Chapter 64
“It’s nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing? Both of you…”
I looked at the two guys in turn, dumbfounded.
After mumbling about being hot and thirsty, the two had gone outside and only returned after some time had passed.
If they’d come back looking normal, I would have thought they were just looking for drinks that weren’t in my room, but both returned with bright red handprints on their cheeks.
“Did you slap each other?”
“No.”
“We didn’t.”
What do you mean no? Those handprints are no joke.
Even though I knew they’d heal quickly, having such marks on their faces was still a shame.
So even knowing they would heal, I looked for medicine.
“Bring your face closer. No, what did you do to get such bright red handprints? What happened?”
“It’s nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing? You both went out together and what did you fight about again?”
“We really didn’t fight, hyung. Seriously.”
Am I supposed to believe that?
Seeing them both adamantly denying hitting each other, I stopped pressing for now.
If they didn’t hit each other, it would mean they slapped themselves, but that doesn’t make any sense.
Suddenly running out and then returning like this—what nonsense is this?
When I pointed to the bed, they both sat down neatly.
Should I apply ointment? Or since it looks like they were hit pretty hard, would an ice pack help them heal faster?
After thinking about it, I decided to do both.
I grabbed the ointment and took an ice pack from the freezer, wrapping it in a towel.
“Hold this pack.”
Looking at the faces of the guys who were obediently holding the packs, I squeezed some ointment onto the tip of my index finger.
There wasn’t an actual wound, but they clearly had been hit hard as the red marks still showed fingernail imprints.
After applying medicine along those lines on both Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon’s cheeks, they seemed to feel embarrassed, as their ears and cheeks were red.
“You know it’s embarrassing?”
“What…”
“You’re both this grown up and still want to get into fistfights?”
“We really didn’t fight, hyung. Seriously.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll believe you. Quickly apply the ice. You need to bring down the swelling.”
“Hyung, if we get this red again, will you do it again?”
“Do what?”
“Apply medicine for us.”
“…”
Next time I’ll stick on patches, the really strong kind.
Even with Esper skin, putting a patch on a wound would still hurt quite a bit.
I gave him a sharp look, and Ji Yeohoon seemed to realize his slip of the tongue as he averted his gaze.
“Why would you want to hurt yourselves? Always thinking about getting injured and sick, not considering how worried I get, my heart burning with concern.”
Knowing that I would probably smack his back if he continued, Ji Yeohoon looked apologetic.
Yoon Cheong was behaving well, knowing stray sparks could fly his way, but Ji Yeohoon still seemed like he wanted to say something, rolling his eyes before closing his mouth after seeing my expression.
“I understand, I was wrong,” he said, grabbing my arm.
I sighed deeply and nodded.
“A little more and I would have told you to go back to your rooms.”
“Hyuuung, that’s too harsh. Only on days like today do you let us sleep together.”
“Isn’t that normal? This isn’t home, and the bed isn’t that big, so why do you insist on coming here? You’re both big now, so it’s cramped.”
Actually, since physical-type Espers might use the rooms, dormitory beds were generally large.
It was smaller than the bed in my new room, but still large enough for Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon to sleep in comfortably when they came to my room, so what I said was just an excuse.
Still, I didn’t understand why they wanted to squeeze in and sleep together when it would be cramped for three people, not just one or two.
Since we’d been together since we were young, sleeping together wasn’t that uncomfortable, but tonight both sides would be quite warm, so I took out and put on a short-sleeved pajama.
“You two won’t stick together anyway, right?”
“I prefer the wall.”
“I’ll sleep on the outside to keep hyung from falling off.”
So that meant I would be in the middle again.
Fine, fine, do as you please.
I gestured for them to take their positions first and checked the luggage I had prepared in advance.
Since it was past midnight and we’d be departing tomorrow, I planned to check once now and once more before going to bed.
“Sometimes when I see hyung like this, you have such childlike sides.”
“That’s really out of nowhere.”
“The way you keep checking your packed luggage. You did the same before our past trips.”
“Still better than you, who forgot your phone charger and had to look for a convenience store at the travel destination, right?”
“Ah…”
Seems like he wanted to tease me, but you’re still 10 years too early for that, little one.
I watched him press his lips together and climbed onto the bed.
When the two of them were alone on the bed, they lay facing forward without looking to the sides, but as soon as I lay down in the middle, they both turned their bodies toward me.
“Hyung, you’ve never skied before, right?”
“Have you tried it?”
“I did before I manifested. Since entering school, I’ve never been to a ski resort.”
“What about you, Yoon Cheong?”
“It’s my first time.”
Both Yoon Cheong and Ji Yeohoon spoke very softly.
I forced my eyes open, feeling like they were trying to make me fall asleep first, but soon Yoon Cheong’s hand flicked the switch attached to the bed, darkening the surroundings, and my thoughts gradually drifted toward sleep.
“Hyung, I know you’re sleepy, but can I still get your permission?”
“For what…”
“Let’s share a room together at the ski resort.”
“No.”
“Please leave Yoon Cheong hyung behind and share with just me.”
“Share with me.”
“If you keep this up, I’ll make you two share a room.”
“…That’s a bit…”
“I also…”
Blink, blink, my thoughts kept breaking off.
I knew my voice was getting drowsy.
“Just, all together, share…”
“We’ll share together, right?”
“Yeah. If you behave…”
“Okay, then we’ll just share together.”
Through the warmth on both sides, I heard low laughing sounds.
I’m about to fall asleep, even the relatively higher voice sounded faint.
I’m not asleep yet, I was about to say, but before I could, warmth seemed to touch my face and my thoughts cut off.
* * *
When I opened my eyes again, both guys were already up, bathed, and had changed clothes.
“When did you wake up? Today’s a day off.”
“Earlier. Ji Yeohoon just finished showering. Did you sleep well?”
We had definitely been talking past midnight, and my eyes had opened at the usual time I’d wake up for school, but it was just past 7:30, and they both looked completely refreshed.
Is it because they’re Espers? Ji Yeohoon was drying his hair with a towel and came over to plop down on the bed, while Yoon Cheong moved his chair wheels to come closer to the bed.
These jerks, harmful to my eyes first thing in the morning.
“Why aren’t you sleeping in on a day off?”
“Just couldn’t sleep well.”
“You couldn’t sleep? Why? Are you sick?”
“…That’s not it.”
“What’s up, you couldn’t sleep either?”
Even when I asked why, they both just shook their heads.
I wondered if they were feeling unwell, but as Espers, they wouldn’t really get sick unless they consumed something toxic. It must be a matter of their minds, so I sat up, concerned.
“What’s wrong? Do you have something on your mind?”
“It’s not like that. Did you sleep well, hyung?”
“Me… if I’d known you weren’t sleeping, I would have stayed up later too.”
“Then you’d sleep even worse. It’s fine. We can go a day or two without sleep and be fine anyway.”
At Yoon Cheong’s confident statement, I let it go for now, but I was still worried.
If you don’t sleep for a day or two, you’ll be tired, not fine… wait, would they be?
With Esper stamina, it seemed entirely possible, so I was conflicted for a moment, but I couldn’t hold back my nagging.
Only after I delivered about three verses of nagging—about how sleep is important for the brain’s rest, how even though they’ve grown, they’re still in the growth period so they absolutely must keep proper sleeping hours, and how sleep is time to replenish energy so they absolutely must sleep—did I fully wake up enough to get out of bed.
I was about to wash my face right away, but strangely, both of them stopped me.
“Why?”
“It’s a day off, why are you trying to get up early?”
“Sleep a bit more.”
“Why are you telling me to sleep when you’re already up?”
“We’re Espers, so it’s fine.”
“We’re not tired. We need to exercise anyway and check if there’s anything missing from our luggage.”
“I’ll go out after watching you sleep.”
Why are they trying to make me sleep? Are you hiding something?
When I said I wasn’t sleepy, they both looked disappointed.
I looked around the room, checking if anything was missing.
Since Yoon Cheong and I had the same room layout, there was nothing for him to take, and Ji Yeohoon would soon be moving to the high school dormitory since it was January 1st, so he had no reason to covet anything.
Since they saw my face all the time, they’d know there was nothing different about me, and whenever I bought something, they would say they’d buy it too if they needed it, so there shouldn’t be anything they lacked. So why?
“Are you… stealing something?”
“Why would we?”
“Otherwise, why are you trying to make me sleep?”
“It’s because hyung looks really cute when sleeping.”
Ji Yeohoon’s words left me speechless.
“It’s true!” he said, which seemed so unbelievable that I got up from the bed and checked my closet and the carrier with the clothes I’d packed for this trip.
There really wasn’t anything missing.
“Hyung, why don’t you believe me? I’m hurt.”
As soon as he saw what I was doing, Ji Yeohoon came closer, hugged me, and whined.
He had just showered, so I could feel the damp sensation.
“Dry your hair, you’ll catch a cold.”
“It’s because hyung is cute. Really.”
Looking at his expression, it didn’t seem like a lie, which was the problem.
Having seen them since they were young, I could generally tell when they were lying through intuition, but strangely, their eyes looked the same as usual.
I stared at Ji Yeohoon’s eyes and then turned to Yoon Cheong, but his reaction wasn’t that of someone telling a lie either.
I felt their gazes were awkward for a moment.
“You bastards.”
“Why?”
“Hyung?”
Just because they’ve grown…
Seeing my expression, the two looked flustered.
“Fine, no matter how much I grow, I’ll always be smaller than you two, and at most I’ll only grow to about 178.5cm!”
“…Why is that so precise?”
“You want to make fun of me because I won’t be able to grow as big and strong as you?”
“That’s not it…”
“You’ve already showered, so that’s fine, right?” I opened the door and pushed the two out forcefully.
They could have resisted if they wanted to, but they allowed themselves to be pushed out.
Of course, their mouths didn’t stop.
“Ah, hyung. Hyuuung.”
“Let us stay a little longer…”
“Go check your luggage. You jerks.”
“We weren’t making fun of you.”
“It was really sincere.”
“…Get lost. I want to be alone.”
I told them to check their luggage and closed the door.
I thought I might grow a little taller than in my previous regression.
The meals at the 3rd school were very nutritious and delicious.
But the height from the growth plate examination was no different from before the regression, which made me a bit sad.
While the guys next to me were growing like bean sprouts, I hadn’t changed much, which gave me the sudden feeling that those once-small guys had suddenly grown up.
“Grow a little slower.”
I wish they could grow just a bit more slowly and remain as the kids I cherish.
I wished they could stay a little longer as those wide-eyed kids, without secrets or behaviors that I find increasingly difficult to understand.
With those two smiling, saying “It’s true,” with their now-grown eyes, my ears kept tingling.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
