a/n: italics: flashbacks

“Lying won’t bring Kim Jae Sun back.” Hangeng’s voice was cold, eyes full of hatred. “It won’t bring all the lives that were lost because of your selfishness. It will never bring Henry’s family back.”

That day was still very fresh from his memory. That day .. when he thought that everything was so perfect .. so happy but he was more than wrong. It was the exact the same day when he and Zhou Mi swore that they will avenge Henry’s family .. their family. The day they both swore that will protect Henry and take everything from Kim Jae Hwa.

It was a Sunday afternoon. Mandy instructed her three boys to go to the park in their village and play. It was very sunny yet a little windy. Henry’s red baseball cap kept on flying off his head and Hangeng never got tired of chasing it for his little brother. Zhou Mi was too busy commenting on some little girl’s outfit, even telling the girl’s mom that she should get her a child a new wardrobe. The tall, lanky boy had always had an eye with fashion. Hangeng was pretty sure that he just heard the younger yell at another little girl that she looked a lot like a traffic cone with her neon orange top and a very high ponytail – he thought the little girl was gonna stab his brother with her plastic, pink shovel.

Henry jumped of the swing that he hogged from other kids for probably an hour – he really did love swings a lot, especially when there’s someone willing to push him for an entire hour. There was always his Hangeng gege anyway. He looked at the elder and smiled.

“Xie xie.” He smiled.

“You’re welcome.” Hangeng just smiled back, trying his best not to pinch his younger brother’s overly cute cheeks.

The pair jogged to the old, rusty, seesaw. It was the only spot where there were no other children drooling on pretty much everything. They weren’t really the type that would like to socialize with other kids. To them, it’s just the three of them, together. It was just always Zhou Mi who talked to other people, usually criticizing what they wear, if not, their haircuts.

“Zhou Mi gege! Come here! I need help! Hangeng gege’s too fat! We’re not balanced!” Hangeng just laughed at the younger, so as Zhou Mi who kind of looked like a bamboo in the middle of a wind storm while running.

The three just started playing. They were all laughing until they recognized an old woman running towards them .. slightly stumbling with her own legs with every step ..

“Ayi? What’s wrong?” Henry asked innocently.

The old lady was seating all over and tears were very visible in her eyes. Zhou Mi was also pretty sure that there patches of blood on the lady’s floral skirt – it made Zhou Mi’s eyes hurt but their helper’s skirt wasn’t really his priority then. He could feel that something happened. He was sure of it; the sound of police cars’ and ambulance not too far from where they were just added to his theory.

“Ayi?” Henry pouted when the lady didn’t respond.

Hangeng jumped of the seesaw and approached the woman. He looked directly into the lady’s eyes as tears just unconsciously fell from his eyes. What were those tears for? He didn’t know. All he knew was that he just started running their house as soon as he heard sirens coming close. Zhou Mi, with a very confused Henry, in tow, ran after their eldest brother and none of them expected what they saw in their home.

Blood.

There was blood everywhere.

There was very familiar body, lying lifeless on top of the stairs.

The blood was coming from there.

It was her …

“Mama …” Zhou Mi muttered as Hangeng snatched Henry’s hand and immediately took the boy to the kitchen. “Stay here okay? Go eat.” He commanded while dumping whatever snack he found in the pantry right under the boy’s nose. Henry was too young to see all of those.

When Hangeng came back, Zhou Mi’s face was already wet with tears. The boy was still standing right where he left him, clenching his fist as he tried not to sob. He squeezed the younger’s shoulder as he tried to suppress his own tears. Mama’s gone. It’s just the three of them now. He had to be strong for his brothers.

“It’s gonna be okay Mimi.” He hugged his little brother. “We’re gonna get through this. We’ll be okay.”

Hangeng chuckled, trying not to let tears fall from his eyes again. Seeing the woman that took him and his brother in dead right in front of his eyes was one of the most painful events of his life. What made it worse was the reason behind their Mama’s death.

A few days after the funeral, one of the detectives that were assigned to the investigation of their mother’s death approached Hangeng. He was handed a journal that was found in his mother’s pocket. He remembered seeing hi Mama holding it one night, in the kitchen, when he went downstairs to get some water.

“What’s this?” He asked.

“It’s a diary. Kim Jae Sun’s. I suggest you read some few pages and listen to the tape that’s in there. You and your brothers deserve to know.” The detective gave him a sad smile. “I’m really sorry for your loss.” The investigation went nowhere. Apparently, their mother killed herself and he’s just about to know the reason why.

Night fell.

Hangeng dragged Zhou Mi to the study room of their house. Everything in there was messy; they were being forced to leave because there is no way they could afford living in that house.

“What is it?” Zhou Mi asked as soon as he saw his elder brother fished something that looked like a book to him from one of the drawers. It was covered with black leather, genuine leather – he was sure of it, he’d seen too many signature bags, shoes and coats to know. It was a little old, worn out and bulky.

“Detective Yan gave it to me earlier. He said we should check it out.” Hangeng’s voice was serious. It’s always been like that since their Mama died. “He said we’ll know why Mama did it.”

The two boys sat in one corner and read each page of the journal that looked interesting to them. Most of the entries were about how Jae Sun missed his wife and son. Some were about their business in Korea and some kids named Heechul and Kyuhyun, there also some that included Sungmin and Donghae. But what caught their attention the most was the entry where they first saw their names. It was probably the day when Mandy took them from that hell-hole orphanage they were in. Jae Sun seemed very happy that his wife adopted two kids, it made both of their hearts flutter.

“This is it.” Hangeng took a deep breath before he started reading the entry that looked very connected to what had happened. Anger surged through his system. Why didn’t Jae Sun just come back China? Why did he stay in Korea? Why did he let that happen to him? Why? Just Why?

Zhou Mi was furious. He didn’t know if he should get mad at that person named Kim Jae Hwa or if he should just get mad at Jae Sun’s idiocy. Apparently, Kim Industries – one of the biggest group of companies in Korea – was supposed to be owned by Jae Sun, not his older brother, Jae Hwa. It was said in their parents’ will that once Jae Sun went back to Korea, everything would be his. It never happened. Kim Jae Hwa hid that piece of information to his brother, bribed their lawyers and took everything for himself. Jae Sun found out about it when one of the lawyers finally decided that it’s always better to do the right thing. Kim Jae Sun didn’t want to take the company from his older brother. Kim Jae Hwa was a selfish bastard.

Hangeng stood up and grabbed the tape that came with the journal. He immediately put in the player and started listening.

He could hear noises. A lot of them. It sounded like there a lot of things falling, big things. And something burning.

“Mandy-ah. I know you and the kids are probably sleeping now. I just want to check on you guys. I miss you all so much, especially my Henry. I also cannot wait to meet the other boys, I bet they’re all gonna like me.” Coughs. “Anyway, I just want you to know that I love you all so much and that I will never ever forget any of you.”

Something fell again. Jae Sun screamed. It was heart breaking.

“I’m sorry about that.” Jae Sun tried to chuckle but failed. It sounded more like a cough, like he was having really hard time breathing.

“Mandy-ah. Wo ai ni. Saranghae. Take good care of the kids okay? Tell Henry that Papa loves him so much and that I’m sorry I’m not gonna be able to listen to him play anymore.”

Jae Sun stopped talking. All that could be heard was his coughing and a lot of crackling before another voice that sounded like it was coming from a distance was heard.

“Jae Sun-ah?”

“Hyung.” Jae Sun’s voice was almost a whisper. “Hyung. Help me. I’m stuck.”

Silence.

“I’m sorry Jae Sun-ah.”

A few minutes later, the line went dead.

“You left your own brother to die so you could get the company. What kind of brother are you? Is that how you treat a family? Huh?” Hangeng was so close to hitting the old man sitting in front of him but he stopped himself. He was not going to stoop down to that bastard’s level.

“No. No. No.” Kim Jae Hwa’s eyes were filled with tears. “That’s not what happened.” He shook his head. “That’s not what happened.”

Zhou Mi grabbed the old man’s chin and forced him to look at him. “That was exactly what happened you bastard! Stop brain-washing your own self! Our mother took her own life because she couldn’t take the fact that his beloved husband was killed by his own brother!”

*****

which version of the past is true? 

this part of the story is almost done .. there'll be a few more to come c:
 

COMMENTS = UPDATES