"What are you staring at?" Sehyuk says, closing the door behind him and wheeling towards the boy standing in front of a painting nailed to the wall.

"You know, the ocean does not only hold the power to drown you, people do too," Kihyun sighs, eyes still on the piece in front of him. "Their words, fiercer than the crashing waves. Thoughts, suffocatingly overwhelming than the water's depth."

Sehyuk slaps his hands repeatedly, the loud sounds booming in the living room. "Wow, look at you being all poetic. Didn't know you had it in you."

The older boy rolls his eyes, clicking his tongue. "You don't have manners, do you?"

Another burst of laughter breaks through Sehyuk's lips. "For someone like you? Of course not. I mean, look at you, standing here without a care in the world as if yesterday didn't happen."

"Then kick me out of your house if you're here to insult me. You want me crying, groveling to let me stay?" The other snaps, earning a shrug in return.

"Never said that but I wouldn't be opposed to the idea though. It's tempting to see you like that."

"You—" The ringing of a mobile phone cuts off Kihyun's jab, his body going frigid.

As moments pass, the blond observes how a series of different emotions wash through his face, ending one in a miserable one, fearful eyes and shaky fingers. "If you keep ignoring calls rather than receiving them, you're admitting to having done something wrong. I mean, you did say it was accidental."

"D-don't I scare you...? What if I was lying?"

Sehyuk snorts, letting out a scoff. "The only one in the world that scares me, is myself. You're just someone I let myself be pushed around by."

"You're so strange, Min."

"Who called you?"

Kihyun stares at the screen of his mobile phone, tapping at a notification. "It was...the head maid. She's waiting for me at a cafe and wants to talk..."

"Does she want money to keep shut about the situation?"

"I don't know..." The older takes in a slow breath and exhales through his mouth. He licks his lips, eyes wearily glancing at Sehyuk's. "Do...can you come with me?"

"I'm having my physiotherapy appointment for my legs today, so I'm afraid I can't."

"We can get dinner from the restaurant you like," Kihyun proposes in desperation. He does not want to face the consequences of his actions alone. At least having Sehyuk by his side would offer an excuse for his whereabouts. "I'm not asking much from you, aren't I? You just have to tag along."

"Oi, oi, bocchan! Just because people for you are the dust under your shoes, doesn't mean you can talk in that manner. You want a favor from me, be polite."

Kihyun snaps his lips shut at that, eyes drawing to his feet. And once again, his cell phone rings, grabbing the attention of both the boys. As he brings the device to his ear, Kihyun lips move in silent prayer. "Hello...eomma."

"Kang Kihyun! Where have you been since last night? Don't you know what tragedy occurred at home!"

"What happened?" The son asks after a pause, although he is well aware of the situation.

"I'm not sure yet but Byeol found your father on the floor bleeding last night."

Kihyun gasps, fingers coming up to his mouth. "Really...? How is he now?"

"He's unconscious but out of harm's way for now. Where are you? Come home soon."

"I had a project and have been doing that at my friend's place since last night," Kihyun answers, tapping his foot on the floor. "I'll talk to you later." He cuts the call and pockets his mobile phone.

"Did she believe all that cliche crap you just fed her?" Sehyuk gawks, clicking his tongue.

Kihyun shrugs. "At this point, I can't seem to care."

"Alright, let's go meet that maid. I'm weirdly interested in how this is going to turn out."

The two leave Sehyuk's apartment and hail a cab to the cafe the maid had mentioned in her message.

"There she is." Kihyun points at a woman in a brown overcoat and glasses, sitting in one of the corner booths, hot coffee placed on the table in front of her. As he takes a place on the chair opposite to where the lady is sitting, she bows to him respectfully. Sehyuk wheels towards her and exchanges greetings. "This is a friend of mine. What did you want to talk about?" Kihyun starts, pulling the chair closer to the table. "Do you want money to—"

"No, god no." The woman shakes her head. "I have worked for your family since I was in my twenties and sworn to secrecy whatever happens. But I guess it's time you know the truth about your brother."

Kihyun squints. "My brother?"

"The drugs that were found at his house were planted by me."

"What!" The boy slams his hand on the table, earning a flinch from the maid. "And you have the guts to come here and tell me such a thing. How dare you!" He stands up, the chair squeaking loudly behind him, earning a few glances from the customers in the cafe. The woman sits impassively and it angers Kihyun as if the sun set him ablaze. "You—"

"It was your father's orders."

The boy freezes. It's no news to him but the implication is hard to swallow. His father has always been selfish and power-hungry, doing anything to uphold his name in society. Even then, he could have at least spared his family from his cruel ways. "Why...?" Kihyun whispers as his previous rage dies down, too exhausted to continue. The maid is just another chess piece on the board that his father orchestrated. It's useless to direct his outrage toward an outsider when his family is the one pushing him into the pits of despair. He slumps back into the chair.

"Because your brother tried cutting himself off from the family by establishing a new business on his own. And he has some documents that would prove to be lethal to your father in the business world. Proof of his corruption. Minwoo wanted to get you out of there before it was too late. When your father learned of this, he felt like he lost control and we all know how he's with control." The woman takes a sip from the cup. "I'm sorry, you were left in the dark about all this."

"You're sorry?" Kihyun chuckles mirthlessly. "Is your sorry going to bring back the time I spent hating my brother? Or is that sorry going to release him from prison?" He grits his teeth together, fingers curling into fists. It's frustrating how it has taken one minute talk to rip off the pain he's been dealing with for a year. All for nothing. His hate now seems so small and cowardly against the plan his brother had for him. Wordlessly, Kihyun gets up from the chair and exits the cafe. He sits on the side, body leaning on the metal fence around the cafe. He then drops his head in his arms and pulls his legs close, all energy drained from the encounter.

What is he supposed to do now?

He had been so blinded by hurt and betrayal that he forgot to look at the facts. But there's no excuse, it's been one year since the incident and he didn't reach out to Minwoo's family nor did he demand an explanation from his brother. He can't blame anyone for his actions. He's grown old enough to make his decisions and cutting off his brother is all on him. He should've believed in the one person he loved the most, even if the whole world was against him. But it's too late.

"What happened in there?" A voice he's accustomed to hearing in the past months brings him out of his thoughts.

"I'm not sure...really." Kihyun sighs, lifting his head to glance at the boy in the wheelchair. "I have been awaiting an apology I did not deserve, rather I'm the one that should be apologizing. But...I don't know how. It's ironic." He laughs, devoid of any humor.

"I learned from past experiences that don't waste time in satiating what your morale or soul is seeking because it may be too late to come back and fulfill it. You'll be left with guilt and regret, something you would then fret over time but find no solace."

"But what if it's already too late?"

"Is the person you want to apologize to dead?"

"No!" The older boy snaps his neck, his mouth agape. "Of course not!"

"Then it's not too late," Sehyuk chuckles, patting Kihyun's back. "And you are going to complete the task this instant. Move your ass. We will first get something to eat and visit them."

An hour later, Kihyun and Sehyuk find themselves in front of a wooden door, the former wiping his sweaty hands after ringing the doorbell. He sucks in a breath as they hear the lock click, revealing a slender woman wearing a hoodie that almost touches her knees, paired with white jeans. Her eyebrows raise for a moment before she sighs, shaking her head slowly.

"I'm sorry, you rang the wrong bell." She says, closing the door but Kihyun shoots out a hand and stops her.

"Haerin noona, please!" The boy pleads in a voice a notch higher than his usual tone. "I didn't know he was innocent!"

"Now you do?" The woman grits. "It took you a whole year to come to the conclusion?" She laughs mockingly, hands folding over her chest. "Your family doesn't deserve my husband because even after..." There's a crack in her voice. "Even after all this time, he asks me how you're doing whenever I visit him in prison."

Kihyun drops his head in shame, hands fisting the rough material of his jeans. "Please forgive me, I had no idea."

"Aren't you his brother? Shouldn't family come above all?" Haerin presses her wobbly lips together in a grimace. "And what forgiveness? You aren't worthy of a gesture like that. He was given a verdict without more evidence other than the drugs at our house just because you all abandoned my husband so that the media wouldn't dirty your family's name."

"I'm sorry!" Kihyun bows a perfect ninety degrees, taking short breaths. "Please forgive me...I need peace of my mind..."

"Selfish till the very end! You don't deserve it. Let me tell you something." Haerin chokes and pushes Kihyun to stand upright. "I met your brother when I was at the lowest point in my life, I had wanted to die then. Minwoo has never ever been near drugs. But do you remember the day you caught him with some?"

Kihyun nods without a second thought. How could he forget that day when it was the first time his brother hit him.

"T-those drugs were not his...they were mine."

The boy snaps his neck, almost straining with the speed he does, eyes as wide as saucers. "...what?"

"I was ra—I mean I was sexually assaulted." Haerin's hold on her arms tightens as if she's exposing a vulnerable part of herself. "Everyone around me blamed me and my parents asked me not to ever speak of it. All the blaming and no support sent me down a very wrong trail. Drugs. I started taking them to numb the pain and distract myself. And apparently taking drugs was more common in the rich society than I thought. I spiraled but your brother despite knowing everything, held out his hand to help me. Constantly. We were arranged to marry because it was a powerful union for the families. But Minwoo..." The wife smiles fondly for the first time since she opened the door. It's evident from the way her eyes dilate, she's taking a trip down the memory lane of their story.

"He married me because he wanted me to feel safe, protect me from the world and myself. The three-month vacation we went to Germany as soon as we got married was not to enjoy but for my rehab. And since then, I haven't seen drugs." The woman takes another deep breath. "The ones that were found in our house a year ago, I'm sure someone planted it. Minwoo warned me not to tell anyone about my past because I was due soon. He made me promise I would not do anything that would jeopardize our child and would handle everything."

Tears run down Haerin's face and the pain she's been holding all this time is clear as day.

"Do you know how it feels to see the love of your life behind a glass barrier, looking dead in the eyes but still smiling brightly so you wouldn't worry about him? He tries his best to hide the bruises but can't do anything about the ones on his face. The father of my child hasn't even held him once in his arms and it's been almost a year." Her venomous gaze pins Kihyun. "How could you all eat every day knowing he's suffering there all alone!"

Her words are a knife over Kihyun's heart but he understands how her wounds are open. He just hadn't known how deep they run. He avoided thinking about the condition his brother must've been living in but now he feels like an ignorant fool.

A cry from inside breaks whatever conversation they have going on, Haerin looking away for a moment. She wipes her tears with the back of her sleeve. "My son needs me." She takes a last sniff. "Minwoo is too kind for all the things he's been through. I wish I could accept your apology for the peace of your mind, but I'm sorry I can't. I can't give you what you seek because I don't have a heart as big as my husband's. I just can't..." she trails and before Kihyun can say something, the door closes on his face.

The boy stands immobile, staring at the door as his vision turns cloudy. Minutes pass and when digits wrap around his forearm, does he remember he had come here with Sehyuk. He offers him a weak smile and pats the older one.

"I think that's enough for today." The blond says, pulling Kihyun slowly. "You should keep trying till she finds it in her heart to forgive you."

"But I didn't do anything to her, it was my brother...why can't she forgive me."

"Really? Is that what you think after the outburst she had?" Sehyuk hums in thought. "You may not be completely at fault here but your family hurt the man she loves the most. So, you do owe her an apology."

"That's what I came here for and look what happened. I was even genuine with my feelings."

"When you ask for forgiveness, you don't get to decide when you'll be forgiven, it's their decision alone. You cannot diminish the wounds of the person you hurt."

"I don't know anymore..." Kihyun rubs his hands over his face and walks off but his mind isn't at ease. As they hail a cab and get into it, a question weasels its way. He glances at Sehyuk, recalling how the boy rushed him to apologize to his sister-in-law. If it were not for him, he would have taken an eternity to ask for forgiveness or maybe he would just let the guilt eat him away as he's a coward. "Is there...is the person you want to apologize to, dead?"

"Only time will tell." Sehyuk turns away, gazing outside the window, showing his reluctance to say anything anymore.

The car ride is silent, with the two boys ignoring each other's existence, burying the talk about the people they hurt.

"Come on, I can't be the only one feeling crappy," Kihyun quips again, tugging at Sehyuk's shirt.

"Kang Kihyun." Sehyuk shuts his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Are you okay with being homeless today or are you going to shut up?"

That's all the older needs to zip his lips till they reach Sehyuk's apartment.

When he lies on the sofa in the younger's living room, a fleece blanket covering him, Kihyun can't help but hear his sister-in-law's screams. The way her face contorted into disgust upon finding him outside her door.

"I can't give you what you seek."

"Your family doesn't deserve my husband..."

The boy presses his hands over his eyes, pulling the skin of his lower lip with his teeth.

"Selfish till the very end!"

"How could you all eat every day knowing he's suffering there all alone!"

Kihyun then feels the food he ate coming up to his throat. He sprints up, slapping his hand on his mouth. He runs to the bathroom, placing his knees on the somewhat wet floor as he releases his hands and opens his mouth.

But there's nothing. Not a drop.

The boy waits, but as the clock ticks, no vomit pushes itself through his throat. His fingers itch and Kihyun takes no time in shoving two of them in his throat, pushing as far as he can, pressing the walls, to force out the lump lodged there. The boy then coughs thick, whitish-yellow fluid, eyes stinging as the vomit constricts his esophagus. The acidic contents from his stomach burn his throat but he doesn't stop until he empties his half-digested dinner into the toilet bowl.

Kihyun lethargically falls to the floor, moving back to support himself on the wall behind him. The pungent smell of his vomit starts dispersing in the air so he presses the button on top of the commode to flush it. It's pin-drop silence once it's all over.

Kihyun curls into a fetal position, hiccups escaping his lips. He presses his mouth on his arms placed on his knees as the guilt of abandoning his brother washes over him and hurt in Haerin's eyes humiliate him even further. He silently cries so the other boy doesn't see his sorry state and ridicule him.

Suddenly, he feels all alone. Suffocated by his past choices.

Min Sehyuk was right, like father like son.