Chapter 15

“Your hyung is here?” Taeju asked.

Rian nodded vaguely, murmuring, “Huh? Yeah.”

Startled by Kim Taeju’s abrupt proximity, Rian tried to pull away, but Taeju exerted his strength instead, pulling Rian’s shoulder tight against his side. It was far more intimate than a casual arm around the shoulder—Taeju was practically embracing him, leaving Rian deeply unnerved. And right then, Rian saw Yu-gyeom stepping out of the car.

Stepping out from the driver’s side, Yu-gyeom strode directly toward Rian without the slightest hesitation. Usually he waited outside the main gate or remained in the car; it was rare for him to walk all the way onto campus like this.

Rian’s eyes were fixed on Yu-gyeom, yet every nerve in his body was painfully focused on Kim Taeju’s arm. It was unsettling and uncomfortable. And as Yu-gyeom drew closer, Rian could tell that the man’s eyes were locked dead onto Rian and the arm clutching his shoulder. More precisely, both Kwon Rian and Kim Taeju recognized that heavy intensity in Yu-gyeom’s stare.

Yoon-seok stiffened, whispering under his breath, “Huh? Your hyung is walking this way.”

“Holy shit, he looks more like a celebrity in person than in the photo,” Su-hyun marveled.

Yoon-seok had whispered in an awed undertone, and Su-hyun nodded in fervent agreement.

Distress was plainly written across Rian’s face. Not only had he and Yu-gyeom talked about these classmates in the car this morning, but Kim Taeju’s intimate cling was deeply alarming. Just as Rian mustered his strength to forcibly shove Taeju’s arm off, Yu-gyeom arrived before them, halting merely a few paces away.

To make matters worse, Yoon-seok and Su-hyun hurriedly stepped forward to greet Yu-gyeom. Rian was dragged along, practically half-tucked into Kim Taeju’s embrace.

A split second before they came to a halt in front of Yu-gyeom, Kim Taeju leaned his head down close to Rian’s ear.

“You two don’t look a bit alike,” Taeju whispered in a tone meant only for Rian.

Taeju let out a low snicker. Watching him, a pang of acute regret washed over Rian—perhaps he should have just told them that Yu-gyeom wasn’t his biological brother after all.

Approaching them, Yu-gyeom called softly, “Rian?”

Yu-gyeom called out to Rian first. As he approached, his gaze fixed overtly and tenaciously on Rian and Kim Taeju. Yet Yu-gyeom soon tore his eyes away, offering Rian’s other friends a gentle smile.

“Who do we have here? You must be Rian’s friends,” Yu-gyeom remarked pleasantly.

The intimidating aura radiating from Yu-gyeom’s towering frame—standing nearly one hundred and ninety centimeters tall—was overwhelming enough to subdue anyone, yet his fair, unblemished skin and impeccably neat features gave off a pristine impression. The students found themselves utterly unable to tear their eyes away from him.

It was not just Rian’s friends; other students passing by stole sideways glances at Yu-gyeom, whispering among themselves about whether he was a celebrity or an influencer. Yet Yu-gyeom acted naturally without paying them the slightest heed, as if long accustomed to such attention. Standing out conspicuously even in a dense crowd, he carried an enigmatic presence that effortlessly commanded the eye.

Rian hastily shook off Taeju’s arm draped over his shoulder. The gesture was rather blunt, but with everyone else fixated solely on Yu-gyeom, only Yu-gyeom, who had been watching Taeju intently, noticed the scowl of displeasure creasing the other boy’s brow.

“Yeah, hyung. Th-they’re my friends,” Rian stammered.

Never having expected his friends and Yu-gyeom to cross paths like this, a flustered Rian introduced them.

“Hello, hyung-nim!” Yoon-seok greeted him boisterously.

“Good afternoon, sir!” Su-hyun chimed in with equal vigor.

While Yoon-seok and Su-hyun offered boisterous greetings, Kim Taeju merely gave a curt nod. Yu-gyeom did not seem particularly bothered by the slight.

“Our Rian mentioned his friends before, so I was curious,” Yu-gyeom offered with an easy smile. “It’s nice to meet you all.”

“Ah! Please, you can speak casually with us!” Yoon-seok blurted out quickly.

“Haha,” Yu-gyeom replied with a light chuckle, “I’ll drop the honorifics in due time.”

“Thank you! But wow, hyung-nim, you’re seriously handso—” Yoon-seok began in admiration.

“Rian?” Yu-gyeom called out.

The one who severed Yoon-seok’s excited chattering clean in two was none other than Yu-gyeom. Keeping the very same gentle expression he had displayed only seconds earlier, Yu-gyeom utterly disregarded Yoon-seok’s words, turning his gaze exclusively upon Rian.

Did Yu-gyeom not hear him? Yoon-seok was clearly speaking. As Rian, Su-hyun, and Yoon-seok stood baffled and hesitant, Yu-gyeom broke the silence once again.

“Rian? Should we get going now?” Yu-gyeom asked, his tone serene.

Rian looked back and forth between Yu-gyeom and Yoon-seok. Looking embarrassed, Yoon-seok kept his mouth clamped shut in an awkward smile. He had clearly realized that he was being snubbed.

“Uh…” Rian faltered, wavering on his feet.

“We were just about to go hang out together,” Taeju cut in flatly.

The moment Rian hesitated and took a step toward Yu-gyeom, Taeju slung an arm over Rian’s shoulder once again, flashing a provocative smile at Yu-gyeom.

Because Taeju had yanked Rian back so abruptly, the other friends stared at Taeju in surprise. Yu-gyeom’s pupils dilated conspicuously before shrinking back. With his eyes locked onto Taeju’s arm, Yu-gyeom let the corners of his lips curl into a smile.

“Is that so, Rian?” Yu-gyeom murmured softly.

Yu-gyeom’s question was directed straight at Rian.

Taeju challenged boldly, “Isn’t that right, Kwon Rian?”

Yet the voice that answered was, astoundingly enough, Kim Taeju’s.

Sensing that the mood had taken an unsettling turn, even Yoon-seok and Su-hyun began to feel distinctly uneasy.

“I had plans with my hyung today,” Rian said.

When the air began to fracture with tension, Rian was fortunately the one who bridged the fissure. He turned to his friends with an apologetic expression.

“Let’s hang out another time,” Rian said apologetically. “I made plans with my hyung first today.”

Yu-gyeom stepped in to back him up. Grabbing Rian’s wrist, Yu-gyeom pulled him closeself, causing Kim Taeju’s arm to fall away limply.

“That’s right, he had plans with me today. It’s quite a shame. Next time, I’ll treat Rian’s friends to a splendid meal,” Yu-gyeom offered pleasantly.

Yu-gyeom, who had seemed strangely cynical a moment ago, offered an unexpected proposition. Rian looked up at him, and the other friends exchanged glances. Then Yoon-seok, genial by nature, smiled amiably and broke the awkward silence.

“We’d be more than grateful for that!” Yoon-seok answered eagerly.

“Then settle on a time with Rian later and let me know,” Yu-gyeom said.

Yoon-seok nodded quickly. “Ah, yes, absolutely! We’ll do that.”

“Rian, should we get going now? I’ve already reserved a restaurant,” Yu-gyeom said, turning to him.

With those words, Yu-gyeom’s large hand wrapped around Rian’s waist. Though done with utter nonchalance, it was an intimate touch no ordinary older brother would ever show a younger boy, striking an unmistakable chord of dissonance.

Just like that, Yu-gyeom ushered Rian into the passenger seat and climbed behind the wheel, thoroughly ignoring the friends bowing deeply in farewell.

The car soon started up and drove off without lingering. Watching the vehicle disappear, Yoon-seok turned to Su-hyun with a dazed expression.

Yoon-seok rubbed the back of his neck with a grimace. “Isn’t that guy a little weird?”

“…He’s strange, all right. Truly bizarre,” Su-hyun agreed.

“He seems polite,” Yoon-seok remarked, “but at the same time, not at all.”

“I think he was just straight-up looking down on us,” Su-hyun noted.

Yoon-seok looked around the table. “Right? I’m not the only one who felt that, am I?”

Su-hyun shuddered in agreement. “Yeah. The vibe was chillier than shit.”

“After he put Rian in the car, he completely blew off our goodbye, didn’t he?” Yoon-seok pressed.

“Yeah, he totally did,” Su-hyun confirmed.

Ah, so we really were snubbed. Yoon-seok gave a bitter nod.

“Kim Taeju, what do you think?” Yoon-seok asked.

Taeju had merely watched them with a cynical scowl the entire time. At Yoon-seok’s question, Taeju scratched the back of his head and turned away. He scoffed, his tone flat and disdainful. “Not a fan.”

“…Not a fan? Meaning what, exactly?” Yoon-seok probed.

“Just everything about him,” Taeju muttered.

Taeju strode away with long steps. Yoon-seok and Su-hyun hurried after him, pestering him to explain, but Taeju gave no answer.