“Come eat~!”
Just as I was awkwardly receiving Noona’s intrigued gaze, Uncle happened to shout while looking at the living room, and the three of us got up from our seats and headed to the kitchen.
The dining table was bursting with all kinds of side dishes. Since eight people were trying to sit at a six-person table, we had to add two more chairs at both ends of the table, but somehow everyone managed to sit down.
When I actually faced the food, I was scared my stomach might flip again, so I secretly pulled Won Dogyeong’s hand, who was sitting next to me, under the table and held it.
A pheromone transfusion. Pheromones aren’t some kind of cure-all, so the queasiness doesn’t completely disappear, but it’s definitely better. It seems to subside to a tolerable level.
It was fortunate that Doa was sitting in the farthest seat. Even though it was just a little, if she’d been nearby, she might have noticed and been disgusted.
“Can Jeongwon eat? Should I make you some porridge or something?”
I shook my head slightly at Mom’s worry.
“It’s okay. I’ll just eat with everyone.”
“Alright, if you can’t eat, tell me and I’ll bring some fruit to your room separately.”
“Okay.”
“Everyone eat quickly before it gets cold.”
“Thank you for the meal~.”
I first took a small spoonful of rice and put it in my mouth. It was a bit mushy. Mom’s preference. Won Dogyeong likes it cooked fluffy, so it had been a while since I’d had sticky rice. I was oddly happy about it.
I picked at the soup and side dishes little by little, then quietly put down my spoon after emptying about half a bowl.
As expected, not much goes in.
Won Dogyeong kept his left hand on my thigh the whole time he was eating.
Use it whenever you need, something like that?
Since it would be awkward to finish my meal too early alone, I just chewed on rice little by little. I’d sneak a peek and finish eating around the time Won Dogyeong finished.
While blankly moving my mouth, I grabbed Won Dogyeong’s left hand resting on my thigh with both hands. As I mindlessly pressed his palm firmly and kneaded it, he glanced at me with an expression asking what I was doing, then focused back on his meal.
Everyone must have been hungry because for a while, only the sound of utensils could be heard at the table. It was because the meal had been delayed—what with the hour I’d spent ailing in the parking lot and room, plus Yeo Daun arriving even later than that.
“But with your morning sickness that bad, how are you going to work?”
“…The morning sickness is that bad?”
Noona, who had been eating combatively and whose chopsticks had slowed down as if she was somewhat full, asked as if suddenly remembering. Hyung, who had been listening while picking at his food, picked up on her words with a peculiar expression.
“Don’t even get me started. He collapsed in his room as soon as he got here.”
“Collapsed, really. I just lay down a bit.”
“You took thirty minutes to come up from the parking lot.”
“That was because of motion sickness. Work is just… manageable. These days Dogyeong drives me to and from work.”
Despite what I said, Yeo Daun looked at Won Dogyeong with an expression that said, ‘You’re so rich, yet you still send someone with morning sickness this bad to work?’ (It might have been my imagination, but I think I’m right), so I hurriedly added:
“I’m going because it’s manageable. Everyone else does it, so what.”
“Just because everyone does it doesn’t mean you have to.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Hyung.”
Despite Hyung’s cheeky tone, Won Dogyeong brightened up and quickly agreed. So that’s why every time I couldn’t eat and ran to the bathroom, he’d purse his lips tightly with an expression like he wanted to say something. I threw away the hand I was holding and slapped his thigh under the table.
You’re not even that close, yet you team up only at times like this.
Won Dogyeong turned his head the other way, pretending not to notice. That annoying bastard.
“Jeongwon will handle it himself. Daun, you just do your own work well. Even today you were sleeping until Dad went to pick you up, so what…”
“Ah, I did overtime yesterday. I told you I wasn’t drinking.”
“Yeah, right.”
“If you’re all done eating, go sit in the living room.”
Uncle, who had been chuckling while listening to the banter-like conversation between Mom and Yeo Daun, seemed to notice our utensils had stopped and gestured toward the living room.
As I stood up and picked up my rice bowl to put it in the sink, Uncle, who had sprung up with a beaming smile, snatched it away from me.
“Leave it, go rest.”
Yes, sir.
Leaving behind Mom, Dad, and Uncle who were finishing their meal while chatting slowly, we withdrew to the living room. Doa, who had stealthily followed behind and sat on the floor, was unusually quiet today. These days we couldn’t see each other often, so whenever we met, she’d always sit next to me and chatter on about what had been happening.
Is something wrong?
Was it too shocking to suddenly have a nephew…?
…Does she dislike it…?!
While I was spreading my wings of imagination observing Doa’s complexion, Won Dogyeong was half-sitting on the sofa when he went “Ah,” as if remembering something, and stood back up.
“I’ll go down for a bit and come back. I forgot about the cake.”
“Ah, then I’ll also…”
“You stay. I’ll go with him.”
Pressing down firmly on my shoulder as I tried to stand, Yeo Daun got up from his seat. Won Dogyeong, who was taking out his car keys from his pocket and heading to the entrance, flinched imperceptibly.
Is it now?
He definitely seemed to be thinking that.
How did Won Dogyeong end up in this situation?
I chased after the two of them to the entrance. I looked once at Won Dogyeong’s back as he opened the door and went outside, then grabbed Yeo Daun who was putting on his shoes.
“……Just don’t hit him. I won’t stand still either.”
Yeo Daun looked up with an incredulous expression, then leaned crookedly against the wall.
“Do you think I’m a thug?”
“…You went around beating people up in high school…”
“I didn’t go around beating people up, I fought… I had reasons for hitting those people. Did Won Dogyeong do something wrong enough for me to hit him, perhaps?”
Hyung scanned my face thoroughly and smiled menacingly. I quickly denied it.
“No! Absolutely not!”
“You go inside and lie down. You only ate a bean’s worth of food.”
“……He didn’t do anything wrong. He’s been really good to me.”
As I mumbled while staring at the corner of the door frame, Yeo Daun straightened his body that had been leaning crookedly and looked at me with a subtle expression similar to when he was looking at us earlier while holding the pot.
A wordless standoff continued for a moment. I rolled my eyeballs left and right, avoiding the gaze that seemed to pierce through my face.
Hyung soon waved his hand telling me to go in without saying anything more, crammed his feet into his shoes, spun around sharply, and left the house. I was left alone in the entrance, staring only at the door while listening to the sound of the door lock clicking.
Right, I said this much so he’ll handle it appropriately on his own.
…Right, Yongyong?
I paced around the entrance for a moment before returning to sit in the living room. In that short time, Noona had disappeared into the kitchen, and only Doa was sitting on the floor, tapping on her phone as if contacting someone.
I sat blankly on the sofa with my arms crossed, imagining the scene inside the elevator where the two would be facing each other awkwardly.
Hyung wasn’t originally the type to warmly lighten the atmosphere, and Won Dogyeong was scared of Yeo Daun, so there would be quite a suffocating air flowing.
Won Dogyeong kept trembling so much that I got anxious too and grabbed him telling him not to hit him for no reason, but he probably wouldn’t really hit the kid next door he’d known since he was tiny.
But seeing that he followed him down, it seems like he’s going to say something, so what on earth is he going on about?
No, Mom and Dad aren’t saying anything, so why is he stepping forward to say something?
Really a ridiculous hotchpotch.
Because there was a seven-year age gap with Yeo Daun, our family was a bit different from other siblings with closer ages. No, rather than different, Hyung arbitrarily treated me like a child.
Even now when I’m approaching thirty.
What’s funny is that Yeo Areum, who’s a year older than even Yeo Daun, has treated me like a friend my whole life. Even when I was an elementary school student and Noona was a high school student.
Noona would play rock-paper-scissors and make a second-grader do the dishes, or she’d say she’d keep my New Year’s money for me, take it, match the number of bills but change the color of the bills and return them. When I’d protest loudly, Yeo Daun passing by would click his tongue and snatch it away, open Noona’s wallet, and change it back to the original color for me.
He had aspects of pretending not to care while acting like an older brother. Seeing how he often dealt with us with an expression of being tired to death, it seemed he thought both Noona and I required a lot of attention.
Hmph, he should drink less.
“Oppa…”
At the voice calling from beside me, I turned my head abruptly to find Doa, who had come to sit next to me at some point, looking at me with a serious expression.
“Huh? What?”
I’d been concerned because her expression had been bad this whole time anyway. I looked worriedly at Doa’s face, which was full of tension in her brow.
Even if she dislikes it, there’s nothing we can do… I hope she doesn’t dislike it.
“Oppa, are you really…”
“Yeah.”
“Going to marry Won Dogyeong?”
Huh?
“Are you getting married because of the baby?”
Looking at her serious face, I rolled my eyes around and laughed awkwardly.
“Marriage is… I don’t know if we will or won’t yet.”
Well, maybe we’ll do it someday. In the distant future.
“Then are you dating because of the baby?”
“It’s not… exactly like that.”
“Why?”
“Huh?”
“What’s so good about him?”
“Well, let’s see?”
“Oppa.”
Doa called me resolutely, then grabbed my hand with eyes that looked like she was dying of pity.
“Oppa is too good to be dating Won Dogyeong.”
“Puhaha, what are you talking about?”
“No, really… I think Oppa should meet a much more mature and decent Alpha. Should I introduce you to someone? I don’t know anyone yet, but I’ll mobilize all my connections to find someone.”
“Then what about Yongyong?”
I grinned because that seriously concerned face was cute.
