The unzipped pants fell to the floor with a soft thud.
“I’m closing the door.”
His fingertips hovered near the door, almost touching it. As Heewoon took a step, the pants caught around his ankles. Unconcerned with Heewoon’s struggle, Kangwoo licked his fair neck and pulled him closer by the waist.
When the lukewarm hand invaded beneath his knitted sweater, delicately touching the skin, Heewoon barely managed to close the door.
Thud. Heewoon was immediately pulled backward as soon as the door shut.
Their bodies entwined chaotically. They only had their pants removed. Kangwoo only took Heewoon’s top off after their stormy sex. Kangwoo chuckled a bit as he removed the sweater, the T-shirt underneath, and the thin undershirt. Heewoon, feeling awkward about dressed like that, lowered his head slightly.
The morning sunlight scattered over the dry shoulders, turning them fair. His gaze, watching the flat chest rhythmically rise and fall, traveled back up. A strong jaw, slightly parted lips, and a high nose.
“Sunbae.”
“Yeah.”
Heewoon’s eyes, which were shining brightly in the sunlight, turned towards Kangwoo. Kangwoo gazed at them for a moment and mumbled softly.
Yeah. Nevermind about lovers or whatever.
“What’s important about that kind of thing?”
As if answering, Heewoon blinked his eyes.
“Nothing will change.”
“…Yeah.”
Kangwoo brushed Heewoon’s forehead with his wide palm, pushing his hair back.
“No matter what, you’re mine, right, Sunbae?”
“…”
No response came, so Kangwoo, raising an eyebrow, bit Heewoon’s neck painfully.
“Ugh…! Yeah, you’re right.”
Heewoon, shoulders hunched in pain, answered several times. The tongue that licked the bitten part slowly swept over his Adam’s apple. The large hand around his back subtly moved down along the spine. Feeling ticklish, Heewoon twisted his waist, and Kangwoo chuckled lightly.
Kangwoo lay on the bed, holding Heewoon in his arms. Heewoon looked intently at Kangwoo, who was combing his hair with his fingers.
“Hmm?”
Heewoon shook his head and nestled into Kangwoo’s embrace. Embracing Kangwoo’s firm body, he buried his face between the pillow and the shoulder.
Smooth hair touched Kangwoo’s cheek. Kangwoo lightly kissed it and sighed.
“It would have been better like this from the beginning, right?”
You made trouble for yourself. Kangwoo clicked his tongue.
A gentle exhale flowed from Heewoon, who had been motionless in the embrace. Falling into a deep sleep, Heewoon brushed his cheek against Kangwoo’s chest. It felt warm. A small, comforting warmth. Kangwoo, who had been patting his back, stopped and looked down at Heewoon, who covered his face with Kangwoo’s chest. After a while, he murmured.
“But I still won’t go easy on you.”
The large hand stroked Heewoon’s head for a long time, as if comforting him for the difficult times ahead.
***
A few days passed.
Despite saying there was no need for them to be lovers, Seo Kangwoo occasionally acted gruffly. Each time that happened, Heewoon had to be careful. Thinking about it again, he realized he passed that day smoothly without getting beaten badly, considering the crazy thing he did by talking back to Seo Kangwoo. Ah, maybe it was because of that crazy thing he did when he hugged Seo Kangwoo first.
It was the last weekend afternoon of February. After having lunch and taking a nap on Kangwoo’s bed, Heewoon slowly got up and watched an online lecture. He was wondering if he continued eating and sleeping like this, he would gain a lot of weight.
“Sunbae, you have a call.”
Kangwoo came into the study holding a cellphone. The phone must have been inside his padded jacket.
His mother’s number appeared on the screen. Heewoon took the call, feeling it was a bit too much to erase even his mom’s number.
“Hello?”
–Heewoon!
As soon as he heard his mom’s agitated voice, Heewoon became uneasy. He urgently asked.
“Why? What’s going on?”
–Your brother has come back.
“…Huh?”
–Yeah, he came home without saying anything. I’m making a delicious dinner, so hurry back!
As Heewoon listened more carefully, his mother’s voice sounded happy and excited. Heewoon blinked his eyes blankly. He saw a piece of cake on the desk.
“Hyung… came back?”
For some reason, Heewoon looked up at Kangwoo. When their eyes met, Kangwoo smiled slightly.
–Yeah! Come in quickly.
“Okay.”
Flustered after ending the call, Heewoon looked at Kangwoo and pursed his lips. Before Heewoon could say anything, Kangwoo spoke.
“You can go back.”
“Yeah, my brother suddenly came back.”
Kangwoo nodded.
Heewoon hastily stuffed his laptop and books into his backpack. Carrying the backpack loosely, he went to the door. Leaning on the side, Kangwoo looked down at Heewoon.
“Hmm.”
“…Am I not allowed to go?”
“You should wear your outerwear.”
Smiling a little, Kangwoo messed up Heewoon’s hair.
“Oh.”
Heewoon was so absent-minded that he almost went out like that.
Kangwoo caught Heewoon’s arm as he headed upstairs to get the padded jacket left in the bedroom. His jacket was in the living room.
“Oh… It was here.”
“I brought it down in advance.”
Holding the jacket, Heewoon tried to leave. However, Kangwoo, pulling his bag, stopped him.
“Wear your jacket before leaving.”
“Yeah.”
While taking off the bag and putting on the jacket, Heewoon was impatient and fumbled several times. Even just the usual act of zipping up, his hand kept slipping down, so Kangwoo took over and zipped it up. Despite zipping it all the way, Kangwoo’s hand didn’t leave.
Staring at Heewoon’s face, full of anxiety, Kangwoo said.
“Make sure to call me.”
Heewoon nodded roughly. His mind was filled with various thoughts. Why did his brother come so suddenly? Did he bring money? What if he didn’t bring money? What if he hurriedly came back to Korea because he was fleeing away?
Heewoon’s face, lost in thought, was held by Kangwoo’s hand. His head, which had been fixed on the door, was forcibly turned back.
“Uh, um…”
“Are you answering me without manners?”
“Yeah, I’ll call you.”
Heewoon was startled by Kangwoo’s furrowed brow. Kangwoo added a little sternly.
“When will you make the call?”
Why was Kangwoo asking this when he needed to go quickly? Heewoon tried not to show any expression.
“When I’m going somewhere, or meeting someone.”
“Again.”
“Uh… When I’m scared and when I miss you?”
Finally satisfied, Seo Kangwoo nodded. He patted Heewoon’s head and said.
“Don’t forget to call me.”
As if urging him.
A strange feeling came over him. Heewoon stared blankly at Kangwoo’s softly smiling face before replying in a low voice.
“…Yeah.”
As Heewoon left Kangwoo’s house, he realized that it was bitterly cold outside. The loan sharks who had recently started watching him, and his brother who returned unexpectedly. His heart pounded with an anxious rhythm. His hands were freezing.
The winter season hadn’t ended.
***
Heewoon quickly entered the house after getting out of the taxi. When he swung open the front door, his eyes met with his mother’s standing in the kitchen. The house was filled with the aroma of food.
“You’re here fast.”
His mother’s eyes, looking happy, seemed a bit flushed. She might have hugged his brother and cried. As Heewoon took off his shoes, he glanced at the sliding door.
“Your brother is sleeping now. He must be tired from the flight.”
“Did he say why he suddenly came back?”
“He said things got sorted out quickly.”
Heewoon furrowed his brow. It didn’t make sense for his brother to return suddenly just because things got sorted out. It seemed more plausible that things didn’t get sorted out, and he ran away abandoning everything.
“Try this, Heewoon.”
His mother offered a round pancake while Heewoon eyed the closed sliding door.
“Does it taste weird?”
“No, it’s delicious.”
Heewoon awkwardly smiled and looked around the kitchen. Round pancakes, glass noodles, battered fish, marinated beef… There were many dishes that required a lot of effort. The two of them didn’t even eat like this on Lunar New Year. Looking at the seaweed soup in the pot, she even prepared for his brother’s belated birthday.
“Let’s wake up your brother later and have dinner together.”
“Yeah. Can I help with anything?”
Heewoon placed his bag and padded jacket against the wall as he spoke.
“Can you fry these round pancakes for me?”
Heewoon nodded and stood in front of the stove. His mother, moving busily, looked the brightest in Heewoon‘s recent memories. This was a good thing.
However…
This bright and lively atmosphere felt fragile, as if it could break at any moment.
When the meal was ready, his mother went into the room to wake up his brother. After a while, his brother came out, scratching his head. His brother was about the same height as Heewoon but had a slightly more robust build. Due to the sun in the Philippines, his tan skin made him look even younger. No one would think he was 32 years old.
“What are you staring at? You’re still as clueless as ever.”
His brother might have looked more youthful due to his carefree way of speaking than his skin color.
Heehyun went to the bathroom. Heewoon and his mother carried a large table into the room. It was the first time they had taken out such a big table since moving to this house.
His brother greedily devoured the food on the table. His mother watched him with satisfaction, but Heewoon furrowed his brow. He looked like someone who hadn’t eaten for days.
“Did you settle everything with your business?”
Heewoon asked, and the brother nodded easily.
“Then, what about the money?”
“What money?”
His older brother, with his head tilted, sipped the seaweed soup.
“The money from selling the apartment. Is it still there as it is?”
“Ah, Heewoon. Your brother has earned several times more than that!”
His mother said, clapping her hands, and continued to pat his brother’s back as if telling him to keep eating.
Heewoon narrowed his eyes. It seemed like it had been a long time since his brother visited the hairdresser. His messy hair almost looked like bobbed hair, and his skin seemed rough. He’s also a bit thin. For someone who supposedly had over a billion won, he looked too scruffy.
After eating some of the meal, his brother picked on his teeth and looked at Heewoon.
“My little brother is doing so well. You’re able to pay 2 million every month.”
“Of course! Your little brother is quite smart. He’s attending the second-best university in Korea right after Seoul National University.”
The mother spoke proudly, as she usually did when praising Heewoon.
“Do you have some money saved up?”
“I won’t give any to you, Hyung.”
“You little… Who asked you for some?”
His brother, who was glaring at Heewoon as if to hit him, soon burst into laughter.
“But, did you save some money? As expected, students from prestigious universities are different.”
Even though it was a mocking tone, his mother took it as praise and smiled happily. It felt suffocating.
“If you have some extra money, give me a bit. It takes some time to transfer the money to my Korean account.”
His words were unbelievable.
“Then you should have waited a bit before coming. Now that you’re here, those people will start coming to ask for money.”
“How would they know that I’m here?”
His older brother let out a snort. Heewoon’s heart sank abruptly.
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