Chapter 32
The clock had already passed 11 AM. I recalled my past dating experiences and made a plan.
“Since it’s 11, let’s go out and eat first. Then we’ll buy a laptop, grab coffee at a café, and hit a bookstore. We can either pick out books to read at home, or have dinner and catch a movie.”
Both brothers turned to look at me at the same time. Hahyun exclaimed in admiration.
“Wow… I was already falling for you, but I almost fell for you all over again.”
While Hahyun’s expression was bright, Hajin’s wasn’t so pleasant. With his controlling personality, he probably wasn’t happy that I’d planned out the entire schedule.
“It’s nothing special. This is all only possible because Hajin-ssi used his brain. Otherwise, we couldn’t have even dreamed of this.”
“True, that’s also true. Hyung finally acted like a hyung for once.”
I thought Hahyun would be upset if I praised Hajin, but surprisingly, he gave Hajin a thumbs up. His excitement and happiness about their first date was making him see everything positively, and it seemed cute.
No… Hahyun might feel that way, but why am I feeling like everything’s great too? This isn’t the right situation for that.
After pondering for a moment, I concluded it was because of the outing I was having after so long. There was no other way to explain my emotions.
***
Once outside, the wind on my cheeks and the sunlight beating down felt different. Even though I wasn’t particularly fond of going out normally, this rare outing seemed to clear my congested feelings.
From leaving the house to getting in the car, I was immersed in a strange excitement. However, from the moment we arrived at the department store, I started to regret today’s outing. Three men with an average height of 190cm were perfect for attracting everyone’s attention.
After parking in the department store garage and heading up to the electronics section for the laptop, nearly everyone gave us strange looks. The brothers seemed used to it and didn’t care either way, but I was unaccustomed to people’s stares and felt awkward.
Finally arriving at the electronics section, under normal circumstances I would have been the first to excitedly look around at everything, but the weird atmosphere made that impossible.
“Oh honey, that refrigerator is so pretty.”
“Buy whatever you want.”
The place was filled with couples shopping for wedding items, and we were the only men who’d come together to buy a laptop. Well, in this day and age, who would come to a department store to buy a laptop? People would watch unboxing videos on YouTube, check reviews, search for the lowest price, and buy online.
If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve just told them to pick something suitable and bring it home…
“Hyung, hyung…”
As I was regretting my decision, Hahyun whispered in my ear.
“Don’t we look just like newlyweds standing here like this?”
“…”
“Ah, I should have done this sooner. I’m so happy.”
“…”
It was impossible to even force a smile. Feeling like I might explode if I stayed any longer, I quickly asked a clerk to show me the highest-spec laptop from the brand I used to use. I wanted to buy it quickly and get out of here. Suddenly, Hajin tilted his head.
“It was already a bit strange that Yoon Juwon asked for a laptop, but that brand…”
What was this about? Could it be he particularly disliked this brand, or was he just technologically illiterate?
Thinking I might be discovered as not being the original Yoon Juwon, I quickly corrected myself.
“I must have disliked this brand. I just looked at…”
I pointed to the largest advertisement hanging in the store.
“I just said what I saw because it was advertised so prominently.”
Only then did Hajin nod as if he understood. Did he buy it? No… what would I do if he didn’t? Even if I told him I was possessed, he wouldn’t believe me. He’d just think I was crazy, pretending to be insane to try to escape.
Hajin was already hard to read, but outside, without the gentle eye-smile he showed at home, he was even more intimidating.
“Hyung, is this enough? Do you need anything else?”
Hahyun laid out a laptop, tablet, stylus pen, and earphones in front of me, apparently intent on buying everything as a set.
I remembered how before being possessed, I’d been considering replacing my college laptop that was starting to break down, but had held back because I wasn’t sure if my next contract would come through.
“This already seems too expensive. It’s enough.”
“You think this is expensive?”
At Hajin’s question, my heart dropped again. Ah, right. Yoon Juwon was also a successful model.
A screenwriter without a hit work and a successful model couldn’t possibly have the same sense of money, and I felt like I’d spoken too carelessly. When staying at home I hadn’t noticed, but now that we were out, living as someone else felt even more difficult.
“I said that because Hahyun-ssi asked. It’s expensive for a college student.”
“You worry too much. Hyung, are you going to keep looking down on me? Do you know how much wealth is in my name? Hajin hyung made sure to distribute it properly.”
Right, of course you did. This time I wasn’t trying to look down on you—I was trying to save myself—so please just shut up.
Hajin handed over his card with a gentle smile.
What was next on the schedule? If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve planned to just buy the laptop and go home. Why did I set such a detailed schedule, expecting to see anything good?
After completing the purchase, we got into the elevator to move to our next location. Hahyun took my hand and said,
“You know, in dramas, I’ve always wanted to try holding hands with a lover in an elevator and then casually letting go when someone gets on.”
Hearing this, Hajin also took my hand. I was sweating profusely with both hands held, but the two of them didn’t let go even when other people got on.
***
At the café, a server who’d fallen for Hajin approached him and asked for his contact information. And the server didn’t leave our side until Hajin called for the manager. I was sweating nervously, terrified the server might recognize Yoon Juwon’s face.
I was becoming increasingly exhausted by the anxiety that someone might suddenly recognize me.
Eventually, I couldn’t last even an hour at the café and suggested we leave, and the brothers agreed.
From leaving the café until we reached the parking garage, the brothers childishly fought over who would sit with me. Given the tense situation where someone might recognize me at any moment, I wanted to sit next to Hajin, but the stubborn Hahyun won.
As soon as Hahyun and I got into the backseat, Hajin, sitting in the driver’s seat, turned around and said,
“What’s with your expression?”
“Yeah, are you uncomfortable somewhere?”
I blurted out what I’d been thinking.
“I want to go home.”
“Already? We still have plans left. It’s our first date—it feels like a waste to end it so early.”
Hahyun took my side.
“I’d rather do whatever makes hyung comfortable. I don’t like people staring at you.”
In fact, people weren’t staring at me but at the brothers, but I didn’t bother to correct him since I liked Hahyun’s suggestion to go home.
“And I don’t like doing this with the three of us. Not just the two of us.”
Hajin retorted,
“You sure dislike a lot of things. Seo Hahyun, you’re getting greedier. Have you completely forgotten our agreement?”
“Well, that’s how people are. You think you’re not like that? You’re just pretending not to care, but you don’t like it either.”
The atmosphere suddenly turned cold. If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have been the first to suggest going home… I felt several times more exhausted from the discomfort caused by the brothers than from the discomfort caused by other people.
Hajin didn’t even think about starting the engine and just sat with his hands on the steering wheel. An ominous tension settled over the silence. What if the brothers started fighting over me again and demanded I choose between them? Just the thought made me shudder, so I quickly tried to change the mood.
“I think it would be perfect to go home, eat pasta made by Hahyun-ssi, and watch a DVD picked by Hajin-ssi.”
I looked at both of them in turn while fairly distributing one task to each. However, their expressions remained stiff.
Why? What was wrong with what I said? As I pondered, I suddenly remembered both of them smiling brightly when they’d mentioned that today was their first date.
“And as for dating…”
I hesitated when both brothers simultaneously turned their heads toward me. But soon I continued.
“Let’s do it one-on-one next time. It’s confusing to date together.”
“Exactly! Wow, you’re really smart. How nice would it have been if you were like this before? In the past, no matter how many hints I gave, you just pretended not to notice…”
“He’s become a completely different person, I tell you.”
Hajin spoke with a more relaxed voice and started the car. As we sped along the uncrowded road without receiving stares from others, my anxiety gradually subsided.
When I tilted my head while looking toward the window, Hahyun rolled down the window on my side. Cool air flowed in.
