Chapter 176: Side Story
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 176: Side Story
"Perfect!"
Fourteen-year-old Seo Ho-jin began writing down his to-do list for the day.
[January 30th
- Finish math homework
- Preview 9th-grade curriculum
- Celebrate Hyung’s birthday!!]
He stopped there and pouted for a moment.
It was obvious his brother would be late again today, claiming he was busy with tutoring or whatever else.
Staring at the memo, Seo Ho-jin suddenly stood up, stuffed some money into his pocket, threw on his padded jacket, and headed out the door.
However, he hadn't gone far before someone called out to him.
"Oh! You, you there."
It wasn't uncommon for people to approach him on the street. To be precise, they were usually people who knew Seo Ho-yun, and most of them were women.
"You're Seo Ho-yun’s younger brother, right?"
"…Yes."
Ho-jin narrowed his eyes, sizing up the person in front of him.
"Wow~, you look exactly the same as when I saw you a few years ago. Aren't kids supposed to grow like weeds? I guess everyone’s different."
That comment struck Ho-jin right in his biggest insecurity.
"I’m Ho-yun’s high school classmate. Do you remember me?"
"What do you want?"
"…Wow, look at that attitude. You really are Seo Ho-yun’s brother."
The woman crouched down to meet Ho-jin’s eyes and gave him a bright smile.
"Tell Ho-yun to answer his phone. Why is he so hard to reach?"
"Maybe he doesn't want to talk to you."
"The genes really don't lie."
When Ho-jin retorted sullenly with a crooked posture, the woman looked a bit embarrassed. Even so, she pulled twenty thousand won out of her wallet and forced it into his hand.
"Here, it’s a bribe. Go buy yourself something delicious, and tell that jerk… I mean, tell Ho-yun to call me."
"…."
"Actually, never mind. Just tell him I miss him."
Ho-jin hesitated for a moment as he looked at the money.
He had been worried because he didn't have much cash on him.
Seeing this, the woman gave a mischievous grin and tapped the back of Ho-jin’s hand—the one holding the money.
"Go on, take it."
"…."
"It’s cold today, so get home safe."
After a moment of hesitation, Ho-jin grabbed the arm of the woman as she started walking back toward her friends.
He practically threw the money back at her and ran toward his original destination. He ignored the voices behind him shouting, "Hey! Hey!!"
It was because he suddenly remembered a similar incident from the past. His brother had nagged him relentlessly for three days and nights, asking, "If you love money from strangers that much, why didn't you just go live at her house?"
Beyond that, he was old enough now to know that he shouldn't just accept things from people.
"Haa, ha…."
Only after turning the corner and seeing the park path did he catch his breath and slow his pace.
His brother, Seo Ho-yun, had always been a local celebrity.
He was rude, but his good looks made him popular with his peers, and he was so good at studying that he was practically an idol to the neighborhood parents. That fame reached its peak when he got into university.
The Seo Ho-yun of back then was a normal high schooler—always surrounded by people, moderately indifferent to his younger brother, and occasionally arguing with their parents.
But after the accident, everything flipped.
Even the young Ho-jin could tell that the current situation wasn't normal.
…Hmm.
If he had just taken the money earlier, he might have been able to buy something better. Pushing aside that slight regret, Ho-jin entered the bakery he had scouted out beforehand.
He was slightly shocked by the prices of the cakes in the display case. They were more expensive than he had expected.
Still, with the money he had, he could afford a small strawberry cream cake tucked away in the corner of the display.
Since he didn't know Ho-yun’s preferences anyway, Ho-jin didn't overthink it and pointed to the cake.
"Thank you!"
The bakery owner seemed to be in a good mood after the sale and gave Ho-jin a slightly crumbled cookie as a bonus.
As he carefully carried the cake box out and popped the cookie into his mouth, the owner of the nearby flower shop spotted him and called out.
"Oh my, isn't that Ho-jin?"
She was someone who had been close to his mother.
He seemed to be running into everyone today, even though all he wanted was to get home quickly.
"It’s been so long. Are you in the third grade now?"
"…I’m graduating elementary school now."
"Oh, I’m sorry."
The flower shop owner was surprised by Ho-jin’s weary response. The boy in front of her was very small for his age.
"A cake? Is it someone’s birthday today?"
"My brother’s."
She quickly fixed her expression and asked warmly, but Ho-jin merely averted his gaze and gave a short answer.
"It’s his birthday today, haha. Then take this flower with you."
Looking apologetic, the owner plucked a flower from nearby. The vibrant, bright yellow flower was wrapped in an instant.
"Isn't it pretty?"
"…."
"It’s the birth flower for January 30th. It’s called a Calendula. Do you know its flower language?"
"No…."
When Ho-jin shook his head, the owner smiled softly, secured the flower to the cake box, and told him its meaning.
Ho-jin quite liked that meaning.
"Thank you."
"Get home safely."
Remembering his parents, who had always emphasized manners, he gave a polite bow and turned away with a slightly full heart.
He was scurrying home when he realized he hadn't paid. He turned back toward the flower shop, but just as he arrived…
"—It’s so pitiful."
He heard the owner talking to an employee.
"Their parents died in a car accident, and now the older brother is raising the younger one all by himself."
"Oh my, really?"
Ho-jin flinched and stopped in his tracks.
"Sigh, but what can you do? No matter how hard the brother tries, it’s just not the same as having parents."
"I’m sure it’s hard."
"Of course. That brother of his is going to have a rough time raising him."
Ho-jin stood there silently, eyes cast down for a moment, before he started walking again with purposeful strides.
"…Oh!"
The adults, startled by the sound of footsteps, looked at him.
"Why are you back? Do you need help with something?"
Ho-jin pulled some crumpled bills from his pocket and set them on the counter.
"I didn't pay."
"…Ah! Right."
The flower shop owner laughed awkwardly. Looking at her, Ho-jin felt a cold chill settle in his chest.
"But you could have just taken it. It was a gift from me—"
"And it’s not that different."
"…Huh?"
Ho-jin held his neck stiff, looked the owner straight in the eye, and spoke clearly.
"Whether my brother raises me or my parents raise me."
He turned on his heel and walked out. They called out something behind him, but Ho-jin blocked it out.
As he crossed the park, he stopped in front of a trash can, plucked the beautifully attached flower from the cake box, and threw it away.
So annoying… seriously.
He felt needlessly cranky and irritated.
Grumbling to himself as he headed home, he spotted Ho-yun’s back in the distance.
"Hyung—!"
He was glad to see him home early and was about to run over when—
"I told you, fuck, don't call me."
Ho-yun was on the phone, sounding furious. Ho-jin instinctively hid behind a wall.
"Do you even have a conscience? Calling a little kid to bring up money?"
"…."
A few days ago, Ho-jin had been forced to face a relative who was smiling brightly. It was the person who had briefly looked after him right after the accident, and honestly, he didn't want to think about that time again.
"Is your brother home?"
Anyway, that person had smiled slyly while mentioning his brother, then suddenly asked if he was eating well lately and if there was anything he wanted to buy.
He had felt that something was fishy.
Ho-yun clicked his tongue and ran a hand through his hair, his voice dropping into a chilling threat.
"Forget it. If you show your face around my brother one more time, I’ll show you what 'fucked up' really means."
Ho-jin crouched down and poked at the cake box. The call continued.
"Am I going to regret this?"
Ho-yun laughed as if he couldn't believe his ears.
"The thing I regret most in my life is leaving Seo Ho-jin with you people for even half a year."
Ho-yun hung up immediately and exhaled sharply. He looked frustrated as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, put it to his lips, and spat out a curse.
"Goddamn bastards."
Today was his birthday; it should have been full of good things.
But the birthday boy himself was standing there with a grim face, puffing away on a cigarette.
Ho-jin peeked out to watch him for a moment, then picked up his box and stood up.
"Hyung!!"
"…Oh."
Ho-yun looked slightly startled and took a step back.
At the same time, he quickly dropped the cigarette—which still had plenty left—onto the ground and crushed it with his foot. He even waved his hand around to clear the air.
"What the? When did you get here?"
"Just now."
Seeing Ho-jin tilt his head with wide, innocent eyes, Ho-yun looked slightly relieved and scratched the back of his neck.
"Seo Ho-jin, did you finish your homework before wandering around?"
"……No."
"Well, aren't you confident?"
Ho-yun grabbed Ho-jin’s cheek and gave it a long tug.
Ho-jin felt the sting of pain along with the stale smell of cigarettes. Ho-yun chuckled as he watched Ho-jin swat his hand away and rub his cheek.
"What’s with the cake?"
"It’s your birthday, Hyung."
"Ah."
He had definitely forgotten. Even though he always made sure to take care of Ho-jin’s birthday.
"Look at you. Where’d you get the money?"
Ho-jin thought about saying he’d saved up his allowance, but decided against it.
He had endured and saved even when his friends were eating tteokbokki and Pika-Chu Pork Cutlets.
He couldn't bring himself to ask for a bigger allowance from his brother, who was working part-time to cover their living expenses without touching a cent of their parents' insurance money.
Even now, the process of buying the cake felt embarrassing and shameful, so he didn't want to talk about it.
Instead, he pushed his brother’s back, urging him toward the house.
"But Hyung. Do you like strawberry cream cake?"
As they got into the elevator and arrived at their door, Ho-jin asked while Ho-yun was opening the keypad. Ho-yun answered without even looking back.
"Not really."
"…."
Ho-jin’s eyebrows drooped at the blunt response. If he had just closed his eyes and taken that money, he could have bought a massive chocolate cake.
Ho-yun, who had seen the whole reaction from above, let out a smirk as he opened the door.
"I’ll start liking it from today."
Ho-jin lifted his eyes to look at his brother’s face and gave a vigorous nod.
Ho-yun placed the cake in the middle of the kitchen table and lit the candles. Ho-jin’s heart fluttered at the sight.
However, no matter how long he waited, Ho-yun made no move to blow them out, instead just staring blankly at him.
"…What?"
"Sing me the birthday song."
"……I don't want to."
"Hurry up. The wax is going to drip."
Ho-jin mumbled and grumbled under his breath, but eventually, under the nuisance's prodding, he began to sing with awkward claps.
"Happy birthday to you~. Happy birthday to you~."
"…."
"Dear… anyway, Hyung~."
"Hey, where’d the 'dear' go?"
"Happy birthday to you~!"
He ignored Ho-yun’s interruption and completed the mission.
Ho-yun chuckled, leaned his face close to the cake, and blew out the candles. Whoosh.
"Did you make a wish?"
"Yeah, but I’m not telling you."
"Who asked?"
Ho-yun roughly ruffled the grumbling Ho-jin’s hair, then brought over plates and forks to cut the most delicious-looking slice for him.
"Thanks. I’ll enjoy it."
And so, Ho-jin received a sincere thank you from his brother. It had been a day full of all sorts of things, but that one sentence made everything feel okay.
He took a small bite of the cake, and the sweetness spread through his mouth.
After a few more bites, he felt like the atmosphere was just right to ask the question he’d been curious about.
"Hyung, by the way."
"Yeah?"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
Like that woman from earlier….
When Ho-jin looked at him with wide eyes, a bit of cream smeared on one cheek, Ho-yun went silent for a moment.
"Whaaat?"
Then he burst out laughing.
"Seo Ho-jin, are you already at the age to be interested in that stuff??"
"…What are you talking about!"
He tried to correct the misunderstanding immediately, but Ho-yun was too busy cackling.
"I said it’s not like that!"
"Ahaha, ah, are you really in puberty? Are you all grown up already?"
"I said it’s not!!"
Even though Ho-jin’s ears were turning bright red with frustration, Ho-yun showed no signs of stopping.
After laughing for a long time, Ho-yun covered his eyes with one hand, still wheezing.
"Pfft, hey, hey. If you find a girl you like, make sure to tell me. Okay?"
"…."
"Ah, I haven't laughed that hard in a while…. My stomach hurts."
Seeing his brother, who was now thoroughly sulking and refusing to even make eye contact, Ho-yun poked a strawberry with his fork and held it to Ho-jin’s mouth.
Ho-jin glared at him but took the bite anyway.
"Is it good?"
"…It’s good."
Ho-yun ruffled Ho-jin’s hair again and stood up to clear the table.
In any case, Ho-jin felt he had given his brother a fairly decent January 30th.
"Hey, go get your homework."
"…."
Though it wasn't quite the same for himself.
.
.
.
That night. Ho-jin had gone to bed early but woke up in the early hours of the morning.
He heard the sound of running water.
Rubbing his half-closed eyes, Ho-jin stepped out of his room to look for his brother, but then—
"…Ah, fuck…."
He stopped.
In the bathroom where light was spilling out, Ho-yun was clutching his arm.
It was the spot where the scar was.
"Shit, it stings so much…."
Watching him, Ho-jin quickly retreated to his room and dove under the covers.
Every now and then, Ho-yun had nightmares. Whenever he did, he would always turn on the water in the bathroom and endure the pain alone.
Ho-jin’s role in this was to pretend to be asleep, knowing nothing.
He knew that was the greatest consideration he could offer.
Idot….
His brother was always like that.
No matter what happened, he either hid it from him or feigned ignorance.
That was why Ho-jin was even more curious.
That’s why I asked if you had a girlfriend earlier.
He had Ho-yun to take care of him, but he wondered if there was anyone to take care of his brother.
Ho-jin squirmed under the blanket.
He tried to fall asleep, but following the sound of the water outside, he thought of the flower he had thrown in the trash.
Hyung.
A round, fully bloomed yellow flower.
To be honest, it didn't really suit Seo Ho-yun.
Hyung, do you know the flower language of your birth flower?
Ho-jin prayed that the day Ho-yun was born and the meaning of that flower were not a coincidence.