Love and Care

Without even realising, Young Jae looked dejected when the bitterness spread through his heart.

Min Jun wanted to comfort Young Jae but didn't know what upset the older man this much. He broke the silence after giving it a thought and decided to answer the question.

"It was Kang Chin Mae. Not Chin Hae Hyung. I don't know how much you knew about Chin Mae. He was a sick kid who needed help in taking care of himself. Mostly BB did that even though there was not much age difference." Min Jun didn't want to share other's story or personal information.

But he wanted to speak with Young Jae and make the other one happy. And in the end, he decided to use some information about BB and Kang Chin Mae without giving away anything crucial.

"BB gets strict when one is sick. The elder brother in him somehow turns into a mother-hen. So BB's nagging about health and running around to take care of Chin Mae irritated your cousin. Chin Mae never liked medicine and annoy BB who always gives him medicine, by calling him 'old man' and sometimes if Chin Mae was more irritated he would call BB as 'hal-abeoji.' Trust me… Kang Chin Mae's sense of giving nickname is on a negative scale."

Young Jae chucked. "You talk as if you have better nick-naming skills. Somsatang? Seriously?"

"Not my fault if our nephew looked pink and soft. Reminding me of cotton candy." Min Jun said unapologetically.

Young Jae felt happiness slowly spreading in him.

If Moon Chin Hae was a known-stranger to him, Kang Chin Mae was a total stranger. Apart from a few interactions when they got to know each other, there was not much later.

Chin Mae Hyung didn't want Chin Hae Hyung to meet his child was still fresh in Young Jae's mind. Chin Mae Hyung's view towards Moon family and the hostility was showed at Chin Hae. He expected the same treatment.

But when Min Jun said 'our nephew,' he felt happy. The god-father of the child just accepted him also as an uncle. It made Young Jae really happy. But Young Jae did not want to indulge himself. If reality was cruel to everyone, for him, it was always cut-throat brutality.

"I don't think Mr Kang would accept me as an uncle to his son."

'He didn't even want Chin Hae Hyung to meet his son' was on the tip on Young Jae, but he didn't say it aloud.

"He wants you too. He told me yesterday, and he wants to bring somsatang to you when you are getting discharged." Young Jae was surprised by hearing Min Jun's words.

"Once you are healthy enough to be discharged, he wants you to move in with him. He asked his housekeeper to make the guest room into yours. He is even making changes in the house. So that you can move around on your own till you get rid of the wheelchair." Min Jun assured him. It was all true.

Kang Chin Mae wanted to take care of Moon Young Jae. His reasons were simple. 'Someone who suffered like me, almost-lost the ability to move around but saved at the last minute. I want to be there for him as much as possible, like how BB was there for me.' He never associated Young Jae with the Moon family, luckily.

The delight and surprise Young Jae felt had no-bound. Happy tears drenched his bandage. The lips quivered. His shoulders shook while his free hand trembled.

Moon Chin Hwa, the cousin who he always thought as a friend, schemed to ruin his life and lead to him getting kicked out of the house.

Whereas Moon Chin Hae, the cousin who always kept a distance from everyone and someone he disliked, ended up saving his life and took care of him.

Then there came Kang Chin Mae, another cousin whose existence was never known to anyone, preparing a place for him live and get well soon.

He did remember how Sunny, his cousin sister cried and begged for his life; when his younger sister Sung Kyung did nothing but stood there and watched.

Even though every single bad memory brought back the heart-wrenching pain, it felt bearable all of a sudden.

It felt new. Young Jae was finally having someone who would worry and take care of him except for his mother. It felt like a miracle, and he was overwhelmed with happiness. The warmth spread in his heart was peculiar and new but good. He felt like he finally had people who really wanted to be his family.

Min Jun looked at Young Jae, who was overwhelmed with happiness. A small smile made way towards his own face.

'I really want you to be happy and your eyes only to experience happy tears. I hope you get the happiness you deserve after whatever sufferings you had in the Moon family.' Min Jun thought.

He reached out and touched Young Jae's shoulder only to witness the older man snap out of his feelings before freezing.

"You will always have a place in the twin's house. Twin's care for you. You never had to suffer alone anymore. They will always be there for you." Min Jun tried to affirm Young Jae.

Young Jae has heard similar hopeful words from random people. They said them to soothe his pain. He never believed it. But this was the first time he believed in what he was listening. Because he knew it was true. He experienced the way his cousins cared for him. Finding out another cousin trying to accommodate him, made him realise he was cared for by them.

After being lost for a long time, all of a sudden, he felt grounded. He has a family that cares for him. They won't let him suffer. They accept his sexuality and love him for who he is.

These were the things he always thought would be a dream for him. But here he have everything after a brutal tragedy that he felt thankful for the calamity he experienced in the hands of Ki Hoon Joo and his father.

Min Jun squeezed Young Jae's shoulder comfortingly one last time before retracting his hand.

"I didn't want to make you overwhelmed with the news. I hope you know that there are people who care for you. I know you for less than a day. Even I want you to be happy and be yourself. Let yourself expe..." Min Jun didn't get to finish his sentence.

Young Jae threw himself in the arms of the young man's arm in happiness, effectively knocking sanity out of him.