#130
“What do you think you’re doing!”
Yoon Pa-ran quickly approached and snatched Min-woong away. Unable to exert force recklessly, Dan Joo-hyuk remained motionless, just watching as Yoon Pa-ran took his brother away.
“You…!”
After taking Min-woong, Yoon Pa-ran was furious. As if Dan Joo-hyuk had done something harmful to the child.
Naturally, a wave of displeasure rose inside him. Out of habit, Dan Joo-hyuk was about to sneer at Yoon Pa-ran.
However, as soon as he took in Yoon Pa-ran’s appearance, he hesitated.
“…”
The bandage that had risen to his neck, having discarded the potion Dan Joo-hyuk had brought, was the first thing that caught his eye. On his face, a character band-aid that children might use crossed his cheek.
His fiercely opened eyes were similar to usual. But for some reason, Dan Joo-hyuk couldn’t take his eyes off Yoon Pa-ran’s pale white face.
By now, Yoon Pa-ran had sent his brother behind him. Then he tried his best to shield the child from Dan Joo-hyuk’s view.
Yoon Pa-ran knew better than anyone that this wouldn’t prevent Dan Joo-hyuk from reaching out. Yet, Yoon Pa-ran acted so irrationally.
Upon noticing the faintly trembling white hand, Dan Joo-hyuk found himself unable to say anything.
“Don’t touch my brother.”
“…”
Why did he suddenly think of that white puppy being raised by Kim Sin-cheol’s parents? The image of it barking fiercely to protect something despite being scared with its tail tucked.
Yoon Pa-ran looked exactly like that now. With his not-so-large frame, he was baring his teeth to protect his even smaller brother.
To think he’s this scared of me.
Suddenly realizing this fact, strangely, a corner of his heart ached. Unlike Yoon Pa-ran, he had no remaining injuries.
The sarcasm that was about to spring forth weakly subsided inside. At some point, it fell through the cracks in his mind, like the land in the anomaly gate.
“Rather, go outside and…”
Yoon Pa-ran began to speak seriously in a highly solemn voice. Dan Joo-hyuk noticed that those plump lips were trembling ever so slightly, and he realized how foolish his countless speculations had been while coming here.
At least for Yoon Pa-ran, these were his real family.
As the realization passed, his throat strangely became parched. The sensation of his lips drying up instantly was remarkably vivid.
He still hadn’t resolved his suspicions about Yoon Seul or this orphanage. That was related to Yoon Pa-ran’s safety, after all.
However, Dan Joo-hyuk realized that he needed to change his thinking. At least Yoon Pa-ran had no intention of giving up on this place, his family.
Then, what kind of threat had his words been to Yoon Pa-ran until now?
As his thoughts reached that point, an unfamiliar emotion finally welled up in his throat.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Huh…?”
When he apologized, Yoon Pa-ran made a very bewildered sound.
At the same time, the white hand that had been trembling while shielding his brother fell limply towards the ground. It was as if the thorns Yoon Pa-ran had been raising had lost their strength and fallen to the ground.
Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to Yoon Pa-ran’s youthful face. Although he knew he was acting quite unlike himself, Dan Joo-hyuk felt it didn’t matter anymore.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. The little one asked to be held, so I just held him.”
It was good that he hadn’t thrown the child into the air while playing. If he had done that, given this reaction to just holding him, Yoon Pa-ran might have swung a sword at him.
“Big brother…?”
At that moment, Min-woong, who had been clinging to Yoon Pa-ran’s leg, spoke up while observing the situation.
It had been curious how the child lacked awareness near him, but now that the child started looking up with an anxious face, it didn’t feel good.
“Ah, Min-woong. Would you like to go inside for a moment?”
“Big brother, are you okay?”
Yoon Pa-ran looked down at Min-woong, who was tightly grasping his leg, with a troubled expression.
Even though he asked him to go inside, the small hand gripping his leg tightened its hold. Min-woong’s eyes, meeting his gaze anxiously, were already brimming with tears.
Seeing Dan Joo-hyuk holding Min-woong, Yoon Pa-ran’s heart strangely dropped. He hadn’t considered that Min-woong would be this startled.
A cold sweat rose on his back. He was also worried that Min-woong might become scared because of today’s incident.
Then, something flashed through Yoon Pa-ran’s mind.
“Well… Did you hear that man apologize just now?”
Even as he spoke, the bewildered feeling didn’t fade. He might have misheard earlier, but for now, calming Min-woong was the priority.
“Mmm…”
Min-woong nodded quickly, shaking off the anxiety on his face. For children, that apology seemed to be the most trustworthy words.
“Go inside quickly. I’ll talk a bit and then come.”
“Mm…”
Seeing that trusting response, Yoon Pa-ran suddenly realized.
That what he had heard wasn’t an illusion.
“…”
Yoon Pa-ran watched Min-woong’s back as he ran towards the building, making small footsteps.
Only after confirming that the child didn’t fall did he slowly turn his head towards Dan Joo-hyuk.
“…”
He was looking at him in the same posture as before.
Strangely, words got stuck in his throat. Among all the worries he had while being stuck here for the past few days, this situation wasn’t one of them.
“I’m sorry for coming in secretly too. I didn’t think you’d let me in.”
Hearing Dan Joo-hyuk apologize once more, Yoon Pa-ran was stunned again.
What was so surprising about a mere apology? With a dumbfounded feeling, Yoon Pa-ran faced Dan Joo-hyuk.
However, as their gazes met, for a moment, no thoughts came to mind.
“…”
With a face devoid of any hint of a smile, Dan Joo-hyuk gazed straight ahead. In the backyard of the orphanage, a place more familiar to Yoon Pa-ran than anywhere else.
The unfamiliar sight of him standing in this familiar place created a strange disharmony. The situation of him suddenly appearing and offering an apology was equally odd.
Eventually, Dan Joo-hyuk slowly approached him.
The sound of dry grass being stepped on in the backyard gently cut through the winter air as it drew closer. As the distance decreased, Yoon Pa-ran suddenly realized that Dan Joo-hyuk had been suppressing his aura for Min-woong’s sake.
His toes soon touched Yoon Pa-ran’s toes. His large shadow blocked the precious winter sunlight and enveloped him.
But strangely, it wasn’t as scary as before.
“I won’t threaten you with the orphanage anymore in the future. I promise.”
Dan Joo-hyuk said in a calm voice. It was just a single statement. There was no basis to believe it anywhere.
Thinking like that, Yoon Pa-ran felt the strength gradually leaving his body. The murky sensation, whether it was anxiety or distrust, melted away inside him.
Meeting Dan Joo-hyuk’s eyes, it just happened that way.
“…Okay.”
Dan Joo-hyuk stared intently at Yoon Pa-ran, who answered with a cracked voice.
Yoon Pa-ran’s eyes, which had always been filled with tension, gradually softened. For just a verbal promise, Yoon Pa-ran stood before him with the gentlest expression he had ever seen.
That scene strangely etched itself deeply in his mind.
The pain in his chest, which had been throbbing since earlier, intensified. An extreme thirst, enough to make him want to dive into water, not only split his throat but constricted his entire chest.
Yet, Dan Joo-hyuk didn’t feel like doing anything else. He just stared blankly at Yoon Pa-ran’s pale face, as if entranced.
Why did he come here again?
His gaze, which had been wandering all over Yoon Pa-ran’s face, eventually turned to his cheek. The character band-aid, clearly put on by his younger siblings, was stuck on crookedly.
How badly was he hurt? He didn’t think he saw any major injuries, but did he drink the potion?
Strangely, the craving didn’t subside. Dan Joo-hyuk, who had been unconsciously opening and closing his palm behind his back, spoke up again.
“Inside that gate…”
Originally, he just wanted to ask how badly he was hurt. However, as he naturally began to speak, he became aware that there was one more thing to apologize for.
“…I spoke that way because Hunter Yoon Pa-ran acted too recklessly.”
“…”
“I’m sorry.”
Yoon Pa-ran didn’t answer. The gaze that had been consistently meeting his suddenly fell diagonally to the floor. The movement in his large eyes was too visible.
As soon as the gaze avoided him, he felt an urge to scratch the inside of his chest. Why?
Whether aware of the sensation he was feeling or not, Yoon Pa-ran met his gaze again after a long while. Along with a rather disgruntled voice.
“You’re saying I was more reckless than you?”
His gaze was fixed on the white cheeks that had swollen up sulkily. Even though he wasn’t hiding his displeasure, it felt good somehow when their eyes met.
Dan Joo-hyuk followed his instinct and slowly reached out his hand.
Only when his fingertips touched the soft cheek did the thirst that had been overwhelming him, threatening to dry him up, seem to subside a little.
“I meant I was worried.”
With just one utterance, his hesitation disappeared as if swept away by a massive tidal wave.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
