It's Just A Picture (BL)
Chapter 342: So, he was the villain here, huh?

Chapter 342: So, he was the villain here, huh?

"This time..." Allegra said. "I will do everything on my own. Whether on my behalf or not, do not think of going near my children or anyone close to them." She turned away from him, her fists clenched in rage. "From now on, Alejandro, I warn you. Stay away from them. Do not make me hate you."

Those words replayed in Alejandro’s head over and over and his beating face made the pain even more obvious. He could feel his face beating even if it had been nothing but a light slap compared to the kind of force he was used to.

But there was pain. Enough pain to make his heartache.

Did he just... Lose his sister? He asked himself.

Why did she hit him? He had never been hit by her before. Just why...?

He started to rethink his words. Ah, he realized it then. He had completely forgotten that, though not loved back, his sister loved her kids so much.

So knowing that he had beaten them up so frequently in the past, from when they were fifteen must’ve made her very angry that she raised her hand at him.

But why did she have to go so far? He had done everything for her. They were brats. Little sucklings that didn’t know their places.

Ungrateful kids that needed to be punished and taught the hard way of the world. He was sure he buried it into their minds but... None of it seemed to be true at this point.

In everyone’s eyes, he had just been a wicked man who inflicted pain on his nephews for his own personal enjoyment.

So, he was the villain here, huh?

He was still finding it hard to understand why his sister would love those kids so much. All they had given him was pain. Heartache and pain.

Why was she still caring for them? He... He was the one who would do anything for her. He was the one who...

A sudden vision passed through his head. What was love? He wondered. It was more than adoration. It was more than admiration. It was more than the togetherness that one would feel was normal to be there.

The kind of love he was suddenly feeling was a warm, passionate, and fuzzy yet dark feeling that made him envy, cherish and crave. It left an aftertaste lingering at the tip of his tongue.

It was so deep that his chest began to thump with his uncontrollable heart.

The vision he saw at this moment, when getting this sudden realization was none other than Minwoo.

No, it couldn’t have been. What he felt for him was nothing more than curiosity and lust.

What he felt for Minwoo was none other than that, yet he couldn’t stop himself from feeling more than that.

He raised his head, shoved his fingers through his hair, and looked at the spot they had all been hurdled in a few minutes ago.

They left him to suffer his fate of always being alone. Even his own sister did not want him anymore. So, what was he going to do?

He suddenly started laughing. His laughter responded in the halls and then his lips widened broad in a grin. A mischievous and evil grin.

"Well, I can’t exactly gain nothing from this." He said. "Just you wait, my sweet little bunny. You can run right now but soon, I will catch you. And when I do,"

He had a cage ready for him. A cage that he would love so much that he wouldn’t want to get out. And if he didn’t end up loving the cage, he would just force him to love it.

"... I’m gonna tie you up with a pretty red ribbon."

The group left the hostel premises and ended up at their apartment. The Kim teins apartment.

Dongwoo and Minwoo sat next to each other in silence.

The night went so bizarre, and Dongwoo could still feel his hands shaking, but he hid them underneath the blanket they had covered him with.

He wanted to ask Minwoo why he would walk into the Lion’s den on his own, and use his body as a trading item.

It was very dangerous, did he not realize it?

Of course, he knew it was dangerous, but... he did it because of him.

Dongwoo knew that was the response Minwoo would give so he did not even bother to bring up that conversation. Yet.

Minwoo, too, was finding it hard to speak up. He felt guilty and responsible for putting Dongwoo in that dangerous situation.

Everyone was having one crazy guilty thought or the other and there was no one to pick up a conversation. That is, except one.

"I..." Miss Allegra spoke up and they all raised their heads to look at her. "I believe we’ve not made formal introductions yet." She said. "I am Allegra Barone." She said.

Dongwoo looked at her and finally asked,

"Miss Allegra, what are... What are you doing here in Korea?"

"I came to help." She said, smiling politely. "And I’m glad I came on time. A minute too late then..." She pursed her lips, refusing to think of what would’ve happened if she had indeed been late. "I am so sorry for what my brother made you go through. I... Should’ve taught him better."

"It’s okay." Dongwoo said. "Not that what he did is okay. I mean you. You didn’t do anything so you don’t have to apologize. He should be the one apologizing for his wrongdoings."

"I understand." Miss Allegra nodded, thinking she understood him. She thought Dongwoo was mad about the fact that he threatened him and his brother and though that was part of it, that was not all.

"I mean, how could he beat up 15-year-olds in the name of discipline? That was clearly child abuse. It was so evil of him." Dongwoo started ranting in the twin’s defense. "I wanted to see a tiny light in him after Seojun told me that all he did was because their grandfather kept tabs on him with you but after this, there’s no light. All I see is darkness. He has to pay. He..."

"Calm down, Hyung." Seojin said, dropping his hands on his shoulders. "Like we said, it’s all in the past. It’s all buried now."

"No!" Dongwoo was persistent. "It’s not all buried if he was able to leave a scar in both your lives. What he did was a crime and he has to pay whether he’s a Mafia Lord or not. I don’t care. He has to pay."

Seojin still tried to calm him down, but he was just so mad that Alejandro would go so far with the twins and then take advantage of his brother, who would do anything for him.

His reasons for doing whatever he did might’ve been a touching sob story but his methods were so wrong that he couldn’t even feel the sob story anymore.

Miss Allegra was actually speechless. She did not expect Dongwoo to be more mad at the fact that Alejandro did those things to her sons rather than what happened to him and his brother.

Was this why her boys liked him so much from the start? That positive and free light that just had to draw them to him.

They came all the way here for him, so they must love him very well. And he, in return, seemed to adore them so much that there was no fault in their relationship.

Even if they were all men, this single thing to note down was just so beautiful that their gender could be overlooked.

"I’m going to go to the police. I’m going to..." Dongwoo kept ranting until Seojin actually kissed his lips, finally shutting him up.

Minwoo, who had his own headache could not help but dart his eyes away and sigh.

"Hyung," Seojin called as he brushed his lips lightly against his. "Are you calm now?"

Dongwoo gulped, his face slightly flushed as he was well aware that their mother was there and she was watching everything.

"Yeah," he said. "I... I’m calm now."

Seojin smiled and lifted his head.

Dongwoo dropped his head and sighed. He looked up at Miss Allegra, discarding his shame, and said,

"This may be late but I’ll introduce myself as well. I am Lee Minwoo, and this is my twin brother, Lee Dongwoo." He said, and Minwoo slightly waved. "But for future cases, just know that our names often get reversed. It all has to do with a tragedy that happened when we were kids, but you don’t have to worry too much about it and address us as you feel comfortable with."

Miss Allegra nodded.

"I see." She said and let out a small but warm smile. "I’m glad to finally meet you. Though it was in such a situation." She said. "But I am relieved you are safe. After all, you are the Hyung those two kept thinking about every single day they were away."

"You don’t have to tell him what he already knows." Seojun said, walking towards them with a tray of hot cocoa he had made himself. "Hyung already knows all of that so don’t start bringing things like that up."

"Oh, I wasn’t trying to make repeats. I just..." She pursed her lips, feeling awkward all of a sudden. She almost forgot that her sons didn’t like her too much and this was their lover.

So, they may not want her to get close to their lover, which meant she had to be cautious with him too. Right.

Dongwoo noticed it and wondered why Seojun was being so harsh.

(Let’s see. She gave them up to their psychotic pedophile father, came back after he was dead, and took them away without even letting them say bye or choose for themselves, her brother beat them growing up, making their hearts as well as their skin tough as steel in the name of discipline, came to threaten their lives because of her and he literally pointed a gun right at Dongwoo’s head. Yeah, there are more than enough reasons for them to be hostile towards her. And worst of all, she has never officially apologized for abandoning them at the start)

Seojun handed the cup of cocoa to Dongwoo but Dongwoo asked,

"Why did you make just one?" Seojun tilted his head, prompting Dongwoo to ask clearly, "Why didn’t you make something for the rest of them?"