VDN Ch 166

[Seo-oh Hyung and I wait for Wooni Hyung every day. I have so many things I want to say to Wooni Hyung, but I don’t understand why he doesn’t come home. Will Wooni Hyung really never come to our house again? Is it because he doesn’t like me and Seo-oh Hyung?]

[Seo-oh Hyung cries every day. I pretend not to see, but I know he goes outside at night to cry. When I see him cry, I also feel like crying, and it’s really hard for me. Even though Hyung doesn’t say it, I know he loves Wooni Hyung very much.]

“……”

Nam-woon’s eyes turned slightly red. He sniffled and read the next sentence.

[I really, really love Seok Nam-woon Hyung too. I would be so happy if Nam-woon Hyung and Kwon Seo-oh Hyung got married. Then, Hyung wouldn’t run away from home and would live with us forever, right? If he can’t marry Kwon Seo-oh Hyung, I think it would be okay if he married me.]

Nam-woon smiled again, the corners of his eyes turning bright red.

[Nam-woon Hyung, I miss you so, so much. Please hurry up and marry our Hyung soon. If you come home, I’ll take really good care of you. I love you very much.♡♡]

The long yet short letter took less than 5 minutes to read. However, he held onto the letter for another fifteen minutes.

Nam-woon neatly folded the letter and tucked it deep into his black wallet. Inside the wallet, there were a few more notes he had received from Se-han before. He then sat quietly, cooling off his reddened eyes.

After some time passed, Nam-woon lay down on the bed beside Seo-oh, who was fiddling with the TV remote. He stared at Seo-oh’s profile for a moment before asking.

“Why is Se-han so cute?”

“Because he takes after me.”

At Seo-oh’s cheeky response, Nam-woon burst into laughter. Seo-oh turned his head to quietly capture the image of Nam-woon’s smiling face. I’m going crazy because of you, thought Seo-oh as Nam-woon continued to giggle before adding,

“Why are you waiting for me like that? It would be a good thing to celebrate that one less person is hanging around the house.”

“……”

“I can’t go anywhere because of you. Seriously.”

“…What did Se-han write in there?”

“You don’t need to know. It’s a secret.”

Then Seo-oh playfully nudged and tickled Nam-woon’s feet with his own. Their soft skin brushed against each other due to just having been washed. Their toes intertwined, and their feet and calves touched.

“Ah, what are you doing?”

Nam-woon giggled a little at the ticklish feeling of Seo-oh’s legs rubbing his soles. Seo-oh, who had been playing with his feet while stealing glances at Nam-woon’s eyes that were folding into crescent moons, suddenly sat up. Then he grabbed Nam-woon’s arm and pulled. Nam-woon, who had been raised by Seo-oh’s hand, made a bewildered face.

“Why?

“I thought about it and realized that it might not be good for the baby to be lying face down.”

“……”

The faint smile that had been on Nam-woon’s face disappeared in an instant. He was lost in thought as he watched Seo-oh carefully help him up. Does Kwon Seo-oh truly believe that Hope exists? Then, what if he finds out that there is no Hope?

I guess…he would be very disappointed, right?

Nam-woon was afraid of his reaction. He found it a bit scary to think that Seo-oh’s warm gaze might fade and his smile might disappear after learning the truth, as Seo-oh had been very happy about the news of hope.

Seo-oh’s affectionate touch on his belly, the gentle tone and warm gaze whenever he spoke about the baby—Seo-oh seemed more excited and happy than Nam-woon had ever seen him. Nam-woon suddenly thought that Seo-oh’s attitude might be more directed towards hope rather than himself.

He once imagined Seo-oh’s reaction when he found him after he ran away. In his imagination, Kwon Seo-oh was angry and disappointed, demanding a reasonable reason for disappearing without a word.

However, the actual reaction he received was different. Instead of getting angry, Seo-oh hugged Nam-woon warmly. He didn’t hesitate to say touching words like he would protect Hope and him.

If it weren’t for Hope, would I have been locked up tightly with the collar and handcuffs that Kwon Seo-oh brought?

After that, he imagined himself asking for forgiveness while crying and snot running out of his nose. Nam-woon, lost in his gloomy thoughts, fidgeted with his hands and then grabbed the front of the gown he was wearing and spread it to the side. Seo-oh was surprised by the sudden undressing and opened his eyes wide. Regardless, Nam-woon pinched his plump lower abdomen here and there and said.

“Hey, look. This is really belly fat, you know? It may be a bit bumpy, but if you look closely, there are even abs.”

Just like he showed Yong-deuk before, he tightened his stomach and the belly fat disappeared, revealing his hidden abs. Seo-oh frowned at the sight.

“Don’t do that. The room will feel cramped, and Hope will feel suffocated..”

“Room…”

Communication seemed like a solid wall. He wants to believe Hope exists, doesn’t he? Nam-woon, letting out a deep sigh that made his chest swell, slightly changed his question.

“Kwon Seo-oh, so… this is just a hypothetical question. What if there was no Hope?”

“Why do you keep talking like that?”

“Even if there was no Hope, how would you feel about me, like now…?”

Will you act kindly? Will you not get angry or interrogate me for disappearing?

There were many things he wanted to ask, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them, fearing how he would react. However, Seo-oh understood a lot from Nam-woon’s sunken expression and unfinished words. He gently held Nam-woon’s hand and pushed his face under his bowed head.

“Hyung, look at me.”

Seo-oh’s face came close to his nose. Nam-woon tried to turn his head away, but Seo-oh persistently followed, making it futile. Nam-woon reluctantly raised his head, shifting his gaze at a 45-degree angle. Seo-oh’s low voice reached his ear.

Seo-oh stopped his movements as if he had no intention of pressuring him further, and after patiently waiting, he finally answered the question that Nam-woon had waited for.

“Hyung, I’m not happy because I have Hope.”

“……”

“I’m happy because the one who has Hope is you.”

At those words, Nam-woon slowly lifted his gaze. Graceful features were looking at Nam-woon. 

“Hyung, you’re really an idiot. Do you think I’ll treat you differently because you don’t have Hope? If you really think that, you deserve to get scolded. It means you have absolutely no faith in me. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never thought of someone so crazily and missed them in my life more than you.”

Seo-oh gently rubbed the back of Nam-woon’s hand with his thumb. 

“Whether you have Hope or not, my attitude toward you won’t change. The understanding that Hyung has is completely wrong. I like Hope because I like Hyung, not because Hope is…..”

Nam-woon, who had been blankly listening to Seo-oh’s words, slightly parted his lips at his last words. Wait, did Kwon Seo-oh just say he likes me? 

Nam-woon blinked, keeping his gaze fixed on Seo-oh. This time, Seo-oh was the one to look away first. However, the bright red ears were impossible to hide. Seeing Seo-oh’s earlobes, which were glowing like molten lava, Nam-woon spoke up with a serious expression. 

“Ah, say that again.” 

“…What?” 

“You just said something about me just now.” 

“I don’t know.” 

Seo-oh turned his head and fell down on the bed. He faced the wall with his back to Nam-woon, not moving at all. However, Nam-woon did not give up and walked up to him on his knees, shaking his large body.

“Come on. Say what you said earlier again.” 

Despite Nam-woon’s insistence, Seo-oh kept his lips tightly sealed and remained silent. Nam-woon, not giving in, forcibly opened Seo-oh’s mouth and playfully poked his Adam’s apple, annoying him. Finally, unable to resist Nam-woon’s coaxing, Seo-oh let out a gruff voice. 

“I don’t want to say it in a place like this.” 

“What?” 

“I don’t want to say something so important in such a shabby place.” 

Shabby? Nam-woon scanned the surroundings. It was a slightly worn but ordinary room, except for the faint moans coming from the next room.

What on earth is the problem? Seo-oh let out a sigh after catching a glimpse of Nam-woon’s puzzled expression. 

“This is my first time saying something like this… I want to say it in a more atmospheric place.” 

“This place is perfectly fine, so why?” 

“It’s not okay at all.” 

“Ah, stop nitpicking. Just say it now.” 

At Nam-woon’s nonchalant remark, Seo-oh shot him a sharp glare. He sulked with a pouty expression. 

“You have no mood at all.” 

“Me? Why me?” 

“You won’t understand even if I tell you.” 

Seo-oh abruptly turned his body and lay down facing the wall. Ugh, Kwon Seo-oh is really difficult. Nam-woon crawled over Seo-oh’s large body and awkwardly squeezed himself between Seo-oh and the wall. Seo-oh’s brow furrowed at the clumsy gesture. 

“Why are you suddenly sulking, huh?” 

Nam-woon asked playfully, but instead of pulling away as Nam-woon expected, Seo-oh stayed still and looked at him. Feeling a sudden sense of urgency, Nam-woon tried to get up quickly, but Seo-oh was quicker. He grabbed Nam-woon, who was trying to escape, and pulled him back while shooting him a discontented glare. 

“See? There’s no mood at all.” 

“What mood am I supposed to have…?” 

Suddenly, a quick peck on the lips made Nam-woon’s eyes widen in surprise. Seo-oh’s dissatisfied gaze was still fixed on him. 

“And I’m not sulking.” 

Another kiss followed, leaving Nam-woon with a dazed expression. Seo-oh kissed him once more, then swiftly rolled them over, their positions reversed. Nam-woon found himself lying beneath Seo-oh, blinking as he gazed at the handsome face above him. Seo-oh whispered in a low voice, 

“In moments like this, you should wrap your arms around me…” 

As Nam-woon’s limp arms were drawn around Seo-oh’s neck by his large hands, he thought, ‘This arm too.’ Before he knew it, Nam-woon swallowed as he wrapped both arms around Seo-oh’s neck.