Chapter 19

Yi-jeong flashed an OK sign, laughed, and pointed at Mugyeol and Hangyeol. “Why do you two fight every single time you meet? When you look so alike, too.”

“Yi-jeong-ah. You’ve been speaking way too harshly since earlier…”

Ignoring Yeon Hangyeol’s timid mumbling, Mugyeol leaned his head close to Yi-seon and whispered in dead earnest, “Does your esteemed brother have an issue with his eyeballs, by any chance?”

“…”

Yi-seon silently continued eating his salad.

No matter how he thought about it, Mugyeol and Yeon Hangyeol looked far too alike. Of course Mugyeol was slightly taller and noticeably more handsome, but no one could deny that their features were remarkably similar.

Yeon Seonggyeol, the fraternal twin of Yeon Hangyeol, took after their mother instead. Perhaps that was why Yeon Hangyeol and Mugyeol looked more like twins than Yeon Hangyeol and Yeon Seonggyeol did.

Their blunt, hot-tempered personalities were similar too. Watching the half brothers, Yi-seon nodded to himself. Maybe they fought so much precisely because they resembled each other more than anyone else.

After dinner, everyone split up. Yi-jeong and Hangyeol headed for the pool, while Yi-seon’s parents went to take in the night view. As Yi-seon and Mugyeol walked along a garden path, Mugyeol pointed toward the pool in the distance. “Wanna go for a swim too?”

“…Nah. I’m a bit tired.”

“Then let’s go watch the sunset. Heard there’s a great viewpoint back there.”

“…Sure.”

Not wanting to reject a second suggestion, Yi-seon followed him. At dinner he had deliberately sat with his back to the window and managed fine, but out here pools and ocean filled every direction he looked, and unease began prickling under his skin.

Determined not to let his anxiety show, he began babbling about whatever came to mind.

“Hey. If we see a supermarket or shopping center later, should we stop in? Heard the pineapple gummies are really good. If they have cup noodles, I should buy a few, too. You never know when you’ll crave them in the middle of the night. Come to think of it, they say they sell these Tanning Cat plushies here. Tanning Cats. I’m planning to buy some plushies and keychains as souvenirs. When I searched photos online, there were tons of varieties. And also…”

After chattering for a while, Yi-seon abruptly shut his mouth. He had only just realized he had been doing all the talking. Yet Mugyeol had listened to every word without complaint.

Yeah, let’s go. Gummies sound tasty. Ramyeon is great. Tanning Cat? Sounds unique.

Even his offhand responses were gentle, though none of the topics sounded like anything Mugyeol would normally care about.

…Is this guy actually the super sweet type deep down?

Yi-seon studied Mugyeol curiously, feeling as though he had glimpsed another side of him. Mugyeol, who had been nodding along and answering from time to time, eventually noticed the stare and looked back. “What? …Wait a second. You.”

Then his face crumpled as though he had been struck by a revelation. He whipped out his phone and dialed someone at once.

“Yeah, noona. It’s me. Can you talk?”

Without warning, Mugyeol launched into a call with Ham Su-ah. Shifting his weight onto one leg, he looked Yi-seon up and down and fired off questions in an agitated voice.

“Noona. Did you happen to tell Ryu Yi-seon about those cat dolls? It’s you, right? Obviously. There’s no way that bastard would know anything about Tanning Cats on his own. Did he say he’d buy it for you? Why ask that bastard? Ask me instead. I’ll buy it for you.”

Mugyeol glared at Yi-seon throughout the call. Every trace of his earlier gentleness had vanished, replaced by familiar spite.

“I’ve got more money than him, and I’ve known you longer, so you should’ve asked me. What? You didn’t know I was coming to Guam? Right. So if you’d known, you would’ve asked me instead, right? Anyway, next time don’t ask that bastard. Ask me. Got it?”

Is this a threat or what…

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Yi-seon had not heard Su-ah’s side of the call, but the gist was obvious.

After hanging up, Mugyeol opened a map on his phone. Yi-seon squatted beside him and watched a line of ants cross the pavement. Don’t get upset. Don’t be petty. He was muttering the mantra under his breath when Mugyeol suddenly caught the back of his collar and hauled him upright.

“Let’s go.”

“Where?”

Mugyeol dragged him along with an arm hooked around his shoulders, leaving Yi-seon to hop on one foot while he shoved his heel back into a slipping flip-flop.

A moment later, they arrived at a souvenir shop. Directly opposite the entrance was an array of Tanning Cat plushies. Without even comparing the designs, Mugyeol swept one of every variation into his arms. The solemn intensity with which he hoarded them was almost comical.

“Ryu Yi-seon. Don’t even dream of buying a present for noona.”

Wow, look at this bastard’s eyes…

Shaking his head, Yi-seon browsed the plushies beside him. They were almost too cute for his taste, but he wanted something to commemorate his first overseas trip with Mugyeol.

The really dainty ones are a bit much, so maybe the cat with the guitar? Hanging it from my bag might be embarrassing, but I could put it in my room. In the middle of this serious deliberation, Mugyeol’s hand darted in and snatched the plushie away.

“Why are you fiddling with this?”

His glare was downright venomous. To preserve the friendship he had worked so hard to restore, Yi-seon decided to placate the puffed-up, venom-spitting pufferfish.

“It’s not for noona. You said you’re buying hers.”

“Then why?”

“Because I want one. A souvenir from the trip.”

Deeming that acceptable, Mugyeol handed the plushie back. Thus Yi-seon received royal permission to buy the guitar cat and the surfboard cat. It was absurd to need anyone’s blessing to buy stuffed animals, but considering how hard he had worked to win this friendship back—even hauling Mugyeol around on the back of his bicycle—he supposed he had brought this on himself.

“Hey.”

Hovering at Yi-seon’s side, Mugyeol answered, “Yeah?”

“Are you going to hang that doll on your bag when we get back to Korea?”

“Not sure. It is pretty pink.”

“Don’t.”

“Why?”

“If you and noona both hang one, it’ll look like matching couple stuff.”

“Would people even pay that much attention?”

You’re the only one who cares.

Yi-seon tilted his head. Irritated by something, Yeon Mugyeol’s face twisted in displeasure.

“I seriously hate matching couple stuff. It’s an eyesore.”

“Why?”

“It’s tacky as hell. Couple shoes, couple tees, couple rings. The absolute worst. Like they’re desperate to show off. Are they really that insecure?”

“Do you really need to take it that far?”

“Even if I end up dating someone, I’m never doing it. Ever.”

“Suit yourself.”

Yi-seon didn’t think couple items were tacky. If anything, he thought they could be sweet. Still, he tried to picture Mugyeol in a matching couple shirt, or wearing a matching ring… The image was so jarringly unlike him that perhaps Mugyeol really was better off avoiding the whole idea.

By the time Yi-seon emerged with his two plushies and Mugyeol with an armload of plushies, ramyeon, gummies, and snacks, darkness had fallen. The sunset was long gone.

“What now? The sun went down while you were throwing your fit.”

“Ah, fuck…”

The misery on Mugyeol’s face made Yi-seon burst out laughing. Until the call with Su-ah, he had been the sweetest, most attentive friend imaginable, which made this sudden reversal all the funnier.

What the hell is wrong with Yeon Mugyeol?

His brain?

Why does he go off the rails like an eighth-grader in the throes of teenage angst?

It was like watching a forty-ton truck cruise along perfectly straight while the driver hummed to himself, only to jerk the wheel and plow into a roadside tree the second he got pissed off.

Calling it a mood swing did not begin to cover it. Mugyeol was like some alien creature wired according to his own bizarre logic. And the more Yi-seon thought about it, the less he remembered Mugyeol acting this unhinged around anyone else.

“I finished the shopping today, so don’t you dare think about buying gifts for noona from here on out.”

“Got it.”

Yet Yi-seon felt surprisingly fine. If anything, he was almost grateful for Mugyeol’s antics. Thanks to the detour, he had not had to face the ocean under the pretense of watching the sunset.

As they neared the hotel, Yi-seon abruptly held one of his two cat plushies out to Mugyeol.

“Here.”

“What’s this? I’m not slipping it into noona’s gift pile.”

“No, it’s for you. As a souvenir of our trip together. It suits you.”

Yi-seon held the pink cat beside Mugyeol’s cheek. Mugyeol flicked his eyes sideways at it without turning his head.

He had bought both plushies for himself, but offered one on impulse. He liked the idea of sharing something that would remind them of the trip. Besides, there was no way Mugyeol would actually take it, so the offer was half a joke.

“Well, you bought a mountain of plushies for noona, so I guess you don’t need this. What a shame. It’s really cute and looks great on you.”

Yi-seon started slipping the plushie back into his pocket. Mugyeol immediately dropped his shopping bags and lunged for it.

“Hand it over.”

“What?”

“Mine.”

Mugyeol wrested the plushie straight out of Yi-seon’s pocket. Yi-seon threw up an arm to stop him, but the difference in their size made resistance pointless. By the time he recovered, Mugyeol had turned his inner pocket completely inside out.

“Did you leave that in my custody or something?”

Yi-seon sighed and tucked the mangled pocket back into place. As he smoothed his clothes, he found Mugyeol studying the plushie intently. In Mugyeol’s huge hand, it looked comically tiny, like a helpless hostage.

“It suits you. You should hang it on your bag.”

“Maybe I will. Yeah, I’ll hang it on my backpack.”

“…You’re not actually going to hang it, are you?”

“It’ll be cute. Just like me.”

“…”

A touch of dread crept over Yi-seon. Mugyeol sounded like he might genuinely hang that pink cat from his schoolbag once they returned to Korea.

When they were little, Mugyeol had once stared enviously at a hairpin Yi-seon gave Su-ah, so Yi-seon had given him one too. Mugyeol had actually worn it in his hair every day. Worse, with that pretty face, it had looked surprisingly good on him…

“Ryu Yi-seon, you bought one too, right? A doll.”

“Yeah. I got the one with the surfboard.”

“You hang yours too.”

“Are you insane? This one has a pink flower in its hair.”

“Real men wear pink.”

Yi-seon did not dignify that with an answer and stepped into the elevator.

“Five… four… three… two…”

“Ah, I’m getting on!”

As Yi-seon counted down, Mugyeol scooped up the bags he had dropped and scrambled into the elevator.

“One.”

On one, Yi-seon pressed the close-door button.

Inside the elevator, Mugyeol carefully rearranged his bags so the plushie from Yi-seon would not get mixed up with the ones he had bought. His mood had risen so sharply that muffled chuckles kept escaping him.

Returning to their room, Yi-seon showered and lay down on the bed. With his back to the sea, he curled onto his side and rested his cheek on his hand. In the soft light from the bedside lamp, Yi-jeong tapped away at his phone. From the look on his face, he was probably texting his boyfriend.

Setting his phone down at last, Ryu Yi-jeong turned his head. “Yi-seon-ah. How was today? Were you okay?”

“Huh? What about? The trip? It was fun, of course.”

Only then did Yi-jeong smile in relief.

“Thank goodness. I was worried you might hate it. Let’s keep looking at the ocean together like this, okay?”

“Yeah, hyung.”

“Tomorrow, we’re hanging out by the pool during the day and going on a dolphin cruise in the afternoon. To watch the sunset.”

“Ah.”

“The day after tomorrow is snorkeling. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. I know.”

Yi-jeong reached across the narrow gap between their beds and gently stroked his hair. “Yi-seon-ah.”

“Yeah, hyung.”

“The ocean… are you still scared of it?”

Yi-seon paused in silence. Then, curving his lips into a gentle smile, he shook his head. “No. It’s just unfamiliar. Since I haven’t been around it often.”

This time Yi-jeong fell silent. He continued stroking Yi-seon’s hair, his expression subdued, before asking quietly, “Have you ever asked Mom and Dad to apologize?”

“Huh?”

“Keeping it bottled up inside won’t fix anything. You should ask them why they did that to you back then, and get an apology.”

“…There’s nothing to apologize for.”

“Don’t think like that. They just assume everything is fine. They think you’ve forgotten it all.”

“…”

“Hyung is so sorry, truly. I’m really sorry.”

“Why should hyung be sorry?”

Yi-seon smiled and laid a hand over his brother’s.

His brother had nothing to feel guilty about. Neither did his parents, Yi-seon told himself. If anything, he should be grateful that they had raised him and continued supporting him despite his not being their biological son. They had even brought him on a trip like this…

“I’m really okay.”

“…How did you turn out this sweet? Mom and Dad are so lucky…”

Ryu Yi-jeong’s fingers gently pinched Yi-seon’s cheek.

“Let’s have a great time.”

“Yeah.”

Yi-seon smiled softly, closed his eyes, and leaned into his brother’s touch.

It’ll be okay… It’ll be fine…

He repeated the words to himself and willed sleep to come quickly. Far in the distance, the sound of breaking waves churned unease through his chest.

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