It probably wasn’t going to be good news… Do Yeonjae belatedly pressed the call button.
“Yeah, what?”
As expected, his prediction was right on the mark.
― Hey, say something to your fangirls! It’s really disgusting and feels like shit when they suddenly run over asking for autographs and photos.
Do Yeonu, Do Yeonjae’s identical twin, had to occasionally suffer inconveniences due to having an idol sibling. It was regrettable that it interfered with his ordinary university life, but it was a bit of a stretch to say every aspect was Do Yeonjae’s responsibility.
Do Yeonjae rubbed the back of his neck and answered dryly.
“Do Yeonu, people don’t use the word ‘fangirls’ these days. And… it’s because you walk around wearing my clothes that they mistake you for me.”
Normally he would have just listened appropriately and let it go, but he was in a bad mood so he talked back. With that foul temper, there’s no way he’d stay quiet… Do Yeonjae pulled his phone slightly away from his ear before a few seconds had passed.
Just as he’d said, Do Yeonu had been frequently taking Do Yeonjae’s casual clothes and accessories since before. He’d blocked him from taking things fans had given him, but left the rest alone. It was also compensation for the inconvenience his brother with the same face experienced, and he could just buy more clothes… To be honest, it was also less troublesome to placate him with material things.
As a result, awkward situations like today would occur or sightings would be posted on SNS as if it were Do Yeonjae, but in any case, it was fortunate that he earned enough money to avoid discord between brothers. Of course, even in their childhood when they had no money, he’d usually just given things to him anyway…
In any case, once the one-sided venting ended, the other side would hang up on their own. As soon as the call ended, Baek Sian, sitting in the seat next to him, asked.
“Yeonu?”
“Yes.”
He’d been complaining so much that the call content must have been audible, but the member hyungs were already used to the twin’s personality, so it was fine.
Baek Sian quietly scratched his head and added a comment.
“But why does he always take your clothes?”
It was natural to feel pretty bad when his precious maknae was subjected to harsh words. Even if the one who said it was family.
“He could just ask you to buy him new ones… It’s not like you wouldn’t.”
“Maybe shopping is bothersome? I’m sometimes like that too…”
Though he answered briefly, he wasn’t unaware it was because of his nature of coveting other people’s things. Even when they were young, he would covet only the toys Yeonjae was playing with and enjoying.
After starting his trainee life and meeting various people, he’d long ago realized that his brother’s personality was particularly nasty. He’d seen the benefit of becoming accustomed to those violent words early on exactly once in his life.
That he wasn’t particularly hurt even when Kwon Isoo told him to fuck off when they first met?
Ah, Kwon Isoo again. As he pressed down firmly on his slightly furrowed brow, Baek Sian hyung asked, “Yeonjae, chicken when we get to the dorm?” He seemed to still be bothered by the call with Do Yeonu. When in fact, he himself had cleanly forgotten about it as soon as the call ended.
Grateful anew for his hyung’s consideration, Do Yeonjae said gently.
“I’ll order it, so hyung, please eat.”
“Why? You’re not eating?”
“I’m going to the practice room.”
“Practice room? It’ll be late when we arrive, so rest, why…”
Even as he asked, Baek Sian was roughly sensing the reason. The live quality today hadn’t been to his satisfaction, so he was going to check more intensively. Baek Sian, who had glanced at Do Yeonjae’s sunken expression, let out a sigh. Seriously, he practices insanely hard.
Especially on days like today when he was in a bad mood.
There were things he’d realized from watching the maknae for several years. First, at times like this, it was better to let him relieve stress through practice. Compared to meeting women because he felt shitty, venting at people around him, or playing games killing people while shooting guns bang bang, what a wholesome coping method this was.
Second, it was better to be by his side rather than leaving him alone as much as possible. There had been times when he’d twisted something and gotten hurt from pushing his body too hard until his mood improved.
Aigoo, even though he acts all grown up, a maknae is eternally a maknae… Baek Sian clasped both hands together behind his head.
“Never mind. We’ll eat chicken next time, I’ll go practice too~.”
“Then please look at my choreography, hyung.”
“Okay, okay.”
Look at him answering right away. What would’ve happened if I hadn’t brought it up. Baek Sian giggled and turned on a mobile game. I should run auto-battle while we’re going.
Baek Sian, who was closest in age to Do Yeonjae in RAYEON, was quick-witted and easy to communicate with.
When he first joined this group, from the moment Baek Sian had casually spoken to him while he was practicing alone, asking if he was having a hard time adjusting, Do Yeonjae had felt comfortable with that hyung. After that too, they would often film trending challenges together with the maknae line, and share various relatable stories and small worries. Things like the psychology behind Kwon Isoo ordering Hawaiian pizza.
Of course, all of RAYEON’s hyungs took care of him without shortage. Leader Kang Ihyun hyung taught him the mindset to conduct himself properly wherever he went, and from the deeply considerate Ha Hayun hyung, he learned to emulate meticulousness. From Yeo Minsung hyung, he learned manners for dealing with elders.
And from Baek Sian hyung, he learned the sense to enliven the atmosphere. Since they played around a lot with each other, Baek Sian was the one Do Yeonjae acted most like a younger brother around.
“So. Want to tell me now? Maknae.”
“…Yes?”
“Your bad mood isn’t just because of the live, is it?”
Perhaps that’s why. When Baek Sian brought it up in the practice room with just the two of them, Do Yeonjae couldn’t bring himself to lie and say he was fine.
* * *
Baek Sian was the type of person who would scroll through everything when reading community posts and only pick out the three-line summary at the very bottom. For once, while listening to the maknae’s worries, he exerted his maximum concentration.
Though Do Yeonjae had spoken as simply as a three-line summary.
‘I brought up the song Kwon Isoo said he made during trainee days and got royally dissed. I wanted to sing that song… but he said he deleted it. The atmosphere became really weird then…’
After hearing that, Baek Sian’s answer was clear.
“Simple. Drink together. At times like this, alcohol is a direct hit.”
“Alcohol?”
“Yep.”
Do Yeonjae bent his knees to sit down and stared down at Baek Sian lying on the floor. Alcohol… It was a typical solution when they needed to talk to each other. But the reason Do Yeonjae hadn’t thought of it was simple.
Because he was alcohol trash.
“Don’t worry. This hyung will specially teach you the skill of pretending to drink while sneakily spilling.”
When Baek Sian winked, Do Yeonjae chuckled. Thinking about it again after hearing his hyung’s words, it didn’t seem bad.
Judging from when he’d unintentionally seen Kwon Isoo’s phone screen that day, when it had been packed with messages asking him to come to parties and gatherings… Kwon Isoo seemed to like alcohol.
It seemed like he had quite a few people contacting him too…?
Do Yeonjae quickly discarded the useless private thoughts that had suddenly intruded. About someone else’s private life. How rude, how rude.
“But it is kind of interesting.”
“What is?”
Because it’s the first time I’ve seen you care this much about someone? Baek Sian swallowed the words he was going to say and grinned. Do Yeonjae’s eyes narrowed, sensing something strange.
“Hyung. Why are you smiling so suspiciously, like a mastermind?”
“I looked like a mastermind? Ah~ I should’ve done the acting instead of Ihyun hyung.”
“Tell me what you were thinking.”
Since he was smoothly deflecting, Do Yeonjae slowly reached out his hand. When he tickled Baek Sian’s stomach, who was very ticklish, he laughed kyahak and rolled his body away to escape. So fast… He stared blankly at his hyung rolling away for a moment, then let him go without regret.
Baek Sian, who had been rolling for the third time, stopped with a deflated face when Do Yeonjae didn’t catch him. Seriously, he doesn’t hold back people who are leaving. Still, it was fortunate that his mood seemed to have roughly improved.
Hmm, then while his mood is better…
“Want to do a quick live broadcast before going to the dorm?”
“Ah, sounds good. But… wait a sec.”
“Okay, I’ll get permission from the company.”
Do Yeonjae took out his phone and entered the messenger app. He found and pressed on Moon Sunwoo’s profile, who had been added as a new friend on the day of the pictorial shoot. He had a photo of a potato box as his profile picture, and his status message read ‘Taking potato orders, 990 won per kilo special price.’ Given idol characteristics of being sensitive to phone number leaks, it was a disguised profile pretending not to be himself.
Even with that, sasaengs know everything anyway… Do Yeonjae had long ago given up and removed all his profile pictures. He pressed the chat button and sent a message.
Order 10kg of potatoes
A reply came back as soon as he sent it.
Hyung!!!!!!
Hyung
I’m holding back well on cigarettes
ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Really?
Yep
And these days I keep listening to NEOS songs again? But when I listen while thinking about the parts you told me about, it feels really different haha
I’m also practicing singing hard
Messages kept coming like he was chattering right in front of him. Lightly smiling and answering appropriately, he got straight to the point.
But Sunwoo
Does Kwon Isoo have a schedule tomorrow by any chance?
