Vol. 2 Chapter 49  

Lim Dae-han sat on the floor, while Dae-ryong and I sat facing each other on the bed. Dae-ryong had a completely different feel from Dae-han. He was small and shy. Even as I stared at him, he twisted his body as though squeezing washed clothing out. Then he curled up, bit his lip, and looked into my eyes again and again.

I reached out to Dae-ryong and then moved him back to his original position. I tilted my head and tried to make eye contact with Dae-ryong. Only then did Dae-ryong, who had previously peeked and looked away, meet my gaze.

“Dae-ryong-i, how old are you?”

Dae-ryong clenched his small fist and opened it. The trousers he was wearing had a firm collar to indicate that they had been well ironed. Dae-ryong hesitated before putting his palm on his lap and spreading his five fingers. He closed his eyes tightly.

“… Are you five years old?”

“Yes…”

“How many times must you ask.”

Lim Dae-han cut our conversation with a blunt voice.I gave him a harsh look. However, as usual, he didn’t care. Despite the fact that it was the third time I asked, Dae-ryong didn’t appear bothered at all, but Lim Dae-han was in a frenzy.

“Dae-ryong, do you want to play with brother?”

Dae-ryong, who had been staring at the mattress of the bed, raised his head in response to the suggested words. His toes curled up, and he nodded cautiously. The puffy cheeks twitched. My heart softened.

“I should have bought some cookies. Do you want me to go out and buy it for you right now? Would you like some snacks?”

“You wouldn’t be able to eat dinner if you ate cookies right now.”

It was Lim Dae-han the one who gave the answer instead of Dae-ryong. Dae-ryong raised his head to Lim Dae-han, then lowered it again. His little fingers tapped my knee, like a fern lingering on my lap.

We didn’t even have a real chat. I asked him to play, but there was nothing I could do. He was eager to play, but he had nothing to say. I had no idea how to play with kids. Perhaps Dae-ryong felt uneasy being with me. I asked him out of nowhere. Dae-ryong looked away for a moment, then tapped me again.

It was at that moment that Lim Dae-han called Dae-ryong.

“Yong-a.”

“…”

“Where has Mom gone?”

“Dad’s shop…”

“When will she return?”

“I don’t know…”

Dae-ryong slowly moved toward me while answering Lim Dae-han’s questions. He had to turn his back on me in order to talk to Lim Dae-han. It seemed uncomfortable to turn his head. Dae-ryong naturally sat down on my lap. I stiffened as a result of the slight weight on my lap.

Lim Dae-han, who was seated on the floor, wrinkled his brow and walked over to the seat where Dae-ryong had been sitting and sat down. Dae-ryong played with his hands while sitting on my lap.

I gently stroked Dae-ryong-i’s round cheeks and his well-organized black hair. Dae-ryong, who turned his head in a quick reaction, wrapped his hand around the back of his head and made a disapproving face at me. I raised my hands right away.

“… Sorry.”

Dae-ryong raised his chin to look at me, then shifted his posture and sat down. He tapped his foot as his short, plump legs stretched out on the bed’s mattress.

Lim Dae-han, who was facing Dae-ryong, grabbed his ankle. He tickled the soles of his feet with his thumbs. Dae-ryong, who burst out laughing, twisted his body on my lap, then asked Lim Dae-han.

“How old is Young-hyun-i?”

“You should call him hyung.”

“How old is Young-hyun-i hyung?” I opened my eyes wide at my name which was called out naturally. I’ve seen it on TV. In programs where celebrities bring their children, they often forget their titles and call them by name. Dae-ryong was probably like that as well.

I put my hand on Dae-ryong’s shoulder. I tickled his shoulder gently with my index finger. Dae-ryong was dressed neatly even at home. I used to wear only underwear at home when I was a kid. Dae-ryong twisted his shoulders as I lightly tickled his shoulder.

“Young-hyun-i hyung, how old are you?”

Lim Dae-han asked me in a cute tone. Dae-ryong, who had his ankles on Lim Dae-han and his shoulders on mine, turned his head. He turned his back quickly as if he was truly curious.

“I am eighteen years old.”

“Wow… He is a real adult.”

Of course, I’m not old enough to be called an adult, but I thought I’d look like one to Dae-ryong. I nodded slowly with a rather solemn expression. Lim Dae-han burst out laughing.

“Yong-a.”

“Yes.”

Lim Dae-han grabbed Dae Ryong’s arm and made him stand up. Unlike us, who was sitting next to each other, Dae-ryong was standing tall, but the difference in height was not that big.

Lim Dae-han, who was sitting with his shoulders rounded, tapped Dae-ryong’s cheek. Looking at him like this, he really looked like an older brother with a younger brother. Lim Dae-han was looking after him, joking around, and being friendly. It was a habit that had been deeply embedded within his mind.

Would I have acted the same way if I had a younger brother? In my home… Someone who may be described as young… At least at my mental age… there was not.

Lim Dae-han rubbed Dae-ryong’s cheek for a while, then patted his butt and said.

“Now go and do what you have to do.”

“Yes?”

“We have something to do, so go and do what Dae-ryong-i has to do.”

“Oh…”

Dae-ryong looked very disappointed. He adjusted his body and put his arms in front of me, and our gazes met. I had a regretful expression on my face as well. I was confident Dae-ryong would enjoy it if he could play a little more here. The moment he was about to open his mouth, Lim Dae-han raised Dae-ryong without hesitation.

“All right, I’ll take you.”

Then he took the Dae-ryong and went out as if he had no affection. I couldn’t believe it.… I couldn’t even hug him once, and he had to send Dae-ryong away.

Lim Dae-han opened the sliding door and returned after about 5 minutes.? I pretended not to notice him coming inside the room and unwinding his neck as if stretching while sitting on the bed.

After coming to the bed where I was sitting in a big stride, Lim Dae-han grabbed my chin and raised it. My chin was lifted up without even resisting once, and my eyes widened in surprise at the unexpectedly aggressive action.

“What’s wrong?”

He asked as soon as I raised my head, taking his hand off my chin and stroking my cheek with the back of his hand. His voice sounded the same as it always did. I stayed still since it looked stupid to say that I wanted to play with Dae-ryong more here. Lim Dae-han grasped my cheeks in one hand and pressed them down with his thumb and middle finger as if kneading clay.

“Is it because I sent Dae-ryong away?”

“No…”

“You didn’t come here to see Dae-ryong. Why aren’t you paying attention to me?”

Lim Dae-han’s expression grew more and more sullen. It may feel like nothing was different from usual, but I could see it. It was a little strange. His feelings reached me.

I glanced at Lim Dae-han. I didn’t know why was Lim Dae-han sulking.? I had no idea why Lim Dae-han was sulking. Hopefully, it wasn’t just because I was playing with Dae-ryong. That’s far too childish. He had no reason to be jealous of his younger brother…

“Are you jealous?”

“…”

Lim Dae-han did not reply. Instead, he sat down in front of me. He touched my finger with his crude finger. He moved his index finger back and forth on my index finger. He even pulled my finger and let it go.

I grabbed Lim Dae-han’s index finger, which was still playing with mine. Our gazes locked as Lim Dae-han gently raised his head.

“… How childish. You’re jealous of your brother.”

“…”

“Cute…”

Lim Dae-han’s index finger twitched like a caterpillar, stimulating my palm. Apart from teasing him for being childish, my heart was as sweet and swollen as cotton candy.

He spread his palms and carefully let go of his fingers. Lim Dae-han hooked his fingers around mine and interlocked them. The pleasant atmosphere then rose up on top of me very easily, as if it had always been there. It seemed as if a giant boulder had been mounted on me.

“…” “Heavy…”

I mumbled to myself as I clutched his hands tightly. Lim Dae-han, who got on top, was lying on his side. He gave me an arm pillow with one arm. He pushed his hand into the back of my neck, and then his hand stroked my ear.

Lim Dae-han pressed his lips on my cheek as if he was about to lean on me. I could feel Lim Dae-han’s breath. He moved his lips, nipping my cheek with his lips and then repeatedly releasing it.

“Ki Young-hyun.”

“Yeah.”

Lim Dae-han tilted his head and moved his lips from my cheek to my ear slowly. Hearing his low voice echoing in my ears, I responded meekly like a timid coward. The hand that was constantly massaging the opposite ear brushed up against my jawline and pressed my cheek toward me. My head began to turn on its own.

“…”

“…”

I looked Dae-han in the eyes. Our lips met regardless of who came first. We barely brushed each other’s lips at first.

I pushed my tongue into the gap between his slightly parted lips first. Our moist tongues brushed against one other as if they were rubbing. Despite my hurting throat, I parted my lips a little wider and took a full mouthful of Lim Dae-han’s approaching tongue.

Lim Dae-han’s body stiffened as I tickled his mouth with my tongue. Lim Dae-han filled his arms with strength as he gave me an arm pillow. He drew me in and hugged me. His warm hand pressed on the back of my neck.

Um… Um… The suppressed sound leaked out and he continued to kiss me as if we were going to do something further right away.

Step, step, step.

The sound wasn’t coming from our side. I wrinkled my brows. I put my hand on Lim Dae-han’s chest and stopped him. However, Lim Dae-han twisted his head and held the back of my head with one hand. My anxieties went over the threshold as I swift my lips. It was the sound of footsteps. And it got closer and closer to us.

This should not be happening…!

In the end, I pushed Dae-han’s shoulder hard enough that it made a noise. Ugh, Dae-han moved away with a brief sound. Hot breath wrapped around me. I brushed the back of my palm over the area around my mouth. If I had been in my own room, I would have already stripped off my clothes and made a scene, but it was difficult for me to come home.

And, just as our lips parted, the tightly closed sliding door swung open. Dae-ryong poked his head out less than ten minutes after being sent out by Dae-han.

“Hyung… Aunt said it was okay to learn Korean in hyung’s room…”

Lim Dae-han took a deep breath and covered his lips slightly. He was staring at Dae-ryong as though he was about to pierce him. I turned my head and focused just on Lim Dae-han.

Dae-ryong held a mechanical pencil in one hand and a home visit study sheet in the other. It was heartbreaking to see him stare at us with begging eyes. Lim Dae-han caught his stare as well, so he finally let out a breath and shook his head like someone who had given up.

“Is Dae-ryong doing this?”

“Yes…”

Dae-ryong naturally climbed onto the bed. Then he unfolded the study sheet and lay down. He wrote bananas in crooked letters.

“Dae-ryong-i is very smart. Why are you so good?”

I complimented him because he was so cute and patted Dae-ryong’s head. Dae-ryong raised his head and smiled, then moved his pencil again. The place where Dae-ryong’s pencil touched was an empty area of ??the study sheet. Lim Dae-ryong. Three letters filled the space.

“I can also write my name.”

Dae-ryong smiled innocently. I stroked Dae-ryong’s head. Dae-ryong supported his chin with one hand while writing with the other. I moved my feet on the bed. Lim Dae-han sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him with his head tilted and said, “Lim Dae-ryong.” He called out Dae-ryong’s name. I was worried that Dae-han might drive out Dae-ryong again.

“Let’s go out to the living room. You said you couldn’t do it while lying down.”

Despite my concerns, Lim Dae-han advised Dae-ryong to go out with him. It was unfortunate, but Dae-han appeared to have given up.

But my lips were swollen to the brim… here were still nights if he made up his mind… Whether he was aware of these thoughts or not, Lim Dae-han then picked up Dae-ryong’s study paper. Then he beckoned me to go out with him.

I nodded slowly, got up, and walked out. The spacious living room opens onto the backyard. The sofa was also much larger than the sofa in a normal household. Dae-ryong managed to put his arms on the table in front of the sofa and unwrapped the study paper.

Lim Dae-han sat on the sofa, using his mobile phone, and I was forced to sit with him, as he held me by the shoulder while I looked at Dae-ryong. I also gave life to the game that Lim Dae-han was playing, and he was playing with an account that was stocked with items. I then watched TV with Dae-ryong in between after counting and writing down the number of apples in the package. Time seemed to fly by.

Ding-Dong.

When the backyard was getting dark, the intercom, which I had no idea was in the living room, rang. Lim Dae-han instinctively made his way to the intercom. This was usually on the entrance door… I thought to myself as I saw the back of Lim Dae-han, who went to get the intercom.

Lim Dae-han held the receiver up to his ear.

“Yes.”

I couldn’t hear what he was saying over the phone, but he simply replied yes and yes. The call came to an end quickly and simply. Lim Dae-han put down the receiver and turned around.

“My parents are here.”

My heart sank.

***