The Three baby mining brothers - Chapter 1

This work contains immoral themes such as gaslighting and coercive acts. Please keep this in mind when reading.

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There was nothing left. Everything had burned away. The only thing he owned was the school uniform he was wearing.

The uniform, worn and threadbare from being handed down countless times, clung to his small frame, making him look even smaller. A white shirt, a black vest, and black uniform pants—though torn and frayed, he was always grateful just to have something to wear.

He had lived every day with gratitude, trying to be kind. But why had this happened?

Just like any other day, he finished school on time and returned to the only place he could call home—the orphanage. But what unfolded before his eyes was the sight of the orphanage, its appearance unrecognizable as it succumbed to some unknown catastrophe.

“The Director…”

The child’s pupils lost focus, his eyes blank, as he ran to the back door as if possessed. Though an inexplicable fear bubbled up from deep within, his legs instinctively moved along the familiar path.

A strange yet vaguely familiar scene came into view. The unease stemmed from the row of heavily tinted cars parked beside the wide back door—something he had never seen before.

Tearing his gaze away from the cars, he stumbled toward the only part of the building that wasn’t consumed by flames. Without thinking, he dashed up the rusty metal staircase that led to the back door.

He had to reach the director’s office on the third floor. He had to see the director’s face.

“…”

Even though the staircase was old, it was always bustling with children. But now, the orphanage was eerily silent, with not a soul in sight. His clenched fists were damp with cold sweat.

The hallway leading to the third-floor director’s office looked strangely larger than usual, probably because it was completely empty. Flower pots were shattered on the floor, and the chaos resembled a war zone.

The boy’s shoulders trembled as he quietly, hesitantly walked toward the office he always visited.

“What is this…”

He opened the door to the director’s office, which he had visited every day. Echoes of laughter from children playing in the office still seemed to linger in his ears, but all that greeted him now was the stale smell of dust.

Even the faint hope that someone might welcome him was cruelly dashed.

The sofa was overturned, and books that had once been neatly arranged on the shelves were scattered all over the floor.

It was then.

Before he could steady his trembling hands—whether from fear or shock—he heard voices from outside.

“The director’s office is this way.”

It was an unfamiliar voice, deep and authoritative—rare in a place like the orphanage, where only the director, a few teachers, and volunteers were adults. The sound of approaching footsteps made the boy freeze in panic.

Quickly, he pulled out the director’s chair and crawled underneath the desk. Crouching under the narrow space, he instinctively tucked his knees in and lowered his head.

“I’m scared.”

The boy mouthed the words silently, his lips trembling.

His hands shook uncontrollably. He buried his face in his knees and held his breath. For some reason, he was certain these strangers were behind everything that had happened.

He pressed his hands tightly over his mouth, stifling even the sound of his breathing. Though he wanted to cry, he swallowed his sobs, forcing them back with each suppressed breath.

Click.

The flimsy office door creaked open.

“Hurry up and find it so we can leave. I’m exhausted.”

Terrified, the boy used his free hand to cover his mouth, muffling any sound that might escape. Tears welled up and silently trickled down his face.

“Stop complaining and just get it done. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can leave.”

A loud thud echoed as one of them kicked over the sofa. The men rummaged through the room, yanking open drawers and tossing aside books, searching for something.

They were clearly looking for something. But what? And why in the director’s office of this ruined orphanage?

Should he have run away instead of hiding?

As fear filled his small body, the boy could only desperately wish for one thing:

‘Please…’

He prayed fervently to escape this nightmare unharmed. But that hope was nothing more than a fleeting dream.

Suddenly, the room grew silent.

No more sounds of rummaging. No more voices.

The eerie stillness made the boy’s heart race. He thought maybe they had left, so he cautiously opened his eyes.

But he had forgotten: silence brings an even greater fear than noise.

The light of the sun streamed in as the chair that had shielded him was moved aside. The darkness that had hidden him was gone.

Because of the harsh sunlight, it took him a moment to realize someone was standing before him.

“Who are you?”

A man, undeniably handsome, peered under the desk and smiled brightly at the boy.

Though he had prayed not to be discovered, the heavens paid no heed to his wish. The boy slowly raised his head and locked eyes with the beautiful man.

Perhaps it was the tension that had unraveled after being caught, but tears streamed down his face, dripping onto the floor. Though he still covered his mouth with both hands, his stifled sobs could not mask the trembling of his small body.

“Why are you crying?”

“…”

“What did I do to you?”

The man tilted his head, deliberately exaggerating the motion to feign confusion. His smile was so incongruous that it felt almost grotesque.

As the man leaned closer, blocking out the sunlight, the boy’s view became clearer. His delicate features were unnervingly close, and he stared at the boy without so much as a blink.

“Hey, over here! There’s a kid hiding!”

The man called out, shoving the chair further aside and crouching in front of the desk. Resting his chin on his hands like a child playing a game, he gazed at the boy with curiosity.

But before long, the light disappeared, and the room grew darker. Someone else approached, standing in front of the window and blocking the sunlight.

“What is this?”

Unlike the beautiful man, the newcomer exuded a completely different aura. He was tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit that fit him like a glove.

Though he didn’t wear glasses, he gave off the impression of someone in a high-ranking position. He folded his arms and leaned against the old window frame, staring down at the boy without moving an inch.

“P-please… spare me…”

The boy’s first words were an instinctive plea for mercy, spilling out before he could think.

His trembling hands and flowing tears betrayed his fear as he desperately begged, unable to stop his voice from cracking.

“You’re so pale. Are you taking some kind of medicine?”

The beautiful man chuckled, shaking with laughter before suddenly sobering up, his expression turning serious.

“I-I’m not… I…”

The boy shook his head, lowering the hands that had been covering his mouth. The cool air he inhaled eased his breathing slightly.

But the suited man clicked his tongue in irritation at the boy’s incessant sobbing. He turned his gaze toward the beautiful man and sighed heavily.

“This is why I hate dealing with this kind of stuff.”

Ignoring him, the beautiful man continued to smile, his eyes fixed on the boy.

“What’s your name?”

“… M-my name is Han Yeoreum…”

Summer.

It was the peak of summer when the baby, wrapped in a blanket with those three characters written on it, was abandoned.

“Han?”

The boy nodded hesitantly at the man’s response.

“We’re Han too.”

Standing up with a playful grunt, the man walked off to another corner of the room.

“Fate, huh?”

The boy watched as the man’s cryptic words sent shivers down his spine.

“Hyung, I’m taking Yeoreum with me.”

The beautiful man’s tone shifted as he casually called the boy by name.

“And who’s that supposed to be?”

“Our little brother.”

The tension between the two men’s voices was palpable, one laced with amusement and the other with irritation.

“Isn’t it time you stopped messing around?”

“Come on, Hyung. You’ll like his face too, I bet.”

“Where would we even put a kid? Weren’t you the one who said you wanted to get this over with quickly? Don’t make things more complicated.”

Exhaustion overtook the boy as his tears finally ran dry. His body was heavy, and even as he tried to pinch his thighs or rub his eyes, sleep threatened to overtake him.

“Fine. Let’s take him. I’ll make sure he’s not a bother.”

Before he could even react, the beautiful man approached him.

The boy barely managed to lift his heavy eyelids, meeting the man’s piercing gaze.

Had he survived the tiger’s den only to face an even greater danger?

The boy instantly regretted letting his guard down.

The man suddenly slapped the boy’s cheek and head with such force that the sound echoed through the room. The sharp pain left the boy dazed as he collapsed, losing consciousness.

“And now, we’re officially brothers.”