vengeance | woosan

19

unedited lol i'm hiding in my jobs bathroom to update lol

wooyoung pov 👀

As the last stroke of azure blue melds into the canvas, creating a harmonious dance of colors that only my hand can choreograph, a knock at the door disrupts my concentration. I let out a sigh, a part of me already guessing who it might be. Setting my brush down, I turn, my eyes landing on the familiar figure of my older brother, Jimin.

"Hey, you're done talking?" His voice carries that familiar teasing tone, one that's always grated on my nerves, yet I can't help the corner of my mouth twitching upwards. I watch as he saunters in, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

"What do you want?" My words come out sharper than intended, a knee-jerk reaction to the countless times we've danced this dance of brotherly aggravation mixed with underlying affection.

Jimin raises his hands in a gesture of peace, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Nothing, just wanted to say hey. You didn't visit me in Seoul; I had a show," he says, easing himself onto the couch, his gaze flickering over the mess of paints and brushes that litter my space.

"Yeah, instead I went partying," I reply with a shrug, turning back to my painting . The truth is, the shadow of being the 'star child' has always loomed large over our relationship, casting a pall on moments that should have been shared in joy. Jimin's shows in Seoul were a big deal, and deep down, I knew I should have been there, cheering him on, sharing in his triumphs as he has reluctantly done in mine.

Yet, here we stand, on either side of an invisible line drawn by expectations and unspoken grievances, communicating in half-truths and mock annoyance.

"Still partying, when will you grow up?" Jimin tsks, and I can't help but roll my eyes at his predictable judgment.

"I'm literally in college, please go be boring with someone else," I respond in a monotonous tone, hoping he'll drop the subject. Jimin falls silent, and from the corner of my eye, I watch him study the sculpture of San on my worktable. "Don't touch it," I warn, but of course, he does anyway.

Jimin picks it up, examining it closely before looking at me with a playful yet inquisitive look. "Who's this? One of your boy toys?"

"No."

"No?" He raises an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with my terse reply. "Who is he then?"

"Don't worry about it," I say, wanting to keep my budding relationship with San as far away from my family's scrutiny as possible. Jimin, being his nosy self, isn't going to let it go easily, though.

"Don't tell me you're in a serious relationship?" His voice fills the room, a mixture of surprise and genuine interest. I stay silent, feeling a bit cornered yet also touched by his unexpected happiness for me. "Wow, who's the lucky guy, tell your big brother!" he presses, shaking my shoulder, making me groan.

"We didn't make things official, so please calm down," I admit, my cheeks warming at the thought of San.

"Still, you are maturing. The hoe days are over, huh? What made him different?" Jimin teases, pinching my cheek.

"The fact that he hated me," I admit truthfully, and Jimin's reaction is immediate—a slap to the back of my head.

"You always like a challenge. When will you learn to stop using people for your own personal reasons? What if that happens to you!" he rants, completely missing why I've grown fond of San.

"I grew to like him, and he likes me too. And... I don't know, I feel like I can trust him," I confess, rubbing the spot on my head where he hit me. "I think I can give him my heart, and it feels crazy because we just started talking."

"I want to meet him," Jimin declares, a statement that feels more like a demand.

"You never can." The words slip out, and jimin rolls his eyes.

"So, how is he like?" Jimin asks, settling next to me at my desk with a cheesy smile that I know all too well. He's genuinely interested in my love life, which isn't something he's usually interested in. I feel my cheeks warm up, a blush spreading despite my best efforts to remain nonchalant.

"He's handsome, funny, charming... I like how he has a protective vibe. " i think about that when we first met, how he wanted to beat my ass because what happen between yeonjun and i. It was just proof about san being protective with people he cared about. i wonder if he would ever fight for me like that," Even when I try to avoid him, he always tries to reach out to me. Unlike the others, he came to me calmly and didn't throw himself at me. I felt cared for," I confess, the words tumbling out in a rush, painting a picture of San that makes my heart skip a beat just by mentioning his qualities.

"You are so swooned over this guy. I'm happy that you're healing and trying this out. How'd y'all meet?" Jimin prods, his smile growing wider, sensing a story.

I sigh, knowing this part of the story might not sit well with him. "So... um, I had a fling with his best friend." As expected, Jimin's face drops, and he rolls his eyes in exasperation.

"What the fuck, Wooyoung??" His reaction is both predictable and warranted, given my history.

"Me and his friend, was nothing big. It was just a talking stage that lasted for three days. I ended it because we had nothing in common. But San and I definitely do," I try to explain, hoping to smooth over the rough edges of my confession.

"Who's San? Is San his name?" Jimin suddenly jumps out of his chair, his earlier amusement replaced by a sharp curiosity. In my haste, I'd let San's name slip, a detail I'd intended to keep under wraps.

"No." The lie is clumsy, transparent even to my own ears.

"I'm researching him!" Jimin declares defiantly, already reaching for his phone. His determination to uncover more about San is both a testament to his protective nature and his inability to resist prying into my life.

"Don't do that!" I protest, a note of panic in my voice. The last thing I want is for Jimin to dive into a social media deep-dive. Not only would it invade San's privacy, but it would also force me to confront the reality of introducing him to my brother—a step I'm not sure I'm ready for.

"I'm kidding, but I'm curious about the friend. How does he feel about it?" Jimin's voice pulls me back to the present, his curiosity veering towards Yeonjun, the prelude to my current situation. I try not to dwell too much on it. All Yeonjun and I did was flirt, had sex, tried dating, but I wasn't interested in him. In a perfect world, I would like to think Yeonjun understood that we weren't a perfect match, but I don't know what he thinks fully. San just tells me he's mad, but I've still seen them together, so it's safe to think it's been resolved. "I think he's fine, they are still friends. Like I said, we didn't have anything in common."

"What do you and San have in common?" Jimin probes further, his curiosity unquenched.

I groan at my brother's persistence. "Is this a therapy session?"

Jimin giggles, a sound that's both endearing and frustrating in equal measure. "Sorry, it's just that I'm happy for you and just want to know everything. We never talk about your love life. You still haven't told me what happened to the last boy—"

"I don't have to tell you everything, fuck." The anger that snaps in my voice surprises even me, a raw edge that I rarely let anyone, especially Jimin, see. The mention of my last serious relationship, so one-sided and painful, is a sore spot I'm not ready to revisit.

Jimin notices the shift in energy and stands up, his demeanor changing from inquisitive to apologetic. "Fine, sorry. I'm going to get dinner, want anything?"

"No." My response is clipped, my focus turning back to my painting as I hear Jimin leave and close the door behind him. Alone now, the discomfort and a wave of emotions I've been trying to keep at bay crash over me. Unwilling tears fall, tracing paths down my cheeks, as i paint in silence.