Page 293 of Scarbound

Noeul’s eyes dropped again.

“What exactly are you blaming yourself for?”

Noeul rubbed his hands together. “How disgusting is it?” he whispered. “Your own brother. Someone who shares your face.” His expression twisted. “It isn’t normal.”

“No.”

Noeul looked at him sharply.

Duri held his gaze. “What Gong did wasn’t normal.” A pause. “That doesn’t mean you weren’t.”

Noeul’s breathing faltered. Ji-Woo made a broken sound beside them.

Noeul looked toward him. Ji-Woo’s face was wet with tears.

“I didn’t know,” he said again.

“I know.”

“No.” Ji-Woo shook his head. “I mean I really didn’t know.” He lowered himself to the floor beside his brother, leaving space between them. “I thought Gong hyung was jealous of Haneul. I thought that was why he hated him so much.”

Noeul looked away.

Ji-Woo swallowed. “But it was about you.”

Noeul’s body went still.

Ji-Woo immediately corrected himself. “Not because of anything you did.” Noeul looked back. “He was jealous of everyone who mattered to you. He wanted everything. Your time. Your attention. You.” Ji-Woo wiped his face. “That wasn’t love, hyung.”

Noeul covered his face. “I’m so ashamed.”

Ji-Woo shifted closer but still didn’t touch him.

“I didn’t want you to know the truth about Gong,” Noeul whispered. “Or about me.”

“There’s nothing about you I’m ashamed of.”

“You didn’t read his note. His fantasies about me…” Noeul’s voice broke. “You would’ve hated knowing we shared his blood.”

“No.”

“You would.”

“No.”

Noeul dropped his hands. “How are you supposed to live with brothers like that?” His eyes filled again. “And what if I become sick like him?”

“Hyung.”

Noeul shook his head. “We were identical.”

“So?”

“What if there’s something in me too?”

Ji-Woo leaned forward slightly. “There is.”

Noeul froze. Duri looked at him.