VDN Ch 24

Squeak.

Seo-oh opened the main gate and entered first. Nam-woon hesitated, then followed him inside.

As they entered, he saw a small garden that he hadn’t properly seen before. There were various vegetables, including lettuce planted, but something particularly eye-catching was there. It was a large white label stuck in front of a plant with small cherry tomatoes. On it, the same crooked handwriting he’d seen before stretched on as if it would never end.

「TomatoTomatoTomatoTomatoTomatoTomatoTomatoTomatoTomatoTomato……」

“…….”

Click. Seo-oh unlocked the door and turned on the fluorescent light inside. With a faint buzzing sound, the fluorescent light flickered a few times before coming on. The tiny, one-room space with a small sink was just as it had been before.

Last time, he’d been buried in Kwon Seo-oh’s arms, then cursed at as soon as he woke up, and busy playing with Se-han, so he hadn’t paid proper attention. Now, Nam-woon quickly rolled his eyes, scanning his surroundings.

It was a small, old house, but it was clear they had tried to keep it clean. There was mold where water seemed to have leaked, and yellowed, faded wallpaper in various spots had drawings, presumably by Se-han, taped haphazardly to it. Nam-woon, leaning against the wall, narrowed his eyes and carefully examined a drawing before muttering,

“Is that a rock?”

“It’s me.”

Startled by the response from behind, Nam-woon’s shoulders twitched. This was Seo-oh? No matter how many times he looked, it didn’t seem to have a human form. Even as Nam-woon looked at him with a doubtful expression, Seo-oh continued firmly.

“It’s my portrait.”

“Wow.”

It was so unexpected that admiration escaped him. That was a portrait?

But Seo-oh stood quietly behind Nam-woon as if waiting for further comments. Eventually, Nam-woon reluctantly spoke.

“Wow, you drew it well… You must have a talent for drawing.”

Only then did Seo-oh seem satisfied with Nam-woon’s compliment. He went to the corner and turned on the fan. Listening to the rattling noise of the fan, Nam-woon asked what he had been curious about.

“Where’s Se-han?”

“Academy.”

“Se-han goes to an academy?”

Seo-oh gave no answer. Nam-woon suddenly realized.

Ah, he told me not to go near Se-han anymore.

He had asked out of curiosity, but now he felt self-conscious even asking questions. Seo-oh, picking up the socks and small clothes Se-han had left out to dry that morning, said,

“Because he’s always alone at home.”

“Why send him to the academy? Just when I have time…”

Nam-woon awkwardly trailed off. As soon as his secret meetings with Se-han were discovered, Kwon Seo-oh had sent his brother to an academy.

Academy fees must be expensive. He suddenly felt a pang of discomfort, as it seemed Kwon Seo-oh was telling him not to meet Se-han at all anymore. He didn’t know why Kwon Seo-oh had suddenly brought him here, but he felt he needed to leave quickly. Nam-woon held out the shopping bag in his hand to Seo-oh.

“This.”

Seo-oh stopped folding clothes and stared at the shopping bag Nam-woon held out.

“Give it to Se-han when he comes.”

I hope he accepts this.

In truth, Nam-woon rarely bought gifts for anyone. There weren’t many people to give them to. That’s why, when he bought the puzzle, he only thought of Se-han’s smiling face, and he was excited to hand this shopping bag to Kwon Seo-oh when he went to the perfume shop.

Things had gotten complicated somehow.

He would have preferred to give it directly to Se-han, but he didn’t know when they would meet again, and there was no chance he would visit Seo-oh’s house again.

Then an unexpected answer came.

“Se-han will be here later. Give it to him yourself when you meet him.”

Nam-woon looked at him with surprised eyes and Seo-oh, who took a box from the shelf in the corner, gestured to Nam-woon with his chin.

“Sit down there.”

As Nam-woon stood still, Seo-oh grabbed his wrist. It was the first time Seo-oh had initiated physical contact with him, and Nam-woon’s eyes widened.

Seo-oh sat down on the floor, pulling Nam-woon’s wrist to sit opposite him, Seo-oh set down the box he was holding and opened the lid, revealing its contents.

Ointment, disinfectant, gauze…

He took out a few medicines and then handed Nam-woon a light green hair tie.

“Tie your bangs back.”

Although a bit perplexed, Nam-woon accepted the rubber band. I tried to lift my bangs and tie my hair back, but it surprisingly didn’t work well, and I fumbled a few times.

Why is it so hard? Do I need a mirror?

Seo-oh, who had been silently watching Nam-woon’s struggle, smoothly took the rubber band from Nam-woon’s fingers. Then he reached out to Nam-woon’s bangs. Nam-woon instinctively closed his eyes tightly.

Rustle, rustle.

Seo-oh’s touch, which I’d expected to be rough as he grabbed my hair, was incredibly gentle.

Maybe he’s this gentle with Se-han. They really seem like a close family.

Perhaps it was because I was injured. The thought of having a family to lean on, Nam-woon found himself feeling a little envious today.

In the small room filled only with the sound of the fan, Nam-woon felt awkward and broke the silence.

“I’ll do it.”

“It’s done.”

Seo-oh was very skilled at tying hair. After Seo-oh let go, Nam-woon raised a hand and felt his bangs. His hair dangled above the elastic band.

Oh, this is a bit embarrassing.

As Nam-woon awkwardly fiddled with his bangs and forehead, Seo-oh said,

“Don’t touch it. It’ll get worse.”

Then he picked up a piece of gauze from the floor and leaned his face close to Nam-woon’s. Nam-woon, startled by the sudden proximity, tried to pull back, but Seo-oh firmly gripped the back of Nam-woon’s head with a large, strong hand. He stared intently at the wound on his forehead and asked,

“How did you get hurt?”

“…I fell.”

“This is from falling? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“It’s true. I fell while riding my bike. Last time.”

Seo-oh, having released his hand from the back of Nam-woon’s head, gently dabbed a cotton swab with ointment onto Nam-woon’s forehead.

“Does it hurt?”

“A little.”

At Nam-woon’s response, Seo-oh’s touch became even gentler.

“…….”

The distance was too close.

Looking at Kwon Seo-oh’s face up close, as always, only left me in awe. His long eyelashes and the dark pupils beneath them sometimes looked wistful, sometimes cold. Moreover, his skin was incredibly good; even his fine hairs seemed to have vanished.

I want to pinch his cheek once.

While admiring Seo-oh’s face with thoughts that would usually be reserved for Se-han, Nam-woon suddenly caught Seo-oh lowering his eyes. Startled by the sudden eye contact, Nam-woon quickly looked down. Seo-oh opened his mouth in a strangely soft tone.

“You carry a helmet, though.”

“I didn’t have my helmet then.”

“You fell off a bike, but only your forehead is hurt?”

Seo-oh stared intently into Nam-woon’s eyes. Feeling as if their breaths might touch, Nam-woon unconsciously lowered his head slightly and mumbled.

“Ah, it, uh, got caught on something and only the back wheel flew up like this, but my forehead hit first.”

“…Is your head made of rock or something?”

At Seo-oh’s mumble, Nam-woon couldn’t help but laugh, making a strange heung sound as he chuckled softly. Seeing this, Seo-oh suddenly stopped his hand. When Nam-woon, puzzled, asked, “What’s wrong?” he silently moved the cotton swab. Nam-woon slightly winced, feeling that his touch was somehow rougher than before.

After applying the ointment and neatly attaching the gauze, Seo-oh asked,

“Anywhere else?”

“No.”

Then, as Seo-oh was staring intently at Nam-woon’s shoulder, he began to tidy up the ointment and bandages. Nam-woon quickly grabbed the first-aid kit.

“Hey, you need to apply it too.”

“It’s fine.”

“What do you mean it’s fine? Just apply it since we’ve got the ointment out.”

Nam-woon used a cheat code on Seo-oh as he kept insisting he wouldn’t put it on.

“Hey, how bad would Se-han feel if he saw his Hyung was hurt? At least that bloody scab on your mouth should heal quickly.”

Nam-woon said as he squeezed out the ointment. Watching Seo-oh silently accept his touch, Nam-woon felt strange. Kwon Seo-oh, without frowning and being so quiet, looked incredibly gentle and kind, no different from Se-han.

To have laid such a brutal hand on a kid like this.

Nam-woon, who hadn’t fully considered the evil deeds the villain Seok Nam-woon had committed, felt a surge of murderous intent and mumbled,

“That bastard…”

He hit Kwon-Seo-oh twice, I should have hit him one more time.

As Nam-woon murmured softly, Seo-oh, who had slowly opened his eyes, asked, “Why?” Nam-woon couldn’t control his anger and frowned.

“Why? Because that guy ruined your face!”

At that, Seo-oh’s lips parted slightly. Seemingly taken aback by the unexpected remark, Seo-oh soon regained his composure and retorted gruffly.

“For just this little thing.”

“Just this little thing? Hey, your handsome face is all messed up.”

“What did you say?”

[Handsome face warning!]

Damn it. Did freedom really go up? Nam-woon, now feeling everything was bothersome, blurted out as if he had attained enlightenment.

“Okay, I take back the handsome face comment.”

“Why are you taking it back?”

“No, I mean, your face is just…”

His expression became even more menacing. Nam-woon felt very awkward. It was hard to openly compliment him with the system in place. He had no choice but to test it little by little.

“Everything else is above average, right? Your head is smart… and your body is above average too. You’re tall, and your hands are big, everything is big.”

Nam-woon mumbled and quickly changed the subject.

“Turn your face this way, let me see if there are more injuries.”

But suddenly, Seo-oh asked with a serious face.

“…Is it your type?”

“What?”

“Am I your type?”

A statement that can’t be ignored came from Seo-oh’s mouth.