Chapter 45

…It was a familiar voice.

A girl from the Omega class at their school. She was the girlfriend Jo Yeon-oh was currently dating. With delicate features and a reputation for having a great personality, Gi-hyeon had actually thought, ‘Wow, he’s dating this one for a while,’ but it seemed they were fighting. And over him, no less.

Gi-hyeon raised a hand and scratched his cheek. He felt incredibly strange. …Wondering if he was suffering from indigestion despite having eaten absolutely nothing, he absentmindedly rubbed his palm against his solar plexus.

“What kind of absolute bullshit is that. Are you an outcast, Yoona? Do you not have any friends? Why the hell would you even ask something like that.”

Jo Yeon-oh sounded utterly baffled. The girl named Yoona, clearly offended by his blunt response, shouted her reply.

[Don’t change the subject!]

Jo Yeon-oh’s answer was simple.

“I don’t know. Figure it out yourself.”

With that, he snapped the phone shut with a sharp clack. Gi-hyeon unconsciously swallowed a sharp breath. His palms felt itchy. Blinking blankly for a moment, he walked over and opened the gate.

Despite the loud click of the latch and the squeak of the iron hinges, the bastard didn’t even look back. Gi-hyeon noticed that the back of Jo Yeon-oh’s summer uniform shirt was slightly damp from the rain.

“…”

Lined up neatly beside the bastard sitting on the ground below the gate were a porridge takeout bag, a bag from a pharmacy, and a convenience store bag filled with sports drinks. Suddenly, Gi-hyeon’s throat tightened.

I only realized I was sick after I got home, so how the hell did you…

“Sogi, I’m starving.”

Jo Yeon-oh spoke without turning to look at Gi-hyeon. Gi-hyeon didn’t answer and simply turned his back. It was the only thing he could bring himself to do.

“Where’s your father.”

Swallowing the thought that ‘You say that as naturally as if you were asking about your own father,’ Gi-hyeon forced his tight throat open and replied.

“He’s busy.”

“You didn’t tell him you were sick again, did you. That’s exactly why he still isn’t home.”

Well. Even if he had told him he was sick, wouldn’t the result be exactly the same? Being left alone in the house?

After his mother’s funeral, the relationship between father and son began to rot from the inside out. His parents had loved each other, but that didn’t mean his mother had married a warm, affectionate man. Gi-hyeon’s father was stubborn, rigid, and incredibly blunt. Because Gi-hyeon possessed the exact same disposition, their relationship had always been strained, and his mother had constantly acted as the mediator between them since he was a child.

However, that was years ago now, and the father and son had lost her simultaneously. It felt exactly as if the joint holding them together had been completely severed.

Perhaps because of that, his father actually tended to speak a few more words to Jo Yeon-oh—who occasionally dropped by and acted sociably—than he did to his own son.

“Can’t be helped. I guess I’ll just have to nurse you.”

“Stop being ridiculous and go home. It’s just a mild fever, what nursing.”

“Why do you talk so much. I’ll heat up the porridge, so just sit your ass down in the living room.”

At the incredibly characteristic scolding, Gi-hyeon let out a soft chuckle and walked into the living room. Instead of sitting on the sofa, he plopped down on the floor, leaning his back against it. From the kitchen came the clattering of pots and pans.

Born into a Chaebol family, the bastard somehow had great manual dexterity. Even when he just boiled a simple packet of ramen, it was infinitely more edible than anything Gi-hyeon made. It was genuinely fascinating to watch him pull out a pot to properly heat up the porridge, considering Gi-hyeon would have just haphazardly shoved it into the microwave.

“Hey, I’m eating ramen too.”

“…They’re in the right cabinet.”

“I know. You think I wouldn’t know that? I eat more ramen in this house than you do.”

It was a completely factual statement. Because his mother had been ill since he was young, instant food was practically banned in Gi-hyeon’s house. If they bought a multi-pack of ramen, they could never finish all five packets before the long expiration date hit, inevitably leaving at least two packets behind.

Then, Jo Yeon-oh would shamelessly barge in and completely annihilate the leftovers. Every time he did, Gi-hyeon was utterly baffled. Seeing the bastard—who had aggressively avoided and ignored him for years—suddenly waltz back into his life and casually treat his house like his own was honestly a bit irritating.

Gi-hyeon’s lips parted slightly. He had never, not even once, asked the bastard for the reason. Why did you avoid me? Why exactly did you decide to stop seeing me, only to suddenly come back? If it had been anyone else, he wouldn’t have hesitated for a second to demand an explanation, but when it came to Jo Yeon-oh, asking that question felt inexplicably difficult. Because of that, Gi-hyeon simply kept his mouth shut again today.

It hadn’t even been that long, yet the savory scent of bubbling porridge and boiling ramen drifted from the kitchen. Watching the bastard casually rummage through the refrigerator as if it were his own, pull out an egg, and crack it into the pot, Gi-hyeon suddenly spoke.

“You have to stir it for it to taste good.”

“Why are you interfering with someone else’s ramen? Patients should stick to their porridge.”

Amused that the bastard immediately saw through his plan to steal a bite and fired back with such a deadpan response, Gi-hyeon let out a short laugh.

Before long, Yeon-oh walked over carrying two hot pots stacked on top of each other. He looked so incredibly stable that Gi-hyeon didn’t even feel the need to worry. Come to think of it, whenever someone was cooking a meal in Gi-hyeon’s house, it was never his civil servant father who came home late, nor was it Gi-hyeon—it was always Jo Yeon-oh.

Looking at the small bowl of young radish kimchi Jo Yeon-oh had brought over, Gi-hyeon spoke.

“Tell your aunt and the housekeeper I’ll enjoy the kimchi.”

“You come and tell them yourself. Both of those women are constantly asking why you never come over anymore.”

Placing a spoon and a water cup in front of Gi-hyeon, and only a pair of chopsticks in front of himself, Yeon-oh replied with profound apathy. It was completely natural for Jo Yeon-oh’s mother to welcome Gi-hyeon, as he resembled his mother who had been her close friend, but it was genuinely surprising that even the housekeeper who managed their estate was looking for him.

“The housekeeper too?”

“Yeah. Do something about your habit of seducing older women.”

With that, he lifted a massive clump of noodles onto the lid of the ramen pot and loudly slurped them down. It was utterly baffling how a guy who had grown up coddled in a ridiculously wealthy family with impeccable table manners managed to eat ramen so aggressively loud every single time he came to Gi-hyeon’s house.

“The broth is splashing into my porridge, you son of a bitch.”

“Did you just call me a dog-doctor? You really have no filter when talking to your hyung, do you.”

Even while complaining, it was fascinating how he managed to articulate every syllable perfectly without ever showing the food in his mouth.

“Ah, why is it so hot in here.”

Perhaps because summer was fast approaching and he had been standing in front of the hot stove, Yeon-oh aggressively flapped his uniform shirt before simply taking it off entirely. Watching with complete indifference as the bastard proceeded to strip off the plain white t-shirt he wore underneath, Gi-hyeon stood up to get more water.

“What is it, I’ll get it.”

“Forget it. I’m just getting water, stop overreacting.”

Finding the fuss entirely ridiculous, Gi-hyeon lightly kicked the bastard’s ass as he walked past, prompting Yeon-oh to throw a fit about disrespecting his hyung’s ass. Chuckling softly, Gi-hyeon walked into the kitchen and poured cold water into his empty cup.

Just as he was bringing the cup to his lips, his gaze was suddenly drawn to Jo Yeon-oh’s bare back as the bastard sat facing away from him.

“…”

…Was that bastard always this big? Back in their first year of high school, their heights had been relatively similar, but he had absolutely no idea how it had come to this.

Gi-hyeon wasn’t short by any means, but with 180 centimeters right in front of him, his growth seemed to be plateauing, which made him uncharacteristically anxious. He just wanted to grow exactly one or two more centimeters, but it wasn’t as easy as wishing for the wind to blow.

On the other hand, perhaps because he was born with an Alpha trait, Jo Yeon-oh’s physique was operating on an entirely different level. In a school where Alpha and Beta boys, and Omega and Beta girls were segregated for classes, the reason the bastard was incredibly popular among both Omega and Beta girls was blindingly obvious.

If a guy is devastatingly handsome, incredibly tall, obscenely wealthy, and gets top grades, anyone would naturally look his way. The only people capable of maintaining a friendship with a guy like that without caring about the overwhelming disparity were either Lee Beom-hee, who was equally exceptional, or Gi-hyeon himself, who didn’t have much to boast about but possessed an incredibly thick skin.

While pondering Jo Yeon-oh—who got along with everyone but had very few genuinely close friends—Gi-hyeon suddenly realized the bastard had grown significantly even compared to just a month ago. Come to think of it, his uniform pants were riding high above his ankles. The back muscles that twitched and flexed with every movement of his arms looked almost like weapons.

…When did he get that big.

Gi-hyeon, who had been the tallest in their class during middle school, hadn’t grown much since then. Maybe one or two centimeters a year at most. Even though he wasn’t short, the height difference constantly gnawed at him because of the stark contrast between their shadows every time they walked home together.

Watching his friend rapidly transition from a boy into a man while leaving him behind evoked a bizarre, complicated sentiment in Gi-hyeon. The broad shoulders. The heavy muscles completely shielding his back. The waistband of boxer briefs emblazoned with a brand logo Gi-hyeon had only ever heard of peeked out slightly above his uniform pants. Tracing the deep spinal groove protected by the thick erector spinae muscles rising like mounds on either side, his gaze traveled downward, stopping at the two small, dimple-like indentations right above the tailbone. Staring quietly at the sight, Gi-hyeon suddenly felt uncomfortably hot and vigorously flapped his t-shirt.

When the guy who supposedly went to get water didn’t return, Yeon-oh glanced over his shoulder, saw Gi-hyeon flapping his shirt, and let out a dry smirk.

“Sweating, huh? That’s a sign your fever is breaking.”

“…”

Gi-hyeon didn’t answer. The relaxed, arrogant tone of a guy acting superior just because he was born a few months earlier was incredibly annoying. Especially coming from Jo Yeon-oh. It was infuriating to see a guy acting like a mature adult when he was the exact same petty bastard who had thrown a massive tantrum over Gi-hyeon inevitably moving away and aggressively cut off all contact for years.

Gi-hyeon set the water cup down. Walking back toward the living room table, he kicked the bastard’s ass one more time. The guy let out a loud squawk.

“Can’t you see your hyung is in the middle of a meal.”

“…You boiled three packets. And you can still fit all that in?”

“Yeah, since Sogi eats like a bird. Is there any rice? I want to mix it in the broth.”

His appetite was genuinely terrifying. Even though Gi-hyeon was also at an age where he ate a lot, he thought this was a bit extreme. He jerked his chin toward the electric rice cooker in the kitchen, and Yeon-oh immediately got up and scooped himself a bowl of rice.

However, Gi-hyeon ultimately couldn’t finish the porridge. Ignoring the bastard throwing a massive fit about how Gi-hyeon was completely disregarding his agonizing effort of driving around the neighborhood because every single porridge place was closed, Gi-hyeon remained silent. Yeon-oh, who had clearly finished his massive meal in the meantime, grumbled as he stood up and began clearing the table in front of the sofa.

When Gi-hyeon made a move to help, Yeon-oh clicked his tongue sharply.

“Just fucking rest, patient.”

“…Hey, 37 degrees isn’t even a real fever.”

But Jo Yeon-oh completely ignored Gi-hyeon’s protests and even finished washing the dishes.

Gi-hyeon had assumed he would sleep over, but seeing him repeatedly checking his watch made Gi-hyeon wonder if his family had ordered him to come home early. However, the atmosphere in Jo Yeon-oh’s household was surprisingly liberal, and they rarely cared about where he was or what he was doing.

—It’s just because Yeon-oh’s grandfather is still keeping a close eye on him for now. He’ll probably be much stricter once Yeon-oh grows up.

He remembered hearing Yeon-oh’s mother say that once. Gi-hyeon wondered why on earth his family was suddenly looking for him, but he deliberately chose not to ask. Even if Yeon-oh pretended not to care, he often acted as though earning his grandfather’s approval was his most critical homework.

“Hey, I’m taking off. Drink all the sports drink. If you’re sweating bullets, you need to replenish your fluids.”

“Go to medical school. If you don’t get in, I’ll kill you.”

“Bullshit. I’m going to be the guy paying the salaries of the bastards who graduated from medical school.”

The handsome face of the snickering bastard was practically glowing with absolute confidence. The evening that had crept up on them unnoticed, the sound of rain violently striking the yard, the bastard’s face smiling brightly under the lights left on in only two places—the living room and the kitchen. Gi-hyeon stared blankly at the scene for a long time before belatedly turning his head away.

“Hey, I’m really leaving.”

The idiot who had stripped off his shirt and was wearing nothing but an apron just because he claimed water splashing on his stomach while washing dishes in a uniform shirt felt cold, casually tossed the apron aside and picked up his t-shirt.

Even if his upper body was perfectly sculpted, it was still just a guy’s body, so why on earth was it so hard to figure out where to look? Having let his gaze wander aimlessly for entirely too long, Gi-hyeon was honestly relieved he was leaving. But watching the bastard quickly throw his clothes back on evoked an incredibly strange feeling in his chest.

“…Get out.”

“Yeah.”

Replying quickly, the bastard shoved his feet into his crushed Converse sneakers, yanked the front door open, and practically sprinted out. Perhaps because of his violently loud exit, the living room he left behind felt overwhelmingly silent. Being left alone in this house wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence, but for some reason, it felt incredibly empty today.

Clicking his tongue, Gi-hyeon stood up, figuring he might as well open the workbooks he hadn’t been able to look at today and headed toward his room. If he hadn’t spotted the long umbrella resting in the entryway right before climbing the stairs, he probably would have done exactly that.

“…”

Gi-hyeon’s hesitation was brief. The moment he pictured the bastard leaning his back against the iron gate earlier, a heavy weight settled in his chest. Practically snatching the long umbrella, he dashed out the front door wearing nothing but his slippers.

Throwing the gate open and scanning the alleyway, he spotted Jo Yeon-oh turning the corner in the distance.

Deciding that running would be faster than shouting for him, Gi-hyeon began to sprint, completely forgetting to even open the umbrella in his hand.

“I was wrong.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”

The moment he rounded the corner, he spotted a girl and Jo Yeon-oh. Yoona, was it? The girl Jo Yeon-oh was currently dating. She was glaring at Jo Yeon-oh through narrowed eyes, interrogating him. Looking exactly like a massive, ferocious beast acting docile, Yeon-oh offered a bright smile and bowed his head toward her.

In Jo Yeon-oh’s hand was a three-fold umbrella entirely too small for his massive frame. A tiny umbrella adorably patterned with green four-leaf clovers on a white background. Because of its size, one entire side of Jo Yeon-oh’s shoulder was completely drenched in the rain.

“…”

Gi-hyeon watched the scene for a moment before silently turning his back. His chest ached fiercely. Suddenly, he realized with absolute certainty that it wasn’t just because he had been running fast.

—When you really like someone, sometimes the sound of this beating so loudly drowns out everything else, and you can’t even hear their voice.

—…Even if you aren’t covering your ears?

At her young son’s question, his mother had smiled and whispered.

—Yes. Even if you aren’t covering your ears. That’s the very first proof.

She had told him that he would definitely recognize it too. When the time came, when that pounding sound grew louder than the rain violently striking his own body, louder than the voices of a girl and a boy murmuring just steps away—when that time came, he would absolutely recognize it.

His mother’s words were the absolute truth. Because she had never, not even once, lied to him.

Gi-hyeon let out a breathy, hollow laugh. Just to mock himself, he deliberately muttered out loud.

“…What do I do now. I’m completely fucked, So Gi-hyeon.”

It happened in the summer of his eighteenth year.

***