- A Dollhouse
A perfect family.
That’s what everyone said about that house. They said it was surely the form of the “ideal” family that everyone desired.
The two-story house and well-maintained garden were as beautiful as a movie set. It was the home of a veterinarian couple and their three sons. For a household with only sons, there was never a shortage of conversation, and the brotherhood between them was exceptionally close.
Especially the sight of the eldest and youngest together warmed the hearts of onlookers. Like an older brother and younger sister with a large age gap, they were affectionate and ticklish in a way that naturally made one’s lips curl into a smile.
A house that exuded affluence and comfort. Everything was arranged naturally and perfectly to feel that way. So perfect that it almost felt as if everything had been carefully staged.
However, flawless perfection tended to dull one’s sense of reality. Especially if it had continued for over ten years.
For over ten years, the youngest, Cha Ihyun, had accepted the affection showered upon him without a shred of doubt. His fair skin that looked like it had never seen sunlight, his glossy hair that was unusual for a high school boy, and his lively rosy cheeks showed just how abundantly loved the boy had been raised.
“Next month is already our youngest’s birthday.”
When Cha Ihyun raised his head, affectionate gazes poured down on him. The couple, who looked young and healthy despite their middle age, had faces that didn’t resemble Cha Ihyun’s in the slightest.
“Have you thought about what you want this time? Your dad seems like he’s planning to just give you spending money again this year.”
“I still haven’t spent the allowance you gave me last year.”
“You really spend too little. Aren’t you at an age where you’d want a lot of things?”
To say he spent too little, everything that made up Cha Ihyun from head to toe was expensive brand-name products. Moreover, anything he wanted always fell into his hands within a day, so there was really no need to spend his allowance.
Cha Ihyun answered brightly.
“I really don’t have anything. If I think of something later, I’ll tell Big Aunt.”
“Only Big Aunt? You should tell Dad too.”
“Yes. I will.”
One fact outsiders didn’t know well was that Cha Ihyun wasn’t the biological child of this couple.
A very distant relative. That was the entirety of the explanation Cha Ihyun had heard from his parents. Entrusted to this household at the young age of seven, how “distant” these relatives he was meeting for the first time were didn’t matter to him. What mattered was simply that he had a family as a support system. It was because his parents had died not long after he was left with this household.
The veterinarian couple, Cha Yunjae and Jeong Sieun, raised Cha Ihyun like their own child. To the extent of having him call them Dad and Mom. But Cha Ihyun didn’t use those titles. It was partly due to his conscience, but more than that…
“What about Minhyun? What did you prepare this year?”
It was also because of his secret feelings toward his hyung in this house, Cha Minhyun.
Cha Minhyun put down his utensils. The act of slowly chewing the food in his mouth, swallowing, and wiping the corners of his mouth with a tissue looked incredibly refined. At least in Cha Ihyun’s eyes. To him, Cha Minhyun was the perfect “adult” itself.
When their eyes met, the corners of Cha Minhyun’s eyes creased affectionately.
“Secret.”
At the eye-smile that seemed like it would melt everything away, Cha Ihyun’s mind went blank. The mouth that had been responding cutely to Big Uncle and Big Aunt was left hanging open like a fool. Fortunately, the noisy pounding was drowned out by the couple’s teasing.
“Again, again! You’re trying to give a cool gift all by yourself again this time.”
“It’s Ihyun’s last birthday before he becomes an adult. I want to celebrate it properly.”
Cha Ihyun gripped and released his chopsticks tightly for no reason. If he didn’t do at least that much, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to endure this ticklish feeling.
When he lifted his gaze that had fled to the table, he immediately locked eyes with Cha Minhyun. This is driving me crazy. Cha Ihyun rubbed his hot cheeks with the back of his hand. Cha Minhyun’s smile deepened as he watched his little brother.
Just then, a thunderous sneeze crossed the dining table. At the PCHWEH―! sound, the ticklish feeling that had been blooming fluffy in Cha Ihyun’s heart completely shattered. His gaze moved to that pitch-black guy.
Cha Dobum. The guy grinned as soon as their eyes met. Not even covering his mouth while coughing, and scratching his belly by putting his hand inside his clothes during the meal—Cha Ihyun wrinkled his face as if disgusted.
Cha Yunjae laughed heartily.
“What are you going to give him, Dobum? Ihyun’s birthday present.”
“Birthday present?”
Cha Dobum asked back indifferently.
“Do I need to give something separately? I do his laundry, I clean for him, I take him to school in the morning—isn’t my existence itself a gift at this point?”
“What do you mean you take me to school? I walk there by myself.”
“Oh my, our princess can go by herself now? You’ve grown up?”
“I told you not to call me that.”
Even at the threat, Cha Dobum only grinned like a sly fox. Cha Ihyun poured out curses with his eyes. He had never once asked for laundry or cleaning to be done. Why is he acting like he’s doing me a favor when he’s been doing it on his own since we were kids? Cha Ihyun, who had whipped his head around, unconsciously checked on Cha Minhyun.
There was a quiet smile hanging on his lips as always. But Cha Ihyun could tell. That Cha Dobum’s table manners were rubbing his hyung the wrong way. As if in agreement, Cha Ihyun furrowed his brow and added.
“And swallow everything before you talk. It’s disgusting, seriously.”
Cha Dobum smacked his lips even more loudly as if to be heard, but Cha Ihyun’s attention was entirely focused on Cha Minhyun. I hate what hyung hates too. I did well, right? His eyes seeking praise sparkled like a water surface receiving sunlight. At that blatant favoritism, Cha Dobum grumbled.
“Fuck, seriously. This is so upsetting.”
Cha Ihyun rolled his eyes. It was because his hyung thought profanity was vulgar. But Cha Minhyun didn’t even pretend to hear and continued his meal. It was thorough disregard. Cha Ihyun also stopped responding following his hyung’s lead, but his gaze swept over the two people who looked completely different.
Really, it was unbelievable that those two were brothers.
Unlike his hyung who sat with his back straight, Cha Dobum, who ate hunched over, was not only terrible in posture and behavior but also ate an absurd amount. Even now, he was already emptying his fourth bowl of rice.
Pig bastard.
His build as massive as Mount Tai made him wonder if they were really the same age—it just looked clumsy. Even if someone is big, there should be a limit; he looked more like a gangster than a high schooler.
In contrast, Minhyun hyung was the embodiment of an intelligent, refined adult male. Like Cha Dobum, he had a naturally good build, but whatever clothes he wore fit cleanly, and above all, suits looked incredibly good on him.
That wasn’t all. The two were polar opposites in everything from skin color to eye color, smiling habits to personality. Hyung as white as a sculpture and Cha Dobum tanned bronze, soft chestnut eyes that drew gentle arcs and pitch-black eyes that were always half-open like someone sleepy, hyung who smiled quietly with his eyes and Cha Dobum who laughed noisily with his mouth wide open.
Analyzing their differences would easily make a thesis. And the title of that thesis would be <Angel and Thug>.
Can people who share blood be that different?
That was the first thought that came to mind when he first saw the two. Even people who didn’t know the detailed family circumstances would think hyung and himself were brothers instead. But now he just accepted it. When he thought about it, Big Aunt and Big Uncle also had completely different impressions.
The peaceful dinner like any other day ended, and each person headed to their own room.
On the first floor were the master bedroom and Cha Dobum’s room, and on the second floor were Cha Minhyun and Cha Ihyun’s rooms, so Cha Ihyun looked to the side with the intention of going up together. It was a gaze mixed with expectation that they’d spend the evening time together. However, Cha Minhyun seemed to have received an urgent phone call and headed to the entrance, grabbing his phone. The moment disappointment settled in his sparkling eyes, Cha Minhyun lightly tousled his little brother’s hair.
“Go up first.”
Cha Ihyun, who had been standing sullenly in front of the closed door, scurried up to his room. When he drew back the window curtains, he could see his hyung down below. With his face leaning against the window frame, he freely stole glances at his hyung’s back.
My hyung…
He liked his hyung so much. Hyung’s scent, voice, smile… everything that made up his hyung was mature and cool. On days when he received praise from his hyung or when his hyung smiled brightly at him, the whole day felt like walking on clouds, constantly excited.
It was all thanks to his hyung that he could adapt to this house so quickly. Hyung’s gentle and sweet affection was different from the affection Big Aunt and Big Uncle gave. The only person he could rely on completely was hyung.
“Hehe.”
Just watching his back made the corners of his mouth twitch. But then, Minhyun hyung waved his hand. Did someone come? The moment his gaze moved, his wriggling lips stiffened.
It was a woman. And a really pretty, mature-looking woman at that.
Of course, there were always many people around his hyung. But Cha Ihyun knew. That hyung was someone who didn’t let people into his personal space. The only one who could enter that space was himself. Hyung extremely avoided physical contact with others, but he would share a blanket and sleep with him. That’s why he was confident that he was the person closest to hyung.
And yet.
Cha Ihyun observed the two people intently. The distance was excessively close. When the woman handed something over, their fingertips brushed. Hyung didn’t swat that hand away and smiled gently, and the woman’s face turned red.
He felt strange. They seemed to be talking about something, but he became anxious because he couldn’t hear the sound.
Cha Ihyun, whose lips had drooped completely, tilted his head with a face that looked like he was about to cry. By the time his cheek was pressed firmly against the window and squished, Cha Minhyun turned around.
“―!”
Cha Ihyun, startled, hid his body below. Thump-thump, thump-thump—his heart pounded as if he’d been caught stealing.
“What are you doing?”
At the voice that barged in from behind, Cha Ihyun let out a scream. When he turned around while crouched on the floor, he saw Cha Dobum standing blankly at the door. With a laundry basket in one hand.
Cha Dobum strode into the room. Then he glanced down at the view outside the window that Cha Ihyun had been looking at.
“What? It’s just Cha Minhyun.”
