Unlike the confusing weekend, Monday was very satisfying. The classes were interesting and enjoyable, and best of all, I was relieved of a considerable burden from successfully completing Bryan’s quest. I headed home with light steps.
What’s for dinner tonight? Dad’s pretty good at cooking, so whatever food comes out will be delicious! Of course there won’t be cilantro, so I don’t have to worry!
I even hummed as I put my bicycle in the garage and entered the house. But when I discovered Mom and Dad, who should still be at the office, and hyung all gathered together in the living room, my heart froze for a moment. For some reason, their expressions were serious and grave.
“Wh-what’s going on?”
Did something bad happen in the family? At my question, I first made eye contact with Dad, who slowly raised his head. Dad’s eyes were a little red and moist…
“Were you crying?”
What could be serious enough to make him cry? No way, no way!
“Dad?”
Is Dad sick somewhere? I hurriedly approached Dad’s side and tightly grasped his hand. No! I finally got a kind Dad who loves me instead of a cold and distant Dad! I just now met the parents I’ve always wished for! My nose suddenly stung sharply and my eyelids grew hot.
“July…….”
I turned my head toward hyung who was calling me. There was a tearful tone in that voice. I ended up becoming certain.
“Dad!”
Dad’s sick! Just when I grabbed Dad in surprise and hugged him, hyung spoke.
“I’m getting married.”
“……What?”
“Your hyung is getting married. When did he grow up so much like this… Sob, our baby is getting married…!”
Dad hugged me and started sobbing. Beyond feeling relieved, I completely deflated. So… it’s not cancer or an incurable disease, but marriage? I plopped down on the floor and let out a phew! sigh.
“So you were all gathered seriously because of hyung getting married?”
“Where is there anything as serious and solemn as marriage!”
“I thought Dad had cancer or something!”
I ended up shouting in an even louder voice at Dad who was yelling. Marriage? If such a good thing happened, you should be smiling happily—why are you sitting there so seriously! When I sprawled on the floor grumbling, Mom picked me up and sat me on the sofa.
“Exactly. What’s the big deal about marriage… It’s time to get married anyway. You scared our baby!”
After Mom patted my head and hugged me tightly, she shouted at Dad and hyung. The term ‘our baby’ used to feel embarrassingly unfamiliar, but now I was so used to it. Being called that made me feel like I really was a ‘baby,’ so I hugged Mom back and nodded.
“Right, right. It’s time to get married. Hyung’s girlfriend graduated from graduate school and even got a job. Did you propose?”
“I did… Our Winter said yes… Sob, sniff! She was crying while receiving my ring, and, hic!”
Hyung buried his face in his palms and started crying. Dad also hugged hyung and sniffled together. Hyung’s girlfriend’s name was Winter. Winter and August—opposite extremes, a well-matched combination.
“Then you should have children named Spring and Autumn.”
At Mom’s joke, hyung started sobbing even more.
“Spring and Autumn… It’s so, so… cute…!”
Of course these were tears of emotion. His face, where you couldn’t tell if he was laughing or crying, was grotesque.
“Anyway, so we’ve arranged to have dinner with the in-laws soon.”
Mom said while gently stroking my head resting on her shoulder. Hyung getting married, dinner with the in-laws. It felt strange and unfamiliar, but on the other hand it was also exciting. Even though it’s not me getting married.
“When is the dinner?”
“Yeah, this Saturday at 2 PM.”
“……Saturday at 2 PM?”
“Why, do you have something?”
“No…….”
I absolutely couldn’t say I had a date with a boy. If it was this family, they’d definitely make a huge fuss. And if they found out the other person was Joel Gomez… I might end up walking into a wedding venue alongside that bastard Joel after graduation.
I shook my head while laughing. My appointment with Joel is at 5 PM, so it should be enough to go after the dinner ends. It should be… Surely they won’t eat for more than two hours.
“So where are we having dinner?”
“Yeah, this time we’re going to the in-laws’ place to eat, and next time we agreed to host at our house. Come to think of it, I think I heard the in-laws have a son around your age.”
“Around my age? Does he go to our school?”
“Right. But what grade was it… August, what grade is Winter’s younger brother?”
“11th grade.”
When Mom and my gazes both turned toward him, hyung finally wiped his tears and answered.
“Ah, if it’s 11th grade, I might not know him… What’s his name?”
“You probably do know him. Winter bragged that he’s super famous and popular at school.”
“Super… famous and popular?”
Thump, thump, thump. My heart suddenly started beating fast and I began to feel anxious. Nah, no way. It’s probably just doting words about her younger brother. Our hyung might also go around saying I’m ‘super famous and popular’ somewhere.
“Come to think of it, that noona… what was her last name?”
Hyung’s girlfriend’s name was so unique that I only remembered her name. If I knew her last name, I’d be able to figure out who that younger brother was. Hyung wiped away his remaining tears with the end of his sleeve, made a sniff! sound with his nose, then spoke.
“Evans.”
“……What?”
“It’s Evans.”
“Winter Evans?”
“Yeah.”
“Then her brother is Evans too?”
“What are you talking about?”
Hyung frowned slightly. It seemed to mean, why are you saying something so obvious? Right. They’re siblings, so of course they’d have the same last name… No, surely David isn’t the only Evans in the entire country. They could have the same last name. That’s right.
“Is that brother by any chance… on the football team?”
“How did you know?”
“…….”
Looking at hyung’s face with wide-open eyes, I ended up half-fainting while burying myself in the sofa. At Bluedale High School, the only 11th grade Evans who goes there and belongs to the football team was David Evans, the quarterback.
“July, you must be close with Winter’s younger brother!”
“……Ha, ha…….”
I couldn’t bear to say it to hyung’s face, smiling so brightly. That I had my first kiss stolen by hyung’s girlfriend’s younger brother, that that brother played around with me. I absolutely couldn’t say it.
* * *
July! Look at this!
(Photo)
Isn’t it great? Huh????
Bryan had been contacting me so tediously ever since I gave him the book. I dealt with him all day yesterday evening, and now I wanted to rest a bit but he wouldn’t give me a break. Right now it’s the morning right after I gave him the book yesterday. Is this his way of expressing favorability? Well, it’s good that favorability is going up and communication is increasing, but…
“It’s a bit much…….”
July???
Why aren’t you replying??
Is this no good??
“…….”
No, it’s really awesome! 🙂
I sent a smiling emoji to Bryan’s photo cosplaying One-Eyed Jack. Really, it was a terrible cosplay. Maybe he thought so too, because he said he was embarrassed and only did it at home.
And also, can you read a novel I wrote?
I wouldn’t ask anyone else, but because it’s you.. I’ve never shown it to anyone before!!!!
If it’s okay, I’ll show you when we get to school.
Okay. Great!!!
He said he wrote a novel with himself as the protagonist, right? I really hope his writing skills are good. There’s no greater ordeal than reading poorly written text.
Okay! Then I’ll tell you about the novel I’m writing now! It’s set in a fictional city called ‘Gadam’…
The novel Bryan told me about, where he’s supposedly the protagonist, was a complete plagiarism of ‘Batman.’ But he was so impressed by what he thought were such fresh settings and story, so I gave appropriate responses like ‘Wow, really! I’ve never seen a story like this before!’
But Bryan, I need to get ready for school now. Let’s talk more when we get to school later
Ah, okay.. 🙁
Bryan making his dejected feelings so obvious was burdensome. But since I’d roughly wrapped up the conversation, I quickly gathered my things and changed clothes. The time stolen by Bryan was considerable, so it seemed too much to have a proper breakfast.
“Wow, is it because you’re a groom-to-be? Your face looks great from the morning!”
I was drinking a glass of orange juice in the kitchen when I playfully teased hyung who was just coming down the stairs. Seeing hyung’s face turn bright red made me laugh more, so I pushed further.
“Groom-to-be! Groom-to-be! Wow! The groom-to-be is eating breakfast!”
“July, stop it. It’s embarrassing.”
“Why, you are a groom-to-be.”
Hyung waved his hands while grinning. I could see he was dying of happiness.
“Are you that happy about getting married?”
“……I’m happy.”
“What does it feel like?”
“Like there are… a thousand, no, ten thousand butterflies flying around in my stomach. My heart’s pounding too, and I can’t believe I get to welcome a bride as beautiful as Winter.”
Hyung spoke while looking at empty space like someone dreaming, his ears dyed bright red all the way to the tips. He looked truly and sincerely happy.
Will I be able to get married too? ……I don’t know. I’ll escape from this place even before it’s time to get married anyway. Having returned to Korea like that, it would be difficult for me to even date a male lover, let alone get married. Thinking that made me feel newly gloomy. The orange juice tasted considerably sour and bitter.
“July, why do you look like that?”
“Huh? The juice is too sour……!”
No, let’s not think about that time. Let’s focus on now. I shook my head with a smiling face toward hyung who was looking at me with concern.
