Chapter 3
The piano sound from next door wasn’t very loud, so it never bothered him usually.
“Where are you going?”
Jaeha chased after Jaeyoon, who was quickly heading outside. Before closing the door, Jaeyoon turned back and warned Jaeha.
“Hyung, no matter what sound you hear, don’t come out of the house.”
“Hey, your expression is seriously terrifying right now.”
Jaeha, who was trying to stop Jaeyoon lightly as if joking, was dumbfounded by the door that closed quickly. He wasn’t the type to stay still in this situation.
“Seo Jaeyoon! Don’t you know we live in a society? Huh?”
Stepping outside angrily, Jaeha looked around for Jaeyoon who had disappeared without a trace.
Given that it was an old corridor-style apartment, the distance to the elevator or emergency stairs was considerable to cover in just a few seconds. While checking if Jaeyoon was behind the door, a loud noise reached Jaeha’s ears.
Thud-bang.
“What, what is it?”
Startled by the noise from upstairs, Jaeha, who had been bewildered, rushed forward.
“Did he already go up?”
Even while climbing the emergency stairs two at a time, he couldn’t understand.
As he ran up the floor and down the corridor, the noise continued. Since only his brother Seo Jaeyoon’s voice could be heard loudly, Jaeha gritted his teeth and knocked on the door.
“Hey, you crazy bastard. Come out right now. Quickly!”
“The door’s open. Come in and try to stop your brother.”
The voice from inside was Jaeha’s longtime friend, Joo Dojoon.
Despite having reason to be angry at Jaeyoon’s sudden intrusion, Dojoon’s voice was gentle as usual.
This place, from which amateurish piano sounds could be heard almost daily, was the home of his close friend who had attended the same high school and was now a college classmate.
Opening the door, Jaeha entered a space with the same layout as his own house, but much cozier and cutely decorated. In the middle of it, his large, dark brother and his equally tall, brown-haired friend Dojoon were facing off with smiling faces. More precisely, Dojoon was grinning while Jaeyoon unilaterally held him by the collar.
“Ah! Are you crazy? Why are you grabbing his collar?!”
Despite Jaeha rushing toward Jaeyoon and shouting in surprise, Dojoon calmly spoke to him.
“Jaeha, I think I’ve only exchanged nods with your brother before, but today he’s being really friendly.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll explain later. For now, would it be okay if I just take my brother back?”
Jaeha apologized to Dojoon with the most apologetic face he could muster and pulled at Jaeyoon’s arm. However, the arm, like a stone, didn’t budge and still held onto Dojoon’s collar.
“Haa, let go of that hand. If you don’t want to make trouble.”
“No, Hyung. Now that I’ve returned, I have to set everything right.”
Despite Jaeha’s attempts to stop him, Jaeyoon wouldn’t release the collar he was holding. Jaeha tried his best to suppress his anger and act rationally.
“What exactly are you trying to set right?”
“I’m going to keep this bastard away from you, Hyung.”
“Why would you keep my friend away from me? And, let go of your hand. Dojoon, instead of just grinning all the time, you can get angry in situations like this. If necessary, you can even hit him.”
Struggling to restrain Jaeyoon, Jaeha asked Dojoon for help. But Dojoon just shrugged lightly and showed a smile full of understanding.
“Your brother must have a reason for acting like this. Don’t you think it could be resolved through conversation?”
To have a conversation about a brother who claims he has regressed and clings to him saying not to abandon him, in front of a friend?
What kind of humiliating play is this?
While feeling like his brain might become pure from embarrassment, a sorrowful voice flowed from Jaeyoon.
“Hyung… do you like this bastard more than me?”
Dear God. Please just make me get amnesia.
Even as Jaeha was searching for divine intervention, Dojoon’s expression didn’t change. Instead, his gaze toward Jaeyoon, who was holding his collar, became even gentler.
“You, you like your brother?”
“Of course I do. So you, get out.”
“Ah! What nonsense are you talking! Dojoon, I’m sorry, but he seems to be still drunk, so please forget everything.”
Dojoon’s kind eyes, meeting Jaeha’s, seemed to be encouraging something.
He was always a mild and affectionate friend with whom there was never a reason to fight, but today he seemed exceptionally benevolent.
“You seem to be on good terms with your brother.”
“Good terms? We’re like enemies.”
Come to think of it, Dojoon had always been particularly favorable toward siblings. Thinking that Dojoon’s kindness was interpreting Jaeyoon’s strange behavior in a positive light, Jaeha hoped to quietly put this matter to rest.
Thanks to his understanding friend, he just needed to retrieve his mentally unstable brother.
“Hyung, why are you exchanging glances with this bastard?”
If only his brother hadn’t been spouting such nonsense.
Suppressing the fist and curses that were about to emerge, Jaeha desperately pulled at Jaeyoon’s arm.
“What exchange? I was apologizing with my eyes for having a crazy brother.”
“Don’t do that, Hyung. You should be the one receiving an apology from this bastard.”
Despite Jaeyoon’s firm attitude, Dojoon, still held by his collar, tilted his head to look at Jaeha.
“Hmm, Jaeha. Can you tell me if I’ve made any mistakes toward you two?”
“No, there’s nothing. He’s just been acting weird since yesterday, as if he’s not completely sober.”
In case Jaeyoon started complaining about the piano noise in this situation, Jaeha grabbed his neck to cover his mouth.
“Hey, if you really don’t let go of that hand right now, I’m cutting off your allowance.”
“Hyung, you should be the one cutting this bastard off.”
Jaeha truly couldn’t understand why his brother was behaving like this about his friendship. He tried to signal Dojoon for help with his eyes, but Dojoon, as if his head was in a flower field, was calmly introducing himself.
“We’ve seen each other a few times so your face is familiar, but do you not know my name, brother? I’m Joo Dojoon. Call me Dojoon Hyung.”
“Ha. You’re still as shameless as ever.”
Unlike Dojoon who was showing friendliness, Jaeyoon, who seemed determined to walk the path of an outsider, responded mockingly, causing Jaeha to smack his back mercilessly.
“Please! Shut! Your mouth! Did you get middle school syndrome at your age! Ow, my hand hurts!”
Jaeha’s hand tingled from the impact of hitting something more like wood than a person.
After alternately looking at Jaeyoon, who stood motionless like a statue, and Jaeha, whose hand was trembling in pain, Dojoon nodded lightly.
“Your brother seems very angry. I’ve tried to live without bothering those around me. If he’s this angry, I must have done something wrong.”
“No, you’re someone who could live without laws. This is entirely my brother’s fault.”
“I’m sorry, Jaeha. If I remember what I did wrong later, I’ll apologize properly then.”
“Oh, why are you getting so serious too? This is really making my skin crawl.”
The combination of a middle school syndrome sufferer and Mr. Nice Guy was making the situation unmanageable. This was a situation that an ordinary person like Seo Jaeha simply couldn’t handle. As he was backing away, shaking his reddened hand that had swollen from hitting the log-like back, he sensed Jaeyoon’s mood change at Dojoon’s next words.
“I’ll apologize to you too, Jaeha’s brother.”
“…this fucking bastard.”
When Dojoon, who hadn’t done anything wrong, apologized, Jaeyoon’s demeanor became alarmingly fierce. The curse he muttered lowly was more dangerous than ever before. Enough to make Dojoon’s expression, which hadn’t lost its smile even while being held by the collar, harden.
Jaeha, who had backed away, instinctively rushed to Jaeyoon.
“You crazy bastard!”
Hanging onto Jaeyoon’s back, with arms wrapped around his neck and head, Jaeha leaned backward to try to pull him away from Dojoon.
Sensing the ominous atmosphere, Dojoon also freed his loosened collar and stepped back.
Fortunately, Jaeyoon didn’t pursue Dojoon as he retreated. Instead, he gently patted Jaeha’s arms, which were wrapped around him with his whole body. Wondering if Jaeyoon was tapping out, Jaeha tightened his arms further, embracing him firmly.
“I won’t let go. I absolutely won’t let go, so surrender won’t help.”
“You chose me this time, Hyung.”
Jaeyoon’s voice, which had been emanating a sinister aura as if he was about to kill someone, instantly changed, becoming full of emotion. Jaeha, feeling goosebumps, barely managed to resist the urge to spasmodically release his arms.
Seeing Dojoon’s expression, somewhere between bewilderment and awkwardness, Jaeyoon was probably making that affectionate face Jaeha had seen periodically since yesterday.
How did Jaeyoon plan to handle this embarrassing history later, behaving like this in someone else’s home? Being the older brother, Jaeha thought only of resolving the situation instead of running away.
“Phew… Let’s back off and go outside now.”
“I will. I can go anywhere if you want, Hyung.”
After refusing to listen when told to leave just a moment ago, he suddenly changed his attitude and became docile. Suppressing the urge to run away from the creepy sensation that was rising up his spine, Jaeha did his best to affirm.
“Yes, let’s go. Let’s go home now without looking back.”
“Huh? Going like this? Jaeha’s brother, aren’t you going to tell me your name?”
As soon as the phrase “Jaeha’s brother” came from Dojoon, Jaeyoon’s footsteps stopped. Jaeha couldn’t understand what exactly about those words was triggering Jaeyoon. While diligently trying to cover Jaeyoon’s mouth, Jaeha turned to Dojoon.
“Hey, I’ve called him Jaeyoon so many times. Jaeyoon. Seo Jaeyoon. My brother.”
“Well, that was you calling him, Jaeha.”
“What’s with you, Joo Dojoon? Are you going to keep being tactless?”
“Come on, I just wanted to formally introduce ourselves to your brother on this occasion.”
Though Dojoon’s calm voice contained friendliness, it was counterproductive in the current atmosphere. Sure enough, Jaeyoon, who had been walking unimpeded with Jaeha hanging on his back, turned his body to look back.
“This bastard keeps hitting on you, Hyung.”
If Dojoon was hitting on anyone, it was Jaeyoon, not Jaeha. With his eyes wildly askew, Jaeyoon only focused on Jaeha and wasn’t making any sense.
“This won’t do. I need to deal with him right now…”
“Hey! Just! Go home! Please, let’s go!”
Jaeha embraced Jaeyoon’s neck tightly as if about to strangle him. He tightened his arms and legs, clinging firmly as if to bind Jaeyoon. Then, Jaeyoon, having completely shed the ominous aura he had been displaying, calmly turned around and walked toward the entrance.
‘He’s actually listening so well?’
Judging by Jaeyoon’s previously fierce demeanor, it seemed unlikely that he would easily heed Jaeha’s words. However, at Jaeha’s repeated requests, Jaeyoon, with Jaeha still hanging on him, walked out the door with light steps.
Jaeha gave Dojoon, who followed them out, a fierce glare, but he still waved goodbye with a smiling face. Come to think of it, Dojoon had calmly dealt with someone else’s brother who had suddenly barged in, without even getting angry.
When Jaeha made a “later” shape with his mouth with an apologetic expression, Dojoon nodded and went inside. Finally feeling relieved, Jaeha poked Jaeyoon’s head, which was under his chin, with his chin. Though it must have been quite painful, Jaeyoon didn’t move at all and just kept walking forward.
“Sheesh, don’t really go wild like that. Dojoon let it slide because he’s good-natured, but what you did was illegal trespassing, you know.”
“Hyung, you’re too soft on that bastard.”
“What do you mean soft? Should friends fight and hit each other every day? Are we elementary school kids?”
“Don’t include that bastard and you, Hyung, in ‘we’.”
Jaeyoon was now picking on even single words, and Jaeha felt his vision go dark.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
