this is a part of a double update so if you havent read this part yet .. you might probably want to jump back to chapter 30 before starting c:

Donghae watched his cousins paced back and forth in front of him. The last time he saw Heechul like that was seven years ago, when Leeteuk was in the hospital. Kyuhyun was also walking around the café, with a very visible knot on his forehead. Sungmin was crouching in one corner, eyeing his boss intently. Dennis, on the other hand, was following Heechul everywhere. He was making sure that his boss won’t start hitting anything or anybody. A frustrated Kim Heechul was not a very friendly Kim Heechul.

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Finally, Sungmin got his hand on the folder. Dennis and Kyuhyun were too busy fussing around the unconscious Heechul. Donghae was still sulking in one corner with a very serious looking Kibum following him around. Eunhyuk also didn’t look much different from Donghae. There was probably something wrong with those two. He would love to ask and bug the hell out of them if he wasn’t just too shocked with what he saw.

Years ago, a very unfortunate accident happened in The Kim Estate. On Christmas Eve, the whole mansion was burnt down by a fire caused by faulty gas valves. It was an accident that took the lives of two of the most loved members of the family. Han Hye Su, Kyuhyun’s mother and Kim Jae Sun, President Kim’s brother. It almost ruined the whole family. Or maybe it really did, no one just wanted to admit it.

Kyuhyun was probably too young to even remember exactly what happened that day. The boy almost lost his life. His ribs broke and pierced his lungs. He also fractured his hips. It really almost a miracle that the boy survived.

Heechul, on the other hand, was old enough to remember everything and had always been bad with losing people he loves. He broke his leg in five places and required surgery but that wasn’t the worst injury that he got, Heechul was broken inside. He blamed himself for the death of his uncle. He blamed himself for the injuries of his brother. He blamed everything on himself. He was the one that wanted to use the fireplace and it started the fire. Everything was his fault .. until his father made him go to a psychiatrist and get hypnotized. He was forced to forget everything .. even the man that died trying to save him.

Sungmin called Donghae. Both of them knew very well what happened that day.

“Look at this.” He handed the papers to the younger and he got the reaction he was expecting right away. The younger looked at him with eyes b with tears. “I know Hae. I know.”

“So Uncle Jae Hwa had been looking for Uncle Jae Sun’s family all along? I didn’t know. I didn’t know that this is what he was doing all along.” Tears finally fell from Donghae’s eyes. He should’ve known.  “I knew he was doing something but I didn’t expect it to be this. I was so stupid hyung. I could’ve helped. I could’ve said something.”

“What do you know Hae?” Sungmin asked. Donghae’s words just confused him even more.

“Uncle asked me to make an appointment with Siwon.” Sungmin’s brows knotted. “You know my classmate from high school that became a private investigator?” Sungmin’s lips formed an O and nodded. “He’d been meeting with uncle in the last three years. I didn’t bother asking about it coz I know I won’t get anything anyway. And I kind of thought that it was just about the business.”

“It’s not your fault Hae. And I don’t think the President wants us to know about this.” Sungmin bit his lower lip. “You know, for Heechul-hyung?”

The two men turned their attention to their sleeping hyung. The elder was probably having a very hard time dealing with the memories and emotions that he was forced to suppress. They both could still remember how bad Heechul was when woke up after the surgery, and few days after that. He stopped talking and refused to eat or take any of his medications. The only time they would hear his voice was when he was crying. Kim Heechul wasn’t himself that everybody agreed that he needed help. He went back to the original Kim Heechul after a few days of treatment. Back to the person he was way before the accident.

Hyukjae watched as tears flowed from Donghae’s eyes. He wanted to run to the younger and hug him tight. He didn’t. He couldn’t. The look that the damn guy that’s been following his fishy around was keeping him from doing so. Also, that tiny pinch that he was feeling every time he would look at the pair was kind of driving him insane.

“If you want to go to him then you should.” It was Dennis, who finally stopped exaggerating everything after Heechul passed out. That guy, along with Kyuhyun, was too busy fussing around the sleeping Heechul and getting stressed out because the raven-haired man hadn’t opened his eyes since he passed out five minutes ago. “He needs you now you know.”

Eunhyuk lowered his head even more before he tried to muster a bitter smile. “I don’t think so hyung. He has someone else now.” He bit his lower lip to keep it from trembling. He saw how that Kibum guy wrapped his arms around Donghae. He felt like someone just punched him ten times right in the chest.

“You wouldn’t know unless you try.” Dennis patted his shoulder. It reminded him of the times when Leeteuk used to be the one comforting him every time he was feeling down. He really do miss his hyung but he couldn’t deny the fact that Dennis’ presence was making it way less painful for all of them. “Donghae is a very simple minded person. He would say whatever it is that’s on his mind. And as I recall, he’d been screaming to the world that he has feelings for you since the day the two of you met.”

“But hyung-“ He looked at the elder and was greeted by it’s beautiful dimpled smile. He must admit, Kibum’s smile was pretty, but his hyungs’ smile – Leeteuk’s and Dennis’ – were still the best. They could give anybody a sense of reassurance out of nowhere.

“Just go.” He felt another pat on his shoulder before the elder left and went back to Heechul’s side.

Dennis sat down right beside where Heechul was laying. He immediately carried Heechul in the second floor of the café where he knew Eunhyuk was staying right after he saw how the younger’s limp body just suddenly fell on the floor. He was so worried that he felt like his world was spinning so fast, it was making him a little dizzy. He just watched Heechul sleep as he held the younger’s hand tucked the raven strands of hair that was covering his boss’ beautiful face behind the younger’s ear. Heechul looked so peaceful but Dennis knew inside that the younger was far from feeling serenity. He heard Sungmin and Donghae talk, his heart broke. He didn’t know that Heechul went through a lot.

“He’s going to be fine right?”

Dennis looked up and found Kyuhyun still gawking at his unconscious elder brother.

“He’s Kim Heechul. I’m sure he’ll be fine.” He smiled at the younger even though he, himself, wasn’t very sure of what he said. Is Heechul really going to be okay? He didn’t know. He also didn’t want to worry Kyuhyun even more so he just acted calm and hoped that the boy would do the same.

Kyuhyun just bit his lips, nodded, looked back at his brother and left.

Dennis let out a sigh. He just kept watching Heechul and holding the younger’s hand, occasionally drawing random doodles on his palm. He was really starting to feel impatient; his boss hadn’t open his eyes for thirty minutes. He was close to calling an ambulance but right when he was about to fish his phone from his pocket, Heechul opened his bloodshot eyes.

“It’s my entire fault. It’s my fault. All of it. I killed him.” Heechul sobbed and looked straight at him. “I killed him. I killed them. I killed Umma. I …” He gathered the younger in his arms. “I killed Uncle Jae. I’m a criminal. I should have just died too.”

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