Once I felt relieved, I felt embarrassed for being so overly conscious for no reason.
Actually, since childhood I’ve been compared to my only hyung, so I have a habit of shrinking when I feel like someone finds me annoying.
“Hah…… My trauma button got pressed.”
I muttered as if it was nothing, but even so, my hyung’s shadow still loomed heavily over me.
From a young age, my exceptional hyung and me, far inferior in comparison. At some point, hyung and I weren’t even compared anymore.
Hyung was good at studying, even had good relationships with friends, and had excellent athletic ability. Compared to that, I’m a fucking loser…….
After I failed my college entrance exams, hyung saw me immersing myself in games and said I was ‘rotten to the core.’ Hyung couldn’t understand me at all, escaping reality through games.
Every time hyung showed signs of looking down on me, my heart felt suffocated. I wanted to argue back, but between hyung who pressed me about why I don’t try harder and me, there seemed to exist a vast ocean. Like we couldn’t communicate.
On top of that, maybe because he saw me lose my mind for about a month after my online relationship with Sisi failed, now hyung and my parents don’t even treat me like a person.
That’s why I moved out alone as if being chased…… Even after that, there’s been no particular contact. They just give me allowance and treat me like I don’t exist.
“Ah, I’m suddenly getting depressed.”
I didn’t want to think about it anymore, so I shook my head. And I mustered up courage to ask Banye what I’d been curious about.
[Aang] Hey
[Aang] Do you have siblings?
Banye answered readily.
[Hwang Hyunjung] I’m an only child
“As expected……”
From my perspective as a second child, Banye had the feeling of a first child or only child. Should I say he’s somehow confident in human relationships?
He doesn’t have that characteristic behavior of middle children who are always reading the room. I was really surprised last time when he immediately told the guild members they were pathetic. The way he has to say what he needs to say rather than worrying about other people’s feelings—it gave me that same feeling as when I look at my hyung.
[Aang] Lucky
[Aang] My relationship with my hyung isn’t good
[Aang] Since way back I wished I had a younger sibling
[Hwang Hyunjung] Oh
While looking at Banye’s indifferent response, I suddenly remembered the fact that Banye is 2 years younger than me.
[Aang] Banye-ssi
[Hwang Hyunjung] No
[Aang] ? I didn’t even say anything yet, why
[Hwang Hyunjung] Feels like you’re gonna talk bullshit
[Aang] I won’t talk bullshit
[Hwang Hyunjung] What is it
[Aang] Will you be my younger brother?
[Hwang Hyunjung] Fuck off
[Aang] ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[Aang] Banye-ya! Call me hyung from now on
Banye didn’t even respond. It seemed like I could hear Banye being disgusted, which made me quite happy.
[Aang] Banye-ssi, there are lots of advantages to being my younger brother
[Hwang Hyunjung] Not at all
[Aang] If I get a younger brother I’ll treat them really well you know?
[Aang] When you ask questions I’ll explain kindly
[Hwang Hyunjung] You can’t explain Card of Fantasy though
[Aang] I’ll listen to your stories warmly
[Hwang Hyunjung] Seems like I’m the one listening
[Aang] Noㅡㅡ Just listen first
[Aang] I’ll give you lots of allowance too
[Hwang Hyunjung] That’s the only advantage
As expected, a man obsessed with money…….
Anyway, I was confident I wouldn’t act like my hyung. From then on, I tried calling Banye [Banye dongsaeng!] using the younger sibling address.
But while Banye had been disgusted yet responsive to other nicknames until now, he must have really hated dongsaeng because he absolutely didn’t respond at all. In short, he completely ignored me.
In the end, it was me who backed down this time too.
Actually, Banye as a younger brother was awkward for me too. Because Banye…… has a gap with the cute younger brother image I imagined. A younger brother with a deeper voice than me is a bit…….
Besides, Banye is kind but not cute. Should I say he’s kind of sharp?
Of course, I don’t dislike that. However, what’s unfortunate is that if not the younger brother game, I can’t think of any other way to get closer to Banye.
“I want to get a bit closer……”
After Banye told me ‘You’re not annoying. If you were annoying I just wouldn’t respond,’ I’ve come to like Banye a lot.
Definitely not like with Sisi! Just…… I’m originally the type to be a bit wary of other people, but Banye is so honest.
Maybe because I think he’ll show it if I’m annoying, when Banye silently accepts my teasing, I feel reassured thinking ‘He must not dislike me yet!’ Should I say that?
I like that part. So I have more trust in Banye, and I want to know more about Banye.
But Banye is quite thorough—he doesn’t talk much about himself.
The person who seems closest to Banye is Anaki, but even though I want to become close like Anaki, I thought that trying to imitate the relationship between Banye and Anaki would be difficult for me at this point.
Even if I grilled Banye like Anaki does, I’d just get cursed at and it would be hard to become friends. Even now, our relationship is maintained mostly by me acting cute and clinging to Banye…….
“Hmm…… Should I give him more gifts?”
I diligently browsed the cash shop while scrolling the mouse wheel drr-drr-drr.
Since I’d already bought him tons of items, I couldn’t get a sense of what more to buy to make Banye happy. I’d even already charged 200,000 won of cash to my account for Banye to use freely.
Of course, Banye isn’t even touching it…… Then, should I give him a gift certificate?
[Aang] Banye-ssi, do you like chicken?
[Hwang Hyunjung] No
[Aang] Then pizza?
[Hwang Hyunjung] Not really
But Banye didn’t seem to enjoy eating much either, so even when I obviously hinted at giving a gift certificate, he was indifferent. (Well, he had an indifferent attitude normally too but…….)
So while Banye went to sleep, I investigated Banye’s preferences with the guild members.
[Guild][Banyecredit] Anaki-nim
[Guild][Banyecredit] How did you become close with Banye-ssi?
[Guild][Anajokiwojo] Picking a fight again
[Guild][Banyecredit] ?
[Guild][Neda] ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
But Anaki pettily denied the very fact that he was close with Banye and absolutely wouldn’t share friendship tips. Bad guy.
[Guild][Banyecredit] You guys, what would Banye-ssi like
[Guild][Neda] Why are you suddenly asking that?
[Guild][Neda] Is it Banye-nim’s birthday soon ㄷㄷ?
[Guild][Banyecredit] No, I just want to please Banye…
[Guild][Yeongmyeong] Huh? Aren’t you two already married?
[Guild][Banyecredit] Ha, I’m serious
[Guild][Yeongmyeong] Oh really?!
[Guild][Haeyam] Why do you suddenly want to please Banye lol?
[Guild][Banyecredit] I want to be best friends ㄷㄷ;;
[Guild][Banyecredit] I want to be the #1 closest person in Banye’s heart ㅠ
[Guild][Neda] ㄷㄷ
[Guild][Suckeot3] Your obsession is severe, Aang…
[Guild][Haeyam] If Anaki-nim quits you’ll be best friend #1 lolㅇㅂㅇ
[Guild][Suckeot3] Let go of your attachment
[Guild][Banyecredit] ㅠㅠ
[Guild][Anajokiwojo] I’ll transfer it for 10 billion lol First come lol
The guild members teased me today too since it was someone else’s problem, and didn’t help.
However, Nanneomukeoeyeowo surprisingly gave advice that could be a hint.
[Guild][Nanneomukeoeyeowo] Isn’t hunting together the fastest way to get close?
[Guild][Nanneomukeoeyeowo] If you have a fixed party you add friends and invite to guild and stuff
[Guild][Nanneomukeoeyeowo] I became close with Suckeot-nim through a fixed party and came to the guild lol
[Guild][Haeyam] That is the standard wayㅇㅅㅇ
[Guild][Banyecredit] !
Hearing that, I thought ‘this is it’ and checked Banyecredit’s level.
Current level is 112. Lower than when Aang came to Gyeoksal guild, but if I challenged reaching max level again, it was a doable number.
[Guild][Banyecredit] Ok, manly challenge accepted
[Guild][Anajokiwojo] I told you I’d transfer it for 10 billion? lol
From then on, I started hunting diligently.
Which means I started investing money into Banyecredit too.
* * *
I didn’t go as hardcore as when I was leveling up to avoid getting kicked from Gyeoksal guild, but having done it once before, I leveled up a bit more easily than last time.
Of course, there were parts harder than last time too.
[Guild][Banyecredit] Ah, the party wiped again
[Guild][Nanneomukeoeyeowo] Where are you running
[Guild][Banyecredit] Dawn’s Breath
Dawn’s Breath is the place that gives the most experience among dungeons I can access at my level.
The dungeon is on the short side too, so if you clear it quickly it’s good for experience farming. The difficulty is quite hard though, so if you make a mistake everyone dies and the party wipes, which is a disadvantage.
“Even when raising Aang here, Banye carried me to clear it……”
I made quite a lot of mistakes in Dawn’s Breath too, so I’m not in a position to call anyone frustrating, but still, with the party wiping repeatedly I got a bit annoyed.
[Guild][Nanneomukeoeyeowo] Want me to run it with you?
