Chapter 24 (II)

"So am I right then?" Hongbin insisted.

And his brother nodded. "If you want to believe that then stick with that belief." Wonsik took his headphones from his neck and placed it on Hongbin's ears. "This will help you relax. It's a classical song..." He told him. Wonsik's grin grew wider while Hongbin could not help but feel uneasy about the way his brother was acting.

Hongbin moved the headphones out of his ears slightly. The piece that was playing was Chopin. He at least remembered the name of the composer but he was not really interested about that at the moment. "What are you talking about? So I was wrong? If I was wrong then you shouldn't have nodded –"

"Sometimes it is better to stick with our beliefs, your self-made truth, because it is safer than believing someone else's," Wonsik interrupted his brother. He was neither annoyed nor angry. If anything, he looked pleased. "You can't trust a lot of people and you've changed a lot, Hongbinnie... You shouldn't take everyone's words or actions as if they are the truth because even the police can't tell if the criminals are liars or simply 'unreadable.' There are lie detection tests but you don't carry that around with you. So doubt. Doubt everything. Doubt everyone. Doubt me. And only stick to your beliefs until you find evidence that goes with or against it. Of course your belief may change along the way but that's fine. Believe what you want to believe and not what others tell you to."

Hongbin furrowed his eyebrows. "So what you're trying to tell me is that you've been lying to me? That I shouldn't believe you? That you could be lying right now?"

His brother hummed a response and he also nodded. "I could be, but why does it matter, right? It's not about you anyway, Hongbinnie. It shouldn't concern you and neither should it concern me. I'm not Leo-hyung nor am I N-hyung. We're not meant to get involved with this."

"All that I'm doing here is ask questions because I'm curious!" Hongbin protested. "It's not because I want to in or intervene with them. Besides, you know the truth so I don't see the reason why you should lie to me. You –"

"You think that I'm lying?" Wonsik asked. A wide grin was still spread across his face. "All I did was tell you to believe what you want to believe, Binnie~"

Hongbin rolled his eyes and puffed his cheeks. There was no way out of the conversation so he changed its course, "Anyway, when are you going back?"

"I'm not. I'm staying here. Your mother and my father already had a talk about it. They're enrolling me to your school," Wonsik answered simply. He also selected a next song for Hongbin since Chopin's piece already ended. "This one is B