HWAMB — Chapter 47

I reassured him, saying it wasn’t anything scary.

Relaxing again, he asked,

“What is it?”

“Like I said in my message, I just wanted to thank you properly. If you hadn’t called when you did, things would’ve been much harder. I really appreciate it.”

I smiled brightly as I said it. Jin-gyeong froze, standing still as if holding his breath.

He opened and closed his mouth several times like he wanted to say something, but in the end, it looked like he gave up.

His long lashes trembled faintly.

“No… I’m just glad it wasn’t too late.”

The bittersweet, fleeting smile looked like it would disappear any second.

And soon enough, he masked his expression, returning to his usual face.

“When you’re discharged and healthier, let’s have a meal together sometime.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Since the sports day, Do Jin-gyeong had been noticeably avoiding me.

At the time, I only felt a little hurt, but with everything that happened afterward, I eventually let it go.

‘He must’ve had his reasons.’

Maybe he heard some rumor about me and started disliking me, or maybe he just suddenly found me unpleasant for no reason.

In a small world like this, people bump into each other and all sorts of things happen. It wasn’t even surprising.

Still, regardless of why he avoided me, the fact remained that he helped me when he could’ve just ignored me.

“You know… maybe it’s just me, but it felt like you were avoiding me after the sports day. Did I do something wrong?”

I suddenly remembered that trouble with Jang Jae-ho had also started after someone I was close to suddenly started avoiding me.

Of course, it wasn’t always like that, but clearly, I had been more shaken by that experience than I thought.

Feeling a little uneasy, I asked Jin-gyeong carefully. He waved his hands frantically and said,

“No, not at all! It wasn’t like that… It’s just… um… I can’t explain in detail, but it’s not you. It’s my own personal issue. Sorry if it seemed otherwise.”

“Alright. But at least let me buy you a meal sometime. I really am thankful.”

“…Okay.”

I was curious about his reason, but I didn’t press further. He genuinely looked like it was hard to explain.

I gave a small apologetic smile, and Jin-gyeong’s cheeks flushed faintly.

When I asked, “Is it hot? Should I turn on the air conditioner?” Jin-gyeong reflexively started to refuse, then lowered his head and softly said, “…Yeah. Please.”

From earlier with Sang-su too, it seemed that Do Jin-gyeong was a lot more easily flustered and tense than I had thought.

* * *

The summer of August was scorching hot.

When the cicadas began crying out madly in search of a mate, I was busy reorganizing my vacation plans.

After being discharged, my injured leg was still in a cast, but it seemed like it would heal soon.

And before the break ended, I needed to start a part-time job.

‘Maybe I should look for a short-term one. School will start again soon anyway…’

Just then, there was a knock, and the door opened slightly.

It was my brother.

Strangely, he hadn’t gone to work at this hour. Was he going in late today?

He looked tired, with deep shadows under his eyes, as if he hadn’t been sleeping well.

I knew all too well who the cause of that was, and it hurt me inside, but I forced myself to hide it.

My brother stepped into my room and hesitantly asked me something, his manner slightly different from usual, almost awkward.

“Eun-jae, are you busy?”

“Huh? No?”

After staying silent for a long while, my brother told me he had something to discuss and led me to sit at the dining table.

I quietly followed, sat down, and looked at him.

After a long silence, he spoke with a voice heavy with concern.

“Um… How about stopping your part-time job?”

“…So suddenly?”

I looked up in surprise, and my brother let out a heavy sigh. He seemed to mean it.

I faltered, caught off guard by his sudden suggestion.

“But…”

“I was planning to tell you this when you became a senior, after watching you all this time… but I’m too uneasy.”

“…”

“For now, I’ll support you. At least until you graduate from college, let’s do that.”

Actually, he had said something like this before. Knowing my brother’s personality, he had probably wanted to bring it up much earlier.

But he also knew I would stubbornly insist on refusing, coming up with every reason I could, so he hadn’t been able to say it.

We both vaguely understood this about each other.

‘My brother’s support…’

Watching him, I answered firmly.

“…I can’t do that.”

“…Can’t?”

“…You still go out to work on weekends. You never rest, and you come home late at night. That money you work so hard to earn—how could I just use it for what I want to do, or what I want to eat?”

My brother looked stunned, staring at me blankly, then lowered his head with an even sadder expression.

Seeing his face, I grew flustered too. I was fumbling for something more to say when he gave me a bitter smile.

“Maybe it’s because you’ve been watching me struggle to earn money since you were little…” he murmured, then said,

“Eun-jae, that’s exactly why I earn money. So you can eat what you want, do what you want, learn what you want.”

“…”

“I’ve settled down now, and I make enough. More than enough to support you. You don’t have to worry and feel like a burden.”

“But still…”

“I know it’s hard to accept right now… but please. Every time something happens to you, I—”

His trembling voice seemed impossible to steady.

Normally, my brother wasn’t good at expressing himself. He always seemed stiff, but inside he was softer than me.

When I was young and our parents were still alive, the brother I remembered was either never home or always seen from behind, sitting at his desk.

Maybe it was because of the big age gap. Back then, I didn’t have many points of contact with him.

Looking back now, he was also going through his own turbulent years, and he was even quieter and spoke less than he does now.

When our parents stayed out late or were gone for several days because of work, he would always stick close to me and take care of me. But even then, our conversations were limited to only what was necessary.

The way my brother treated me completely changed after that accident—the one that took our parents’ lives. It started from the hospital.

Maybe it was because we both thought, “Now it’s just the two of us.” From then on, the bond between my brother and me grew even stronger.

I swallowed hard as I looked at my brother, who seemed weighed down. The allowance I had earned from part-time jobs, without relying on him.

I thought it was something good for both of us, but it seemed like it had only become poison instead.

‘I never meant to make things harder for him like this.’

My heart grew heavier.

Especially after this recent incident, my brother had no choice but to become more sensitive.

‘If I think about it the other way around… I probably would’ve been the same.’

I hadn’t thought about it that way before, and my chest felt tight.

“Later, when you’re in college… or even after graduation, that’s fine. For now, just enjoy yourself, focus on your studies like everyone else… as a student… I want you to have that kind of happy school life.”

His calm, deliberate words were filled with lingering regret, as if he was saying, “Because I couldn’t.” I nodded, showing I understood.

“…Okay. Sorry for being so stubborn until now, hyung.”

Hearing my answer, the tension in his face slowly softened.

Looking at me, he quietly patted my head, like he was proud that I had grown up.

I had started working part-time so I wouldn’t burden him, so I wouldn’t worry him, but if it only made things harder for him, then not doing it was the right choice.

‘And like he said, I’ll be a senior soon anyway.’

My brother’s words, all born from his worry for me, weren’t wrong.

“Oh, I took vacation this time.”

“Vacation? Really?”

My surprised but delighted reaction made him smile as he patted my head.

“Let’s go on a family trip with Hyun-woo’s side, as a change of pace.”

“I’d love that. But how come all of a sudden?”

“…Because I’ve only ever worked and never did anything for you. Since you’ve been working so hard… I… should try harder too.”

It seemed he wasn’t used to saying things like that aloud. He scratched the back of his head.

Hearing such direct words from my stiff brother felt strange.

It was embarrassing.

He always took care of me, but usually through actions rather than words, so conversations like this almost never happened.

What kind of wind blew through him today?

He always lacked social skills to the point I worried, but this was a good sign at least.

“…Really? You’re not overdoing it, right?”

“Of course not.”

“…This is great. Hehe.”

My lips curled upward uncontrollably with excitement.

Seeing how happy I was, my brother seemed satisfied, and he started setting the table, saying we should eat first.

I helped him.

As I placed the dishes, I glanced at him beside me as he oiled the frying pan.

“He says he hasn’t taken care of me… but that’s not true.”

He had already given me plenty, and he had worked hard.

“So, where are we going? Have you decided?”

“Hmm… not yet. I was thinking maybe the seaside. We all like seafood, after all.”

“Sounds good. I want to grill clams.”

“Yeah, let’s eat until we’re stuffed.”

Just thinking about it was already exciting. It had been so long since I’d gone anywhere with my brother.

After the meal, while I went to wash my hands, he was already doing the dishes.

“Ah, I was going to do that. Didn’t you say you had work today? Leave it to me and go get ready.”

“It’s fine, I’m done.”

He smiled leisurely, took off his rubber gloves, and left a short kiss on my forehead.

As I rubbed my forehead and looked at him, he said as if reminding me, “I’m doing this because I like it.”

I grumbled, but he went further, telling me not to take away the “joy of his life.”

“So stop worrying so much about me.”

He tapped my head lightly as if he were a little hurt, then went to his room to change.

He really knew me too well—it was true what they said about siblings.

Seeing him smiling, I felt reassured, and my heart lightened.

It was a relief that a conversation we’d always needed to have had ended on such a good note.

While he changed for work, I trailed behind him, nagging away.

He listened seriously while changing, but his words grew sparse again, like usual.

Before leaving, he told me, “Stay home and rest quietly today. If you really have to go somewhere, make sure you call me.”

I waved to see him off.

“See you later.”

“Yeah, I’ll be back.”

I turned to go back to my room with a clear mind, when suddenly he called me again.

“Eun-jae.”

“Hm?”

“That… maybe, do you…”

Our talk had seemed to end warmly, but he looked like he still had something left unsaid.

His expression darkened again, and he hesitated.

After a long pause, he erased that faint look and returned to his usual self.

“…Never mind. Just make sure if you’re having a hard time, you talk to me about it.”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“I forgot. I’ve been so forgetful lately.”

“What? That’s from lack of sleep. You shouldn’t be scolding me. Make sure you come home early tonight!”

“Tonight’s tough. I’ll try starting tomorrow.”

When he left, the house was filled with silence again.

I stood there staring at the door for a long time.

‘What was that about?’

I wondered what he had wanted to say at the end, but the timing was gone.

By evening, I had completely forgotten to ask him again, and the day slipped away.

* * *

At dawn, when I stepped out of the house dragging my travel suitcase, a car was already waiting. In front of it stood Hyun-seo hyung, wearing sunglasses and waving.

“Hi, did you sleep well?”

Eun-hyeok hyung ignored his cheerful greeting and naturally opened the trunk as if it were his own car.

At some point, Hyun-woo had come up beside me, taken my suitcase, and loaded it into the trunk.

My brother sat in the passenger seat, while Hyun-woo and I naturally sat in the back.

Looking at Hyun-seo in the driver’s seat, I tilted my head.