79 Of Gross Secrets and Cracking Friendships (2/2)

In the end, In Guk had decided to see if he was in Yeo Ri's room. Lo and behold, he had discovered them inside. He watched, with unbelieving eyes, as Hyuk fervently kissed Yeo Ri—his own sister—on the bed.

Jin Goo saw the whole thing unfold from the kitchen, and he could easily deduce just what it was that In Guk had seen that caused him to run away. When Hyuk had came out to check, he had immediately made himself scarce.

”...Did you know about... about them?” In Guk asked Jin Goo.

Jin Goo sighed again, then looked away. ”Don't blame him too much. It's not our place to say anything.”

”So you knew? And you did nothing?” In Guk raised his voice, an intense feeling of anger and heartbreak concealed in his words. ”How could you just let—let that happen?”

”Joo In Guk, calm down,” Jin Goo frowned. He was beginning to grow too unstable. He placed a hand on In Guk's shoulder with a slight pressure to keep him still.

”How can I calm down?!” In Guk miserably roared. ”How can I be calm in this situation? What should I do? Tell me, Jin Goo-ya, just what should I do?!”

”How—how could he? How? Why?” He collapsed against the sink. Tears were beginning to mist his eyes but he forced down his urge to cry. ”I—I don't want to hate him, but right now—”

”I know,” Jin Goo relaxed his grip,  pulling his friend to steady himself. He patted his back. ”Come on, you need to sit down and take a deep breath.”

Jin Goo led In Guk to his room. He allowed In Guk some time to calm down and contemplate.

”So?” Jin Goo prodded his friend for a reaction. After a long period of silence, In Guk looked like he was reasonably calmed.

”I don't understand it,” he quietly replied. His head was bowed. His arms rested on his knees. His hands moved restlessly, sometimes rubbing and sometimes fingers weaving. ”Yeo Ri is—she's his sister, a-and she's so young. How can he do that? Did the b*stard lose his mind?”

”Maybe he did,” Jin Goo says. ”After all that they've been through, perhaps they lost a few screws, Hyuk and Yeo Ri both.”

”...” In Guk pursed his lips. How could he have forgotten about Yeo Ri's breakdown? He could still remember how she clung to Hyuk so desperately, calling for him.

His heart twisted in pain.

”Are you saying that you're fine with their... relationship?”

Jin Goo furrowed his eyebrows, ”Of course not. But it's not like we can deny them either. Like it or not, those two... love each other.”

In Guk laughed emptily. ”Love? Yeo Ri is fourteen. And even if we're twenty, we're all still kids! What do we know about love?!”

”Then, are you saying that your feelings for Yeo Ri is just a fleeting obsession? Just like those other fanboys of hers?” Jin Goo shot back. This dude kept prattling about how much he liked Yeo Ri, but he was never brave enough to confess his feelings properly and seriously. There was always some sort of excuse that he would come up with.

”...” In Guk looked away, feeling slightly hurt. He knew that he was in denial. But he just couldn't accept it. He couldn't accept them.

”Hyuk is still our friend. Who he falls in love with is not something we can control,” Jin Goo sighed mutedly.

”Fine,” In Guk closed his eyes painfully. Although he could not accept their morbid relationship, he was open to try to understand them on the basis of their friendship.

That being said, In Guk could never see his friend in the same way ever again. In his mind, Hyuk will, from now on, be that b*stard who took advantage of his own sister.