The first step towards change was awareness. The second step was acceptance. Sky had long been aware of his illusion of Kai. It was a big leap for him to step out of his comfort zone.He still had fear of leaving and walking outside but greater was his desire to give his remaining lifetime to someone who gave all his devotion to him and to do this he needed to brave himself and face reality.Was he going after Kole because of pity, gratitude, or conscience?It could be said that these three reasons were true but Sky knew deep down in his heart, there was still a small space that Kole occupied. A small space that now emerges and was understood after hearing the truth.After visiting Kai's grave, Sky went to the foot of the mountain, there was a small rundown hut beside the koi pond. The place was surrounded by rice paddy with yellow-colored rice husks, screaming for harvest.A man in his fifties sits in a shabby chair under the tall maidenhair tree. Its leaves are like a shape of a fan
In a room where people unanimously maintain a conspiracy of silence, one word of truth sounds like a pistol shot, and Sky was shot multiple times.The memories didn't even give him time to breathe, treat his wounds, and process everything when a new scene flashed in front of him.There was an open sky, few buildings can be seen from where he was standing, few plants & a big tree in the middle. There was no one around except for the two-person sitting face-to-face in the cemented chair.The woman wearing lavish clothes was crying and the other woman looking at the ground while talking to her companion. Sky recognized the other woman, his mother. His eyes move to the woman in red and... it's Kole's mother.What were they doing here? What are they talking about that made Kole's mother cry? He moves closer to them to hear clearly but upon getting closer he heard someone sniffing behind the tree.He turned to look who it was and was shocked... it was him. He had been listening to them talk
Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed. Their hearts were too fragile to handle such heart-shattering revelation and no matter how strong the willpower of a person was, knowing that what you believed in your whole life was made up of lies, that person will crumble.He sacrificed but was played with instead. He sacrificed but ends up hurting him doubled. He sacrificed but..."I'm sorry Kole. I didn't know. Please, forgive me," Sky was sobbing, kneeling, and asking for forgiveness.This wasn't what Kole wanted to see. He came to apologize, he came to reconcile, he came to see him again and to properly tell him that he will pursue him, again. What was Sky talking about?It was already a big thing that Sky went out by himself, walking in the crowd despite his still-to-overcome fear."Sky, what are you talking about? What are you apologizing for?" Worries and pain were evident in Kole's voice and aura. He has a bad feeling about how
Sky lovingly listened to Kole's heartbeat and was startled when he heard the other talking in his sleep, "No... stop. Stop it! Kai stop it!"Kole's body trembled, his forehead starting to soak in sweat, his hands grip on Sky's shoulder tightly, murmuring over and over a name, Kai. His heart pained hearing the name of his deceased husband, Kole woke up still gripping tightly on Sky."Are you okay?" Sky who was startled quickly sits and holds Kole's hand, his voice panicking. Hearing Sky's voice, he calmed down a bit.Soaked in sweat, Kole instinctively pulled Sky into an embrace, his vision blurry after waking from that bad dream. He's been panting, his chest moving up and down, and holding tightly the thin man in his arms."Kole..." Sky said softly."I'm fine... I'm fine," said Kole. He's not fine, the rim of his eyes reddened as he thinks back on his dream. That was a scene from a long time ago, so long but still vivid in his memory."What did you dream about Kai?" Sky asks still in
It's not enough for heaven to just slap him, and spit on him, they step on him until he lost all the will to live, the will to see the light again. Knowing you love your enemy, knowing you married your enemy, slept with him, cry for him, live your life for him now... the heavens wanted to knock out all the life in him.Remarkable. What the heavens laid out for him deserves a standing ovation, and applause from all the bystanders who only watched him trampled so low and left him so pathetic."Kai... he is... alive," Kole's lips trembled while dropping the bomb. This secret only he and Yara knew, not even his family.Sky who was embracing him pushed him away and look Kole in disbelief trying to digest what he just said."You're... joking, right?" he doesn't understand what he was feeling right now. It's like someone was pouring a bucket of ice on him and under his feet an unquenchable fire trying to eat him alive."I don't understand. I saw... I saw him getting buried. I saw that car ex
[TW: mention of human trafficking, child abuse, sex slaves]It was the truth. Kole fought hard for Sky, he did everything for Kai to stop whatever evil plan he wanted to do but he can't physically hurt his brother not even emotionally.Sky sits in the corner of the bed a few meters away from Kole. He was quiet, even his breathing was controlled, not even a movement or eyes blinking. He only listened to Kole. He wanted to be slapped with truth at once, even if it hurts."I didn't know that he was alive at first not until the burial. He was there." Kole continued.During Kai's funeral, Kole was there hiding in the big tree when a man in all black approached him and tap his back, when he turned to see the person, his soul almost left him... Kai was alive and well.Kai pressed his shoulder, looking straight at the scene in front of them, his face grinning as a crazy person would do, "Brother, let's all suffer together. Let's be tormented together, will my brother live with me?" His crazy
Between a blood brother and a lover, if you can choose one, whom will you choose? If these two people needed saving, who will you save first? In a bloodless battle, where the heart was your only weapon, who will you hurt, and who will you try to protect?It wasn't easy to leave one and be with the other. Kole felt like a patty in between the two buns, if he leaves both then there won't be any life left.Again, Sky did not answer Kole, he wanted to say something but all words were still stuck in his throat. Shall he say I forgave him because of his sufferings or I'm fine we all have our own story to tell. Because right now, his heart was full of anger and madness.It would be best if Kai remained dead, at least he will remember their memory and can still cherish it, after all, he felt Kai's love but now, knowing he was really played with, and toyed with, like a dumb person all those sweet memories turn to nightmares.When all that he did was to give him his heart he was given a hundred
With everything that happened, Kole sincerely understands how Sky felt. He sincerely does but his heart refuses to understand, refuses to accept that after many years they still can't be with each other, refuses to accept that after all the suffering they will still end up... suffering away from each other.Was it selfish to dream of Sky by his side now? Was it wrong of him to fight for Sky? Even if it was, he will still do it, he will dream, he will fight and he will be by his side no matter what."SKY HARREN! I know your hurt, that word would even be an understatement of what you feel right now. I know that you hate everything including me but remember this, I will not leave you and you cannot force me to do so. I don't have the right to say it's fine, everything will be okay cause it will not but I will face it with you, that painful past, the troubled present, and the uncertain future, I will face it with you and you cannot tell me otherwise."When he came last night, he was deter
Time pass by quickly and it was already their ten years wedding anniversary. Kole had been thinking of a better anniversary gift this time, something that could topple the other gifts that he had given his husband. He spent the entire month thinking about it but none crossed his mind. He was roaming around the mall, entering all stores until he bumped into a familiar face, "Kai?!" his twin brother. "Oh. What are you doing here?" said Kai without much surprise. "Looking for a gift," he replied. Kole was already comfortable mentioning Sky whenever he was with Kai. His brother had stopped his therapy session with him five years ago when the General miraculously accepts his pursuit. From then on, Kai was well behaved than ever. "What a coincidence, me too. It's my honey's birthday next week," In truth, Kai also spent a lot of time thinking of what gift to give. At the same time, he was planning to propose to his General on his birthday. "Why not buy a ring if you want to propose?
It took Kai a week to recover and Erviz stayed with him all these days without neglecting his duty. It could be said that he was a stay-in Nanny for Kai, a friend, a confidant, and someone Kai persistently flirts with. Erviz was so used to it that it seems like a lullaby to him. Five years passed and Kai was still chasing Erviz, never getting a chance to bed the man. Up to this day, Erviz listened to Kai whenever the other needed it. Kai consistently pursues him, giving him flowers, and gifts and picking him up at work. If General Erviz Mason was feared by all in the department before now, nobody even dared to talk behind his back. They were more afraid of Kai's deathly gaze than the General's quick fist! "Yo! Honey," it was already midnight but Kai still picks up Erviz in his work not minding his own fatigue. "Hungry? I bought you a congee," inside the car was an insulated box where the said congee was kept to stay warm. "En," he responded. He was exhausted from today's meeting.
It was seven in the morning when Erviz woke up in the same position they were in when they slept only that Kai was embracing him now and he was wrapped in his arms. Slowly, he lifted Kai's arm and slip out making the man groan, "Shh, sleep." He went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Today, he needed to go to the base to report but what will he report? That he had slept in the same bed with the enemy? He toasted some bread, fry an egg and reheat the coffee that was left unattended. Thirty minutes later, Kai came out of the room with drowsy eyes and like a magnet, sticking close to Erviz landing a kiss on his lips, "Morning, wifey." His body slumped on the General with his hands on the waist. "For the nth time, I'm not your wife," he said while busy preparing the food on the table. "En, understood... wifey." They had breakfast and Erviz had taken a bath after some struggle to keep Kai outside the bathroom. When he came out, Kai was nowhere to be found except for a simple note l
He lost hope to convince Kai that he was not gay, that he was not into men and will never have sex with men. But the stubborn man was pestering him and kissing him as he pleases. He had thought of ways to attack Kai but he knew he will be killed in the end with how many men were hiding outside. Yes. Hiding. It will be inconvenient for them to surround the house visible to all the neighbors so the men were dispersed in the shadow. "God! You're so... sigh, Kai, what is it that you really want?" Kai stopped what he was doing and for a minute there was silence between them. He felt the hidden emotion in Kai's silence, he might be wrong but he saw sadness in those eyes, fear, and hatred. Why was he sad? Why was he afraid? Who does he hate? These were questions that he wanted to ask but felt that it was not right after all. He was an outsider and was an enemy even. Will he be swayed if he knew this man's hidden thoughts and real self? He does not know. He would never know. Kai step bac
It was already ten minutes since the cars stopped in the middle of the road. All men had their heads bowed down for the same amount of time waiting for Erviz to say that he will reconsider. Whoever their boss has a liking to, they consider them instant family. If the boss said he will kill himself because the lady boss does not want to have sex with him then it was solid proof that their boss was head over heels for Erviz. Inside the car was silent with Kai still holding him by the waist. Erviz had no plan to retaliate, after all, this is the yakuza surrounding him. Dying because of a sex-deprived yakuza boss was something he wanted to avoid. "... can't you tell your men to stop bowing?" he whispered making sure only Kai heard it. Kai responded with a bite on his forefinger and licked it after, "I can't. I'm using them to pressure you," he admitted shamelessly. He does not know what goes on through the mind of this man and he can shamelessly and confidently admit that he was usin
It was not even an hour passed that Erviz punched him for the kiss and now he was asking for sex. Erviz scowled hearing what he said, "Are you pent up? Is sex all you have in that mind of yours?"But Kai answered him through his action. His hand slipped down until it reaches the slit and went to touch his butt. His lips kissed Erviz's neck leaving marks in each part his lips landed. "Have sex with me, hmm? You want me to beg you, sexy?"It was only with Erviz that he begged, it was his way of chasing that warmth that he felt and was feeling now. He was aware of his action; he was aware of his stupid move. He was not acting like a leader of the group right now but as Kai himself. Kai had this fear in his heart for the first time again after losing his brother and Sky, he was afraid that if he let go... he will never feel this warmth again. "Sexy, stay with me." The hand that reaches in between the cheeks of Erviz's butt was suddenly pinched to stop, "I'm not a whore," he said. "I'
It was not a minute after the punch that another thunder clapped. Along with the sound was the simultaneous raising of guns toward Erviz. Hurting the head of the group was equivalent to hurting all the members of the group, insulting them, and announcing war with them. The members' priority was to keep their heads safe and, in this case, it was Kai. Kai's lips bleed on the same side where Erviz's lips were wounded. The strong punch was not enough to move Kai's body but it did move his face to turn sideward. "Dare to hurt me? Brave, aren't we?!" His eyes were glaring red. His tongue sticks out to lick the blood that drips from his swollen lips and with a step forward he held Erviz's jaw clenching it hard but there was no panic or fear in the eyes of the other man. Instead, he stared back as if taunting the glaring Kai like he was hoping for some action. "Do you know what will happen to you if I let those men click the trigger?" He was sending a threat that was neither a threat. It
It was already late in the night but the city just started to get lively and noisy. Cars that were seen on the roads were so fancy they could blind one's eyes. Young people and other party people were out wearing their best outfits for the night. "Where are we going?" asked Erviz as he fixed his messy hair. Kai was sitting with him at the back of the car, his legs crossed over each other looking outside as if lost in thoughts. For a second there was complete silence. Erviz stopped brushing his hair and looked at Kai with questioning eyes. "Hey!" it was neither a shout nor a loud voice. It was neutral, so neutral that you can sense that the person speaking was not nervous at all. "... you're not planning to abduct me, right?" Kai's eyes were still fixed outside but this time he answered, "Calm down. I don't plan on killing someone tonight.""Oh. Then thanks." he blurted out and return to fixing his hair. After ten minutes, they arrived at a secluded area with only one building er
Tonight, he wanted to be with his brother again. Lately, he had been feeling a little empty inside. It has been two years since he had not talked to his brother and just three months ago, his adoptive father, who had died of old age, left him hundreds of people he needed to lead. It was already known inside the group that Kai will be the next in line, the child honed and treated as a real son by their deceased boss. No one objected, everyone saw how Kai was capable of leading the group. Even the business was prospering when he handled it. But each one also knew how lifeless their leader was. Looking at the side mirror, Kai saw Kole and Sky embracing each other. He had once embraced Sky; he had once felt that warmth but longing for it now was not something he deserved. He understood that it was his fault and because of a wrong decision pushed by his own demon. "Go to the club," he said in passing. Anywhere noisy was better than being alone in a big house. Though there were his un