Chapter 5
Despite Jaeha’s attempts to dissuade him, Jaeyoon clung to him with a passionate voice that could only be interpreted as sincere.
“You endured it all, Hyung. I thought it was your choice, but the truth was different.”
“Hey, I really don’t understand what you’re talking about…”
“It’s okay, Hyung. I know. You’ve been sacrificing yourself for me from the beginning.”
Having barely finished saying this, Jaeyoon collapsed. He knelt at Jaeha’s feet, embraced him, and sobbed.
“Even as those trash were destroying you, Hyung, I didn’t realize it. I learned the truth too late, and to save you was already… I’m sorry, Hyung. Coming back was all I could do.”
After surprising Jaeha earlier by saying he had wished they weren’t brothers, now he was telling an unbelievable story.
“Now no one can hurt you, Hyung. I’ll protect you. You don’t have to believe me, but please just do as I say.”
Jaeha was at a loss for words.
In Jaeyoon’s mind, Jaeha’s friends and the people around him were committing all sorts of crimes against him.
Whatever had led him to think this way, Jaeyoon’s tears and pleas were not fake.
The true meaning behind Jaeyoon’s words wasn’t important right now.
Just seeing Jaeyoon trembling and crying while hugging his legs made Jaeha’s stomach tighten, and his hands instinctively clenched.
If nothing else, one thing was clear.
‘This guy is definitely my brother.’
Even if the hair he was stroking felt unfamiliar, it had been years since he’d last stroked his brother’s hair, so it made sense that it would feel strange.
“So if what you’re saying is true, all of this will happen in the future.”
“Yes.”
“Right now, they’re all good people. Why do they change later?”
“…I can’t say that right now.”
“Just tell me, even if you think I won’t believe it. Who knows? If the reason is valid, I might believe you.”
This was Jaeha’s own reasonable proposal, but Jaeyoon was firm.
“Not now. I can’t.”
Even as he said he couldn’t, he avoided eye contact and tensed his jaw, looking as if he was afraid of being scolded. Seeing Jaeyoon appear anxious, like when he would throw away his assignments in the recycling bin and try to hide it, Jaeha decided to let it go for now.
“But you can tell me later?”
To Jaeha’s question, Jaeyoon nodded without hesitation. This was unexpected, as Jaeha had assumed he would refuse this time as well.
“When?”
“I’ll bring evidence soon. When you see it, you’ll believe me.”
“What if I don’t believe you even after seeing the evidence?”
“…Then I won’t force anything on you, Hyung.”
The mention of evidence made it seem like whatever it was could end this story. Finally, Jaeha felt somewhat relieved.
After patting his head for a long time, Jaeyoon finally detached himself from Jaeha’s damp thighs.
“Even if I believe you, I can’t stay away from my friends or seniors right now. Until you bring that evidence, behave yourself.”
“Then let me go with you. I need to see if I can handle being in the same space as that bastard.”
Though it felt like some kind of punishment game to be accompanied by this huge brother at school, Jaeha decided to soothe him for now and set a condition.
“Fine. If you call Dojoon ‘Dojoon Hyung.'”
“…I’ll practice even if it takes all night.”
His brother, who was prepared to bite his tongue over such a simple condition, looked a tiny bit cute.
“Yeah, practice.”
Leaving Jaeyoon to his efforts, Jaeha cleared the table.
He went to his room, leaving his brother in the living room, groaning and biting his tongue repeatedly. Despite Jaeyoon’s desire to stick close to him everywhere, he didn’t follow Jaeha into his room.
“Phew, now I can finally catch my breath.”
Feeling finally free, Jaeha excitedly turned on his computer. He had almost missed out on the weekend double experience points because he’d been preoccupied with Jaeyoon’s delusions all day.
Being the weekend, the login time was extended, giving him a moment to space out. While leisurely watching the game’s loading screen, Jaeha sensed stillness despite the game’s BGM and the sound of the fan.
The familiar monitor screen and noise. Background music. In a little while, he would join voice chat and spend an energetic, ordinary weekend playing games noisily with guild members.
Although everything was the same as usual, it felt strangely quiet.
His hand holding the mouse felt empty. The body heat that had been clinging to him annoyingly was gone, which should have felt cool, but instead made him anxious. In this house where they rarely spoke except when gaming, his mouth now felt itchy to talk.
As typical brothers, Jaeha and Jaeyoon didn’t talk much. Their daily conversation was limited to suggesting delivery menus. Even then, texting was faster than talking.
“Chicken?”
“K”
That was the extent of their last KakaoTalk exchange: “Chicken?” “K.”
Not even a conversation inquiring about his brother who hadn’t come home for days had occurred between them.
Wondering if he had been too indifferent as an older brother, Jaeha began to feel uneasy.
When the loading screen ended and the game started with flashy effects, guild members’ greetings and party invitations followed.
It was time to turn on the microphone and dive in, but Jaeha just stared blankly at the chat screen. The guild master noticed Jaeha’s unusual state.
Haeil: If you’re tired, take a break today.
“Ah, but if the healer suddenly leaves, that wouldn’t be good…”
As Jaeha muttered to himself while quickly typing, the guild master’s response was calm.
Haeil: No. I was thinking of gathering only DPS for a speed run.
It was clearly a consideration for Jaeha. He felt grateful for the guild master’s thoughtful offer.
Me: Sorry for dropping out suddenly. I’ll make up for it next time.
Haeil: It’s fine. Please take care of your health first.
The tone was so formal it seemed like a concept, but the content was warm. Despite only meeting online, he felt comfortable with this person who was like an older brother.
“I was feeling uneasy, but this works out well.”
Thanks to this, instead of playing the game with an uncomfortable feeling, he quickly logged out.
He felt much lighter, as he didn’t want to play while leaving his abnormal brother alone. However, trying to find clues through conversation was burdensome since Jaeyoon kept hiding something and his unrealistic information was overwhelming.
After hesitating briefly, Jaeha opened his tightly closed door. Jaeyoon was still in the middle of the living room, not even having gone to his own room. True to his word about protecting Jaeha, his demeanor was solemn, ready to move for him at any moment.
Instead of thinking deeply, Jaeha rolled up his sleeves.
“What do you want for dinner?”
“Huh?”
“You said you couldn’t even get kimchi stew from me before you regressed.”
“That’s…”
At Jaeha’s casual question, Jaeyoon’s eyes shook uncontrollably. Concerned by Jaeyoon’s sensitive reaction to such trivial conversation, Jaeha asked even more lightly.
“I would have at least made you meals. How badly did we fight that I starved you?”
“It wasn’t your fault, Hyung!”
“Ugh, your brother’s ear isn’t broken.”
Jaeyoon, who had been mumbling, suddenly shouted as if having a fit, making Jaeha’s ears ring. Seeing Jaeha rubbing his ears, Jaeyoon immediately lowered his voice, but spoke incomprehensibly.
“Because Hyung couldn’t do anything by himself. It was your choice, but not your free will…”
“What are you even saying, really.”
“Hyung, you did nothing wrong. Nothing wrong at all.”
Even at the lightest criticism, Jaeyoon hesitated with a serious face, biting his lips. He looked anxious, as if hiding and worrying about something again. If he wasn’t going to tell Jaeha what was going on, Jaeha didn’t particularly want to know either.
Anyway, everything Jaeyoon was saying was either abstract or hard to believe. It was difficult to empathize or find a way to persuade him when he was hiding things and revealing only parts.
“Enough explanations. Tell me what you want to eat.”
When Jaeha snapped at the dawdling Jaeyoon, he stopped rambling and stared blankly at Jaeha. Soon, his blank face filled with emotion, and he looked so relieved it was embarrassing to watch.
“Ah… I’m really glad I came back to you, Hyung.”
As Jaeyoon approached with an expression that suggested he might embrace him at any moment, Jaeha quickly walked to the kitchen.
“Yeah, okay. I got it, so stop right there. Don’t cross that line.”
“Hyung…”
“You’ll hug me if you come closer. Stay there and talk.”
Having learned in just one day that Jaeyoon would hug him when he made that expression, Jaeha waved a green onion in his hand to maintain distance. Jaeyoon, though quick to act, generally listened well to Jaeha.
“Just tell me the menu and go in.”
“Anything you make is good, Hyung.”
“Earlier you specifically asked for kimchi stew.”
“That’s because it’s been so long… Really, anything is fine. I won’t be greedy anymore, Hyung.”
Jaeha surrendered to his brother’s poignancy, who smiled broadly and said that even choosing a dinner menu was being greedy.
“I give up. I’m breaking into the emergency fund. Let’s have a samgyeopsal party for dinner.”
Feeding samgyeopsal, which was as valuable as gold, to Jaeyoon, the samgyeopsal ghost, truly required a big decision. Jaeha was making quite a bold move for Jaeyoon.
“You must have been through a tough time, so I should feed you well.”
“Are you believing what I say?”
“I don’t know, man. Let’s just eat.”
Until a few days ago, his brother had seemed like a carefree unemployed person, but now he followed Jaeha with deepened eyes, unable to erase his anxiety.
Jaeha couldn’t dismiss this as mere delusion.
At the very least, as family, he should half-believe him for things to be fair. That’s what brothers do.
If your brother claimed to have seen an alien, brotherhood meant going with him to the sighting location.
Though regression was even harder to believe than aliens.
“Go buy some meat. Make sure to collect the points.”
As Jaeha took out his card to send him on the errand, he saw that Jaeyoon was already standing by the door and chuckled. It was amusing to see his brother, who wouldn’t leave his side, taking the initiative like this, presumably because he was so eager to eat.
“Buy about 3… no, 5 kilograms. If there’s leftover, we can make side dishes or something.”
“Don’t worry, Hyung. I’ll bring back a whole pig.”
“You crazy bastard. There’s not even enough money on this card for half a pig.”
Toward Jaeha, who was waving the living expense check card, Jaeyoon showed a confident smile.
“Hyung, stay at home until I come back. Don’t go anywhere.”
“I need to prepare the side dishes, where would I go?”
“Okay. I’ll be back within an hour.”
“What do you mean an hour? It’s not like you’re slaughtering a pig… Here, take this shopping basket… Huh?”
Grumbling and preparing the shopping basket, thinking Jaeyoon might be planning to stop by an internet cafe on his errand, Jaeha was surprised to see an empty entrance.
He resented his brother for leaving without the basket that accumulated points at their regular butcher shop and the card.
“Those who take points lightly shall eat kimchi stew without solid ingredients.”
Jaeha’s hands were busy rummaging through the refrigerator while grumbling. To feed Jaeyoon, the meat ghost, he had to prepare diligently.
“He’s so picky, only eating homemade ssamjang, which is such a hassle. For side dishes, just seasoning green onions and bean sprouts should be enough. I should also open the new sesame oil from the countryside.”
Thinking of his brother who had rarely eaten at home lately due to some grievance, Jaeha became busy after a long time. Despite his grumbling, he was smiling with upturned corners of his mouth.
Exactly one hour later.
As promised, Jaeyoon returned with the meat.
“Hyung, I’m back.”
“Did it really take you an hour? Did you slaughter a… pig…?”
More precisely, he returned with a heavy-looking sack slung over his shoulder. The problem was that its shape was so distinct, reminiscent of something, that Jaeha absolutely did not want to open it.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
