CHAPTER 26

AN OFFER

Weddings were supposed to be happy. Gatherings and celebrations were expected at every wedding. Reunions of families and unions of two lovers were celebrated. A happy occasion indeed, but Haechan was feeling the other way around.
 

Two of his brothers got married in the same year. Two members were added to his family. He got two new members to call hyung. He was supposed to be excited, but he wasn’t.
 

When Taeyong suddenly announced that he was getting married, it took Haechan by surprised. The man who took the role as the head of their family since their father died decided to get married. The man deserved it. He had been thinking of his brothers for so long that he almost forgot that he had a life of his own. Maybe it was sudden, but Haechan couldn’t blame his brother for it. Taeyong had found his Jaehyun hyung and although it was hard, Haechan accepted it. He held on to the promise that his new hyung won’t take his Taeyong hyung away from him and Winwin.
 

They moved into a new, bigger and nicer place with the thought that Taeyong and his new husband were going to join them, it was the promise after all. Nothing was going to change aside from the new addition to their supposed growing family. Haechan accepted it all with an open heart. He was truly excited, but Winwin chose to live separately from their hyung. It was solely Winwin’s decision, his reason was to give the new couple their privacy. The thought that Winwin's decision was because he was still against Taeyong’s sudden marriage didn’t leave Haechan’s mind, but the reason he gave him was valid enough for him to once again, accept. The only consolation that Haechan got was that their older brother was just next door. 
 

Coping up with their new life was never easy. Haechan had to take a new route to go to school and with his current situation, leg still in a cast made it very difficult. Jaehyun offered to take him to school every day, but Haechan felt that it was too much, considering that Mark already saved him from the fall and it wasn't Jaehyun's obligation in the first place.

He eventually got used to it. Jungwoo and Yeri were there to help him although it was out of their way. The new routine continued until his cast was removed and he was able to walk normally again.
 

Haechan was finally getting used to it. He was getting used to staying at home all alone and eating his dinner all by himself because Winwin always got home late. Winwin was in his last year of high school so it was normal for him to take extra classes needed for his college admission test. 
 

Haechan understood.
 

Who wouldn’t? Haechan liked to believe that it wasn’t that lonely being alone inside that house because his Jaehyun hyung set up a state of the art game desk just for him. It had two curved monitors and updated system software where all the games his brother-in-law created were installed. Taeyong was against it at first, thinking that it was going to affect his studies, but all Haechan played was Brainiacs so he didn’t actually need the setup. He was proven wrong when he started getting left alone and realized that his Jaehyun hyung was right. He taught himself all the games and it successfully took him away from the reality that he was alone in that huge house.
 

It helped that Kun was there to accompany him when his father had matters to attend to. Kun also distracted him and took most of his time so Haechan had no time to think of other things. The little kid accompanied him more than Haechan accompanied him. Kun was not aware of it, but his presence helped Haechan a lot. For a moment, Haechan was able to forget his surroundings.
 

Winwin started to get cold on him. The older rarely talk to him anymore and he was always on his phone talking to someone Haechan didn’t know who. Winwin’s coldness wasn’t intentional, Haechan forced himself to believe. The older still answer his questions and still asked how his day went, although his answers were not heard because Winwin’s phone always rang when Haechan was about to answer and the older always turned his back on him to tend to the call. Sometimes Haechan wanted to hate the caller for taking Winwin’s time away from him. 
 

Haechan didn’t. He tried to understand Winwin’s situation. They may be both in high school but his hyung had so much work to do and he needed the help of his classmates. Winwin had more friends than him in the first place. Jungwoo and Yeri were all Haechan got to call friends so he had nothing to talk to from his new phone.
 

It was going to get better soon. Everything was going to be better soon and everything was going to be normal again.
 

But it didn’t.
 

Betrayal and heartbreak soon filled his heart when Winwin went home one day, together with Yuta Nakamoto, and told him that they were already married and he was going to live with him from now on.
Haechan felt his stomach drop and was left speechless.
 

Yuta Nakamoto was one of the persons his Taeyong hyung hated aside from those social workers who tried to take them away years ago.  Haechan was told that Yuta hurt his Winwin hyung so it was a puzzle why the two decided to get married all of a sudden, unlike his Taeyong hyung, Winwin didn’t announce the wedding, so none of them were present during the ceremony. Haechan felt bad about it, but he didn’t push the subject any further anymore because the couple was there to inform him about their new status and not to get his permission.
 

Haechan swallowed a huge lump on his throat and put his hand to his chest, feeling his heart and making sure that it was still beating, strong and steady. Words wanted to come out from his mouth, he had a lot to say to Winwin, but nothing came out. The feeling of being left in the dark crept to his heart and he wanted to tell Winwin about it, to tell him that it was unfair that he was only told very late and the very last person to know. Haechan tried to confront Winwin about it and yet his lips remained sealed, not wanting to blurt any word.
 

Who knew watching someone pack their things could be that painful? With every piece of clothing put into a luggage felt like a piece of Haechan’s heart was also ripped off. The younger finally had the strength to stop his brother from taking all his clothes. He held his wrist and looked at him in the eyes and pleaded not to continue, not to go. His pleading fell on deaf ears. Winwin just promised him visits and calls, promises that were going to be forgotten. For that moment, Haechan felt that Winwin was a complete stranger. His old Winwin hyung was gone and nowhere to be found.
 

Haechan looked at Winwin’s husband, who stood by the door, the older looked at him softly, silently apologizing for Winwin’s coldness. He even tried to coax him not to get mad at his brother for acting that way. 
 

Haechan wanted to tell him that he was never mad at his brother, he was mad at him. Haechan was mad at Yuta Nakamoto for taking away his hyung. Unlike his Jaehyun hyung, Yuta didn’t leave any promises. Unlike him, his Jaehyun hyung asked for their permission. Unlike him, Jaehyun gave them the right to witness their wedding because they were his family after all. Yuta did nothing of that.
 

So Haechan felt indifferent to the latest addition to their family.
 

The clothes on the closet were slowly decreasing as Winwin put them in his luggage. His actions were quick and it seemed like he was running out of time or maybe he just wanted to leave that place as soon as possible. Haechan saw through his actions and the younger concluded that Winwin was too eager to leave that place, to leave him.
 

In no time the luggage was filled with clothes and the closet was empty. Winwin hastily locked it and Yuta came to carry the luggage out.  The older then came to the bathroom to get his toiletries and soon enough, there was no sign that Winwin once lived in that house. With all of this, Haechan was just looking and waiting for his brother to acknowledge his presence and talk to him. The other moved so fast that he doubted if he was even aware that they were in the same room together. 
 

The time that Winwin only remembered him was when he was about to step out the door and leave. He just said a simple goodbye and left. Haechan saw the sympathetic look on Yuta’s eyes but he was too devastated to care. The moment the door closed was the same moment his tears fell freely down his face. 
 

A hug, all Haechan needed that moment was a warm hug and Winwin withheld the small request. Maybe he was too excited to spend his new life with his new husband, a life Haechan no longer part of. 
 

Since Taeyong got married, Winwin became his primary guardian. Haechan understood that he was not Taeyong’s priority anymore and most of his time was going to be spent with his husband. Winwin took his place and then, he also left. Of course, Haechan got it but why Winwin acted like he was mad at him?
 

That was the one thing Haechan failed to understand. 

***
 

Mark was frustrated. Who wouldn’t? He had been stuck in a wheelchair for quite some time and unable to do the things he usually did, no basketball, no eating out and no watching movies outside their house. In other words, Mark was useless for the time being. Taeil made it a point Mark followed the rules he set up while he was still in a wheelchair. The youngest Jung was basically stuck at home. Good thing, his best friend Lucas was always there to accompany him and let him copy the notes he got from school. He still got a month before he can use crutches and get back to school.
 

After series of therapies and rigorous exercises, his legs were getting better and he could even stand on his own, though taking a step was another different story. Taeil was always by his side during those times because his other brother was having the time of his life with his husband. Mark wanted to puke rainbows whenever Jaehyun talks about how great Taeyong was. Don’t get him wrong, Mark had learned his lesson about his brother’s uality and preferences and little by little, he was opening his heart in accepting it, and he liked Taeyong for his brother, though he was sure that the other hated him like a plague.
 

Taeyong’s brother, Haechan also became his number one concern since the accident happened. Since that incident, he hadn’t seen the person, yet and Taeil became the barrier for Mark to talk or even see the boy. All Taeil said was that they now live above them and he was forbidden to see Haechan. 
 

Acceptable, after everything that happened, Mark would definitely understand that Haechan’s hate on him would double or even tripled. He just wanted to make things right and being the douche that he was, made everything worst. 
The last time he got a news from Taeil was that Haechan was still on crutches but he was finally going to school. It was one thing that Mark was thankful for and he planned to see the guy once he was able to go to school again and he was going to see him even if his brothers were against it. 
 

Mark just wanted to apologize and maybe, just maybe, start a new friendship. He knew that it was going to be tough, but he was willing to take risks just to make it up to Haechan, who's been the subject of his hate towards gay. After Taeil’s long lecture about his uality, Mark finally understood and he felt extremely guilty for everything he had done to the innocent boy. He wanted to start anew, but his brother wouldn’t let him, so the only place that was possible for him to see the young boy was the school, but he still had to wait for a month before his plan would work.
Little did Mark know that he didn’t have to wait that long for him to see and talk to Haechan.

One late afternoon, Mark decided to get some fresh air, so he wheeled himself to the elevator that would carry him to the top floor of their building.  It had a pool for the homeowners and Mark just wanted to get some fresh air and relax, away from his gadgets and the four walls of his room.
 

It took him a long time to get there and he was already sweaty when he reached the top floor. It was getting dark soon and the top floor was particularly empty. Mark smiled at the silence and inhaled the cold air of the city. He was getting the relaxation that he was looking for until he heard someone behind him. He wasn’t alone after all. Mark tried to wheel his chair back to the elevator until he noticed that the boy behind him was trying to get over the railing. He was going to jump and what terrified Mark, even more, was that he recognized who it was.
 

It was Haechan.
 

As if a bucket of ice-cold water was poured on his head, Mark cursed out loud and wheeled himself to the area where Haechan was as fast as he could. Haechan was almost over the railing and Mark arrived just in time to pull his shirt and stopped him from breaking every bone of his body from a 30-floor fall. Haechan squirmed and tried to pull himself away from the hands of Mark. This time, MArk was determined, he wasn’t able to stop their fall last time so he did everything and used every ounce of strength he didn’t know he had on his body to pull the boy away from the railing. 
 

Haechan was smarter but Mark was stronger, every tactic Haechan used to pull himself away from Mark were unsuccessful. The boy in the wheelchair successfully pulled him down and because of the force, Haechan landed on top of him and the wheelchair fell back, taking the two with it. There was a load thump as they both landed on the cold hard floor.
 

Both of them were still on top of each other as they tried to catch their breath. Mark’s heart was still beating like crazy and his hands were shaking. All the strength he got a while go suddenly left him. The two remained on top of each other until he felt Haechan pulled himself up after his breathing became normal again. 
Their eyes met and Mark saw nothing but emptiness. Haechan’s eyes were practically dead and he worried.  Haechan sat on the floor, also weak with what happened.
 

“Why did you stop me?” He asked, his voice also devoid of life. Mark wondered what happened. What did he miss?
 

“Help me get up first because you ask questions. My back is killing me,” Mark pleaded as he tried to pull himself up from the wheelchair on the ground, which he found extremely difficult because he couldn't use his legs. That was the only time that Haechan noticed that his arch-nemesis was in a wheelchair. Without thinking twice, or maybe Haechan lost his ability to think anymore, he stood up and offered his hand for Mark to take. When he was seated on the floor, Haechan pulled the wheelchair up and hooked Mark’s arm over his shoulder and helped him sit on it, a simple task that proved to be very difficult because of their lost strength. 
 

Haechan sat on the floor once again, his limbs were still shaking from what happened. He looked up the sky. It was already dark and the lights from the rooftop switched on, making the two to see each other’s face clearly. 
 

Mark noticed that the usually cheerful and always smiling Haechan was nowhere to be found. In front of him was a hallowed human, empty of any emotions. He was expecting to be yelled at after pulling him down but his voice lacked anger, it was lifeless. It really seemed like Haechan gave up on life.
 

“We may not be best of friends, but I don’t want to see you kill yourself. What were you thinking? This is a 30-story building. No one would even recognize you if you fall. How stupid can you get?” Mark was provoking him with his words like he usually did, hoping to see a spark of anger or any emotion in his eyes but he saw nothing.
 

Haechan looked at him with his empty eyes, “That’s the point, and we’re not even friends to start with so why bother saving me. I should be dead by now, but you interrupted everything. I’m not going to thank you or call you my hero if that’s what you’re waiting to hear.”
 

Mark scoffed and bit his lower lips in annoyance. “You really are something. Do you really think that I will allow you to jump and end your life that way? If you really want to die, then tell me and I would gladly kill an enemy.” 
 

To Mark's surprise, Haechan laughed and looked at him straight in the eyes and said, “Do it. This will be the first and the last time that I will beg you, so listen carefully. Please kill me. I don’t care how just do it.”
 

“And make my self a murderer,” Mark looked away and whispered. Haechan heard him and under normal circumstances, they would've started bickering but once again, there was no reaction from Haechan so Mark decided he had to do something.
 

“Tell me what’s wrong? I’m all ears.”
 

“Why would I tell a monkey about it? It’s not like you can help an enemy like me.”
 

Mark sighed in defeat. He knew it was going to be a failure but he was willing to take the risk. He wanted to talk to Haechan since the stair incident and though it wasn’t really the great time, at least he could start and take small steps.

“C-can you try to forget everything that happened and let’s start anew? Can we be friends?” Mark knew he was walking on thin ice. His attempt could make or break the friendship he was offering.
 

“I don’t want to be your friend,” was Haechan’s answer and Mark’s stomach dropped, but that didn’t mean that he was going to give up. He knew that gaining Haechan’s trust was not going to be easy, but he already started and there was no turning back.
 

“Well, I do and you cant do anything about it. You told me you and Winwin hyung are kind to animals so you can try with me.”
 

Instead of scoffing with Mark's sick joke, the mention of his Winwin hyung’s name triggered the pain that was in his heart and Haechan swore he felt it constrict like he was having a heart attack.
 

“Winwin hyung got married to that Yuta Nakamoto.” Unknowingly, Haechan started to spill some of the burdens he was carrying and Mark was flabbergasted at the news?
 

“Wait, what? Yuta hyung and your Winwin hyung got married?” He must have stayed inside their house for a long time to miss something huge as this.
 

“I think Winwin hyung hates me and I don’t know why. Taeyong hyung left us and now Winwin hyung also left me.” Tears slowly flowed down form Haechan’s cheeks and Mark felt uneasy seeing his enemy cry. As if on cue, he took both of his hands and enveloped them with his own. Haechan’s hands were cold and shaking but Mark started to regain their warmth.

Surprisingly, the younger did object and Mark realized that Haechan was really carrying heavy loads, too heavy that he didn't even push him away.
 

“I’m alone now.  They said we will be together and but they both left me by myself and I don’t know the reason why Winwin hates me. I don’t know.”
 

Haechan was sobbing and Mark was glad they were alone that time so no one could hear the agonizing and painful cry of the young one.
 

“Shhh….” Mark tried to comfort him, “the only person who has the right to hate you is me so don’t think that your brothers hate you.”
 

It was a joke, hoping Haechan would somehow smile and forget everything for a while. Mark knew it was a failed attempt so he got the shock of his life when Haechan gave him a small smile so he took the opportunity and continued. He gently squeezed his hands and said, “I know I was the biggest jerk back then.”
 

“You still are.”
 

“Haechan,” Mark warned. Haechan just shrugged him off so he continued once again.
 

“I’m sorry.” Now it was Haechan’s turn to be shocked at Mark’s words. 
 

“Are you sick? Is the world gonna end tomorrow? Are monkeys finally evolving?” 
 

Mark rolled his eyes. “Will you let me finish, you punk.”
 

“I will if you let go of my hands. Are you sure you’re apologizing and not proposing?” Mark reddened at that remark but he perfectly hid his reactions and let Haechan’s hands go. Unknown to him, Mark was really glad that he took his joke and he saw a glint of friskiness in his eyes. It was just a tiny one but it was there, Mark saw it. 
 

“For someone who was trying to kill himself a while ago, you’re still able to insult me.”
 

“Can’t help myself whenever I see your ugly face.”
 

Mark told himself to be patient and not punch the living daylight out of the boy in front of him. He was ending their war and offering peace and friendship so he had to be patient. So he took a deep breath and said, “Let’s be friends. If you feel that you’re alone, I can give my time to you. I’m here and I’m all ears to all of the things that are bothering you.”
 

“Why are you doing this? We hate each other, why do you want us to be friends all of a sudden? I swear if you are planning something, I gonna push you off this building myself.”
 

“Ah seriously, is this what you say to someone who's offering his friendship to you?”
 

“No, just you.”
 

Patience, Mark reminded himself. 
 

“I want to make it up to you, from all of the things-“
 

“Stupid things,” Haechan interrupted once again.
 

Mark rolled his eyes, “stupid things that I did.”
 

“Taeyong hyung hates you.”
 

“I know. I just want to let you know that I’ll go to be here, at this rooftop, everyday so whenever you feel like you need someone to talk to, I am ready to listen. Taeyong hyung doesn't  need to know if you want to.”
 

Haechan didn’t answer. He just stared at the boy in front of him so Mark had no clue if he was actually listening or what.
“I can even be your punching bag if that will make you feel better, just, just don’t try to kill yourself anymore. I’m sure your Taeyong hyung and Winwin hyung will be so sad about it.”
 

If you would tell the old Mark that he was going to say those words to Haechan in the future, he would’ve laughed and punched you in the face, but he, himself couldn’t believe that he was actually doing it now. He was really desperate to make it up to his former enemy and be his friend.
 

Haechan didn’t answer, there was no single word of response from him after he heard Mark’s offer. Instead, he stood up and dusted himself and headed for the exit door. Mark was left crestfallen, but before Haechan closed the door, he said, “If you’re not here tomorrow, I will kick your sorry up to Mars," and left.
 

Mark smiled.

aejae22

**********************************************************************

Hello.

Thank you for your concern. ^.^

I wasnt able to update on the date that I promised because I really couldnt move. It was a bad case of flu, but I'm better now so here's an update as promised (though late).

Tell what you think about it.