“Yeah, that’s right.”
What? What is it? It didn’t seem like Miro was lying. So, Miro likes his younger brother but their relationship is bad? Eunchan recalled the younger brother who had been violent just moments ago and Miro who had been frightened by him.
“Did your younger brother bully and hit you, Miro-ssi?”
He asked carefully, suspecting whether Miro’s younger brother was like Eunchan’s father. One doesn’t become numb to violence with time. Memories are engraved like scars and asserted their existence with pain from time to time even after becoming an adult.
“Yeah, I’m v-very timid…”
“……”
I should have punched him once before he collapsed. I don’t know why I even personally brought him water. Eunchan asked Miro again, who was looking at him with expectant eyes.
“What reason does your younger brother have to meet you, Miro-ssi?”
What reason would he have to come and meet his hyung when he didn’t want to come? If there wasn’t one, it seemed the younger brother’s side could be easily cut off.
“Um, um. There’s a company and I, I have a lot of shares,”
“You said your parents passed away, right?”
“Yes.”
“It’s because of assets.”
Eunchan added as if to confirm. In the end, it’s a fight over assets. Miro had a lot of money. It was probably inherited from his parents. The younger brother seemed to covet the assets Miro had taken. They say people who have more are greedier.
Miro swung on the swing without particularly denying it. In the hot summer light, sweat beaded on Eunchan’s forehead and arms. While Eunchan was lost in thought in a daze, Miro held Eunchan’s hand and secretly licked the back of his hand. It was a careful movement like a cat grooming. The garden was full of things Miro liked. Eunchan’s warmth, body scent, beads of sweat… He liked the body he could intertwine fully in his arms.
“What did you say your younger brother’s name was?”
However, the sweet atmosphere didn’t last long. Miro, annoyed that Eunchan was more interested in his younger brother than himself, bared his teeth and bit Eunchan’s nape.
“Ah! What, why are you doing this?!”
And Eunchan, startled by the sudden stinging pain, pushed Miro out of his embrace and screamed.
After eating the meal Miro prepared, wearing the clothes Miro gave him, Eunchan stretched under Miro’s cool house. The room Miro gave to Eunchan was the large room on the first floor. The room with an attached bathroom was huge for one person to use alone. Looking at the room with just one bed sitting alone and the room’s locking device on the outside rather than inside, he got a bit of a mental hospital feeling, but Eunchan didn’t show it because he didn’t want to tell Miro his house was strange for no reason. It probably wasn’t a big deal.
“Thank you.”
“Yes.”
Eunchan thanked Miro for giving him a good room. The view of the trees and garden visible through the window was nice and tranquil. It was much better than the officetel he’d stayed in before. Putting down his luggage bag, Eunchan sat on the bed. Miro also naturally took a seat next to Eunchan.
There was little to do in a house with nothing. Should I just go to the office directly? He had to buy a new phone anyway.
Looking down at Miro leaning on his shoulder while holding the doll in his arms, Eunchan said.
“Can I go to the office for a bit?”
He also wanted to know if the two people who had attacked Hyungsik and Eunchan had been caught. Miro, who had been breathing evenly and intoxicated by the peaceful atmosphere, opened his eyes.
“T-together?”
“…You don’t want to be alone at home?”
At Eunchan’s question, Miro fidgeted while playing with the rabbit’s ears.
“I’m scared…”
It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand Miro’s words. His only younger brother was violent, and the stalker following him was a time bomb that could attack at any moment. Eunchan, who thought he might self-harm again if left alone, gave his permission.
“Okay, let’s go together.”
While we’re out, we can eat something delicious. He could also buy immediately necessary items like curtains.
“Before that, E-Eunchan needs to a-apply medicine.”
Miro took out ointment and new gauze from his pocket. He didn’t know why that was coming out of Miro’s pocket. Just staring in absurdity, Miro carefully wiped his hands with an alcohol swab.
“Did you apply medicine on me yesterday too?”
“Yeah.”
No wonder his cheek was sticky with medicine. Miro, who opened the ointment cap and squeezed out medicine, tapped Eunchan’s cheek. The touch that carefully reached him was warm. As if concentrating, Eunchan’s cheek stung under Miro’s gaze. Embarrassed by the close distance, Eunchan closed his eyes.
Smooch.
“…?”
While he was just hoping it would end quickly, Miro’s lips touched and left his cheek. What is this right now? Opening his eyes wide in bewilderment and absurdity, Miro was looking at Eunchan with a flushed face.
“Sh-shall I look at your head?”
“……”
Miro pretended nothing happened, put his doll in Eunchan’s arms, and began unwrapping the bandage.
“Did you just kiss me?”
“Mm-hmm, I’ll a-apply medicine.”
When he asked just in case, an affirmative answer came back. How should I react in times like this? Should I say I don’t like it? It wasn’t that unpleasant though. Eunchan pondered briefly while stroking the rabbit’s head. Meanwhile, Miro applied ointment to the wound and covered it with new gauze.
“You c-can’t wash your hair.”
“Okay. How’s the wound? Is it bad?”
Let’s just move on. Eunchan pretended not to know and asked Miro about the degree of injury. Miro frowned for a moment and soon chewed his lips.
“Never mind. Don’t say it.”
Since his expression became fierce, Eunchan covered Miro’s mouth. Eunchan, who got up from his seat, tidied up the old bandage. He looked for a trash can to throw it away, but Miro reached out first.
“G-give it to me.”
“There’s no trash can.”
After asking him to throw it away instead, he also returned the doll to Miro. Since applying medicine was finished, he really needed to go out now.
When Eunchan prepared to go out, Miro became busy. Holding the doll and umbrella in his hands, he also grabbed an outer garment to put on Eunchan. Is he planning to take the doll too? Eunchan thought about stopping him for a moment but soon recalled the mental care the doctor had emphasized and left Miro alone.
“What outer garment in this heat?”
“Because it’s cold in the evening,”
When he asked while wearing the hat Miro handed him, a worried concern came back. Since Miro had quite a bit of luggage, Eunchan emptied his bag.
“Put it in here.”
For other people’s eyes too, the doll had to be hidden. While putting in the outer garment and doll, Miro looked at the hat Eunchan had been wearing with subtle eyes.
“Do you want to wear this?”
“Yes.”
After giving Eunchan an expensive luxury brand hat, Miro actually coveted the shabby hat. Eunchan put his hat on Miro’s head. It was an old black ball cap with loose stitching, but when Miro wore it, even the shabbiness looked stylish. Miro, who pressed it down deeply to cover half his face, soon raised the corners of his mouth widely. Seeing that he liked it, Eunchan also ended up smiling.
Coming out of the house and walking through the garden, Eunchan briefly wondered whether to call a taxi. However, the entrance guard would definitely stop them, and he didn’t want to walk to the complex entrance on a hot day.
“Eunchan, let’s take the car.”
However, making his worries meaningless, Miro took out car keys and guided Eunchan to the parking lot. Behind the house was a parking lot attached to a small warehouse.
“Can you drive?”
“Yeah.”
Miro, who answered confidently, opened the door for Eunchan. It was the car the boss had admired the other day. The structure itself was different from ordinary vehicles. Eunchan stiffened his body to avoid touching anything and fastened his seatbelt.
“D-does Eunchan want to drive?”
Miro, sitting in the driver’s seat, asked Eunchan, but Eunchan shook his head hard. The moment he made even a small scratch, it felt like all the money in his bank account would disappear.
“No.”
The back door was wide and automatic to make it easy for vehicles to enter. Miro skillfully turned the steering wheel and left the house. Even without separately explaining the office location, Miro didn’t get lost. Eunchan stole glances at Miro’s profile and got a new feeling. He had seemed like he couldn’t do anything alone.
Come to think of it, even though he seemed to have nothing, Miro had money and a younger brother. Although his younger brother was a scoundrel who didn’t even seem human, when his younger brother collapsed, Miro had even massaged him with careful hands.
It’s like a beggar worrying about a prince. Even just the car they were riding in now was something Eunchan couldn’t have even if he worked his whole life. Newly feeling the gap, Eunchan turned his eyes away from Miro and looked out the window. He somehow felt miserable.
Until they arrived at the office, Miro looked at the sunken Eunchan with restless eyes. Ignoring that gaze, Eunchan got out of the car, familiarly kicked aside the paper box with his foot, and entered the building. Behind him, Miro’s urgent footsteps followed.
“Boss-nim!”
“Oh, hyung! Hello…?”
Opening the door while calling the boss in a loud voice, Hyungsik, who had been playing a game on his phone, welcomed Eunchan. Hyungsik also greeted Miro who came in after, but Miro didn’t accept it.
“Where’s the boss?”
“He’s inside. Are you okay, hyung? I called but your phone was off…”
Hyungsik glanced at Miro and gestured with his eyes toward the boss’s office to Eunchan.
“It broke. Is someone inside?”
“No, he’s just on a call.”
As the conversation with Hyungsik lengthened, Miro grabbed Eunchan’s waist from behind. Eunchan held Miro’s hand and led him to his seat. He turned on the computer and pulled out a chair to seat Miro.
Except for the boss’s office, there was no separate place to seat guests, so he just gave up his own seat as an urgent measure, but Miro looked at Eunchan’s desk with an extremely delighted face. He flipped through the newspapers and flyers Eunchan had collected to look at them, and also liked the photos taken while mountain climbing. Seeing that, Eunchan thought “this is it” and held out the photo to Miro.
“I’m going to see the boss for a moment, is that okay? I’ll give you this.”
