Pillow of Hearts: A tale between the warm hug and cold coffee

Moon Chin Sun blood froze as she saw her cousin brother getting beaten up by his father's belt mercilessly. She witnessed her brother Chin Hae going through the same attack a few years back. The incident almost robbed her of the family who truly cared for her. Only her second brother Chin Hae and cousin brother Young Jae ever truly cared for her.

They were the only good people in this evil family. Her so-called family doesn't hesitate to taint their own hands with their own family's blood for holding their head high in the sick society. Pride and prestige ruined their life and never allowed them to get anything right and good.

She always wondered if that was the reason for her mother to leave her and her siblings. Did her mother lose all her will to fight for her and her children? She always wondered if her mother was in the picture, would she have had a different life.

Painful scream of her cousin brother pulled her head off all the irrational possibility. Without waiting for everything to blow and cause her cousin to die, she slipped away from the upstairs family room into the secluded hall.

She had always been in touch with her second brother even after he left the house. He always told her to get in touch right away if anything goes wrong for her family. Her second brother grew up in a hostel and was not close to anyone in the family, apart from her and their aunt.

She hopes that her aloof brother comes to help the cousin… if not for her, at least for their aunt who got beaten by her husband for protecting their son… Cruel bastards… Again in Moon family, one could count the sane ones with one hand as everyone was crazy.

"Sunny… Did you finally remember you have one more brother?" hearing his playful tone, she almost forgot the gruesome scene. Her brother was always the light of her life.

"Oppa!!! Please come over… Young Jae Oppa might be killed if no one saves him. I am… scared… to…" she started crying pathetically without being able to say a word.

She loves her second brother and cousin brother. But she was even more scared to stop the beating her cousin was receiving at the moment. She knew her father and uncle might join hands to beat her up…

It was not an irrational fear. It was coming from previous experience where she ended up with broken ribs and hand.

No one even cared for what happened to her apart from her aunt and Young Jae Oppa. Moon Chin Hae was still in boarding school to protect her. He was not even told about the incident. When he found out about it, he almost strangled their so-called father to death.

"I will be there in 10 minutes. Don't cry. Try to keep him safe from the hands of those beasts…" Chin Hae's frantic voice heard on the other side.

Without responding, she went inside the hall. She would try to reason with her step-mother. She was the only person both her father and uncle listens. She didn't end the call and hoped her Oppa listens to the call so that he can be prepared.

Like prey approaching its predator, she took fear-filled steps towards her step-mother…

"Au… Mom… please… tell uncle not to beat Oppa. All Oppa wanted was credit for his work. It's okay if he can't have it… Please let.. him… live…" She was waiting for a slap to strike her as she knew that would be her step-mother's response.

At least the drama on the side will give her Young Jae Oppa a break from getting beaten and buy her Chin Hae Oppa sometime to save her beloved cousin brother.

Her tear-filled eyes looked at her step-mother pleadingly. Her step-mother gloated over the fact that the never speaking Chin Sun is begging her.

Chin Sun or Sunny as her second brother loved to call her, held her breath for the disaster to happen.

And it happened in the hands of her step-mother. Without mercy, four slaps landed on her face like the claps of thunder.

Her weak body started to tremble. She was losing her footing. Holding the cupboard nearby as a support, she steadied herself. "Please let my Oppa go… He was betrayed. Please don't hurt my Oppa… He is innocent. Don't harm him any more. Please… Let him go…" she begged in a painful voice.

Her voice wavered, and she stammered, but she was clear on getting her point across… If it were any other time, she would have been surprised and proud for even talking back. But all she could think of was for her Chin Hae Oppa to come and save Young Jae Oppa.

"Fine. We will let him go…" her step-mother said.

But the ominous fear gripped her cheat as if some force was crushing her heart.

Even without knowing what was coming, she threw herself over her cousin's almost unconscious body. Her aunt held on to her son's body for dear life.

"You kicked him out of the house when he was just 17 years. You never took care of him. He struggled for everything on his own. Please… Don't do anything to my son. Let him go... please. My son will survive. Please don't do anything to him. Please… I beg you…" Ko Yon, Young Jae's mother cried. She was begging her husband for her son's life.

She regretted not leaving the house like her brother-in-law's first wife when she had the chance. If she left with her kids like hyeong-nim, would they have been happy? Would they live their life the way they want? Would they have been safe from this monstrous family?

Moon Min Seok, Young Jae's father, didn't pay any heads to plea. He tried to pry his wife and niece of his disappointment of a son.

If only his son was not gay and chose to like women, he could have helped his son to gain credit for his work. He did not have any influence to support his son. But he could ask his brother or father for help. Using his son's name and success, he could have raised his power in the family and acquired some luxury.

This fag*ot son has to be in an ambiguous relationship with a brat who not only took his work but threatening the entire family for money or else he will release the news of the Third master of Moon family being gay.

Not only the news but also ambiguous images. With his blood boiling more, he decided to pull his wife of the ungrateful brat and pushed her towards his daughter, Moon Sung Kyung who was standing obediently from the start till now. This is why he likes his daughter. She always does everything to be his obedient daughter. He pried his wife away and pushed her into his daughter's arm.

He was about to kick his niece away when something held his leg.

When he looked at the hindrance, all he saw was his useless son, at the verge of losing consciousness and looking like he might die soon just from one more beating. Pathetic weakling!

His heart did waver a bit.

But he couldn't afford to keep this disappointment alive. He already managed to keep him alive for four god damn years without supporting directly. Now he would send his son personally to hell as he deserved. 

With the last of his strength, Young Jae held his father's leg, which was about to kick his cousin away. The only solace he and his mother ever had was his cousin sister. How could he let his cousin suffer when he was still breathing?

'Who would be there for her and mom once I am gone?' with that thought he wanted to live. He desired to fight back for every injustice. But he did not have any energy and hope left in him.

All that was left was a wish…

"Let me go Sunny… Please… Don't get hurt…" with the word Young Jae slightly pushed her away.

That little distraction was enough for Young Jae father, Moon Min Seok. He pried his niece away and dragged his once precious son by hand like a rag doll across the floor.

Young Jae could hear the scream of his mother and cousin sister to spare him. An odd sense of comfort soothed him as he knew some souls genuinely cared for him not minding his sexual orientation.

A content sigh left his lips, and didn't feel the pain almost for a minute… After a minute, everything he felt was only pain and despair.

He was not even aware of the fact that he was thrown down on the stairs. Tumbling and rolling on each stair, he could vaguely sense his head hitting the wall often and leg hitting the railing way too often.

He couldn't do anything. He was in immense pain and only wished for it to end. He wants to sleep endlessly and never wake up.

When his back hit the smooth surface of the floor, he felt relief at the same time, even though his whole body was screaming in pain. Through his blurred vision, he saw his father looking distraught.

'How could that be?'

He was miraculously holding on to consciousness even though visions were blurred and black dots were forming now…

His cousin was pushing past everyone running towards him in stairs. He wanted to ask her to be careful and not be reckless. But he failed to do so.

Moon Chin Sun's heart sank.

Chin Hae Oppa is late. We can't save Young Jae Oppa.

But her heart still felt hopeful… But her resolve started to shake the minute blood began to pool under her beloved cousin.

"No! No!! Oppa, please don't leave me!!! Oppa, you don't deserve any of this. Please… Don't… Oppa… Oppa… Oppa…" Chin Sun couldn't form a word but kept on saying Oppa as if her life depends on him.