My heart sank and then slowly rose back up.
Hyung’s glass-bead-like eyes slowly met mine as if reading my thoughts. As if demanding I speak honestly, hyung’s head tilted to the side and our gazes became more entangled.
Should I say that every time Seongheon hyung wets his lips with his tongue like now, I’m reminded of that time? Would he understand if I told him that’s why I’m conscious every time I make eye contact with hyung? Would it be okay to confide that before going to sleep every day, that day’s events vividly come to mind so I toss and turn for a long time before finally falling asleep?
“Hm? Daeyoung.”
This time hyung tilted his head to the opposite side and seemed to look at me suspiciously, so those thoughts quickly went away.
‘Let’s not do it. If I do, I’ll be the only weird one.’
After hastily organizing my thoughts, I belatedly opened my mouth.
“Actually…”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t remember well. I guess I was too drunk then. I’m sorry, hyung, when you went to all that trouble to help.”
“Ah…”
I heard an answer like a sigh. Since being drunk at that time was true, hyung seemed to think it was possible and didn’t press further, gulping down the drink that came out.
“Hyung, I need to go to the bathroom for a moment.”
Just as I was getting up from my seat, Dongwoo returned to the table.
Seeing me get up, he was about to follow when Seongheon hyung asked Dongwoo “When did you and Daeyoung become friends?”, and Dongwoo sat down forcibly like a robot receiving orders.
Leaving their voices behind, I headed to the bathroom.
“Haah…”
Coming to a place where hyung wasn’t, a sigh naturally leaked out.
It was fortunate Dongwoo was there at least—if I’d been alone with hyung, I felt like I would have unknowingly confessed everything one after another. Anyway, since we’d settled that day’s matter for now, I could brush it off as if nothing happened for the time being.
“Anyway, when will I receive the pure gold key? Maybe I should tag along when the hyungs visit Seongheon hyung’s house later.”
Since hyung even buys watches worth 20 million won, I could get it back anytime, so I decided to receive it later when there’s a chance. If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll ask Daesu hyung… no, I’d rather donate it than let it fall into Daesu hyung’s hands.
I seemed to have left my seat for too long, so I went back. As I got closer to our table, I saw Dongwoo nodding while listening to hyung’s words. It didn’t seem like he was being scolded—it looked like some kind of life consultation.
I pulled out the seat chair as quietly as possible and made eye contact with Dongwoo, but he immediately avoided my eyes and busied himself eating food.
Just as hyung brought another peeled shrimp to my mouth, a ringtone sounded from somewhere.
♬♪♩—
It was Seongheon hyung’s phone on the table, and as soon as I ate the shrimp, hyung picked up that phone, said “Just a moment,” and left his seat.
With hyung gone, I was curious about the conversation he’d had with Dongwoo earlier and asked subtly, but Dongwoo also glanced sideways in the direction hyung went and picked up his phone.
*Ding.*
[↳Let’s talk with this. — 15:01]
[Why? We can just talk. — 15:01]
[↳Because we don’t know when hyung will come back. — 15:01]
[So what did you two talk about? — 15:01]
*Tap tap tap.*
The sound of tapping on the screen continued for a while, and after I took a few sips of ade and the server brought another menu item, I finally received a long reply from Dongwoo.
[↳Hyung told me not to let you run into Dongmi. And not to go to clubs with you, and not to set you up on blind dates. When going to alumni gatherings together, sit right next to you so no one else can sit beside you. Also, always make you go home by 9 PM at night and confirm you got in safely. And since your stomach is weak, don’t eat seafood in summer, and if you want something but don’t have enough money, tell me to buy it first and hyung will give me the money later. And send you a congratulations text at midnight on your birthday, and if what you want is expensive, tell him. He’ll buy it for you instead. And if you want to play games, actively help you. If there’s anything to spend real money on in games, he’ll do it for mine too and support you fully. Ah! The most important thing. If something happens to you, contact hyung first. He says it’s faster to contact him than Daesu hyung. Um… weird. I think there was more but I can’t remember. — 15:03]
[It’s weirder that you remember all that — 15:04]
No matter how I thought about it, Dongwoo seemed to have good memorization.
Maybe because I just skimmed through the message quickly, but the last part about ‘if something happens, contact hyung first’ remained most memorable.
My heart warmed at that sentence for just a moment, but as I reread from the beginning, Dongmi’s warning suddenly came to mind.
“He’s interfering with your love life to make you a lifelong bachelor.”
Reading the message briefly from Dongmi’s perspective, more than one or two things bothered me.
Clubs, blind dates, alumni gatherings, going home by 9 PM. Even my mom didn’t restrict me this much, and following this route, I didn’t seem to have even a speck of a chance to meet anyone.
Not wanting a future with nutria, I urgently replied.
[Dongwoo, you’re on my side. You didn’t agree to everything hyung said, right? — 15:05]
[↳Seongheon hyung’s family is involved in my dad’s work. I might inherit that work later, so I have no choice. — 15:05]
[Hey, even so, sticking with you at alumni gatherings doesn’t make sense. I don’t go to alumni gatherings to stick with you who I see all the time. — 15:05]
[↳I’m a victim too ㅡㅡ;; Just accept it. That’ll be easier on your mind. — 15:06]
Just as I was about to reply to Dongwoo again, Seongheon hyung approached so I quickly put down my phone.
“What are you doing instead of eating? Both of you.”
“We’re full so we’re resting while eating.”
“Me too.”
Dongwoo also hurriedly put down his phone and started eating diligently like before.
Dongwoo ate well too, but he wasn’t a big eater like Dongmi. If Dongmi had been in this seat, several empty plates would have already piled up.
“Hyung, please have this too.”
“No, give it to Daeyoung.”
Hyung seemed to like Dongwoo’s attentive behavior and was repeatedly satisfied. Since it had been a while since such a harmonious meal, I also overate more than usual.
* * *
The time we finished eating and came out was well past 4 PM. Hyung said he had urgent business and had to go back to school, so he’d drop us off. Distance-wise, Dongwoo would get off first, then me.
“Daeyoung, sit in front.”
Just as I was about to get in the back seat with Dongwoo, at hyung’s words I clicked open the passenger door. Wondering why Seongheon hyung told me to sit next to him, I was needlessly nervous, but once we entered the road, I could understand the reason.
“Daeyoung, do you see that sign?”
“Yeah.”
“That one is…”
Every time a road sign appeared, hyung personally explained that this was this and that was that. Dongwoo also leaned toward the front seat and picked up our conversation. It definitely went into my head much better than when looking at the study book.
“Daeyoung, that sign is a roundabout marker.”
“Roundabout?”
“There’s no traffic light at that intersection.”
“Then how do you get through?”
“When the cars going around exit, you can enter. When leaving, make sure to turn on your turn signal.”
“Okay.”
And when crossing the bridge, he told us that what we called socks was a ‘crosswind sign,’ meaning strong winds blow over the bridge so reduce speed and drive safely. No wonder, when I hitched rides in Mom’s compact car crossing this bridge, it sometimes swayed. When taking the written test, I might not know other things, but I didn’t think I’d forget what hyung told me.
Continuing this conversation with hyung, the awkward feelings gradually softened. If only I hadn’t thought strangely from the beginning, I only grew my worries by needlessly worrying about useless things.
Dongwoo, who had been listening from behind, seemed to have a question and stretched his arm between hyung and me to point at something up front.
“Hyung, then when do you make an unprotected left turn?”
Since it was the countryside, there were many side roads everywhere, so I was curious too. Seongheon hyung really explained well at our eye level. Things I’d just passed by when I got in the passenger seat without knowing now caught my eye one by one.
“Dongwoo’s house is a right turn from here, right?”
“Yes.”
Since the upper neighborhood was Dongwoo’s house and the lower neighborhood was our house, hyung stopped by Dongwoo’s house first. When hyung stopped the car in front of Dongwoo’s house gate, Dongmi, who happened to be jumping rope in the yard, stopped what she was doing and looked over.
“Huh!!”
Even before Dongwoo got out of the car, Dongmi’s scream could be heard.
I couldn’t just ignore her either, so I was about to lower the car window and timidly wave, but Seongheon hyung raised the window back up with a *whirr*. So instead of greeting, all I did was make eye contact with Dongmi.
“I’m going.”
Through the car window, I could see Dongmi pointing at Seongheon hyung’s reversing car and looking at it incredulously.
“Hyung, I was going to at least say hi to Dongmi.”
“Once you break up, you’re strangers.”
“Still, she’s my friend’s younger sister…”
*Vroom—!*
Seongheon hyung mercilessly stepped on the accelerator and passed that place heading to my house. Hyung smiled gently at something good, then composed his expression again.
On the road, we conversed well without awkwardness about signs or driver’s license written test topics, but now we were on the neighborhood road and just the two of us remained, so discomfort was creeping in again.
But it wasn’t just my mood—I seemed to have indigestion from overeating. Going along the winding road, I felt nauseous and my chest became uncomfortable. I thought I should take digestive medicine first when I got home.
“Daeyoung, are you uncomfortable somewhere?”
“Ah, hyung. My stomach feels a bit bloated.”
“I thought you were eating a lot earlier.”
“It’s a waste. If I leave it.”
“Still, if you can’t eat it, leave it. It’s better to leave it than to eat and feel sick.”
“Well, you’re right, hyung.”
“I was mistaken too. I thought Dongwoo would eat a lot like Dongmi.”
After hearing my situation, hyung’s driving style became even smoother. Even when going on bumpy roads or turning corners, it was smooth without shaking, so my stomach felt much more comfortable.
