Chapter 12
After returning home, Jaeha immediately started the washing machine to get rid of Kyun Jiho’s scent that had soaked into his clothes, and then took a shower.
“Ugh, I smell like that Gaeho guy.”
Jaeha had only intended to deliver food and medicine before heading back home, but he couldn’t just leave when he saw Jiho collapse at the doorway. Having experience carrying his drunk brother to bed a few times before, moving Jiho wasn’t difficult. However, he had a hard time because Jiho whined while hugging him and wouldn’t let go.
“I wonder if he was really unconscious.”
Kyun Jiho clung to Jaeha’s neck, whimpering and rubbing his head against his shoulders and back, acting just like a dog. In the end, Jaeha went back inside and gave Jiho the medicine directly.
Jiho kept fumbling around looking for his phone, so Jaeha picked it up from the floor, plugged in the charger, and only then could leave. He was briefly worried that Jiho might have lost consciousness, but when a KakaoTalk message came in, Jiho opened his eyes instantly as if he’d never been asleep. Although Jaeha suspected he might have been pretending to collapse, he was still relieved.
“What relief? I’d prefer not to see him again until the semester ends.”
Even after showering, Jaeha shuddered at the lingering sensation of Jiho clinging to him. The memory of Jiho’s hot breath against his neck and his slow, sensual whispers made his neck tingle. As Jaeha roughly dried his hair with a towel to forget the creepy feeling, he suddenly felt wronged.
“Why hasn’t he sent even one KakaoTalk message? That jerk.”
He resented his brother who still hadn’t contacted him once despite all his efforts.
He thought about using this as an excuse to contact Jaeyoon.
I met Kyun Jiho.
Actually, he already knew what Jiho looked like, but he thought Jiho wouldn’t recognize him. When they met, Jaeha was surprised that Jiho remembered his full name and acted like he knew him.
Jiho, whom Jaeha had prejudged would look like a gigolo, actually appeared quite manly up close. Though his flirtatious eye-smile was creepy. His dimples and tears seemed excessive, almost like too much character design. Jaeha thought he could have been a legally popular celebrity if he had become an idol instead.
“No, if he’d become an idol, his girlfriends would have exposed him right after debut and he’d have fallen hard… Wait, why am I thinking about that guy again? It’s so annoying.”
It was all because of Kyun Jiho’s cologne that still lingered. The smell stuck in his nose bothered him, so he opened the window for ventilation. Throughout all this, Jaeha’s phone never left his hand.
The silence from his phone made Jaeha feel bitter again.
“What is it? Why isn’t he contacting me?”
He kept grumbling, feeling hurt that his brother wasn’t reaching out despite saying he wouldn’t leave him. Muttering to himself as he was about to enter his room, Jaeha quickly checked his phone when he heard a notification.
“You don’t need to.”
“Oh, he finally saw it. Damn him.”
Their KakaoTalk conversation, which used to be just initial consonants, had developed into proper human dialogue.
“I have someone to introduce to you.”
“Introduce?”
“Stay home.”
As messages came quickly before he could even ask, Jaeha rolled his eyes, deep in thought.
Who was he going to introduce?
Jaeha became anxious, wondering if his brother was saying something like, “I’ve brought the person who will be my future wife.”
“Jaeyoon is only twenty. It’s too early for him to get married.”
Although he knew his brother’s mental state had been strange these past few days, his heart sank at the thought that he might have done something impulsive.
“…Is this dangerous?”
Feeling uneasy, Jaeha sent several messages with various questions, but the number 1 notification still wouldn’t disappear. Irritated that he seemed to be the only one worried, Jaeha threw his phone.
“Ah, whatever. I don’t care. I wish I’d never met Kyun Jiho.”
Thinking that gaming was the best way to clear his head, he turned on his computer and sat down. When he logged in, the guild master wasn’t there. He didn’t feel like hunting with other guild members who treated him like a healing shuttle, so he checked the last login time and saw it was two days ago.
“Huh? The guild master has been away for two days?”
He felt lonely at the unusual absence of the guild master who rarely took time off.
“It’s no fun gaming without Guild Master Hyung.”
Spinning in his chair, Jaeha felt listless due to both Jaeyoon’s meaningful words and the absence of someone to play with. Lately, he hadn’t been able to sleep and wasn’t tired, making it hard to endure boredom.
“Well, let’s make jerky. This is perfect, perfect.”
Thinking he should call for reinforcements, he picked up his phone. He was about to call Dojoon right away but hesitated when he remembered Jaeyoon’s warning, though that was all.
“Anyway, he’s already wandering around on his own.”
Despite promising to stay by his side, Jaeyoon was absent after just a few days.
Fortunately, Dojoon responded willingly to Jaeha’s call, as if he had enjoyed the jerky. Since things had turned out this way, Jaeha rolled up his sleeves, deciding to run the jerky factory.
Not long after, Dojoon poked his head in with a knock at the already open front door.
“Can I come in?”
“Why are you asking all of a sudden? Come in, hurry.”
Joo Dojoon, who appeared with an apron neatly equipped, was a prepared worker.
Along with him, holding his hand tightly, was the little princess Joo Dorim, also thoroughly equipped with a child-sized apron and a head scarf. The twin ponytails peeking out of her headscarf, complete with rabbit hair ties, were perfect.
“I brought Dorim because I didn’t want to leave her alone. Is that okay?”
“Of course! Wait, let me take a picture first.”
Jaeha fumbled for his phone, not knowing what to do with the adorable Dorim. It was his instinct to take pictures of cute and pretty things.
“Dorim, let’s take three, no, exactly ten pictures.”
“Okay, I like!”
Since Dorim had known Jaeha since she was young, she posed in her own way, poking her cheek with a finger or twirling around. Thanks to that, the photos of Dorim in Jaeha’s phone were blurry with movement, but even that was so cute that he couldn’t help but smile like a proud father.
After being possessed by the spirit of a photographer and taking dozens of pictures, all three washed their hands and sat at the table together.
“Dorim, since your hands are small, you’re perfect for making meatballs.”
“Meatballs?”
“Yes. You just need to make them round and round, like when you play with clay.”
“I like clay play! I’ll make many, many.”
“Wow, thanks to Dorim, we can make lots of meatballs. Thank you, Dorim.”
Despite saying that, knowing she would get bored after making some, Dojoon turned on a children’s cartoon he had prepared in advance. After confirming that Dorim was focused on the cartoon while endlessly kneading meatballs, Dojoon and Jaeha concentrated on slicing meat.
In between, they chewed on jerky they had made before, marveling at its sweet and savory taste.
“Wow, how can meat taste this good?”
“Yes, it’s really delicious.”
Dojoon, who had joined the jerky production, agreed. No matter how delicious something was, it was amazing they weren’t tired of eating it for days.
“When we make meatballs, Dorim gets to take a lot home.”
“Ah, that’s okay.”
“Come on, don’t be modest. Are we strangers? We’re neighbors and best friends for 10 years.”
“I’m not being modest.”
Dojoon glanced at Dorim, who was absorbed in the cartoon, and whispered to Jaeha in a small voice.
“It doesn’t seem to agree with my sister. She says her tongue tingles when she eats it.”
“Huh? Does Dorim have a pork allergy?”
“No, she eats everything well, but this batch doesn’t seem to agree with her.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it over.”
When Jaeha became dejected, thinking he might have harmed young Dorim, Dojoon quickly denied it.
“No, that’s not it. I don’t let her eat it in case she gets sick, but she keeps sneaking it because it’s delicious. And even as she does, she says it’s tingly.”
Dojoon couldn’t hold back his laughter as he recalled the little one scooping meat from the kimchi stew pot in the dark living room at midnight. Jaeha also clutched his chest, finding it too adorable to imagine.
“I’ll buy different meat right away and cook it for her. Ah, but Mom’s kimchi is all gone.”
“We have some aged kimchi at our house.”
At any other time, Dojoon might have pretended to decline, but for his sister who was more than ten years younger, he could be shameless without needing a law to live by. Perhaps the reason Dojoon lived righteously was because of Dorim. Dojoon was always a good brother in front of Dorim, and he maintained proper behavior in his daily life. His entire life was centered around Dorim.
“Oh, and we installed soundproofing in Dorim’s piano room. I guess I was too careless thinking closing the window would be enough. It must have been noisy, so thanks for putting up with it.”
“Huh? No, it wasn’t. It wasn’t noisy at all. It’s just my brother being sensitive.”
Jaeha quickly denied it when Dojoon apologized, not realizing it had been uncomfortable, but Dojoon still looked apologetic.
“You must have been putting up with it all this time. So I’m really thankful and sorry to your brother too.”
See, look at this.
This was Joo Dojoon, who hated inconveniencing others and could live without laws.
Jaeha wanted to show this heartwarming scene to Jaeyoon. Then suddenly, he worried that if his brother returned suddenly, he might freak out seeing Dojoon. Above all, it would be terrible if Jaeyoon made a scene with Dorim present.
Thinking he should let him know in advance, he sent Jaeyoon a message.
“I called in reinforcements because I couldn’t let that ridiculously large pig you brought go bad.”
“Who?”
Thinking that his brother only checked quickly at times like this, Jaeha hesitated for a moment before capturing Dojoon and Dorim in his phone. Dojoon was always gentle, but when he was with Dorim, he looked exceptionally kind and harmless. He took a picture of that and sent it to Jaeyoon.
“Dojoon’s sister is here too, so if you’re going to make a scene, just don’t come.”
Jaeha, who thought he had made a bold move, was tense, but soon a response came.
“I think I’ve been too sensitive lately. As long as Hyung is safe, it’s fine.”
Before Jaeha could wonder about Jaeyoon’s suddenly reasonable response, another message arrived.
“Just text me every hour. Then I’ll be reassured.”
…He’s already sensitive enough.
Every hour, seriously.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
