Jeonghan's face went completely pale, the blood draining from his cheeks. The weight of the revelation was almost too much to bear, and he sat in stunned silence, staring at Seungcheol with a mixture of shock and horror.

His mind was spinning, struggling to process the information that Seungcheol had just dropped on him like a bomb. He couldn't speak, couldn't move, couldn't do anything but sit there stunned, his mouth open in horror.

Seungcheol could see the shock and horror on Jeonghan's face, but he didn't have the heart to look away. He needed Jeonghan to know the full extent of what he had done, and what it had cost Seungcheol.

"I...I didn't know..." Jeonghan said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I swear, I didn't know. Seungcheol, you have to believe me. I had no idea, I swear..."

He reached out, his hand shaking, as if he wanted to touch Seungcheol's shoulder but was too afraid to actually make contact. "You have to believe me," he repeated, his eyes pleading with Seungcheol to understand.

Seungcheol took a deep breath, clenching his jaw as he forced himself to remain calm. He knew Jeonghan was telling the truth. He knew that Jeonghan had no idea that he had killed Seungcheol's parents.

But the pain and grief that had been buried within him for so long was now rising to the surface, and it was hard to keep it contained. Seungcheol's hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white as he struggled to maintain his composure.

"I believe you." he said, his voice tight. "I know you didn't know. But it doesn't change what you did. It doesn't change the fact that you killed my parents."

Jeonghan's face crumbled at the words, tears streaming down his cheeks faster than he could wipe them away. "I'm sorry." he choked out, his voice breaking. "Seungcheol, I'm so sorry. I would do anything to take it back, anything."

"Anything?" Seungcheol repeated, his voice emotionless. "Anything, you say? How about bringing my parents back to life?"

Jeonghan winced at the sharpness of Seungcheol's tone, his shoulders sagging as he realized the enormity of what he had done. "I...I can't do that." he said, his voice shaking with sobs. "I wish I could, I really do. But I can't."

"You can't." Seungcheol echoed, his voice still cold. "Of course you can't. Because no matter what you do, my parents are gone. They're gone and it's your fault."

But even in the midst of his own grief, a part of Jeonghan wanted to reach out to Seungcheol, to offer some comfort and solace. He moved towards him, his hands extended, but Seungcheol stepped back, his eyes hard and cold.

"Don't!" Seungcheol said, his voice cold and sharp. "Don't come near me. Don't try to comfort me. You have no right to offer me comfort. Not after what you've done."

Jeonghan's shoulders slumped, his body trembling with sobs. He knew that Seungcheol was right, that nothing he could say would make up for what he had done. The guilt and shame were overwhelming, and he couldn't bear to meet Seungcheol's gaze.

Seungcheol clenched his fists tightly, the anger and pain battling within him. A part of him wanted to scream and lash out, to make Jeonghan feel the same pain he had felt for so long. But another part of him, a small, stubborn part, was willing him to forgive Jeonghan.

Jeonghan was still crying, his body trembling as he tried to regain control of his emotions. He knew that Seungcheol was struggling too, the pain in his eyes evident even through the tears that still streamed down his face.

"Please." Jeonghan choked out, his voice barely above a whisper. "Please, Seungcheol, say something. Anything. Don't just stand there and look at me like that."

Seungcheol's heart clenched at Jeonghan's heartbroken plea, and he wanted to speak, to say something, anything. But the words stuck in his throat, too tangled up in his conflicting emotions to form a coherent response.

Seungcheol's hand connected with Jeonghan's face, the sound of the impact ringing out loudly in the silent room. Jeonghan's head snapped to the side, his face now sporting a bright red mark where Seungcheol had struck

Jeonghan's eyes widened in shock, his hand instinctively going to his face where the sting of the slap was still lingering. He looked at Seungcheol with a mixture of pain and surprise, his eyes wide and tear-filled.

Seungcheol was breathing heavily, his emotions boiling over as he realized what he had just done. The anger and pain that had been building up inside him had finally exploded, and he had lashed out at Jeonghan.

Jeonghan let out a shaky breath, his teary eyes fixed on Seungcheol's face. He knew he deserved that slap, hell, he deserved a lot more. But the pain on Seungcheol's face, the conflict he could see in his eyes, hurt him more than the physical pain.

Finally, Jeonghan spoke, his voice shaky and raw. "You can hit me again if you want." he said, his eyes meeting Seungcheol's. "I deserve it. I deserve all your anger and pain. It's my fault that you lost your parents. You have every right to hurt me."

Seungcheol's heart clenched at Jeonghan's words, his anger mixing with a pang of sympathy. The self-deprecating tone in Jeonghen's voice was almost unbearable, and even in his fury, he wanted to reach out and comfort him, to tell him it wasn't all his fault.

But he couldn't bring himself to do it. The pain and anger were still too strong, and the thought of comforting Jeonghan felt like a betrayal to his parents' memory. So he just stood there, his hand still in the air, torn between the warring emotions inside him.

Jeonghan saw the hesitation on Seungcheol's face, and he let out a bitter laugh. "Go on." he said, his voice laced with self-loathing. "Hit me again. I know you want to. I deserve it. I deserve to feel your pain, your anger. Maybe then I'll start to understand just a fraction of what you've been through because of me."

Seungcheol's fist clenched tighter, his heart aching at Jeonghan's defeated tone. But he just couldn't bring himself to do it. No matter how angry and hurt he was, he couldn't bring himself to cause Jeonghan more pain, even if it was what Jeonghan was asking for.

Jeonghan's face crumpled at Seungcheol's inaction, more tears streaming down his face. "Why?" he asked, his voice cracking. "Why don't you hit me? You have every right to. I took your parents away from you. I don't deserve your compassion or your understanding."

Seungcheol's heart ached at Jeonghan's plea, the despair and self-loathing in his voice tearing at him. "Because hurting you won't bring my parents back." he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Because no matter how angry I am, I can't bring myself to cause you more pain."

Jeonghan's shoulders slumped as he took in Seungcheol's words, the truth of them hitting him hard. "But I deserve it." he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I deserve your anger, your hate. Why can't you just give me what I deserve?"

Seungcheol's heart ached even more at Jeonghan's words, the self-hatred in his voice breaking his heart. He slowly lowered his still raised hand, his eyes fixed on Jeonghan's tear-streaked face.

"Because hurting you won't solve anything." he said, his voice gentle despite the pain in his heart. "It won't bring my parents back, and it won't erase what you've done. It'll just cause more pain for both of us."

"How...how can you be so gentle with me?" Jeonghan asked, his voice cracking. "How can you talk to me like that after everything I've done? I don't deserve your kindness, I don't deserve your understanding. I don't deserve anything from you."

Seungcheol's heart ached anew at Jeonghan's words, the depth of guilt and helplessness in his voice impossible to ignore. He wanted to tell Jeonghan that he was wrong, that he did deserve kindness and understanding, but the words stuck in his throat. Instead, he took a step closer, bridging the physical distance between them.

Jeonghan flinched slightly at Seungcheol's approach, his body tensing in expectation of more pain. But Seungcheol's movements were slow and deliberate, his hands gently reaching out to touch Jeonghan's face. His fingers brushed over the reddened skin where he had slapped him earlier.

"Don't?" Jeonghan protested weakly, flinching back from Seungcheol's touch. "You shouldn't touch me. I don't deserve your comfort, your kindness."

Seungcheol's fingers lingered on Jeonghan's skin, his touch gentle even as Jeonghan tried to pull away. "Maybe not." he said, his voice quiet but firm. "But that doesn't change the fact that I want to comfort you. That I don't want to see you hurting like this."

Jeonghan closed his eyes, his body trembling as Seungcheol's fingers traced over his face. The gentleness of his touch was overwhelming, and the mix of guilt and longing in his chest was overwhelming. He wanted to pull away, to tell Seungcheol to stop, that he didn't deserve this kindness, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Seungcheol felt Jeonghan's resistance weakening as he continued to touch him, his fingers tracing over the tears on his cheeks, the line of his jaw, the curve of his lips. The gesture was soothing, a silent way of saying he wasn't going to hurt him again, no matter how much Jeonghan thought he deserved it.

Jeonghan's breath hitched at the touch on his lips, the gesture sending tingles down his spine. He opened his eyes, looking up at Seungcheol who gaze was fixed on him, his eyes dark and intense. For a moment, the world narrowed down to just them, the grief and pain still tangible between them, but somehow muted by the gentleness of their touch.

Seungcheol could see the internal struggle etched on Jeonghan's face, the guilt and longing warring inside him. His fingers moved to caress Jeonghan's cheek, wiping away another tear. "Can I ask you something?" he asked, his voice still quiet but firmer.

Jeonghan's eyes flicked to meet Seungcheol's, surprise mixing in with the tears. He nodded slightly, wary but willing to listen to what Seungcheol had to say.

"Do you regret killing my parents?" Seungcheol's voice was steady, despite the pain the question brought. He watched Jeonghan closely, waiting for his answer, the suspense almost unbearable.

Jeonghan's eyes widened at the question, the directness of it taking him off guard. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words stuck in his throat, choked off by the overwhelming guilt and remorse he felt. In the end, he just nodded, the tears falling faster now. "Yes." he managed to croak out. "I do. I regret it every single day."

Seungcheol's heart clenched at Jeonghan's answer. The raw emotion in his voice was almost too much to bear. He wanted to pull Jeonghan into his arms, to comfort him, but he held back, the anger and hurt he was still feeling stopping him.

Jeonghan's body was shaking now, his shoulders hunched in on himself as he tried to hold back the sobs that were threatening to surface. The weight of the guilt was heavy on him, like a physical pain that he couldn't shake off. He looked up at Seungcheol, his eyes pleading.

"I'm so sorry." he choked out, his voice barely audible. "I don't expect you to forgive me, but I am sorry."

Seungcheol's eyes softened slightly at Jeonghan's pleading tone, the pain in his voice more than he could bear. He wanted to forgive him, to tell him it was okay, even though he knew deep down that it wasn't. But the anger, the hurt, the pain, they were all still too much, too raw for him to let go just yet.

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