give me a figure and I’ll work out how much to pay you back each month until my debts to you are cleared.”



“No!” Daniel yelled desperately as he hugged the smaller male tightly, “You don’t owe me any sum at all. Yoseob you know that’s not what I mean. I don’t want you to return me anything.” Tears were welling up at his eyes as he stumbled on his words, “I just… I just don’t know how I would live without you. You might have relied on us in monetary terms, but I have relied so heavily on you for my emotional well-being. Do you know… how much it hurt for the past three years when I returned to the dorm and there wasn’t you around? Do you know how the only person I thought about every second and minute of the day was you?”



“Daniel…”



“No! Don’t say anything. Yoseob, you owe this to me. I’ve done so much so much for you. I begged my father to take you in. I protected you from bullies in the school. I gave you all that you have right now. How could you just leave me like this?” The taller male was crying unabashedly now but even with his trembling body, he continued holding on so tightly to the smaller male.



Yoseob would be lying if he said he wasn’t guilty. Knifes, swords even, of guilt was piercing through him as he remained limp in Daniel’s arms. It wasn’t just the words that the taller male was spouting or the truth of how much he has done for the smaller male. It was also how fat drops of tears were flowing steadily down his cheeks and Daniel… just wasn’t the type who cried. So Yoseob knew that he must have hurt the taller male real bad. “But Daniel… I don’t love you.”



“You can try! If you want to, you can!”



“Can I….?” The smaller male’s voice now was wavering, no longer as confident as when he first proposed the idea of breaking up to Daniel.



“Think about it”, Daniel urged, “Your whole life, you never had a real home. However, I gave you one and did I destroy the home? Did I move you about? Did I ever made you feel insecure in this home, bringing in strangers?”



Yoseob shook his head quietly, “No… but Daniel, this is your home. It isn’t my home.”



“You don’t feel like you belong? Even after so many years? Alright then, we will go buy an apartment, just for us both. Is this place too big for your liking? Or does the expensive furniture intimidates you? I’m okay with any apartment, Yoseob ah, you can choose whichever apartment the company has, wherever it is, whatever the size. I’ll buy it for you. You can design, renovate, furnish it in whatever way you want it to be like until you feel at home.”



The smaller male raised his head and blinked at Daniel’s pleading eyes, “It isn’t about the place….” However, his voice no longer held any determination as he was drowning in guilt.



“I’ll do anything for you, baby. I always had. Just stay by my side. Please.”



Yoseob couldn’t say anything, he didn’t have to. Daniel knew that he has won when he felt the smaller male’s arm wrapping around his waist. He knew that he has won before he even heard the soft whisper from the smaller male, “I will. I’m sorry, Daniel.”



Smirking internally, he continued with his false façade of sadness, pleased that his plan of guilt tripping him was working out. “It is okay, Yoseob ah, you know that I’ll forgive you no matter what you did.” He cooed in a repulsively sweet voice before he continued in a sterner tone, “But honestly, did Yong Jun Hyung instil this thought in you? You never ever once raised the notion of a break up to me.”



Yoseob instantly sat upright and held Daniel’s hands, “No, he has nothing to do with this! Junhyung treats me only as a colleague and as a friend. He has no intention of breaking us up and in fact, he always supports our relationship, convincing me to spend my more time with you and open my heart more to you.”



Daniel almost scoffed, knowing that it was impossible that Junhyung would ever be so encouraging of their relationship, but he was still conscious of his act of melancholy as he mumbled in feigned, childish pettiness, “I still don’t feel safe with having him around the company though.”



Yoseob’s eyes widened as his heart began racing, “No, don’t fire him! He’s an asset to the company him, isn’t he? Okay, I promise you. I’ll not hang out with him anymore and I’ll make him hate me till he doesn’t even want to by my friend. Okay? Just don’t fire him, please.”



“Alright,” Daniel sighed resignedly, although he was cheering in his heart, and he hugged Yoseob tightly, “Just don’t ever mention breaking up with me ever again alright? You know that we both can’t live without one another.”



The smaller male nodded and shifted uncomfortably as he wiggled away from Daniel’s grasp, “I’ll meet you downstairs for breakfast. I’m going to wash up first.”



As Yoseob walked into the bathroom and the sound of falling water filled the room, Daniel leaned against a pillow and sneered, “Yong Jun Hyung, you are not going to take away what belongs to me.”



“Son….”



Daniel turned to the bedroom’s door and saw his father walking towards him. “What is it?”



“Don’t you think that you are too controlling of Yoseob’s life?”



“I don’t know what you mean”, the male turned away in annoyance, “He seems pretty happy of his life.”



“That’s because he doesn’t know what you have done. Son, Yoseob is right. Sometimes, when a person makes a mistake, he has to admit to it before it snowballs further.”



“So you are saying that I made a mistake?”



“It’s not just you”, Mr Chae sighed, “I allowed for you to make the mistake and as your father, it was my mistake. For your whole life, I agreed to whatever you wanted and even at fifteen, when you came to me with a plan that no human would ever agree upon, I agreed to it. I was convinced that I would be helping Yoseob too and that it doesn’t hurt that two blemishes on this world are removed. But now, I’m not sure if agreeing to you was right.



I mean… Look at the little boy now. It is obvious that he is only in a relationship with you because he is grateful to you. If he knew what you have done—“



“And why would he know what I have done?” Daniel snapped at his father, “Unless you are planning to rat on me?”



“I wouldn’t do that, don’t you worry. But I hope that you would at least allow Yoseob to make his own decision now. I’ve grown to love him as much I love a son and I just cannot bear to see him being unhappy.”



“He’s happy with me. He can only and will