Chapter 142: 6.25

Kibum's body was in severe pain as he tried hard to breathe. The impact of the car crash instantly killed the driver and the kidnapper. He should have been dead too. Because his head was about to be squashed by the horribly dent car. 

However, Taewoo jumped at him right before the crash and shielded him with his body. Once he opened his head again, he saw Taewoo with blood all over his body. Kibum had one of his ribs broken, but it was nothing compared to Taewoo. 

Taewoo still hugged him tightly, as if he wanted to protect his twin brother until his last breath, "Taewoo, Taewoo!" 

Kibum tried to shake Taewoo's head, but Taewoo was unresponsive. Kibum had a bad premonition about this, "Wake up! Mom and dad are waiting for you! They will kill me if you are dead! Taewoo!" 

Still no answer. At this point, Kibum's body was hurt all over, not only because of the wounds but also because of the emotional pain. Although he never said it out loud like Taewoo did, he truly loved his twin brother. 

Because they shared the same pain.

"Taewoo… wake up… mom and dad love you more, they will be sad if you are gone…" Kibum started sobbing. He shook his brother's body a few more times. And finally, Taewoo's eyelids twitched. 

Taewoo couldn't feel his body at all. Everything was broken at this point. He could not open his eyes, but he heard Kibum sobbing in his embrace, "Ki…bum… are you… okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay. Taewoo, don't go… mom and dad love you…"

The child Taewoo also knew that, since they were just babies, mom and dad never spare a glance at his twin brother. It was the reason why Taewoo was so overprotective of his brother. 

"Ki..bum… I never die…" Taewoo used up all his remaining strength to tighten his embrace on Kibum, "We… are twins… I will live in your… body."

"I will protect… brother… forever."

It was Taewoo's last words that Kibum heard until Taewoo stopped breathing. Kibum cried out loud even after the police and ambulance arrived to save them. 

The twins' parents were notified about the kidnapping and car accident. They rushed to the hospital as they were anxious about the twins' condition, but mostly Taewoo. And their heart sank once the doctor said, "There is only one twin that survives. But they are identical, so I don't know which one survives."

"Please let it be Taewoo, doctor!" the dad immediately said. 

The doctor was a bit angry with that reply, but he brought them to the ward, where a boy was bandaged around his shoulder and chest. He closed his eyes, which made it hard for the parents to check whether it was Kibum or Taewoo who survived. 

The parents waited the whole day until the kid opened his eyes. His mom and dad were beside him, waiting anxiously, "Mom… dad?"

The moment Kibum opened his eyes, his parents immediately knew that Taewoo didn't make it. His dad was heartbroken, and his mom cried and wailed, "Why you?! Why are you alive, not Taewoo?! My precious son! Please give me back my son!" 

Kibum watched in silence, his body was hurt all over, but it was nothing compared to the heartache he experienced that day.

***

Kibum couldn't attend the funeral of his twin brother. He was stuck on his bed while he heard the painful cry of his mother downstairs, crying as Taewoo was put into the casket, about to be buried. 

Kibum felt a strange sensation in his heart as he heard his mom's cried, like a needle continuously pricking his heart. He decided to close his eyes, hoping he could sleep to numb the pain. 

'Hi, brother!' 

Kibum heard something in his dream, he looked around to find nothing, but that familiar voice kept calling him.

'Brother, here!' 

Kibum turned his head to the source of the voice, and he saw Taewoo perfectly alive and well. He grinned happily and jumped towards Kibum. He hugged him and asked, 'Did you miss me?'

Kibum didn't reply, but he kept staring at his brother, unblinking. 

'Why are you staring at me? You know that I will keep living with you, right? We are twins!' Taewoo said. He circled around Kibum and continued, 'Although my real body has died, I will take control of your body from time to time. We will also talk every day, so you will not be lonely.'

'Isn't this what mom and dad want? As long as we live, then we can keep living normally, together as a family!'

'… yes, together…' Kibum replied. It was the moment when he accepted Taewoo inside his head and adopted his behavior. 

***

Their mother was heavily affected by Taewoo's death. She started calling Taewoo's name out of nowhere when they eat dinner or when she was sitting on that reclining chair. She started having delusions of seeing Taewoo instead of Kibum.

"Hi, mom! Why are you so sad these days?" Taewoo asked as he approached his mom. 

His mother, who was mostly pensive and unresponsive, finally reacted once she heard that familiar voice. She saw Taewoo sitting on the chair, looking at her curiously, "T—Taewoo?!"

"Yes, mom?" Taewoo replied.

"H—How… Taewoo, is that you?!" his mother grabbed Taewoo's hand and pulled him in her embrace, "My son, where have you been? Why are you leaving your mother alone like this?"

"Ah, that," Taewoo scratched his head, "I lived inside my brother's body now! I will take his body whenever necessary, mom. Don't worry about me. I'm still here!"

Kim mother didn't know if it was the real Taewoo or Kibum pretended to be her beloved son. But he looked and acted like Taewoo. Thus, she accepted it nonetheless because she genuinely wanted Taewoo back.

Kim mother told her husband about this good news, but her husband thought that she went mad, "You've gone mad! Taewoo is dead. Let him go!"

"No! Taewoo is not dead!" Kim mother pulled Kibum, who hid at the corner, watching his parents fought. She clenched his shoulder until Kibum winced in pain;

"Now, let Taewoo come!" Kim mother said. Kibum only froze as he didn't know what to do, "Kibum! Let my precious son come! I need him!" Kim mother clenched Kibum even tighter. 

Kibum paled, he looked at his father for help, but his father only stared coldly. In the end, his mother screamed like a lunatic and continuously calling Taewoo to come back. 

It was the sign of her madness.