“Huh?!”
Suddenly Baek Iseon dropped to his knees in front of him. Jang Juwon felt his body freeze on the spot. Baek Iseon kneeling down. Saying he’s sorry. Why? Could it be…… that he has someone else, or maybe he has someone else……. The worst-case scenario he didn’t even want to imagine scrambled through his mind chaotically.
“Hyung, don’t tell me, don’t tell me…….”
“My hyung wants to see you…… What?”
“…….”
“…….”
“No, I didn’t say anything.”
“Really?”
Fortunately, thanks to their voices overlapping, Baek Iseon seemed not to have heard him properly. Jang Juwon smiled more exaggeratedly than usual for no reason.
“So what about hyung?”
“……Remember the man you saw when you came to my house without notice last year?”
“Yes, I remember.”
How could he forget? The man who was neatly dressed in a blue suit. Jang Juwon had misunderstood him as Baek Iseon’s lover, and thanks to that, the two of them had to take a long detour.
“That…… hyung really wants to see you.”
“What?!”
Baek Iseon roughly ran his hands through his hair. Damn it, if only he hadn’t made that stupid bet with Baek Myeongseon, he wouldn’t have gotten caught up in this ridiculous situation. Baek Iseon recalled the stupid mistake he had made a week ago.
‘Baek Iseon, want to make a bet with me? Whether I can score a goal in one shot or not.’
‘Ha, you? With no athletic ability. Sure, fine.’
And Baek Myeongseon’s demand was simple and clear.
‘Your lover. Introduce them to me.’
Saying no was already out of the question. Baek Myeongseon endlessly tormented him, demanding he keep his promise, and poked at his pride.
‘After all I did to raise you, this is how you act? If I’d known you’d grow up to be someone who can’t even keep a simple promise, I wouldn’t have gone through all that hardship. Do you remember when you were little and grabbed my hand tightly and said, “Hyung-ah, Iseon wants snacks”? I emptied all my remaining allowance in tears because I wanted to put just one more piece of snack in your mouth. I went through all that hardship and treated you well, but now that you’re a bit grown up, your promises with hyung are worthless? No, do you do this with other people too? Do you just throw promises away? You really grew up to be an untrustworthy person. Is it because I was too good to you? I don’t think I can trust anything that comes out of your mouth anymore. Ah, how about changing your name while we’re at it? Not Baek Iseon but Heopungseoni. I think it’s a name that suits you very well since you have no intention of keeping promises…….’
‘Fuck. Fine, I’ll do it! I just have to do it, right? And when did I ever say I wanted snacks?!’
Baek Iseon had no choice but to say what he wanted just to shut him up. Baek Myeongseon grinned with satisfaction, and although Baek Iseon knew he had completely fallen for his shallow trick, there was no way to take back what he had said.
“……I told hyung I got a lover. I wasn’t planning to say anything originally, but somehow…….”
“…….”
“I’m sorry, it must be burdensome……. I know…….”
Baek Iseon’s shoulders drooped. He knew very well how absurd and burdensome this request to meet his family would be for Jang Juwon. The very fact of a lover’s family would be burdensome, and to introduce himself as a male lover. Of course, Baek Myeongseon wasn’t someone who cared about such things, but to Jang Juwon, he was just a stranger.
Moreover, among Baek Iseon’s four siblings, Baek Myeongseon was the one he least wanted to introduce. Although he was certainly a good brother to him, he was the worst person to present to others. That endless chatter and boundless meddling……. He would definitely spout useless things to Jang Juwon too. That’s why Baek Iseon had unconsciously dropped to his knees.
“……I tried my best to stop it……. But it didn’t…… work out.”
That damn bet anyway. He should have anticipated that Baek Myeongseon would make such a demand. Ever since he told him he had a lover, he had been persistently asking about Jang Juwon at all hours and pestering him about when he would introduce him. And yet. He stupidly didn’t anticipate just that one thing……. Baek Iseon let out a deep sigh.
“Haah……. I’m really sorry, but could you meet him just once?”
“…….”
Jang Juwon didn’t answer. He must be feeling burdened. He would surely refuse. In fact, Baek Iseon was secretly hoping for Jang Juwon’s refusal. If he refused, Baek Myeongseon wouldn’t be able to do anything more about it.
“Hyung, get up.”
Jang Juwon held out his hand and helped Baek Iseon stand up. Baek Iseon stood up from his seat with a sullen face like someone who had committed a crime. Jang Juwon looked at him and let out a small laugh.
“Sure. It’s not that difficult.”
“……I knew you’d hate it……. What?”
“I said okay. I’ll meet him, hyung’s hyung.”
He said it while blinking his large eyes. As if it really was no big deal. Baek Iseon couldn’t help but be moved by that attitude. Despite it being a burdensome request, he readily accepted for his sake when he was troubled. Even though he was his lover, wasn’t this too kind?
“……I love you, Jang Juwon. Thank you.”
“It’s fine. It’s no big deal.”
Baek Iseon firmly grasped that hand that was lightly waving through the air. He took one step forward and wrapped his other hand around his waist. As if it had been predetermined, he fit perfectly in his arms.
“In that sense, I’ll serve you all night tonight.”
“Haha, what nonsense…….”
Jang Juwon’s small laughter could be heard.
Inside the cafe with few people, three men sat around a table facing each other. The cafe located on the outskirts of the city was a bit troublesome to get to, but for that reason, few people visited, so it was a place Baek Iseon and Jang Juwon often chose when dating. And today, there was one man who had joined between the two. A man who resembled Baek Iseon but had a completely different impression smiled broadly and extended his hand to Jang Juwon.
“I’m Baek Myeongseon. Baek Iseon’s second-oldest hyung, no, his closest hyung.”
“……I’m Jang Juwon.”
Jang Juwon awkwardly smiled along and grasped his hand.
“So Juwon-ssi is our youngest’s lover?”
“Yes, haha…….”
At the words “our youngest,” Jang Juwon had to try hard not to laugh out loud. Although he had heard from Baek Huiseon and knew about it, Baek Iseon and the word “youngest,” especially “our youngest,” really didn’t suit him.
“Seeing Juwon-ssi……. I think I understand why Baek Iseon kept you tightly hidden and didn’t want to show you all this time.”
“……Was that so.”
“Now that I’ve seen you, that’s enough. Go!”
Baek Iseon suddenly interrupted and shouted at Baek Myeongseon. His face was full of dissatisfaction the whole time.
“Iseon-ah, the drinks haven’t even come out yet.”
“…….”
Just then, the vibrating pager placed on the table began to vibrate noisily. Jang Juwon reflexively started to get up.
“I’ll…….”
“No, you stay still. Baek Myeongseon will go.”
“Got it, dongsaeng. The eldest hyung will go and come back.”
Baek Myeongseon let out a small laugh as if he couldn’t help but comply with his younger brother’s adorable request, then took the pager and left his seat. However, before he could even take a few steps, he froze in place.
“……Noona?”
“……Myeong……seoni?”
At the familiar voice, Baek Iseon and Jang Juwon’s heads whipped around simultaneously. Beyond Baek Myeongseon’s shoulder, a woman with long black hair tied up stood sweating profusely with a clearly flustered expression.
“……Author-nim?”
“Juwon? Baek Iseon……? Why are you guys here…….”
“……Fuck…….”
Baek Iseon pressed his forehead and hung his head low.
The people sitting at the table had now become four. After hearing the full story, Baek Huiseon laughed with an absurd expression, then looked around at the three men and said,
“I see. So you were going to introduce Juwon to Myeongseon…….”
“You already knew Juwon-ssi, noona?”
“Of course. Juwon and I have known each other longer than that bastard Baek Iseon. Right, Juwon?”
“Yes, of course!”
Jang Juwon answered with a bright smile at Baek Huiseon’s glance.
“But what brings you all the way here, author-nim? Your studio is in the opposite direction.”
“Well…….”
“……Huiseon unnie!”
At the voice that happened to be heard, Baek Huiseon squeezed her eyes shut.
“……What. Jang Juwon? Sunbae? An unknown handsome man?”
Shin Jisu, with a bewildered expression, was approaching the four people.
“……I was supposed to meet Jisu…….”
