Arbutus – you're the only one I love

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                “Why are you there and not here?” Yongguk asked his mate who was sitting curled up at the other side of the large round bath tub. Daehyun felt so far from him even if they would be only an inch apart if they straightened their legs.

                “Wh-Why shouldn’t I be here?” Daehyun asked in return.

                Yongguk could see the blush adorning Daehyun’s cheeks. The corner of his lips quirked up into a fond smile. “Because I want to hold you,” he replied in a teasing manner.

                Daehyun’s face turned even redder. “You’ve held me enough.” Sure, he had been sleeping with the older man, but having a bath together is something else and this is their first time of doing so.

                Yongguk groaned. “No, I haven’t,” he opposed while making a move, crawling in the warm water towards his mate. He settled at Daehyun’s side, their bodies pressed against each other and his arms rested on the edge of the tub. “And I will never be.” He leaned down before pecking Daehyun’s crimson cheek.

                “And I thought I’m the clingy one,” Daehyun remarked with his face slightly turned towards the latter.

                Yongguk grabbed the chance to kiss Daehyun on the lips. When he pulled away, a smile had spread on them and Daehyun’s sparkling eyes had turned crescents. He sighed.

                “Seriously, I don’t know what’d happen if you did find the eye drop. Didn’t I tell you it’d be dangerous if it’s consumed more than it’s supposed to be?”

                “I know…” Daehyun’s mouth immediately formed a pout. “I promise I won’t do it again. And I’m sorry you have to clean up the mess I made,” he apologized, grimacing ruefully. He would have done it himself if he didn’t have Minjee waiting for him to finish the flower bouquet.

                Yongguk snorted a laugh. “That’s okay. I didn’t know how you’ve been feeling,” he said, slipping his arm around Daehyun before pulling the man tight against his side.

                Daehyun might be a little shy at first, but he could eventually relax in Yongguk’s hold. He didn’t really plan on telling Yongguk about his feelings, so he was somehow glad Yongguk found out about it because the man’s assurance is all that he needed right now.

                “Hyung…?” Daehyun spoke up after a while and received a hum in return. “Does the leader of the clan need to pass down their role from generation to generation?” he asked.

                “Not really. Anyone can be the leader as long as they fit the title, but it would usually be an alpha because of their strength and liability,” Yongguk explained.

                “So, do you have to choose the next leader?”

                “Yeah, if I were to become one.”

                “Then, who do you think should take after you?” Daehyun wondered.

                Yongguk looked up, listing all of the younger clan members in his head. “I haven’t think about that yet, but it should be Junhong since he’s the only alpha among my cousins.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. It’s too early to say.”

                Daehyun heaved a deep sigh, thinking that it would be easier for Yongguk to choose his own child as the next leader if he could. Lowering down his head, Daehyun said under his breath, “I’m sorry I can’t give you a child.”

                Yongguk didn’t expect that coming. “Where does that come from?” He scoffed in disbelief. “You know I don’t mind about that, right? If I do mind, I wouldn’t have accepted you as my mate in the first place.”

                “Don’t you think it’s too early to say that too?” Daehyun looked up at Yongguk again with a frown on his face. “What about Heeyeon?”

                “I told you that she might be Yongnam hyung’s mate.” Yongguk easily shrugged it off, having told everything about the talk he had with his father to Daehyun.

                “Yeah, but you said it yourself – she might be –,” Daehyun stressed out. “So nothing’s sure about it yet.”

                Yongguk jutted out his bottom lip while slowly bobbing his head up and down. “Well, okay, there’s actually one thing I’m sure about…” he trailed off, giving Daehyun a meaningful look though it was pointless. “…that you’re definitely my mate.” He reached out to softly pinch Daehyun’s cheek.

                Daehyun flinched away with a giggle before dropping his head onto Yongguk’s chest. The side of his face was pressed against the bare skin as he let out a sigh with a hum. Yongguk’s words were overwhelming, but it was not enough.

                “But still… the attraction to her… can you still feel it?” he really had to ask since he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

                “I’m not attracted to her.” Yongguk brought down his other arm from the edge of the tub before taking Daehyun’s hand in his under the water. “I’m attracted to you,” he declared. “Her scent might be strong, but it’s your scent that I love.”

                “Doesn’t Heeyeon’s scent do the same thing to you?” Daehyun asked again with the remaining little doubts he had. “Isn’t her scent almost the same as mine? I heard she even looks like me.”

                Yongguk’s jaw dropped in a silent gasp. He didn’t know from who or where Daehyun had heard about that and he didn’t really want to know, or else he would lose his calm. “No…” he breathed out with a long sigh.

                 “Listen here. I’m not attracted to her, she’s the one attracted to me, and I’m only attracted to you,” he clarified briefly, gazing into Daehyun’s eyes even if the younger man couldn’t do the same. “I don’t care if she looks like you. She’s not… you.”

                Daehyun got the hint of frustration in Yongguk’s voice, but still, those last words caused his cheeks to turn pink. “Alright...” He quickly decided to stop being so pushy. “So we’re supposed to be mated to make her attraction towards you disappear?”

                “Yeah, but maybe not now. Not when we’re still at war with the Massifs” Yongguk answered reasonably. “For now, we’ll focus on you, the clan, and the town’s safety. We can’t be distracted or the Massifs will take the chance to cause troubles again,” he said while squeezing Daehyun against his side.

                “Gosh, I wish they’d be gone already,” Daehyun groaned, throwing his head back and almost hitting Yongguk’s chin in the process.

                Yongguk just chuckled at the younger man. “You wanted to mate with me that much?”

                “Am I not your mate?” Daehyun smugly asked in return after facing Yongguk again.

                “Are you really ready for it?” Yongguk uttered the question seriously this time. “Since, you know, mating is just like marrying. It’s a big decision to make.”

                Daehyun hummed to himself as he gave it a thought. “It’s a big decision, but it’s not a hard one for me,” he said before snaking his arms around the older man. “I’ve found my forever, so why should I wait anymore?”

                Yongguk was left speechless for a moment. His face was growing a deep shade of red. “How could you say something so romantic in a bathtub?” he complained. “Now I feel like doing it.”

                “What?!” Daehyun’s body jerked back in surprise.

                Yongguk burst out laughing. Oh, how he loves teasing his mate. He brought up his wet hand to push back Daehyun’s fringe, revealing the whole wide forehead he loves so much. “Just kidding,” he said before pressing his lips on it. “But why not?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

                Jongup was on his way to the kitchen to quench his thirst after getting back from the college. When he walked pass the parlor, he thought he saw someone sitting by the grand piano. So he halted his steps and turned back around before taking another peek from behind the wall.

                It was Youngjae, sitting there while looking through the music sheets he had brought down and placed on the piano keys. Jongup expected the man to be crying, but he seemed surprisingly calm. Youngjae’s face was still hard to read though. Jongup braved himself to approach him anyway.

                “Hey,” he went to stand by the piano, both hands shoved into his pockets. “What are you doing here?”

                Youngjae glanced at the younger man from the corner of his eyes. It was just for a moment though before he went back to the music sheets. “You know, ever since that day I came home to Daehyun playing this piano, I’ve never heard him played again after,” he said while arranging the sheets to put them back on the music shelf. Only then he lifted his head to properly look at the latter. “Is there something you’ve got to tell me?”

                Jongup just stared at Youngjae, jaws gaping with incredulity. His mouth opened and closed in silent stutters, trying to make something up so that it seemed like he had no idea what Youngjae was talking about. But when the said man arched his brows at him, his stance just collapsed. “I… told Daehyun hyung not to play when you’re home,” he admitted in a murmur.

                Youngjae’s eyes widened as a frown etched on his face. “What? Why? Because I once cried when your brother played it?” he asked, but Jongup just casted down his gaze while scratching the back of his head.

                Youngjae snorted in disbelief. “Why would you even bother about it? You really don’t have to worry, you know.”

                Jongup blew out a long resigned sigh, his eyes were now fixed on the carpeted floor. Placing a hand on the piano cover, he started taping his fingers as he let himself be immersed in a deep thought. A moment later, he had his hands in his pockets again and turned his body so that he could lean back against the piano.

                “Look, it’s okay if you don’t like me back. It’s okay if you still love him,” he began before finally lifting his head to meet Youngjae’s eyes. “But I can’t stand seeing you being sad all the time. I want to see you smile. I want to see you laugh. And I’d do anything for that.”

                Youngjae was definitely taken aback by that, but he masked himself to remain unfazed. He took his eyes away from Jongup, just to stare at the piano keys for a while before looking up at the younger man again. “Do you know how to play?”

                The random question addled Jongup’s brain. “I do actually,” he managed to give an answer nonetheless. “My brother is a piano instructor, remember?”

                “Can I hear it?” Youngjae asked.

                Jongup really didn’t see that coming. “Are you sure?”

                Youngae shrugged his shoulders. “You said you’d do anything for me,” he said with an impish smile. “Play it for me then.”

                Jongup nodded as he emitted a yielding sigh. “That’s right.”

                Youngjae scooted over on the long bench, leaving some space for Jongup to sit. Once both of them were settled, Jongup took a deep breath while positioning his fingers on the piano keys. Then, he started playing.

                A beautiful sound instantly flooded the room. Youngjae’s eyes flew towards the man sitting next to him. Jongup’s back was straight, his arms relaxed and straight in front of him, just like a classically trained pianist.

                Jongup’s swift fingers flew over the keys. They moved with grace, making it seem like he was caressing the piano instead of playing it, like he was pouring his soul into the song.

                Youngjae could feel the vibrations tingling on his skin. He could feel the music slowly seeped into his body and spread throughout his veins. Every note in the low and high octaves on the piano pulled at his heartstrings. The longer he listened, the faster his heart raced.

                Then, all of a sudden, Jongup turned to him, smiling so benignly. His heart pounded even faster, almost leaping out of his chest.

                When Jongup turned back to the piano, Youngjae was hit with a realization. The person who was melting his heart was Jongup. It was not Dabin, but Jongup. He realized he didn’t compare the way Jongup played to Dabin, unlike any other pianist he had seen. He was dumbfounded at how different Jongup is to Dabin, but still could do the same things Dabin did to his heart.

                The song came to an end and Youngjae just had to pull himself together. He cleared his throat before uttering, “Is it from Phantom of the Opera?”

                Jongup nodded. “It’s called ‘All I Ask of You’.”

                Youngjae easily got the meaning behind that, but he just pressed his lips together and brushed it off. “You’re great,” he genuinely complimented the human.

                Jongup smiled in return. “Thanks.”

                It was that smile again, Youngjae thought. The smile that could melt anyone’s heart… or it was just him. He could feel his cheeks started heating up, so he averted his gaze towards the piano. “This piano is one of the things that Dabin hyung treasured the most. I should be happy if it is still played by someone, right?” he asked rhetorically.

                It was only silence after that until Youngjae spoke up again. “Why do you want me to be happy so much?”

                Jongup dropped his head, looking at his fingers fiddling on his lap. “Isn’t it obvious?”

                “You still aren’t giving up?” Youngjae turned his head towards the younger man again. “You should try to find someone else. Someone better than me.”

                “You’re the one I found.” Jongup looked up, linking their eyes. His gaze was full of warmth and affection towards the other man. “You’re the one for me.”

                Youngjae swallowed the lump in his throat as he tried to hold the tears which were already welling up in his eyes. “Do you really think I can do the same for you?”

                “Of course,” Jongup replied immediately. “Maybe not for now, but I’ll wait. I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

                “Hyung, won’t you tell me who’s your true mate?” Yongguk asked Yongnam, or more accurately, Yongnam’s gravestone. He was squatting down in front of the grave while brushing the dead leaves away.

                A moment later, after obviously not getting any answer or hints from his brother, Yongguk just blew out a puff of air. “Mine is Daehyun, right? Daehyun’s got to be my true mate, right?” He nodded to himself. “He’s got to be.”

                “Just what are you blabbering about?” Daehyun voiced out.

                Yongguk stood up while dusting off his hands. “If Yongnam hyung is still alive, do you think you’ll fall in love with him?” he asked the man standing by his side.

                “I’m already yours, so I don’t think I will,” Daehyun replied without a tiny bit of hesitation.

                Yongguk was not satisfied. “What if you met him first? And then he said that you are his mate? What will you do?”

                “I’ll get to know him first, just like what I did with you,” Again, Daehyun easily gave an answer.

                Yongguk accepted that, nodding his head. Folding his arms across his chest, he gazed at the gravestone again. “I think you’ll love him,” he reckoned. “We have almost the same face, almost the same voice, almost the same height, almost the same scent. But he was far braver than I am, far cooler, far more responsible, far more charismatic,” he listed out all the good things about his twin brother and he could actually keep going on about it. “He even went to a better university than me,” he managed to add at the end.

                A light frown etched on Daehyun’s face. Sticking out his hand to the side, it touched Yongguk’s arm before sliding upwards to hold onto the shoulder. “Hyung, I don’t care about any of those,” he uttered. “The important thing is what I feel. My heart tells me that I love you, and it will forever be you that I choose, even for the next life.” He sighed, lips carving the loveliest smile. “You should stop worrying about something that would never happen because it’s always going to be you who found me and made me fall in love with you.”

                Yongguk just stared at the younger man. Daehyun might not know, but Yongguk was sure his warms cheeks must be so red right now. It amazed him how Daehyun could straightforwardly conveyed his feelings with words, unlike him who is better at expressing love with his touches.

                Taking Daehyun’s hand off his shoulder, he brought it to his lips for a kiss. He was really impressed at how Daehyun managed to convince him about his undying love for him. He just wished he could do the same thing to the latter.

                “I guess I need to tell Heeyeon about this.” Yongguk put their hands down, fingers still lacing with each other.

                “How are you going to do that?” Daehyun wondered. “I’d surely be devastated if I were to know that my mate has already passed away.”

                Yongguk sighed at that. “I don’t really know how, but she needs to know the possible reasons to her problem one way or another.”

                “What if she doesn’t want to believe it?”

                For a moment, Yongguk jusy stared at his mate as he thought about all the likely outcomes from breaking the news to Heeyeon. But in the end, there’s only one thing she could do. “She’s got to believe it. Because it’s not a choice.”

                When it was time for Daehyun to pay his respects to Yongnam, Yongguk helped in guiding Daehyun’s hand to place the flower bouquet he had been carrying on Yongnam’s headstone.

                “It’s beautiful,” Yongguk commented about the bouquet.

                Daehyun smiled broadly. “Thank you!”

                Both of them stayed for a while, having small talks with Yongnam on what was currently going on with their lives. When it was time to leave, Yongguk walked away with heavy steps, but his heart was lighter. It had always been like that. He would always feel a lot better after visiting his brother.

                Yongguk still had his hand clasped with Daehyun’s when they were walking away from there into the woods. The graveyard was only for his clan and had most of his ancestors. It was not that far from the clan’s mansion.

                “Did you really make the flower bouquet on your own?” Yongguk asked his mate.

                “I did,” Daehyun answered. “Your mother taught me.”

                “The person who made the flower bouquet is the same person who cried his eyes out when a flower died?” Yongguk remarked while holding his laughter.

                Daehyun knew he would certainly be teased about it. “Okay, I changed,” he whined. “A little bit,” he added with adorable scrunched up face. “But still, I wasn’t the one who killed the flowers. It was Minsu.” He finished by making a complaint with a sulky pout.

                Yongguk burst out laughing at that. His mate seriously couldn’t be any cuter.

                “Your mother’s right. It feels great to be giving out flowers to someone else,” Daehyun spoke up after that.

                “So, my brother’s the first one who got to have your flower bouquet?” The look on Yongguk’s face turned sullen, but of course Daehyun couldn’t see that.

                “What? Are you having hard feelings on your own brother?” Daehyun asked jokingly.

                Yongguk huffed. “No… It’s just that… Maybe I should’ve been the first one, you know… since I’m your mate and all…”

                Daehyun gasped in disbelief. “Quit sulking!” He hardly shook the arm he was holding with both of his hands. “I’ll made one for you when we get home.”

                Yongguk just laughed while his body was rocked from side to side by his mate. His free hand reached up to hold the side of Daehyun’s face before pulling it to the crook of his neck. His cheek then pressed on to the top of Daehyun’s head as a gesture of apology for his childish act.

                However, his fun was short lived when drops of water fell onto his face. Yongguk looked up to the previously cloudy sky which had now turned dark.

                “It’s started raining,” he told Daehyun. “Good thing we’ve got an umbre-”

                “What?” Daehyun was puzzled when the latter didn’t finish his sentence.

                Yongguk was still gaping at his empty hand after letting go of Daehyun’s head. “I thought I had the umbrella with me.”

                “You didn’t?!” Daehyun asked in surprise.

                “I guess I left it at the graveyard.” Yongguk scratched his head while turning back to look at the path that leads to it.

                “So we’re going back there to take it?” Daehyun was not sure about the idea.

                “I think we should,” Yongguk suggested. “We’re not even halfway to our home. I’m afraid if the rain gets heavier. We’d be drenched if we keep going. And I can’t just leave the umbrella back there.”

                “Alright, then,” Daehyun agreed. “Let’s hurry.”

                Yongguk quickly took off his long coat before covering his mate with it from the top of his head.

                “What about you, hyung?” Daehyun asked in concern after he realized about it.

                “Don’t worry about me,” Yongguk assured.

                They walked hand in hand along the same path they had used earlier with hastened steps, but now Yongguk had to be extra careful in guiding his mate since the ground had become much slippery.

                The drizzle gradually became a downpour along their way. Although it took longer than before, they still managed to reach the graveyard safely. But when they were about to walk out from the woods, Yongguk saw a figure coming from the other side.

                It was a woman who Yongguk just had gotten to know. She was dragging her feet in between the graves, holding an umbrella above her head with her eyes casted down to the ground. So before she could be aware of him, Yongguk pulled Daehyun to take cover behind a large tree.

                “Come here.” Yongguk turned Daehyun’s body so that he could lean his back against the tree. “Just lie low,” he whispered as they stood before each other.

                Upon hearing Yongguk’s flustered tone, Daehyun grew anxious. “What is it? Are we hiding? From who?” he whispered back in a rush.

                “It’s Heeyeon,” Yongguk told his mate while having his eyes fixed on the said woman.

                “What?!” Daehyun exclaimed under his breath. “Why are we hiding from her?”

                Yongguk’s eyes widened when Heeyeon stopped right in front that one grave. Once she noticed the flower bouquet placed there and an umbrella at the side, she lifted her head to take a look around. Yongguk quickly drew his head back and made himself completely hidden behind the tree. “She goes to Yongnam hyung’s grave,” he muttered to his mate.

                “Really?” Daehyun thought it was weird for her to do that. “What’s she doing there?”

                Yongguk actually had the same question in mind. “I don’t know.” He carefully took another peek at the woman and she was looking at the gravestone again. “She even brings flowers for him.”

                “Can you really see her from here?” Daehyun asked curiously.

                “Yeah, I’m keeping my eyes on her.”

                “Does she see you?

                “No, I don’t think so.”

                “Can’t she smell our scents?”

                “Not when it’s raining.”

                Daehyun hummed, thinking of the possible reasons Heeyeon was found there. “Maybe she came to pay her respect?”

                “She doesn’t know about my brother…” Yongguk trailed off before a frown etched on his face. He looked at his mate and asked, “Does she?”

                “Maybe someone told her about it,” Daehyun assumed.

                “But why would she come here if she just knew about him?” Yongguk doubted.

                “Maybe she’s just taking a walk?” Daehyun gave another plausible reason. “She’s supposed to come for dinner at the clan’s house later, right?”

                Yongguk remembered about that too. “Still, she shouldn’t look that sad…” he said after taking another look at Heeyeon. It seemed like she is crying, but he couldn’t know for sure because of the far distance and the rain.

                Daehyun was quiet for a moment before voicing out, “What are you thinking, hyung?”

                Yongguk heaved a deep breath. “This is strange,” he said, shaking his head. “Something is going on here.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

                The dinner went by smoothly. Even though Heeyeon was as frank as she had ever been in expressing her remarks, the clan members were not that surprised anymore. In fact, they kind of expected it.

                Everybody wouldn’t be so at ease if Yongguk hadn’t agreed with Dongwan not to talk to Heeyeon about her true mate there. So after all stomachs were full, Dongwan privately invited Heeyeon to the library. Yongguk, Daehyun and Minjee followed suit.

                Now, the familiar thick ancient book was lied open on the table in front of Heeyeon. The other four sat on the sofas around the same table, waiting for her to finish the reading.

                Still, even after she had reached the end of the sentences, Heeyeon had to repeat them again and again just to make sure her eyes were not deceiving her. After quite a while, she finally looked up with brows knitted together. “Twins?” she asked in confusion.

                Yongguk sighed. His eyes caught Heeyeon’s gaze before directing them to their side, cocking his head towards the family picture hanging on the wall.

                Heeyeon couldn’t believe she missed the large picture when it should be the first thing to notice after stepping into the hall. But now that she had seen it, there were really two of them who looked very similar to each other.

                “I believe you aren’t my mate in the first place. You are Yongnam hyung’s,” Yongguk spoke up, making Heeyeon turned towards him. “But don’t worry about being rejected. You won’t be attracted to me anymore once I’ve marked and bonded with Daehyun,” he explained, taking a glimpse at the said man who was quietly sitting next to him. “It’s just that…” he dropped his head for a moment before raising it to look at Heeyeon again. “I’m sorry that your mate is not-“

                “Wait wait wait,” Heeyeon cut Yongguk’s apology short with her palm held up towards him. “So this Yongnam is supposed to be your twin? Where is he now?”

                Yongguk and his parents were throwing looks at each other for a second. When Dongwan was about to open his mouth and give Heeyeon the answer she was looking for, his son beat him to it.

                “You know him, don’t you?” Yongguk prompted.

                Heeyeon was totally taken aback by that. She was stilled in her seat while the couple could only stare at their son quizzically.

                Yongguk nodded his head, knowing that Heeyeon’s mind must be full of questions right now. “You can stop lying to us now. I saw you at Yongnam hyung’s grave.”

                Heeyeon’s eyes widened in surprise and it wasn’t just her. Dongwan and Minjee too could barely believe what they just heard.

                “What?” Minjee breathed out before turning to the human beside her. “Is it true, Daehyun?” she asked, her hand took a hold of Daehyun’s onto her lap.

                “I didn’t see it on my own… but, I believe that Yongguk hyung really saw her giving flowers to Yongnam hyung at his grave,” Daehyun admitted.

                “Tell me, how did you know my brother?” Yongguk asked right away, not planning to give her any space for excuses.

                Now, everyone was all eyes and ears on Heeyeon. Her head hung low as she looked at each of them briefly. She had grown so anxious that she started biting her lips and fiddling her fingers. But she realized, there was no other way out.

                Shutting her eyes tight, Heeyeon finally uttered, “He’s my mate.”

                Her statement left everyone open mouthed. Sure, they had suspected Heeyeon to be Yongnam’s mate, but not that both of them had known each other before.

                “I met him when I was 18. He was 20 at that time,” Heeyeon began, her eyes fixed downcast. “I got into the same university as him. I was a freshman and it was my first day attending there. We picked up each other’s scent right away and we knew we were destined mates when we first laid eyes on each other.”

                “You’ve known each other for that long?” Yongguk asked in disbelief. “Why didn’t he tell us about it?”

                “Well…” Heeyeon jutted out her bottom lip while shrugging her shoulders. “He did say something about the promise he made with his twin brother, that both of you will be mated at the same time.”

                “What?!” Yongguk exclaimed, his eyes bulging out. “He shouldn’t have done that! That promise was ages ago. It’s just a stupid promise we made when we’re kids!”

                Daehyun would flinch every time Yongguk raised his voice. So he stretched out his hand to the side, searching for Yongguk’s back to give it a comforting rub.

                Yongguk released a long sigh. Daehyun’s touch never failed to soothe him. “He told me that I shouldn’t find my mate before he does since I’m younger than him,” he continued in a calmer tone. “I said it was ridiculous because we’re twins, we’re born on the same day. So, he said that we should be mated on the same day too and we made that promise with each other.”

                Heeyeon nodded, agreeing with Yongguk. “I told him we wouldn’t know how long it would take for you to find your mate, but he wasn’t listening to me,” she muttered before finally looking up at him. “He cared so much about you and his clan.”

                Yongguk should have known that a long time ago. His brother had always put his family and clan first before anyone else. Yongnam was supposed to be the next alpha leader after all.

                Yongguk ran his fingers through his hair before rubbing his chin as he stared at the young woman. “Did you really love him?”

                “I do!” Heeyeon immediately answered. “I still love him…”

                “Then, why do you want to mate with me?” Yongguk wondered. “He’d be sad to know this.”

                Heeyeon earnestly shook her head. “I thought you’re really my next mate after he passed away,” she claimed, sounding almost desperate for everyone to believe her.

                “I really thought you’re Yongnam oppa when I first met you,” Heeyeon added, already in the brink of tears. So she casted her gaze down again. “It felt like he’s still alive…”

                Seeing Heeyeon being sad like that, all of them suddenly felt sorry for her. Suddenly, the woman in front of them was not the same woman they had known before.

                “It’s not your fault,” Yongguk tried to comfort her. “You feel attracted to me because I’m his twin. And the attraction will only be gone if you’re marked by him.”

                Heeyeon nodded her head. “And my clan wouldn’t have kicked me out.”

                Everyone was silenced. Yongguk exchanged confused looks between his parents. Even Daehyun couldn’t hide the question marks drawn on his face.

                Heeyeon only realized how quiet the air had become after a moment. She immediately raised her head, meeting the eyes full of confusion. Only then she caught on the slip of her tongue.

                “What do you mean…kicked out?” Minjee asked. “I thought your clan split up?”

                “Well…” Heeyeon breathed out heavily. “No… My clan didn’t split up. They actually kicked me out… because...” she paused, contemplating for a second. “I have a son,” she confessed in a murmur.

                “What?!” Minjee almost shouted in shock. “A son? It couldn’t be…”

                Heeyeon easily grasped what the luna was trying to say. “Yes, he is Yongnam oppa’s.”

                Daehyun felt around for Yongguk’s hand before taking it into his hold. “How could it be?” he whispered to the older man.

                “I don’t know,” Yongguk replied under his breath, still dumbfounded by the news.

                Dongwan was pinching the bridge of his nose before looking up at Heeyeon. “How can we trust you about this?”

                “You can do whatever you want. Blood test, DNA test, whatever.” Heeyeon nonchalantly said with a shrug of shoulders. “How could I have other people’s child when I love him so much?” she pointed out as a matter of fact. “That summer break when I found out that I’m pregnant, I was so scared to tell him about it. It took me a week to gather the courage to tell him,” she said, fresh tears forming in her eyes. “But right when I was about to call him, one of our friends told me that he died in a car accident,” she sniffled after the tears began falling down. “He just…died… He didn’t even say goodbye to me before he’s gone forever. I couldn’t even see him for the last time.”

                Yongguk tightened his grip around Daehyun’s hand at the mention of Yongnam’s accident. It seemed that Heeyeon didn’t know how Yongnam actually died, just like they didn’t know about Yongnam’s son. Of course they should tell her the truth, but that could wait for another time.

                “Why didn’t you tell me before?” Yongguk spoke up. “You think I’d mate with a woman who has my brother’s child?”

                “I’m afraid you’d reject me,” Heeyeon muttered. “I’m afraid the whole clan would reject me. So I thought I should mate with you first before telling you about my son. I thought here would be a lower chance of you rejecting me if we were already mated with each other. Then, when I got to know that you’ve already found your mate, I admit that I almost gave up, but… I was simply happy at the mere thought that my son would finally have the life he should’ve had, and a father figure, who looks exactly like his real father. That’s why I was willing to be your second mate.”

                Yongguk couldn’t say anything anymore after everything was revealed. It was so much more that what he could think of and he could only leaned back against the sofa before running his fingers through his hair. Even Daehyun was lost for words. He needed some time to digest everything about this.

                “Where is your son now?” Minjee asked when the silence had become unbearable.

                “At the daycare,” Heeyeon answered.

                Dongwan sat up on the sofa, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He was eyeing his wife at first, then his son before finally, turning towards the young woman who was busy wiping the remaining tears away. Then, he said, “We certainly want to meet him.”