‘I want to manifest as a dominant alpha too.’
Joo-han bit his lip, swallowing the surging emotions. He clung to Inho with trembling eyes, as if asking him would provide an answer. He was that desperate.
There was nothing he hadn’t tried so far. He exercised until his nose bled every day and went to all sorts of hospitals, even getting pheromone injections. He had to endure various side effects as a result, but he was the one who pushed himself harder and sought out more hospitals.
His desperate efforts over several years had yielded no results. His body didn’t get any closer to that of an alpha. Rather, it only became more emaciated.
‘Hyung was similar to me, wasn’t he? Mom and the other hyungs said so.’
Inho, who had been roughly rubbing his eyes, finally looked at Joo-han. Unlike the smile on his lips, his eyes were chillingly cold.
“Do you think there’s a way?”
Inho lightly pressed down on the desk with his fist and asked as if genuinely curious.
“You’re not that stupid. Why are you acting like a kid?”
There was no way to manifest as a dominant alpha. Joo-han was old enough to know that much.
Was that really why he came all the way here with such a question? Leaning his head back on the chair, Inho stared intently at Joo-han, whose head was lowered. The fresh scratches and hardened scabs on his bloodless face were irritating to look at. So much so that it was hard to keep looking.
“Seo Joo-han.”
At the sound of his older brother calling his name, Joo-han flinched and slowly raised his head.
“Just leave. Don’t hold on.”
His voice remained as cold as ever. At this, Joo-han’s gaze was about to fall back to his knees. However, the calm words that followed caught his descending gaze.
“You’ve never dropped out of the top ranks at school, have you? Go study quietly anywhere overseas.”
Inho warned him to stay away from Jang Eun-young. He said that if Joo-han wanted to go abroad, he wouldn’t stop him, so he should go and attend university and find his own way. The Inho of the past hadn’t been able to do that. He hadn’t even had the will to make such an effort.
“Otherwise, it’ll only get harder for you.”
The light of the evening sunset seeped through the window. Perhaps it was because the red glow permeated the room, but Inho’s cold voice sounded a little warmer. At least, it did to Joo-han.
“You knew I had good grades…?”
Joo-han, his stiff lips slightly parted, asked a question that didn’t fit the flow of the conversation.
“Who told you? Did hyung… ask about it?”
Inho rolled his eyes and passed off his answer with a sigh. But Joo-han interpreted his response on his own. Hyung is interested in me, he thought.
That was enough.
In fact, asking about how to become a dominant alpha was just an excuse. He had simply come because he missed his brother. Even if Inho wouldn’t be on his side, he desperately needed a conversation with someone who wasn’t his enemy.
A single thick tear fell from Joo-han’s eye, and he quickly rubbed his eyes. He rubbed them for a long time until the corners of his eyes became red, then straightened his hunched shoulders.
Even though he hadn’t heard any way to shatter the wall of reality, a spark of life flickered in his dead eyes. Inho silently stared at such a Joo-han. He couldn’t know from what context in their conversation Joo-han had gained strength.
“Hyung.”
Joo-han took a long, wet breath and stood up from his seat.
“I will definitely inherit Father’s company.”
He clenched his still small hands tightly and faced Inho head-on. The red sunset light made his bloodless face look brighter.
“I won’t ever let my other brothers take it.”
Joo-han’s eyes sharply gleamed. He confessed his feelings with utmost seriousness.
“I want to have it all. I will have it no matter what.”
It was a completely different look from Inho, who always hid his feelings with a light smile. Inho felt a similar sentiment whenever he occasionally encountered Joo-han.
He’s going to be different, he thought.
“Don’t worry, hyung. Father will be healthy for at least another 20 years. I can do it. I’ll definitely manifest.”
As if it were something that could be done by will. Instead of scoffing, Inho swallowed his thoughts as habitually as breathing and stood up.
“Stay for dinner.”
Inho, who had strode to the front of the door, turned the doorknob. At the same time, the door opened, and Haon, who had been closely listening with his ear pressed against it, hurriedly turned around to run away, carrying a tray with a glass on it.
“I was trying to give it to you.”
Haon, who hadn’t gone far before stopping abruptly, gave an awkward smile. He had just mixed plum extract with ice water to give to Inho’s younger brother.
“Please talk while drinking this…”
He belatedly offered the tray to Inho, bringing up the words he had prepared. Judging from Haon’s expression, he seemed to have heard the entire conversation.
“Thank you.”
Inho, who smiled faintly, took the tray and handed the light green iced glass to Joo-han. He was just walking towards the door.
“What’s this?”
“It’s plum extract.”
Haon answered instead and then stared intently at Joo-han’s face again. Joo-han didn’t immediately take the glass but scratched his chin, going ‘Ah…’ He seemed not to like plum extract.
“Drink it.”
Inho said firmly before Joo-han could refuse. Joo-han nodded and immediately emptied the glass.
“It was good.”
Joo-han, facing Haon, smiled brightly. For a moment, Haon was slightly surprised by the smile that overlapped with Inho’s. As expected, brothers were brothers. Their smiling lips looked very alike. And so did their voices.
“You’re staying for dinner, right?”
Haon, who glanced back and forth between Inho and Joo-han with a subtly similar air, asked them both. He had overheard Inho telling Joo-han to stay for dinner and was asking to confirm.
“No. I’m about to leave now. Hyung, I already ate, so I’m fine.”
Joo-han immediately headed for the front door. Inho didn’t urge him again. Haon, who had been surreptitiously observing the two, hesitated for a moment before calling out to Joo-han.
“Please wait a moment.”
With those words, he hurriedly ran to his room. He had clearly said it would only be a moment, but it took quite a long time. Inho waited for Haon with familiarity, while Joo-han stood awkwardly in the hallway, watching his older brother’s reaction.
“Um, hyung.”
Joo-han opened his mouth. He was the type who couldn’t stand silence. And there was something he had wanted to say for a while.
“When I was young, I endured because of something you said to me.”
Inho indifferently stared only at the door Haon had disappeared behind. It was the exact reaction Joo-han had expected.
“You probably don’t remember.”
Just then, Haon came out of his room. He was holding ointment and bandages in both hands, as if he had been delayed searching for the first-aid kit.
“Apply this ointment. And put on a bandage.”
Joo-han wondered internally if this was all it took him so long to prepare. Still, he didn’t forget to say thank you.
“And… this.”
Haon glanced at Inho once before placing a small piece of paper in Joo-han’s hand. Inho watched this intently. He had thought Haon was folding something out of colored paper again, but it wasn’t that.
“Look at it on your way home. Be careful.”
It seemed to be a note with something written on it. Inho, who had been watching, slightly raised one eyebrow. Before Inho could take it away, Joo-han quickly shoved the note into his pocket and headed for the front door.
“Hyung, see you next time. Thank you for everything.”
He said goodbye to Inho and Haon in turn and walked away. He was shorter and had a slighter build than Haon, but somehow, he exuded a reliable aura. It seemed to be because he resembled Inho.
“What did you give him?”
Inho took Haon’s hand, whose dazed gaze was fixed on the hallway leading to the front door. Even after Joo-han had left the house, Haon continued to look at the empty hallway.
“My number.”
“You gave him Haon-ssi’s number?”
Haon nodded lightly. He had no intention of hiding it from Inho.
“I left a note telling him to contact me if things get tough.”
It wouldn’t be of much help, though. He added slowly, gripping Inho’s hand tightly.
“He looked like he was having a really hard time.”
He felt a little uneasy for doing something without asking Inho, but he didn’t regret it. He only thought it was a good thing he gave him his number.
Haon knew because he had also gone through a lot. He knew what the eyes of someone at their limit looked like. That’s why he had given his number without much hesitation.
“What are you going to do if he calls every day?”
Fortunately, Inho didn’t show any displeasure.
“I’ll just listen. Tell him to text as much as possible.”
He didn’t have the knowledge or experience to give any great advice anyway. He had written that on the note as well. That he didn’t know how to do anything but listen, but if that was okay, to contact him.
Inho, who gently stroked Haon’s cheek, briefly looked at the empty hallway.
“He probably won’t contact you. He has a strong sense of pride.”
He placed the tray on a nearby display cabinet and then wrapped his arms around Haon’s waist.
“Still, it must have been a great comfort to him.”
His languid voice echoed slowly. It was a completely different tone from when he was with Joo-han. Haon listened intently to his voice, which carried a tender air only towards him, and leaned into his broad chest.
“Don’t give your number to other people carelessly.”
Inho whispered, his lips brushing against Haon’s ear. Instead of answering, Haon only gazed up at Inho.
“Are you… very bothered by me contacting other people?”
Inho, his lips twitching, subtly turned his head away, avoiding the question. He must be quite bothered by it after all.
Haon already knew. He had already sensed it.
“Then you can keep looking through my phone all you want.”
Haon, standing on tiptoes, brought his lips to Inho’s ear as if mimicking him, and whispered softly.
“But don’t delete the text messages.”
