The meeting came to an end when Jae-hoon fell asleep. I was proud that I did my part because I interfered with the conversation between Jang Won-jo and Seo-yu hyung.?

    ?

    The afternoon sunlight pouring through the car window on the way to Seo-yu’s residence was comforting. Seo-yu hyung patted Jae-hoon, who was asleep while singing a lullaby in a low voice.?

    ?

    A warm breeze blew when I lowered the window. This was what a great afternoon might feel like. It was a moment when I enjoyed the relaxation.?

    ?

    “It would be nice to have a sibling.”?

    ?

    I almost hit the brake for a moment at Seo-yu hyung’s muttering.?

    ?

    All of a sudden? As expected, I couldn’t let my guard down.?

    ?

    “What are you talking about? What do you mean sibling?”?

    ?

    “Jae-hoon also needs a younger sibling. He’d be lonely if he were alone. It’d be lovely to have younger siblings, whether it’s a younger sister or a younger brother.”?

    ?

    His voice was gentle and quiet, much as when he put Jae-hoon to sleep. He had a relaxed face as if he was alone in a white field full of spring sunshine, but I felt cold as if I had fallen in the North Pole.?

    ?

    ‘When Seoyu talks about the second child, oppose it.’?

    ?

    My older brother made a definite statement to Mom, Dad, and myself. He hasn’t given up on the second one yet, so oppose it if he brings it up.?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung was a person who barely crossed the crisis of death when gave birth to Jae-hoon. Seo-yu hyung, who was lying down with a relaxed face, looked like someone who would never open his eyes again.?

    ?

    “Sung-hyun-ah, it’s good that you have an older brother, right? Don’t you think being the only child would have been lonely?”?

    ?

    “No, not at all. These days, it’s hard to have one and raise it well.”?

    ?

    To be honest, who wouldn’t want to see the daughter Seo-yu hyung gave birth to? However, if I sympathize, he may tell his spouse that my argument encouraged him. A second child was never allowed.?

    ?

    “You feel like you’re losing your parents’ affection when you have a younger sibling, then you become jealous. Even if you love them equally, it’s difficult to make them feel the same way.”?

    ?

    “When I was younger, I just felt fair.”?

    ?

    “Hyung and I don’t feel it because we are the younger brothers, and our older brothers may have been jealous.”?

    ?

    “Is that so…”?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung, who was in distress, stopped talking. Only the occasional sound of Jae-hoon’s breathing could be heard in the car, as he slept quietly.?

    ?

    I thought maybe I made a mistake. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought up Seo-yu hyung’s older brother.?

    ?

    I’ve never experienced pain like Seo-yu hyung’s. So I wasn’t sure how much thought was required or how cautious I needed to be.?

    ?

    When I looked in the room mirror and saw Seo-yu hyung, I was taken aback. He was gently sweeping his eyes with his hands!?

    ?

    Kiik-?

    ?

    I hurriedly pulled over to the side of the road.?

    ?

    “Huh? Why did you stop…”?

    ?

    “Hyung, are you crying?”?

    ?

    “What?”?

    ?

    “Don’t cry. I’m sorry for bringing up your older brother. Why are you crying over such little matters?”?

    ?

    “What are you talking about? I didn’t cry!”?

    ?

    “You just wiped your tears. I saw it all!”?

    ?

    “That’s a yawn, don’t shout! Jae-hoon is going to wake up!”?

    ?

    After tossing and turning, Jae-hoon woke up as soon as Seo-yu hyung shouted.?

    ?

    “Waa, Daddy cried…?”?

    ?

    “I didn’t cry!”?

    ?

    “Yu Dad, you cry every day. Dad, I’ll pat you on the back.”?

    ?

    “I didn’t cry!”?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung’s voice quiver at the end. I guess he just wants to cry some more. I couldn’t stop staring back and being restless. I was at a loss for what to do. Tissue, I need a tissue.?

    ?

    Vibrate-?

    ?

    Then I got a video call from my mother. I received it quickly.?

    ?

    “Mom!”?

    ?

    – Can you talk on the phone? Are you not driving??

    ?

    “I stopped for a moment. Seo-yu hyung is crying again.”?

    ?

    “I didn’t cry! I didn’t cry!”?

    ?

    – Oh no, what happened??

    ?

    – Why? What did he say??

    ?

    – Well, Seo-yu cried again.?

    ?

    – Oh, he’s so soft-hearted and cries a lot…?

    ?

    “I didn’t cry. I yawned. I don’t cry at all!?

    ?

    – Please comfort him well. We’ll call you back later.?

    ?

    “Yes, Mom.”?

    ?

    “Don’t ever tell Choi Sung-hoon!”?

    ?

    The phone hung up on Seo-yu hyung even before he mentioned ‘Choi Seong-hoon-‘. Meanwhile, I came upon a handkerchief and gave it to Seo-yu hyung. Seo-yu hyung’s face flushed and he just stared at me, but Jae-hoon grabbed the handkerchief and wiped his father’s face. Seo-yu hyung then hugged Jaehoon.?

    ?

    “Jae-hoon-ah… ”?

    ?

    “Oh, Dad. Don’t cry.”?

    ?

    “I didn’t cry…” ?

    ?

    “Yes, don’t cry.”?

    ?

    I was glad they had a good relationship. I started the car again, hoping that Jae-hoon would calm Seo-yu hyung’s heart.?

    ?

    Sung-hoon hyung must be flying by now. After hearing that Seo-yu hyung was crying, he… Ugh, it’s terrifying. I need to get Seo-yu hyung home as soon as possible, and then I need to escape to a safe place.?

    ?

    * * *?

    ?

    The lights were turned off at Seo-yu hyung’s house. The house where all the babysitters and housekeepers were on vacation seemed too spacious for Seo-yu hyung and Jae-hoon to be alone. Of course, there were guards guarding the front door 24 hours a day, but there was no one inside the house.?

    ?

    That’s why I didn’t say no to Seo-yu hyung’s offer of a can of beer. I put Jae-hoon to sleep and sat in the living room while Seo-yu hyung was preparing snacks.?

    ?

    A wedding picture was hanging larger than the TV next to the already large, dimly illuminated wall-mounted TV. Seo-yu hyung smiling happily while looking at the camera, while Sung-hoon hyung smile at Seo-yu hyung.?

    ?

    There was also a picture of Jae-hoon next to him, a picture of three family members together with Jae-hoon, a picture taken last year with my mom, dad, and me, as well as a picture of Seo-yu hyung’s elementary school graduation and Seo-yu hyung’s family picture, were displayed side by side.?

    ?

    A picture of my older brother when he was little will now be added next to this. When Sung-hoon hyung sees a photo of himself as a child, he would frown openly but does not take it down. Because Seo-yu hyung liked it.?

    ?

    I looked at Seo-yu hyung’s family photo. A little chubby mother, a father who wears glasses, Seo Yeon, who has a neat appearance, and Seo-yu hyung, a third-year middle school student who looks like a baby.?

    ?

    The four of them had a noticeable resemblance. Among them, Seo-yu hyung was so pretty and small that tears welled up in my eyes the first time I saw this picture.?

    ?

    How difficult it must have been to leave such a lovely and small youngest child behind. He was still quite small. He was too young to be alone.?

    ?

    On the anniversary of Seo-yu hyung’s parents, my mother and father always pay a visit to the memorial to greet them. Please continue to keep an eye on your adorable youngest son, who has now become our great second son. I went with them the first time and haven’t gone since. I felt so weird.?

    ?

    My parents would also pass away at some point.?

    ?

    There were times when I feel like trash when I see them who only exist in Seo-yu hyung’s family photos that were not in the world now.?

    ?

    I sat on the sofa and turned on the TV for no reason and put on a calm look.?

    ?

    “Here, it’s done.”?

    ?

    Just then, Seo-yu hyung came with a tray. I thought he didn’t cook at home, but he has been making a variety of side dishes right away. From grilled chicken wings to squid ink butter to corn salad.?

    ?

    “That’s awesome. I eat all the snacks. How do you do this?”?

    ?

    “It’s very simple.”?

    ?

    “Hyung, you’ve cooked a lot. Who did you learn from?”?

    ?

    “I watched on TV and browsed the Internet. And everyone can do this.”?

    ?

    I imagined a young Seo-yu hyung, who has not yet lost his baby fat, searching the internet to make foods by himself, making various side dishes, and boiling stew. Perhaps he prepared more side dishes. Seo-yu hyung might always eat and drink alone as well.?

    ?

    “Sung-hoon ssi, probably still on the plane, right? After all, I have to make dinner today. When Sung-hoon first came to my old house, the only thing I had was ramen, so I could only give him that.”?

    ?

    “I want to eat too.”?

    ?

    “Then stay for the meal.”?

    ?

    “I can’t…”?

    ?

    My older brother hasn’t seen Seo-yu hyung in two days, so his patience must have fallen to the lowest level, but if I stay here, he may not leave me alone.?

    ?

    I ate the appetizers prepared by Seo-yu hyung one by one while drinking a cool can of beer, and the slightly sweet ones were really good.?

    ?

    “Awesome. I wasn’t expecting this, but it’s so delicious.”?

    ?

    “Why don’t you expect it?”?

    ?

    “Do you know how to cook things like soup? Something like seafood soup.”?

    ?

    “The soup is for soju.”?

    ?

    “You just don’t know how to do it.”?

    ?

    “Even if I looked for it on the Internet, I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own. Unless someone teaches me.”?

    ?

    That’s what I thought. Seo-yu hyung was unlikely to have had anyone teach him how to cook.?

    ?

    I held out my beer can to Seo-yu hyung. Seo-yu hyung smiled brightly and tapped my beer can. The first beer can was quickly empty, and the second beer was served. I kept checking the time as I drank and ate. It was time for Sung-hoon hyung to be still on the flight.?

    ?

    “What are you going to cook for my older brother?”?

    ?

    “Well, I’m going to make some meat side dishes.”?

    ?

    “Do you have any ingredients at home?”?

    ?

    “There are six refrigerators. Everything must be there.”?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung drank a bottle of beer after becoming arrogant. Seo-yu hyung told me not to drink too much alcohol with a somewhat reddish face.?

    ?

    “Why? I’m going to call the driver anyway.”?

    ?

    “Don’t drink too much. I looked on the internet and they said there was a food alley right next to your university. College students who drank a lot there got their wallets stolen when they were stretched out on the roadside.”?

    ?

    I knew, I knew it. I didn’t drink in places like that.?

    ?

    “And it’s rumored that when you live alone near the school, people just use it as their hideout. Be careful.”?

    ?

    My house had already turned into a hideout. There would still be a dozen or so people there right now.?

    ?

    “If you’re dating someone on campus, the rumor will spread out. So, date in moderation.”?

    ?

    Rumors were spreading at the constituency level.?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung should have realized I was in my fourth year. I said it just in case.?

    ?

    “Hyung, I will graduate next semester.”?

    ?

    “That’s right.  It’s difficult to find work these days, so don’t get too worked up about it.”?

    ?

    I stared at Seo-yu hyung’s reddish face.?

    ?

    Being so drunk on a can and a bottle of beer.?

    ?

    I couldn’t believe it.?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung always wanted to be my older brother.?

    ?

    “It was an exam period not long ago. Did you get your report card?”?

    ?

    “Report card?”?

    ?

    “I was very good at fixing it. When I was in middle school, my friends were almost beaten up because of their grades, but I saved them.”?

    ?

    “…Hyung, you were a skilled person. You didn’t get caught?”?

    ?

    “Nope. If you think you’re going to be beaten, call me.”?

    ?

    “Okay. Hyung, eat some snacks while you drink.”?

    ?

    I gave Seo-yu hyung a squid leg and was shocked when he took it with his mouth rather than his hand. I almost leaped out of my seat when I saw the red lips slightly open.?

    ?

    “It’s delicious. Who grilled it?”?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung mumbled and smiled mischievously.?

    ?

    Wow, fuck it. That wasn’t good for my heart.?

    ?

    I opened my third beer and drank it. After drinking it in, I put it down, and Seo-yu hyung held out a squid leg to me as if he was waiting. I cautiously took it in two fingers and chewed it.?

    ?

    “Anyway, don’t worry about my grades. For 4th graders, my grade is enough.”?

    ?

    “That’s a relief. Your parents will like it. Go home more often. So that your parents don’t get upset.”?

    ?

    Laughter erupted as a result of the stream of emotions.?

    ?

    “Don’t worry. I’m very nice to my mom and dad. I haven’t met anyone among my friends who is more filial than myself.”?

    ?

    “Really?”?

    ?

    “Yeah, I’m on the side of growing up early. My older brother has been away since I was little, and my mom and dad were always busy, so I grew up alone.”?

    ?

    “Really?”?

    ?

    “Besides, I wasn’t too bad at the time, so I was a decent student who had nice manners when I was a child. I’ve been maturing for some time now. As a result, I sometimes wonder when my friends will grow up when I see them.”?

    ?

    “I see.”?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung stared at me with the eyes when he saw Jae-hoon do cute things. Like I said seeing something cute. His eyes were red and watery. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I changed the topic.?

    ?

    “Seo-yu hyung, are you crying again? I think you’re crying.”?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung closed his mouth and stared at me as soon as I finished speaking.?

    ?

    “No, I’m not. I try not to cry. Stop talking about that. You made my image weird.”?

    ?

    “I’ve met a lot of Omegas, but I’ve never met one who is as tearful and soft as you.”?

    ?

    “I’m not going to cry. Hey, honestly, when did I ever cry?”?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung raised his voice as if he was embarrassed. I remember exactly when Seo-yu hyung cried.?

    ?

    “Hyung, you cried when you first came to our house.”?

    ?

    “That… I admit it, is there any other time besides that?”?

    ?

    “At that time, before you got married, you were hospitalized and cried when you were discharged.”?

    ?

    “It’s because of the lint…!”?

    ?

    “You cried again when you woke up after we went to the sea and Hyung almost died.”?

    ?

    “That…”?

    ?

    “And you cried on the way here today.”?

    ?

    “I’m seriously yawning today. Sung-hyung-ah, I swear to you.”?

    ?

    …I think the pronunciation sounded strange at the time, but his tongue was most likely twisted.?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung drank a can of beer because he was ashamed of crying too often. I missed the timing to stop him.?

    ?

    He wiped his lips and looked at me with misty eyes.?

    ?

    “Hey, but to be honest, you cry a lot as well. At my wedding, you cried a lot. I thought there was a flood. Honestly, you were kind of embarrassed, right??

    ?

    “That’s it. I cried then. Of course, I would cry. My older brother has a new family…  I also thought that Seo-yu hyung, who had gone through a difficult time was now happy, and tears came out naturally. I’m not embarrassed at all.”?

    ?

    “…”?

    ?

    “My dad cried more than me.”?

    ?

    At the wedding and gatherings of all kinds of political and financial figures, my dad cried profusely. I  was afraid he’d embarrass himself. Of course, it was not embarrassing that I cried.?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung couldn’t make fun of me any longer when I mentioned my dad, so he just rummaged through the chicken wings.?

    ?

    “Be nice to Mom and Dad. Go home often so that they don’t feel sad.”?

    ?

    “…”?

    ?

    You were definitely drunk.?

    ?

    This wasn’t even soju, it was just beer. A sense of crisis came later. Wasn’t Sung-hoon hyung going to kill me at this point…??

    ?

    “Hyung, stop drinking. I think you’re very drunk right now.”?

    ?

    “I’m going to eat this and get drunk. I’m not a kid.”?

    ?

    “No matter how you look at it, you seem like you’re already drunk. Just eat a lot of snacks.”?

    ?

    “I’m full since I’ve been eating too much since this morning.”?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung placed his cheeks on the table and played with the chicken wings with chopsticks.?

    ?

    “I should probably go to the cooking class. I heard a lot of people going these days. I should also learn to cook.”?

    ?

    ”…”?

    ?

    I didn’t know that I’d heard about learning something from Seo-yu hyung.?

    ?

    I kept contemplating whether to talk about this or not, but I have to say it since he mentioned it.?

    ?

    “Hyung, don’t you want to study other than cooking?”?

    ?

    “What kind of study?”?

    ?

    “It’s just studying at school. Getting a diploma… Don’t you want to go to university?”?

    ?

    “I’m so stupid that it’s no use trying. And what kind of university would accept me at this age?”?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung laughed as if he heard something meaningless. He hadn’t even thought about it at all.?

    ?

    No. Why did you think so??

    ?

    You might be able to do it well.?

    ?

    Age didn’t matter.?

    ?

    I mean, we have classmates in their 40s at our school.?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung’s phone, which he had placed on the table, rang while I was pondering which words to spit out of the thoughts rushing through my mind.?

    ?

    [Sung-hoon?]?

    ?

    I was completely taken aback when I saw the name. It was almost time to land. It was even a video call.?

    ?

    My older brother made a video call…?

    ?

    At this rate, he’d be sending emoticons as well.?

    ?

    “Ugh, I guess he is already in Korea.”?

    ?

    With his arms outstretched, Seo-yu hyung immediately picked up his phone and smiled warmly at the person who appeared on the screen.?

    ?

    “Choi Sung-hong ssi, are you in Korea?”?

    ?

    – …Have you been drinking??

    ?

    “Yes, I’m drinking beer at home with Sung-hyun.”?

    ?

    – At this hour? It’s too early. The sun hasn’t set yet.?

    ?

    “I’m going to stop drinking now. It’s nice to see Sung-hyong’s face after a long time. I think I lost some weight.”?

    ?

    What do you mean after a long time. It had been barely two days.?

    ?

    – Seo-yu ssi… You’ve become more beautiful.?

    ?

    His voice was dripping with honey. Obviously, he’d have a gentle and loving expression.?

    ?

    “I really want to see your face. When are you going to arrive?”?

    ?

    – It takes about 30 minutes. Jae-hoon must be asleep.?

    ?

    “He was dozing off because he was full. Hold on. I’ll show you right away.”?

    ?

    I lightly stopped Seo-yu hyung as he was ready to stand up. Don’t wake him up if he’s sleeping.?

    ?

    – I’ll be right there. Please put Sung-hyun on the phone.?

    ?

    “Okay!”?

    ?

    There was no face on the screen when Seo-yu hyung, who replied brightly, handed me the phone. My brother switched to voice call mode.?

    ?

    “Hyu… hyung.”?

    ?

    – How much did you drink??

    ?

    His voice was scary as he spoke. I counted how many bottles and cans there were on the table. I drank most of them.?

    ?

    “Hyung, about two cans and a half-bottle…”?

    ?

    – He cried today??

    ?

    It wasn’t a given word, but I quickly understood it.?

    ?

    “On our way home earlier.”?

    ?

    I grabbed my phone and slowly got up. Seo-yu hyung didn’t care as he cleared the seat with a bright face.?

    ?

    “Seo-yu hyung said it would be good for Jae-hoon to have a younger brother, so I just objected. When the first child has a younger sibling, the first child will be jealous. We might not have realized it because we were the younger brothers. Then I brought up his older brother…”?

    ?

    – …?

    ?

    “I meant to make him give up the second child…”?

    ?

    A low sigh was heard.?

    ?

    My brother didn’t say much to me. He just sighed and hung up the phone after telling me to stop drinking and go home.?

    ?

    “Seo-yu hyung, I’m leaving. I had a nice time today.”?

    ?

    “We merely got together after a time, stay a little longer.”?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung, who had just finished cleaning, had a sad expression on his face. It was unfortunate, but I had no choice but to leave now because I only have one life.?

    ?

    “I have to do my graduation assignment. I won’t have time to do it next semester, so I’ll do it now.”?

    ?

    “Ah, the assignment… Is it very difficult?”?

    ?

    “I don’t know. I’m so annoyed. I don’t even know what the letters are, so I Gestaltfall.”?

    ?

    “Huh, what kind of fall is it? Is it an accident-related topic?”?

    ?

    “No, no, no. It’s just a term. It’s too difficult.”?

    ?

    “It’s a phrase you use when you feel dizzy because it’s too difficult.”?

    ?

    “Is that so…”?

    ?

    I resisted wanting to stroke Seo-yu hyung’s hair.?

    ?

    “Tell Jae-hoon to listen to his father and be healthy.”?

    ?

    “Yeah, he’ll be sad when he wakes up and see his brother is not here.”?

    ?

    I really hope so. I called driver Oh while taking care of the car key. The driver who was already nearby answered the phone quickly.?

    ?

    “Ah!” said Seo-yu hyung as he unlocked the front door and put on his shoes to walk to the yard. He rushed into the house after that. I was concerned that he would fall because he was drunk. Soon after, Seo-yu hyung reappeared, holding something in his hand.?

    ?

    “I forgot about this and didn’t take it yesterday, so I couldn’t give it to you.”?

    ?

    “What’s this… Whistle?”?

    ?

    “Yeah, it’s dangerous at night, so take it with you.”?

    ?

    “…”?

    ?

    I was 193 cm tall and was an expert in a variety of sports and self-defense skills. I took it very bluntly.?

    ?

    “I’ll use it well. Thank you. When did you buy this?”?

    ?

    “I bought it a while ago while drinking. There’s nothing wrong with having it, so I bought it when I was buying it for your elder brother as well.”?

    ?

    “You got one for my older brother… What… What did he say?”?

    ?

    “He just said thank you. He hangs it on his cell phone. Do you want to as well? You can hang it on the case.”?

    ?

    A man who was 196 cm tall, weighs over 100 kg and has a muscular body… Even the world’s extremely dominant Alpha, who could do any martial art and was stronger than his bodyguards, was given a whistle since the road was dangerous at night.?

    ?

    I was sure the only person who cared about my older brother’s nightlife was Seo-yu hyung. From when he was a child the size of Jae-hoon until now, Seo-yu hyung would be the only one.?

    ?

    That was why I was going to die.?

    ?

    This was why my older brother was crazy over him.?

    ?

    “What’s the matter? Are you getting drunk?”?

    ?

    Seo-yu hyung was concerned when I laughed out loud. I told him it was nothing and thanked him again while raising the whistle to my eyes. It was a bright yellow color. Seo-yu hyung proudly said that it was a fluorescent material that was visible even at night.?

    ?

    All right.?

    ?

    I pondered how could people not adore him if his nature that popped out of his mind after drinking alcohol was a concern for his loved one.?

    ?

    It was such an understandable loveliness.