You Don't Know Me ➳ Taesan [COMPLETED]

Thirty-Eight

In the dining room, Jaehyun had just finished listening to the most shocking revelation he had ever had. Jaehyun's tear-stained face watched his father, not sure what to say.

'What did you expect me to do, Jaehyun?' Mayor Myung's voice slurred as he gestured emphatically. 'You have no idea what it was like to live with that...that uncontrollable child. I had to protect you.'

Jaehyun shot back. 'Protect me!? You call this protection!?' He sighed. 'You're not protecting anyone, dad. You're just drowning yourself in guilt and leaving the rest of us to suffer!'

Mayor Myung, fueled by regret and intoxication, continued to justify his actions. 'He's always been a problem, ever since he was a child. Always hurting people, snatching things away, causing trouble.'

Anger flared in Jaehyun's eyes as he retorted. 'You know, dad, you're not so different from the child you despise. You're snatching away everything that matters – our family, my friendships, everything.'

The room echoed with the intensity of their emotional exchange. Mayor Myung, his speech slightly slurred, continued his lament. 'And now he's taken Amy-Janett away from you, just like he took all your toys away when you were kids.'

Jaehyun's frustration reached it's peak as he vehemently declared. 'Amy-Janett is not a toy, dad! She wasn't taken away from me, she was never mine. This not about you or me. It's about the choices you made, the lies you told and the damage you caused.'

The disclosure of the long-buried family secret had ignited a storm of emotions, leaving both father and son struggling with the harsh reality of their shared history. Jaehyun's tears flowed freely as he confronted the painful truth that had been concealed for so long.

The mayor, in a moment of clarity, looked at Jaehyun with bleary eyes. 'I never wanted it to be like this, Jaehyun. I never wanted you to suffer. But I didn't know any other way.'

Jaehyun, though overwhelmed with anger, felt a pang of empathy for the broken man before him. 'You chose to leave him behind. You chose to hide the truth. You chose to let us live this lie.'

With that conclusion, Jaehyun stepped out of the house.

...

The next day, Jaehyun approached Taesan's house at dusk, wanting to tell him the truth he had just discovered. He hesitated before knocking, but the door swung open, revealing Taesan at the door with Amy-Janett sitting inside.

'Hey,' Jaehyun greeted, his voice carrying disguised emotions.

Taesan forced a smile at him. 'What's up?' he asked. 'Oh...come in though.' He moved from the door.

Jaehyun entered the house and sat next to Amy-Janett, before Taesan joined them on the other side of the couch.

'Where's your mom?' Jaehyun asked Taesan, even though by now he knew it was "their" mom.

'She went out...didn't tell me where she was going.'

Jaehyun took a deep breath, his eyes meeting Taesan's. 'We need to talk. It's about our past.'

Amy-Janett, sensing the tension, excused herself, leaving the two brothers alone. Jaehyun began recounting the painful revelations, the stormy night when their parent's relationship crumbled, and the heart-wrenching decision to separate the twins.

Taesan listened in silence, absorbing the weight of the shared history that had been hidden from him. The room felt heavy as all the lies unfolded.

'So,' Taesan finally uttered, the words carrying disbelief and resignation. 'I'm the monster that caused all this mess.'

Amy-Janett reentered the room, having overheard part of the conversation. She walked over to Taesan, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Normally, she would have felt a sense of shame entering a conversation which she was not supposed to be part of, but she felt this was urgent. 'Taesan, please stop saying that...you're not a monster. None of this is your fault.'

Jaehyun nodded, affirming Amy-Janett's words. 'We've all made mistakes, and our parents made choices they thought were right at the time. But we're not defined by those choices.'

Taesan struggled to contain his emotions. 'I've hurt people, Jaehyun – including you. Maybe I'm really the monster in this narrative.'

'No,' his brother insisted. 'We all have struggles, but that doesn't make you a mess. We're family, Taesan, and we'll face whatever comes together.

'Family always sticks together you know,' Amy-Janett commented with a smile. 'You have a brother now, he'll always be there for you.'

A poignant silence enveloped the room before Taesan, overcome with emotion, embraced both Jaehyun and Amy-Janett. Both of them smiled in response to the warmth of the hug.

...

The night unfolded in reconciliation as Ms. Han returned home, her heart filled with apprehension. She found Jaehyun and Taesan engaged in lighthearted banter on the living room carpet, laughter echoing through the living room. It was a contrast to the heavy atmosphere that had burdened them earlier.

'Mom, you're back.' Taesan greeted, a genuine smile lighting up his face.

Ms. Han couldn't help but be moved by the sight of the two brothers bonding, their connection growing stronger with each passing moment.

'Jaehyun, do you want to spend the night here?' she offered, sensing that the young man's departure was already overdue. It was now around 22:00 in the evening.

Jaehyun looked at her with gratitude, appreciating the gesture. 'Yeah, if it's okay with you.'

'Of course,' she replied, her voice carrying a motherly warmth.

As Amy-Janett had already left hours earlier, the trio of mother and her twins settled into a sense of familial comfort. They shared stories, jokes and the occasional teasing that only siblings could understand. It was a night of rediscovery, a chance for Jaehyun to witness the camaraderie he had missed out on for so many years.

Later that evening, as they gathered in the cozy living room, Taesan couldn't hold back his curiosity. 'Mom, what were you constantly talking about with Mayor Myung on the phone?'

Ms. Han looked at Taesan with a smile. 'When I found out he wanted to exile us or to hurt you, I threatened to expose the truth that he had abandoned his son and ran away. I knew it would tarnish his image as the clean mayor, and he couldn't risk that.'

Understanding dawned on Taesan's face. 'He's been trying to protect his reputation.'

Jaehyun nodded as well. 'But secrets only breed more pain if you ask me.'

The night pressed on, filled with conversations that bridged the gap between their fractured past and the uncertain future. In the warmth of their shared moments, the three forged a newfound understanding, each step bringing them closer to healing the wounds that had defined their lives.