CHAPTER 10

MARK & HAECHAN

The sound of a vase smashing into a wall broke the eerie silence that once surrounded the room. Then Mark was the next to be thrown on the floor by his brother Jaehyun. The youngest cowered at the impact with the cold hard floor, but his brother was far from being over with him. Jaehyun took him by the collar, made him stand, and slammed him into the nearby wall. Once again, Mark winced at the impact. 

"What the hell were you thinking, huh?" Jaehyun glowered at him. "Why did you do that to Haechan!"
Mark refused to back down. He held his brother's arms that kept him in place and matched his piercing gaze. 
"Because he's bragging about working in NCT!"

"That doesn't give you the right to hurt him or even lay a finger on him! Since when did you become so narrow-minded?" Jaehyun yelled, which almost made him hoarse. His face turned red, and it was the first time Mark saw his brother so mad, especially at him. "And I know that's not the only reason why you hate him that much."

"That's the only reason. I hate him because he kept on bragging to everyone about NCT," Mark yelled at his brother, "While me, your brother, couldn't even have the job because I'm not as smart as you!"

Jaehyun shook his head in anger, still unfazed by the petty reason. He knew something else, and he would do everything to extract the real reason out of Mark.

"Don't play bull on me, Mark. You know I would give you any position you desire in that company, but it's you who keeps on refusing it. Now, tell me the real reason why you did that to Haechan." Jaehyun's voice was dangerously low, and Mark began to get scared. The older one can read him like an open book, and there was no point in denying it.

With all frustration, he answered, "Because he's a !"

Jaehyun's eyes widened, and his hold on Mark's collar loosened. His arms eventually fell on his side. That moment, Taeil, who just came and about closed the door, froze at his spot. His ears refused to believe the words that came out from their youngest's mouth.

"I hate him because he's gay!" Mark repeated, and Taeil almost choked as he tried to hold his emotion.

"I-I'll just stay at your apartment," he said to no one in particular, gaining the attention of the two who were in his apartment. Mark and Jaehyun knew that he went to Jaehyun's apartment just a floor above them.

"I hope you just realized what you just said." Jaehyun sighed.

"Why are you defending Haechan!" Mark was provoking his brother, and so Jaehyun gave him what he wanted.

"Because Haechan is just like Taeil and me!" Jaehyun finally said it, loud and clear so that Mark was able to comprehend it quickly, "And what you did to Haechan is the very same thing our father did to Taeil Hyung." 

"H-Hyung..."

"Taeil Hyung and I are gay, Mark, like Haechan."

For a long time, Mark looked for why only Mark visited their father at his house and why no one asked about each other. Mark knew the society changed a lot, and being gay was accepted almost everywhere. They belonged to a very conservative family, and their father once kicked their uncle out because he was gay. A few years later, his two brothers have stripped of their inheritance and kicked out of the house by their father, but no one told him why. He chose to come with his brothers, and they live together before they built their company. That moment, after questioning particularly no one, why their father did that, Mark got his answer. Jaehyun just slapped the truth in his face, and he wasn't prepared for it.

"Maybe it's also our fault that we kept it from you. We kept it for this very reason." Jaehyun once again said, this time, he turned his back on Mark, clearly crestfallen. "If you hate us now for what we are, I'll understand. You can leave our place and go back to your father. Just- just don't hurt someone just because they're gay, and if you can, please apologize to Haechan and Taeil Hyung." with that, Jaehyun left the still stunned Mark.

***

Jaehyun was genuinely disheartened by what happened. He could barely walk his way properly to his floor because his feet felt so heavy that they matched the heaviness his heartfelt at the moment. His day started just fine until Taeyong appeared and gave him news that ruined all his plans and hopes.

*** 

Taeyong immediately took Haechan's battered form from Winwin's arms and cradled the crying kid. His hands shook while he tried to wipe off the tears from his youngest brother's eyes. "Win, please get the first aid kit. We'll- we'll try to calm him down first before we bring him to the hospital."

Winwin nodded and stood to get what they needed. 

Taeyong then carried his brother to their living room and gently removed his tattered clothes, and tried not to choke at sight. Haechan's body was severely bruised, just like his face. His torso was black and blue with all the beating he had to receive. Taeyong tried to touch one of his bruises, and Haechan screamed his lungs out. The older wanted to cry, but he had to be vital for Haechan. Winwin immediately gave Taeyong what he asked the moment he heard Haechan scream. No one said any word after that. Taeyong quietly cleaned their youngest open wounds while Winwin held his hand tightly. 
Taeyong then a new set of clean clothes on Haechan and tried to carry him to the hospital, but Haechan struggled. 

"I don't want to go anywhere." Haechan cried once again. Eyes pleaded with his brothers not to take him anywhere. "They're going to ask questions."

"But you need to be checked. You're badly injured, and there could be internal injuries that need to be treated." Winwin tried to convince him, but Haechan shook his head. 

"I don't want to go." He then looked at Taeyong for support. "I'm going to be okay. These are just bruises. They will heal soon, Hyung. Please don't bring me to the hospital."

Taeyong looked at Winwin. If Haechan was so against going to the hospital, they were going to respect his decision. 

"I don't want to risk it, Chan. What if they get worse?"

"I'm going to be okay, I promise. He didn't hit my head, so I'm going to be okay."

Taeyong reluctantly nodded but decided that if something happened that night, they brought Haechan to the hospital even if it was against his will. But Winwin heard something, and he was never going to let it slide.

"He?"

Haechan froze from where he laid. 

Taeyong then asked, "You're going to tell us who did this to you, or we're going to force you to go to the hospital."
Haechan is left with no choice, so he started to tell them what happened.

"He told me to stop bragging about working in NCT. I wasn't bragging, no one knows I work at NCT except for him, but I know the real reason he hates so much. He hates that I'm gay. He hates that I like men, and he hit me because of that."

Taeyong could almost hear the name of the person who did this to his brother, but he waited for confirmation. 

"Jung Mark hates me because I'm gay."

And with that statement, Taeyong made a decision. No more working at the NCT Corp.

***

That morning, Taeyong showed up with bad news for NCT Corp., primarily to Jaehyun.

Jaehyun couldn't believe what he just heard. Taeyong just told him that he was going to resign, and he took Haechan with him. Jaehyun refused to believe it, but it happened.

"You know a contract binds you, and you know the consequences of breaking it." Jaehyun tried to act professionally and impose authority, but the thought was already killing him inside.

 Taeyong came prepared. He may not understand anything about contracts, but Winwin told him anything he needed to know. He didn't tell Ten about his plan of resigning because he was sure that the latter would convince him not to do it. The welfare of his brother was on the line. He was going to break everything to keep them safe.

"That contract became invalid the moment your brother hurt Haechan," Taeyong said straight to the point that left Jaehyun frowned in confusion. "You promised us your protection, but you couldn't even protect us from your brother. You can sue us for breaching the contract, but I promise that I will not stop until your brother is in jail for what he did to my brother. So let's compromise. Accept our resignation and tell your brother to leave my brother alone."

That was the first time Jaehyun heard Taeyong talk that much. The guy turned into a beast when it came to his brother, and also, for the first time, it left Jaehyun speechless. His hands fisted until his knuckles turned white, but Taeyong remained unfazed.

"I will transfer Haechan, and I promise that you will not see us again. Thank you for everything." Taeyong finished with a bow and walked out of that office with his head held up high.

For Taeyong, he did what he thought is best for his brothers and built a strong relationship with them. Still, for Jaehyun, the former just destroyed what he tried so hard to make.
 

aejae22

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More of the other coupls next chapter.

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