DI Ch 182

Through my muffled ears, I heard someone telling me not to hold it in and to throw up, but I covered my mouth and dry heaved. Fortunately, nothing came out, but the problem was my messed-up vision. The floor of the open room seemed to sink and the ceiling appeared to be collapsing, swaying so much that I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Closing my eyes didn’t make it any better though.

I must have lost consciousness for a moment because when I opened my eyes, I could see the floor. I stared dumbly at the writhing floor and my feet that kept growing and shrinking. I needed to get up, but I couldn’t even hold my head up. At this point, it seemed more convincing to say that I was weak because I didn’t exercise enough.

“Seo Seung-won, don’t move.”

My flailing arms and legs stopped at the firm voice. It was almost as if my body instinctively obeyed him. It felt natural to hand over control of my body to him.

“That’s right, lean on me. Slowly… You’re doing well.”

“Dizz… uh, so dizzy…”

My tongue was so twisted that it seemed better to just keep my mouth shut, so I gritted my teeth. With my eyes closed, I managed to raise my upper body, grasping Tae Seong-je’s arm like a wall for support. If he hadn’t held me, I would have broken my nose or knees. Then I’d have another bruise. I don’t care if I get a little torn or bruised, but because of the person who meticulously applies medicine, I’d rather not get hurt if possible. It’s also embarrassing when he fusses over minor injuries as if I’ve been heavily injured.

As I straightened my limp body, muttering thanks for helping me, my throat suddenly felt dry and I had a dry cough. Every time I coughed, my head felt like it was ringing, and I curled up again, unable to stand. It was clear that my lack of exercise wasn’t the problem. I didn’t know what was wrong, but something was seriously off. Maybe I had underestimated my body’s condition.

My head and neck were gently but firmly pressed down. My head was fixed between Tae Seong-je’s palm and chest, and my body, somehow tightly held and lifted, didn’t sway, which lessened the dizziness. Moreover, we must have gone out to the corridor because I felt a cool breeze that made me feel a bit better.

“Oh no, what should we do? Are you okay, hyung? Ah, of course you’re not okay.”

The guy claiming to be my sibling came into my blurry vision. His anxious voice and urgent gestures showed he didn’t know what to do. Thinking the kid must be shocked, I tried to gesture that I was okay, but my vision went dark. It was someone’s back blocking my view.

It seems like there’s no one here, but then there are quite a lot of people everywhere. It was kind of amazing how these sturdy men appeared out of nowhere without a sound. They’re as cautious and loud as a certain someone. Meanwhile…

“Stay in the room.”

“No, huh? Close? Did you just close it?!”

His voice was so clear and loud, showing how good his volume was. The commotion soon faded and I felt a sense of isolation. We must have entered a room. But I could still hear loud arguing, probably from the next room.

“Hey, Seo Seung-joon! What are you doing?”

“No, Min-ju, do you think this makes sense? He’s my brother. He’s my brother, so why can’t I? Damn, ah, open up! I want to be next to my brother too!”

“…Hey! Stop it! I told you to wait! He’ll come back!”

“How can I wait? He just left like that? Don’t speak so easily when it’s not your business!”

“Are you done talking?”

…..What was that? Were they fighting? Somehow it sounds like they’re hitting each other. I frowned while trying to concentrate on not messing up my breathing. Maybe they’re just kids, but fighting in someone else’s house seems pretty reckless. What if they get hurt?

Then a fierce voice was heard above my head.

“Separate those two.”

“Yes.”

It seemed like they were going to stop the fight. That was a good idea. I was just having trouble calming down because my attention kept getting diverted, even though the pain would quickly subside if I could just relax. Meanwhile, the kid’s fight was still escalating.

“You’re right! It’s your world, so you have the right to be angry if things don’t go your way! Everything here is yours, right? Tell them to open the door right now! Go ahead, do as you please!”

“Gu Min-ju, how can you say that? You know that’s not true!”

“Don’t be ridiculous! If that’s not it, then why am I the only one who’s the same!”

Someone seemed to be mediating between them, as the girl’s voice grew quieter and more shaky.

“Why am I the only one who’s the same, and you, only you…”

So, she’s not my sister. It was a simple intuition, but I was certain. Actually, I thought Tae Seong-je and that boy were just joking around and that girl was my sister. Partly because she’s a girl, but also because her way of getting angry seemed somewhat familiar. The way she raised her voice after holding back, things like that.

But it seems I was mistaken after all. I let out a small laugh while carefully taking deep breaths, following the hand stroking my chest. No matter what, how could I not recognize the family I’ve grown up with since birth? This seems a bit too much.

As everything quieted down, it became easier to calm down, which in turn made breathing easier. I finally felt the warmth of the hand cupping my face. A large hand, not smooth but rough, warm and affectionate. As I became aware of it, I felt a sense of closeness. So, it’s you.

I barely managed to lift my heavy eyelids. A face with deep shadows was looking down at me. I couldn’t see any of his features clearly. I don’t know why the person who had been telling me to look at him, to look at him properly, was now hiding in the darkness. Turn on the light. I want to see you.

Through the slightly open sliding door, I could see the moon. It was right above Tae Seong-je’s head. I stared blankly at the tranquil shadow cast on the bare wall when a calm voice called me.

“Seung-won, look at me.”

Before his words, his warm hand gently turned my head. I blinked slowly. I was sitting on his lap, with his back to the door. More precisely, I was nestled diagonally in his arms, and it was warm and cozy, the room was quiet and comfortable. I didn’t want to break the moment, so I just nodded to his words.

“Open your mouth. Let’s drink some water.”

“…”

There’s a bottle of water in his hand, I didn’t know where it came from. This was ridiculous. No matter how out of it I was, did he really think I’d just drink it?

“My sibling… cough.”

Even though I didn’t believe he was my sibling, I was ready to apologize for causing a disturbance on his behalf, but a dry cough erupted and I closed my mouth again. Clutching my throat, I ended up quietly drinking the water he handed me. Come to think of it, I had accepted food right after waking up before, so there wasn’t much reason to refuse.

Suddenly, I remembered the girl I had mistaken for my sister. Wasn’t there a friend of my sister’s who was just like that? Despite not being related, they were so alike in temperament and everything else… They were so close that they were sometimes mistaken for sisters… A childhood friend and best friend, my sister would even cry desperately if it seemed they might grow apart…

“You must be tired.”

“…Pardon?”

“It’s understandable. Let’s talk about this another time. Yes, let’s do that.”

Ah, I must have been zoning out again. It seemed like he thought I was tired. I quickly raised my head to wave it off but stopped. Something felt different about the atmosphere. Was he startled?

“Hyung. You were surprised, weren’t you?”

“It’s okay.”

“Cheer up.”

“…Who’s supposed to be saying that to whom?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine if I rest for a while.”

At my words, Tae Seong-je’s tilted his head slightly at my words, causing the shadows to recede and his profile to come into view. I felt relieved seeing his face, even if only half of it. He looked fine, thankfully.

“But how am I supposed to not be surprised and act like I’m listening to someone else’s story? Do I seem that insensitive to you?”

“You’re right. That was a bit much.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

As I glared at him with narrowed eyes, he smiled with his eyes as if trying to avoid the situation. I didn’t intend to press the issue but I felt like giving him a pass. I drank water to quench my dry throat and exhaled deeply.

“So, let’s say he’s my brother. How did he grow so much in just a year without any surgery or anything?”

“What? How can you see that guy as a girl? You have no bias, do you? Drink some more water.”

No, that’s not it; I thought he grew in the same way since, even though I believed I was done growing, I kept getting taller, so perhaps he did as well. Although I felt wronged, he was undeniably male no matter how you looked at it. Having nothing to say, I tried to get out of his arms to at least sit up straight, but someone firmly pressed down on my shoulders, preventing me from even getting up.

“Come on, stop.”

“Seo Seung-won, give hyung a kiss.”

“…”

I hesitated, taken aback by the absurdity of it, and before I knew it, he planted a quick kiss. Pretending to back away, he suddenly pecked me repeatedly, leaving me so flabbergasted that I couldn’t even think to push him away. But then, all of a sudden, air rushed between my lips, comically puffing up my cheeks. What kind of silly prank is this?

“You’re such a baby. What am I going to do with you, being so young?”

“Are you crazy? Don’t say things like that in public.”

I was greatly startled even though I knew it was a joke. I cringed and unnecessarily looked around. No one would mistake me for a high school student anymore, even because of my height or build. As I rubbed my heated ears and scolded him, Tae Seong-je smiled crookedly.

“Why are you still so young? You should be growing up more and experiencing various things by now.”

“At twenty, or rather twenty-one, I’m considered an adult.”

He just smiled silently. Was that his way of saying I was still young? What did he mean by that? Even looking at his face, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. I knew he liked to give quick kisses and couldn’t leave my side because he worried about me, but I couldn’t understand him. Not at all.

“I don’t understand… why you have to go through these things.”