LG Chapter 47

Translator: She.Wee

Chapter 47

 

Kyungsoo shoved Noeul onto the bed as if crumpling him up and pulled the blanket over him all the way to his head. Noeul, who had been squirming under the covers, poked his head out and smiled with his eyes curved. When Kyungsoo asked why he was smiling, he simply shook his head slightly and grinned.

 

“Actually, I thought you might come. So I kept waking up and falling back asleep. I had to open the door for you…”

 

“What? Didn’t you tell me not to come?”

 

“Even if I said that, you’d still come. So… I’m kind of happy.”

 

Noeul’s rambling couldn’t be easily brushed off. Hearing him say he was happy made Kyungsoo feel awkward, and he cleared his throat. Oddly enough, he felt a little happy too.

 

“It’s been a long time since someone stayed with me when I was sick…”

 

“I didn’t ask, you know.”

 

Kyungsoo grumbled, brushing Noeul’s bangs aside. Noeul closed his eyes gently and leaned his face into Kyungsoo’s hand as he spoke.

 

“Because it’s you, it feels even better.”

 

“…?”

 

If it’s good, it’s good. What does ‘feels even better’ mean? Kyungsoo grumbled but couldn’t help feeling a bit pleased.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Now close your eyes.”

 

He covered Noeul’s eyes with his palm. After a moment, when he removed his hand, Noeul whispered quietly with his eyes closed.

 

“I wish I could be sick all the time…”

 

Idiot. Kyungsoo chuckled as he brushed Noeul’s messy hair back.

 

Just then, the sound of the door lock beeping made Kyungsoo lift his head. Leaving Noeul, who was trying to sit up, he stepped out and opened the front door.

 

“…What the—? Who are you?”

 

A man frowned and asked. His blunt question startled Kyungsoo.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Did the person living here move out?”

 

Move out? Was he someone Noeul knew? Or someone who knew the previous tenant?

 

“Why would Noeul move out without telling me or Dad…?”

 

The familiarity in his voice when he called Noeul’s name made Kyungsoo’s eyes widen. Come to think of it, Noeul had mentioned having an older brother before. The car key he hadn’t returned yet was still sitting on the corner of the dining table.

 

“Wait, Noeul? Are you Noeul’s older brother?”

 

“…You’re Noeul’s friend? Then Noeul still lives here?”

 

Friend? Friend… Kyungsoo hesitated to answer, then forced a smile.

 

“Yes…?”

 

“So Noeul actually has friends!”

 

“…?”

 

Though they clearly weren’t blood-related, the man didn’t resemble Noeul at all. His expression, which had been tense, completely changed the moment Kyungsoo mentioned Noeul’s name. He even wiped a tear, saying he thought Noeul was too difficult to have friends. Kyungsoo was left speechless.

 

“…Hyung?”

 

Noeul emerged from the room, frowning when he saw the man at the door.

 

“I don’t read the newspaper.”

 

“…?”

 

Noeul blatantly treated him like a door-to-door salesman. Though Kyungsoo was momentarily surprised, the man continued speaking cheerfully as if it were nothing.

 

“Noeul! It’s been a while! You’ve grown taller again. Must be puberty kicking in, huh?”

 

“I’m not buying anything.”

 

“Ah, come on. Did you change the door code? You should’ve told me!”

 

“Ugh, seriously… Kyungsoo hyung, why did you open the door…?”

 

Seeing Noeul looking so miserable, Kyungsoo almost apologized out of guilt.

 

“By the way, is your school uniform different now?”

 

“…?”

 

“It’s similar to before, but still. You should’ve told me it changed! Did you buy it with your own allowance? Uniforms aren’t cheap. Are you eating properly? Do you need more money?”

 

The rapid-fire questions were overwhelming. Noeul looked utterly disgusted, and Kyungsoo felt just as drained.

 

“Hey, Noeul’s friend, are you leaving now?”

 

Noeul looked at Kyungsoo with a desperate expression, silently begging him not to leave. Kyungsoo shook his head slightly, unable to refuse. Noeul’s brother smiled brightly as if things were going great and lifted the shopping bag he was holding.

 

Kyungsoo was about to mention that Noeul had already eaten when Noeul grabbed his hand and whispered in his ear.

 

“Just ignore him. Talking back makes him noisier…”

 

“…?”

 

True to Noeul’s words, his brother was incredibly talkative. Noeul could be chatty too, but not like this. His brother talked nonstop, answered his own questions, and even laughed at his own jokes. More than anything, he didn’t hide his affection for Noeul, which made Noeul’s exasperation understandable.

 

When the conversation shifted to Kyungsoo, Noeul’s expression immediately soured.

 

“Alright, I’ll return your car keys, so just leave. I have a headache.”

 

“You have a headache?”

 

“…!”

 

Kyungsoo reached out and touched Noeul’s forehead, making him slightly soften. But when his brother started speculating about Kyungsoo’s grades, Noeul scowled again.

 

“You’re probably a senior now, right? Since you’re older than him—”

 

“Don’t say hyung’s bad at studying!”

 

Noeul snapped at his brother, glaring fiercely. Kyungsoo blinked in shock after being labelled as an idiot all of sudden.

 

“…Wait, me?”

 

“He’s not bad at it! He just hadn’t tried yet! And even if he doesn’t, he must have his reasons… right, hyung?”

 

“…?”

 

Kyungsoo, who hadn’t really thought about it, could only blink blankly. How could Noeul be so sure when he hadn’t even seen his grades?

 

Without waiting for a response, Noeul shoved the car keys into his brother’s hand and pushed him toward the shoe rack. Even as he was being kicked out, the brother kept talking and even waved cheerfully at Kyungsoo, saying they’d meet again next time.

 

Once the whirlwind left, silence fell over the house. Kyungsoo exhaled, dazed.

 

“I’m wide awake now. Can we just trade Choco Bouquet and sleep? It’ll only take an hour…”

 

“…?”

 

They didn’t look alike at all, but the way they both dragged Kyungsoo into things was strangely similar. The unexpected visit left Kyungsoo deep in thought.

 

Noeul tugged on his hand again, pestering him.

 

“Hyung, our wedding tomorrow…”

 

“We’re not getting married tomorrow. That’s not the priority right now.”

 

Hearing the word ‘priority,’ Noeul hesitated, then carefully asked.

 

“Are you thinking the same thing as me?”

 

“…What are you talking about?”

 

“I agree! Prioritizing is important. Hyung, you’re so thoughtful.”

 

“…?”

 

“Anyway, no weddings. I… need to study.”

 

Kyungsoo suddenly felt the need to prove he wasn’t as hopeless as Noeul seemed to think. He wanted to be seen as a dependable, cool hyung. Maybe if he worked hard enough and aced his grades, Noeul would be shocked.

 

“So, hyung, study hard… How about this weekend…?”

 

“Weekend? Yeah, sure.”

 

Kyungsoo smiled and pressed his phone screen. A playback echoed his voice:

 

“Weekend? Yeah, sure.”

 

“…?”

 

“I recorded it! I’ll get better soon, I promise!”

 

Noeul clenched his fist triumphantly, his fever-flushed face suddenly looking adorable to Kyungsoo.

—

As soon as the bell rang, Kyungsoo collapsed onto his desk and closed his eyes. Forget everything else—fifth-period literature was truly unbearable. The monotonous voice of the teacher combined with post-lunch drowsiness made it impossible for anyone to stay awake. Resting his head on his folded arms, he took a deep breath and exhaled all at once.

 

Seeing a sight unimaginable for the usual Kyungsoo, his friends either cautiously expressed concern or openly teased him.

 

“You’re only like this because you’re acting weird. Kim Kyungsoo, wake up. Let me copy your notes.”

 

Kyungsoo opened his bleary eyes at the hand shaking his shoulder.

 

“…What’s the point of copying mine? Did you fall asleep too?”

 

He muttered as he scanned the room. Not a single person was awake. Even the vice class president, leaving the classroom, had casually turned off the lights on his way out.

 

“Everyone’s asleep except you and the vice president… But hey, aren’t you the one who said you weren’t even planning to go to college? What’s with the sudden change? Are you trying to get into a university now?”

 

“…No. I’m just bored.”

 

Listening to a lecture he normally wouldn’t care about out of boredom—it sounded strange even to himself. However, Tae-yeol, without much suspicion, focused on copying the notes instead.

 

“What’s this? English?”

 

His finger pointed at Kyungsoo’s writing. Literature class, yet English? Kyungsoo frowned and answered.

 

“No, it clearly says ‘Evening Glow.’”

 

“Looks like hieroglyphics or something….”

 

“…….”

 

His mind was hazy from sleepiness, and the breeze drifting in through the open window made him feel even more lethargic. He couldn’t remember the last time he properly listened to a lecture and took home books for review. It had only been three days, yet he already felt like giving up. But he couldn’t, not because of Cheon Noeul.

 

It mattered what Noeul thought of him now and how he would think of him moving forward. There was nothing more important to Kyungsoo at the moment. Since entering high school, he had only attended classes when he felt like it and never even touched subjects he disliked, leading to this state. His parents weren’t the type to force him to study, so it had been easy. His plan was to graduate and move to where his parents lived, helping with their store.

 

But now, his thoughts had changed. He didn’t want to leave.

 

“…Why does he even matter so much?”

 

Conflicted, Kyungsoo buried his face into his arms again, lost in thought.

 

The truth was, Noeul wouldn’t look down on him or judge him even if he didn’t study. And Kyungsoo felt the same way about him. Regardless of Noeul’s grades, Kyungsoo liked his straightforward yet kind nature.

 

Even so, he wanted to appear as a confident and impressive person to Noeul. He needed to change.

 

Ding!

 

The vibration of his desk pulled him out of his thoughts. Reaching into the drawer, he pulled out his phone and checked the message.

 

Noeul: I’m bored TT What are you doing, hyung?

 

Me: Studying.

 

Noeul: Ah, hahaha. Aren’t you at school?

 

Whenever Kyungsoo mentioned studying, Noeul always laughed like that. Sometimes, he even added, I should go study too! as if he were trying to follow his example.

 

Noeul: Hyung, you’re so random, haha!!

 

Me: Am I?

 

Noeul: But I think it’s kind of cool, honestly.

 

Kyungsoo squinted at his phone, a smirk creeping onto his face.

 

“Cute… little… brat….”

 

“What’s with you, you creep?”

 

Having finished copying the notes, Tae-yeol shoved the book back onto the desk and left without a second glance. Kyungsoo, meanwhile, exchanged messages with Noeul, struggling to suppress his grin until the bell rang for the next class.

 

—

 

Friday afternoon.

 

He logged in just to claim his consecutive login rewards and planned to log out after ten minutes. Casually opening his friends list, he noticed Minjae was online.

 

Perfect timing, he thought, and sent a whisper message.

 

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: You there?

 

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: ?

 

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: How high does Cheon Noeul rank in his class? Lol.

 

He needed to set a goal. Kyungsoo assumed Noeul would be somewhere around the middle. The guy had been online nearly every day for the past year, so he figured their grades were similar or Noeul’s might even be lower.

 

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: LOL….

 

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: What, really low? TT

 

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: ? No???

 

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: At our school, if you rank in the top 20, you get a special study desk during lunch breaks. He has one of those.

 

“…What…?”

 

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Bullshit.

 

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: I’m serious.

 

Impossible.

 

Noeul, who spent most of his time eating, sleeping, or gaming, was a top student?

 

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: How…?

 

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: No clue T^T

 

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: ????

 

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: If you ask him, he just says, “I paid attention in class and followed the textbook!^^” Hearing that almost gave me high blood pressure.

 

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: It’s better not to know, trust me.

 

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: You literally just told me.

 

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: LOL, sorry, sorry.

 

“You’ve been logged in for 10 minutes. Please claim your reward!”

 

After collecting the login reward, Kyungsoo shut the game down.

 

He didn’t start studying right away.

 

Instead, he just sat there, staring blankly at the black screen of his monitor for ten minutes.

 

Noeul was a top student? He hadn’t even considered it.

 

And compared to that, no matter how hard he worked now, he wouldn’t even make it to the middle ranks.

 

“…It’s not like it’s his fault he’s smart.”

 

There was no reason to blame Noeul for it. Using him as a target was a bad idea anyway. Different schools, different grades—what was the point?

 

Finally shaking himself out of it, Kyungsoo sat at his desk.

 

But no matter how hard he tried, the words on the page wouldn’t sink in.

 

He had promised to hang out with Noeul over the weekend.

 

I can’t keep doing this….

 

As he struggled to focus, he felt sleep creeping in again. Just as he was about to doze off with his mechanical pencil in his mouth, his phone buzzed.

 

It was a video call from Noeul.

 

Kyungsoo hurriedly fixed his expression, trying to avoid looking like he had been napping. He straightened his posture, brushed his hair, and answered the call.

 

Noeul’s face filled the screen.

 

“What?”

 

-“Hyung, you’re supposed to say hello first.”

 

“…Fine. Hello?”

 

-“Yes, hello, babe.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

Noeul was walking down a dark street. His face occasionally disappeared into the shadows but returned into view when passing under the streetlights.

 

-“I missed you.”

 

“…Why are you still outside?”

 

-“Just went out to buy something. What were you doing?”

 

“Studying.”

 

Noeul blinked, then smiled shyly, rubbing his flushed cheeks with the back of his hand.

 

And then he pulled out… something from the bag.

 

“…What the hell is that?”

 

-“You’re smart, figure it out.”

 

“…Dam it! How the fuck am I supposed know?!”

 

-“Well, maybe you should.”

 

“…What?”

 

-“Can’t explain, I’m outside.”

 

And Kyungsoo was left staring at the screen, dumbfounded.

 

Noeul blushed, covering his cheeks with his hands, and smiled bashfully. Kyungsoo, as if trying to decipher a code, replayed Noeul’s words over and over in his mind.

No matter how he thought about it, there was only one conclusion.

“…Fuck…”

 

Kyungsoo muttered quietly.

 

No wonder Noeul had recorded something so trivial. No wonder he was so pleased at the mention of “studying.” It seemed that Noeul’s definition of studying was quite different from his own.

 

That kind of studying? What should he do? He hadn’t prepared at all!

 

—”We’re meeting tomorrow, right? What time will you come?”

 

Should he tell him? Wouldn’t Noeul be disappointed? After all, he even brought… condoms. Imagining the letdown on Noeul’s face made Kyungsoo feel uneasy.

 

—”Or should I come over to you instead?”

 

No way could he let that devil into his house. Kyungsoo gulped and shook his head vigorously.

 

“…Ah, no. Let’s meet on Sunday!”

 

—”…Sunday? I was planning to have you stay the night… Can’t we just meet tomorrow too?”

 

“No! I’ll even bring a change of clothes for Sunday! I’m super busy tomorrow!”

 

—”…Why are you so busy?”

 

“Studying!”

 

—”Ah, I see…!”

 

Noeul seemed convinced and eventually smiled cheerfully. But Kyungsoo couldn’t bring himself to smile.

 

It really was that kind of studying, wasn’t it? Damn it! What should he do?

 

He had mentioned studying dozens of times before, even in school. The thought that Noeul might now see him as someone who looked up weird things at school gave him a headache.

 

Muttering curses under his breath, Kyungsoo watched Noeul enter his house.

 

He had almost ended his life tomorrow without knowing a thing.

 

Having barely earned a day’s reprieve, Kyungsoo rushed to his computer as soon as the call ended. Even while waiting for it to power on, his mind was flooded with thoughts.

 

But… would he really die from this? It shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

 

Trying to maintain composure, he forced a smile—but failed.

 

His heart pounded faster than usual, gripped with anxiety and nervousness.

 

“……”

 

It would have been better if he could have just slept through until Monday.

 

But his eyes opened naturally.

 

The clock read only 9 a.m.

 

The internet truly was an ocean of information.

 

There was nothing it didn’t have.

 

People found pleasure in all sorts of strange positions, regardless of time or place.

 

The only problem? The pairs were men, not a man and a woman.

 

As if it were some cosmic joke, today was March 31st—and tomorrow was his birthday.

 

Wouldn’t it be so unfair to die the day before his birthday?

 

Kyungsoo let out a deep breath and sat up.

 

His chest felt tight already.

 

He wanted to believe it was nothing serious, but his body was being honest.

 

Perhaps because he had crammed so much “studying” yesterday, all he could see were flesh-colored images floating before his eyes.

 

His phone screen lit up briefly, then dimmed again.

 

Even without checking, he knew it was Noeul.

 

Kyungsoo wiggled his toes anxiously, hesitating to reply immediately.

 

‘Should I just run away? If only I hadn’t lost at rock-paper-scissors back then, there’d be way less pressure now.’

 

Even as he did nothing but overthink the afternoon’s events, an hour passed in a flash.

 

In that short time, Kyungsoo experienced a rollercoaster of emotions:

 

Anxiety, nervousness, shortness of breath, lack of focus, tension, fear, excessive heart pounding…

 

There was even a bit of excitement mixed in, though Kyungsoo stubbornly denied it.

 

He wanted to see Noeul but also didn’t want to.

 

Maybe he could just play dumb and act like nothing was happening.

 

If he made a fuss, there wouldn’t be much Noeul could do.

 

Time passed like that for hours.

 

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.

 

After ringing the doorbell three times, Kyungsoo raised his head with a determined expression.

 

Even though Noeul knew the passcode, he didn’t enter on his own.

 

Soon, the door opened, and Noeul greeted him.

 

“Are you nervous, hyung?”

 

“Huh? About what?”

 

Noeul’s hair was slightly damp, smelling faintly of soap.

 

It seemed like he had just showered.

 

“There’s no need to be so nervous.”

 

“Huh? Nervous? No way! I even took a calming pill. I’m totally fine right now.”

 

“……?”

 

But seeing Noeul’s face made Kyungsoo realize the pill was useless.

 

On the way here, his heartbeat had indeed been calm, so he had genuinely believed the pill was working.

 

For a moment, he thought about just running for it, but he decided against it.

 

They’d seen each other’s faces too often for that.

 

“Hyung, you’re really… thoroughly prepared, huh?”

 

What did he know?

 

Yet, Noeul’s face was already flushed with happiness, making it all the more ridiculous.

 

Kyungsoo forced a smile and answered casually.

 

“You like movies, right?”

 

“…What?”

 

“We’re watching a movie today.”

 

“What movie?”

 

If he told the truth, Noeul would probably snatch the USB and toss it in the trash immediately.

 

Being vague seemed like the better choice.

 

“A really good one…”

 

Kyungsoo whispered, pulling a USB from his pocket.

 

Noeul tilted his head in confusion but soon smiled mischievously.

 

“I’m fine with that!”

 

“Good. Tha’s a relief.”

 

It had great reviews, so of course, he should be happy.

 

Though it had plenty of blood and jump scares—perfect for keeping the mood from shifting.

 

‘It’s a horror movie, after all.’

 

If Noeul got bored and fell asleep, even better.

 

Kyungsoo was fully prepared for today.

 

Setting down his bag in Noeul’s room, he watched as Noeul eagerly pulled out his laptop.

 

“You seem really excited.”

 

“Yeah, I am!”

 

“Then let’s make a deal. No funny business until the movie ends.”

 

“…….”

---

T/N: I am really sorry for disappearing. I had my college entrance exams yesterday and that’s why I wasn’t active. I saw a lot of comments about my website. It’s not done yet. When it is done I’ll inform you guys!

I’m also looking for a new cover page for this novel to avoid DMCA, so if any one of you wants to they can make one and send it to me on discord!

Also you guys can always read 10 chapters ahead on my Patreon!!