HWAMB — Chapter 21

He took off his apron, hung it on the rack, and headed to the bathroom to wash his hands.

On his way out, he warned his brother not to say anything weird to me while he was gone, then disappeared.

I blinked, staring blankly at Hyun-woo’s retreating back, only to realize belatedly that I was left alone with his brother.

An awkward silence settled.

Hyun-seo looked at his phone, unbothered, showing no signs of awkwardness.

“Is Eun-hyuk doing well?”

His calm question broke the silence. Kang Eun-hyuk—my brother. Startled, I blinked and replied.

“Ah… You don’t need to use formal speech. It’s awkward getting honorifics from someone older than me.”

“Really? Then I’ll speak casually.”

“You know my brother?”

“Mm… a little.”

He hesitated, then answered.

So he knew my brother. That was news to me. I nodded slowly.

“Yes. He’s doing well. Busy, but…”

“I see.”

“Are you close?”

“Probably not.”

Did that mean they weren’t on good terms?

Hyun-seo let out a small laugh, like he’d just heard something amusing. His smooth smile was unsettlingly flawless.

If there was ever a definition of a “charming omega,” it had to be someone like him.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been back to Korea, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah. I’ll be leaving again soon. But more importantly, how’s our Hyun-woo doing?”

He always called him “our Hyun-woo.” Hyun-woo hated it, but he didn’t seem to care. Whatever the case, he clearly treasured his brother.

“Hyun-woo? He’s doing fine at school. He’s athletic… Oh! He especially loves soccer. Your uncles seem worried he doesn’t study enough, but his grades went up this time. He can be prickly and annoying sometimes, but he’s also kind and looks after others. He’s got a good number of friends and he’s pretty popular—”

As I rambled on, describing everything I knew about Hyun-woo, I heard the sound of stifled laughter.

I turned my head to see Hyun-seo pressing his hand against his lips, failing to hold back his grin.

Soon enough, laughter slipped out.

“Ah… sorry. That’s not what I meant when I asked.”

“Then…?”

“I meant, how is he as a boyfriend?”

At that, my face burned. I stammered like someone caught red-handed.

“W-we’re not dating!”

“Really.”

“No, seriously! Just friends—!”

“Friends are good too.”

He nodded as if satisfied. But it felt like my words hadn’t gotten across properly.

Deciding it was better to change the subject, I asked something I’d been curious about.

“So who’s he making that for, anyway?”

“Does it bother you?”

“N-no! Not really… I mean, anyone would be curious…”

My voice trailed off as he shrugged casually.

“Who knows. I don’t. Why don’t you ask Hyun-woo later? You’ll like his reaction.”

The smile he wore no longer seemed kind.

Now I understood why Hyun-woo was prickly toward his brother. That sly grin made him look downright mean.

“You and Hyun-woo don’t get along, do you?”

“Me? Did Hyun-woo say that?”

“No, just a hunch…”

“Is that so? Don’t think I’ve done anything to make him hate me.”

He rubbed his chin in thought, then suddenly muttered,

“Maybe he’s still sulking about that…”

“What thing?”

“When he was little, Hyun-woo was doll-like and cute. I couldn’t resist dressing him up. Once he grew up, I knew he’d never wear that stuff again.”

“…What kind of stuff?”

“Frilly, fluffy outfits, mostly.”

“….”

“Once I even dressed him up as a bunny for Easter. He threw a fit, said he hated it. But the way he fussed was so cute I took a few photos.”

Hyun-seo chuckled darkly, looking satisfied.

And just like that, the mystery of why Hyun-woo hated even calling him “brother” was solved.

He soon excused himself, saying he had plans, and asked me to pass along his regards to my brother. Then he walked off in the opposite direction.

He teased Hyun-woo with a joke about missing him, and in return got cursed out.

Even though Hyun-woo disliked his brother so much, he’d spent days with him just to make that glass acorn. He must’ve wanted it badly.

Hyun-woo grilled me about what his brother had said while he was gone, but for the sake of his pride, I kept my mouth shut.

“Anyway, you went to the PC café yesterday, right?”

“Yeah. Stopped by for the first time in a while.”

“You really came home by seven like you said?”

“I told you I did. You’re the one who should stop wandering around and come home early.”

At my grumbling, Hyun-woo gave me a sly smile. When he smiled like that, ninety percent of the time it meant nonsense was coming.

“Are you sulking?”

“I’m not sulking… Of course I worry, that’s all…”

“Then was it just worry?”

I snapped my mouth shut. That was a tough question to answer.

While waiting for me to reply, Hyun-woo fiddled with the acorn-shaped glass bead.

At first, I thought I’d just been restless—something felt off, and I called it “worry.”

But that wasn’t it.

It was still unclear, but I had to admit—there was more than worry. There was a trace of hurt.

Not wanting to define it, I answered honestly in my own way.

“I don’t know. Does it really matter that much?”

“You always say you don’t know. How can you not even know your own feelings?”

“Shut up. Who are you making that thing for, anyway?”

“I don’t know.”

He pouted, sulking.

It was childish of both of us. We walked on in silence until we reached my house.

Just as I was about to go inside, he glanced at me nervously and handed something over.

It was the glass acorn he’d made—the one I’d wondered about from the start.

My eyes widened.

While I struggled to guess why he’d give it to me, Hyun-woo spoke first.

“Happy birthday.”

“…What?”

“…It’s your birthday tomorrow.”

My mind went blank. I knew my birthday was tomorrow, but I hadn’t expected anything like this.

Usually, since we’d been childhood friends for so long, he’d just say happy birthday on the way to school and give me a small gift. Or if things were tight, he’d send a gift card the day before.

If my birthday fell on a weekend, we’d go shopping and grab a meal.

That’s how it always went, and I’d gotten used to it.

So this caught me completely off guard.

I accepted the glass bead he held out.

It was so small, I worried I might lose it if I wasn’t careful.

I must’ve looked unresponsive, because Hyun-woo, uneasy, tried to take it back.

“…Forget it. If you don’t like it, I’ll get you something else.”

“Hey! Who said I don’t like it? Why are you trying to take it back? Hand it over—it’s mine now.”

“…Really?”

“Would I lie?”

Suspicious, but convinced, he handed it back.

I turned the little glass acorn over in my hand for a long time.

It was strange—like a cloud that had been weighing on me had suddenly cleared away.

Smiling, I kept fidgeting with it.

“Like it?”

“Hm? Yeah. It’s meaningful. Thanks.”

“…I’ll make a rounder one and give it to you next time.”

“I like this one too.”

At my words, Hyun-woo’s face turned red. From his ears to his neck, his skin flushed as he ducked his head. My own chest burned in response.

So until we said goodbye in front of my house, neither of us could look up from the ground.

* * *

I carried around the thing Hyun-woo made for me in my pocket like a charm. Whenever I fiddled with it like a lucky stone, it felt as if Hyun-woo were right there beside me, and it gave me a strange sense of reassurance.

Then one day, something happened.

The day before the sports festival, I was chatting with my classmates as usual when Do Jin-gyeong came looking for me.

He said he had something to tell me and led me out into the hallway. The news was that the vice class president had hurt his leg and been hospitalized. Apparently, he had tumbled down the stairs while rushing to school. Just hearing it made me wince as though I were in pain myself.

“What a mess… So, is Seung-gyu doing alright?”

“Yeah. Luckily it’s not too serious, but just in case, the doctor told him to rest for two weeks.”

“That’s a relief. Still, he must be disappointed. He was grinding his teeth, swearing he’d crush the White Team at the sports festival, and practiced so hard.”

“That’s why, Eun-jae…”

The way he hesitated made me uneasy. I had a feeling a troublesome request was about to come next. I was about to slip away when Jin-gyeong stepped in front of me to block my path.

“I looked at the running records before, and you’re the fastest after Seung-gyu.”

“No way. I’m not doing it. Didn’t Seung-gyu have three events? The relay, the obstacle race, and… what was it?”

“Three-legged race.”

“Mm…”

“Can’t you please reconsider? His name’s already been registered, so someone has to do all three of those events. The others with stamina are already slotted into other competitions. You’re the only one I can ask, Eun-jae.”

His eyes looked like a puppy caught in the rain as he gazed up at me.

I was originally assigned to tug-of-war, dodgeball, and the group jump rope.