Chapter 16

Tabi’s POV

Father?  He’s her father?

“Yang Sajangnim.  What is she thinking, calling you father?”

“Seunghyun-ah, sit down so we can talk and I can explain to you properly.”

“What is going on?!”

I turned to Bom, whose eyes went wide in shock.  Her forehead started to sweat and I can tell she was nervous.  I felt my whole face heated up and I was so angry.  I wanted the answers desperately but at the same time, I was scared to hear it.  Teddy hyung was just standing beside me.  He held my shoulders and motioned me to get in and sit down but I shook him off.

“What’s going on noona?! Why are you calling him father?!”  I felt like crying but I was more angry than sad.  Noona then answered me with a shaking weak voice.

“Seunghyun-ah, please calm down and take a seat.”  Her tears rolled down her cheeks and she bowed her head, probably feeling sorry.

Teddy hyung motioned me gently again to sit beside Bom, facing her father.

“Now tell me.”  I demanded.

“You heard it right Seunghyun, Bom did call me father.”

Yang.  Hyun.  Suk.  I’ve never seen his expression as calm as it was tonight.  I cannot believe what just came out from his mouth.  I couldn’t speak for a moment.  Bom looked at me, her face soaked in tears.  She placed her hand over mine, but I shook it off.  I was too annoyed that I was the only clueless one.  I looked at her straight in the eyes.

“You lied to me, noona.  How could you?”

“Bom didn’t lie to you, Seunghyun.”  Teddy hyung interrupted.

“You’re the same hyung!”

“Choi Seunghyun, lower you voice!”  Yang Hyun Suk demanded.

“You’re the same!  You’re all the same! You lied to me… FATHER”

“We never lied to you Seunghyun.”

“Never?  Not telling me anything and leaving me clueless even when all of you knew, isn’t considered lying?  You all made me look like an idiot! No, you all made me live like an idiot.”

I was enraged and it was hard to control my feelings.  I broke in to tears and I could hear Bom sobbing harder.

“Seunghyun-ah, please”  Bom cried out.

“So you’re my sister, huh?  What do you think about your brother falling in love with you, huh?  You must feel weird now.”

“You… love me?”

“Ha.  You couldn’t tell?  Did you think I’d make all the efforts with you if I didn’t feel anything special for you?”

“Seunghyun!”  Dad’s voice raised again.

“What dad?!”

“Hongjun and Bom are getting married!”

Teddy hyung’s eyes widened as he looked at father and me.

“Well then, congratulations.” I said sarcastically.  “Like I can stop from doing it.  We’re siblings, aren’t we?”

That was an all-kill for me.  I dashed out of the restaurant with tears flowing uncontrollably from my eyes.  Although I wasn’t sure where I was going, I kept walking where the road was and only stopped when I had to cross the street.  I ended up in a sidewalk barbecue stall and ordered a bottle of soju.

--

Bom’s POV

“Abeoji”  I was crying my eyes out.  My heart was heavy and filled with grief.

“It’s better this way, Bom.”

“No, it’s not!  We could have at least told him that we’re not blood-related!”

“Calm down, Bom.”  Teddy oppa whispered, holding my shoulder.

“Yes, we could have told him that you’re not blood-related and that I just picked him up from an orphanage that he can’t even remember and give him hope that there’s a chance for you to be together, although in reality you’re going to marry Hongjun!  Will that make him feel better?!  Do you really think that can make him feel better?!  He’s my son too, Bom.  By blood or not, he’s my son too, and I want to make this as fair to him as possible.  He’s right, all his life I’ve lied to him.”

Father raised his voice at me for the first time.  Although there was so much strength in it, I felt his sadness deep within.  I thought he was right, and my heart was totally torn.  He told Teddy oppa to take care of me since he had to leave for his appointment and then left.  I saw his eyes were red, probably from stopping his tears from falling.

Teddy oppa and I stayed a bit longer but ended up not having dinner.  I kept worrying about Tabi.  I was worried about where he went.  I wanted to call him but I was sure that he won’t pick up.  I was anxious and helpless.  There was nothing else I could do but to shed more tears.

Dara’s POV

It was already getting late but Seunghyun still wasn’t home.  He didn’t tell me where he was going, he just suddenly left in the afternoon.  I don’t know why I was worried when he usually doesn’t tell me anything.  I should be used to it, it’s not something new and it felt weird.  I cooked a cup of instant ramen for myself while watching TV.  I didn’t realize that I was checking the wall clock every now and then.

It was almost 1 am and strangely I was still up when I heard a loud banging on the gate.  It was so loud that the stray dogs were barking.  I hurried to get the metal tube and held it tightly with both hands.  I peeked from the window and I thought I saw someone bowing and swaying.  I didn’t turn the lights on outside and carried a small torch instead so as not to be noticed immediately.  I slowly went out and tip-toed myself to the gate, gathered all my strength and held the tube tightly with one hand and the other preparing to open the gate.

1, 2, 3…

I opened the gate and it was Seunghyun.  He was drunk, so drunk that he could barely lift his head up.  I struggled to help him in until I finally settled him on the sofa.  He kept moving and falling off the sofa and he kept murmuring words that I couldn’t understand.  I went closer to listen carefully while trying to read his lips.

Take… room… take me…take me… to my room…

So that’s what it was.

“Ya jugule?!  I struggled enough just to get you in and now you want me to take you up your room?!  Tch, you must be kidding me.”

He suddenly hooked his arm around my neck and tried to stand up.  He was so heavy that I almost fell. His will to go up to his room was so strong that he was able to take slow steps until we arrived.  I sat him on his bed and tried to lay him down when he suddenly grabbed my shirt and pulled me to his bed.  I was trapped between him and the wall.  His eyes piercingly looked straight to mine.  My eyes widened as his face slowly moved closer until his soft lips touched mine.  I involuntarily closed my eyes.