It's Just A Picture (BL)
Chapter 345: Sacrifices didn’t always have to be made

Chapter 345: Sacrifices didn’t always have to be made

"How come everything I do, everything I do to help you ends up putting you in danger?" Minwoo cried. "How come I can never help you?" He looked up, pressing his lips together. "Even the dumb egg and bread, I couldn’t do that right. I don’t know. I don’t know what to do, Hyung. I’m just so useless that I feel you’ll throw me away. You’ll see me as a burden and hate me. I don’t... Ngh, I don’t want you to throw me away." He cried, rubbing his eyes with his palms. "Please."

Dongwoo bit his lip. Was that what he had in mind the whole time? Was that why he went to do something so dangerous?

Dongwoo pursed his lips.

Seeing Minwoo cry so bitterly, of course, it got to his heart.

He got down from his seat and went to hug him.

"I understand." He said. "I understand everything, Minwoo. You... You’re not useless. You just too on things that were too big for you to handle."

"What about the issue with Song Haijin? I didn’t even do anything too big yet it blew up so much. Because of me, you received so much hate and criticism. Because of me,"

"And did it look like I was burdened by it?" Dongwoo interrupted him, smiling. "Growing up, I faced much more harsh criticism, so that little could not faze me."

"Hyung, stop covering for me. I am useless to you." Minwoo burst out.

"No, you are not." Dongwoo yelled at him. "Stop saying things like that. Do you just want me to hate you? Is that why you’re trying so hard to take on the blame?"

"I don’t..." Minwoo clutched his chest. "I don’t want you to hate me but at least blame me. If you do, maybe it’ll make me feel better."

"And then what does that make me?" Dongwoo asked him, he raised his gaze to find Dongwoo looking sadly at him. "If I blame you for all your little mistakes and praise you only when you do something good, I would be no different from our parents, would I?" Minwoo flinched. "Is that what you want? You want to be criticized, hated and abused? Minwoo, it breaks my heart to think you have such thoughts. I... I could never hurt you. I love you, so I could never."

Minwoo’s heart melted and so did his expression. His face contorted as he bit his lips and allowed tears to rain down his cheeks. He cried.

"I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I was thinking wrong thoughts again." He cried. "I don’t want you to hate me, Hyung. I don’t want you to, so please don’t hate me."

He dropped his hands on Dongwoo’s shoulders while his head bowed as he cried heavily.

"Please,"

"My heart hurts." Dongwoo muttered, tears slowly making their way down his cheeks.

"Don’t throw me away." Minwoo cried.

Dongwoo once again embraced his brother and buried his head in his chest. He patted his back and closed his eyes.

"Just how do you expect me to throw you away, Minwoo?" Dongwoo asked. "You’re such a big baby." He gently stroked his hair. "It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to want to look out for others, and it’s okay to be a little bit useless. After all, I felt I was more than useless for a very long time. But the thing is, just because you feel useless because others tell you that you’re incompetent, and just because you want to live up to others’ expectations doesn’t mean you have to disregard your own feelings. Minwoo, put your own feelings first. Put your needs first and make yourself happy. If you aren’t happy, what’s the point?"

"But I can’t be happy if Hyung isn’t happy." He said, snuggling his head in Dongwoo’s embrace.

"Then if my happiness is at the cost of your own, you would do that?" Dongwoo asked and Minwoo nodded. "That’s no good. I don’t want you to make sacrifices at the expense of your own happiness. Just as you want me to be happy, I want you to be happy. So no, I will not allow you to do anything like this in the future."

"But Hyung, it’s true." Minwoo said, raising his head to look Minwoo in the eye. "I cannot be happy unless you are happy."

"Then I will create my own happiness." Dongwoo said and swiped his hair back. "I will make myself happy at all costs and then you can also be happy. That is the right way to go and not the other way around. You are my brother whom I love, and I would do anything for you just as you would want to do anything for me. Let’s promise each other not to give up each other’s happiness and life just for the other. We both deserve the freedom to be happy, don’t you think?"

Minwoo went silent, bowing his head. What could he say? He did not want to make a promise that he would have to break eventually.

If there came a moment where he would have to throw his life for his brother then he would do so without a second thought.

"Alright, I promise." Minwoo said and hugged him. ’Sorry, Hyung, I do not want to be the one left behind one more time.’ he thought.

Little did he know that Dongwoo, who had optioned for this promise, had also thought otherwise.

Yes, they were to both live their lives however they wanted and not give it up for the other.

But what would happen if a situation that threatened the life of his dear brother arose?

Would he give his life up without a second thought?

Ah, no. He wouldn’t. He had two others who had occupied almost all of his heart. He would think of them first.

But that did not mean he would turn a blind eye to the situation either.

In this world, there is always a way out.

He smiled at Minwoo.

Sacrificed didn’t always have to be made.

"Minwoo, I want to ask you this," Dongwoo said just as they broke the hug.

"Yes?"

"Do you like, no, do you love Sungho?"

Minwoo flinched. Ah, he did not expect that question at a time like this.

Okay, let’s see, did he love Sungho?

He was the guy that brought out his genuine smile. The guy who wrapped his arms around him to take away the loneliness he felt. The loneliness that was never occupied even after years of sleeping around.

"I... Think so." He blushed and Dongwoo smiled softly.

He stroked Minwoo’s hair.

"Do you know why?" He went ahead to ask and Minwoo thought deeply.

"Well, I can’t think of a specific reason but I know he makes me feel warm. Very, very, warm." His face heated up softly. "I thought it was just his face I was attracted to but there are so many things about him that I like. He’s so... Special."

Dongwoo nodded.

"You know, they say, if you can’t figure out the exact reason why you like a person then you really like them. And when there’s a specific reason, for example, their smile, it’s even better. Because then, you would do all you can to make them smile, which would cause you to fall for them even more." He smiled softly. "In your case, you are yet to discover the exact reason, so you have a long way to go with him."

"I guess so."

Dongwoo laughed. Minwoo looked so cute when he blushed shyly.

"So, will you tell him?" Dongwoo asked, thinking this was the moment Minwoo would finally secure his other half but then Minwoo said,

"No, I can’t tell him yet." His blush faded as his face became saddened. "There are too many things going on right now. I won’t be able to focus on him and I think I like him so much that I would want to give him all my time. But right now, I can’t focus on that."

"So, you don’t want to start an official relationship with him." Dongwoo said and Minwoo nodded. "But I don’t see how that’s any different from how you’ve been living all along. You both act like a couple, if you ask me, haha." Dongwoo laughed. "But I understand if you don’t want to take on the responsibility of a relationship yet. Just... For now, can you just assure him that you are on his side?"

Minwoo nodded. He reached for the back of his neck and rubbed it. He could do that.

"I’ll call him first thing tomorrow." Dongwoo smiled at him. "I need to clear the air with him anyway."

"That’s great." Dongwoo said. "I wish you both happiness."

"Thank you, Hyung." Minwoo said and hugged him. "I feel so much better."

Minwoo slept comfortably in his brother’s arms and it was literally the first time they were sleeping in the same bed after they were separated.

Minwoo’s side of the bed had always felt empty. And even if he saw the back of some stranger on the other side, the hollow space remained.

Meanwhile, at a hotel, Eunwoo woke up startled; his eyes widened while staring at the white-haired man lying naked and beautifully asleep next to him.

His lips quivered and he slowly covered his mouth, scared to make a sound.

’What... What happened last night?’

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