VDN Ch 36

As they walked down the alley, they eagerly caught up on conversations they hadn’t had in a while. Se-han explained in detail about a cartoon series that is popular these days. It was about the white puppy doll attached to his yellow backpack that Nam-woon had fixed for him.

“My puppy in the ring on my backpack is named Dal-kong.”

“Oh, really?”

“Bulk-kong, Alk-kong and Dal-kong are all family, and if you put their ring on your finger, your wish will come true.”

“Really?”

“I want to find the Bulk-kong and Alk-kong dolls too, but I haven’t found them yet.”

“Really?”

“Hyung, are you listening to me?”

“Really?”

When Nam-woon kept repeating the same phrase, Se-han shouted loudly, “Wooni Hyung!” Nam-woon immediately regained his focus with Se-han’s loud voice and told him,

“Let’s look for Alk-kong together later.”

“Okay!”

Dinner that night was tuna kimchi rice balls. They laid out the ingredients on a small table and made rice balls together. After eating, Nam-woon did the dishes, while Seo-oh and Se-han put the dishes away.

When Seo-oh and Nam-woon spread out the blankets on the floor, Se-han playfully threw pillows on them. After tossing Nam-woon’s pillow onto the blanket, Se-han said,

“Because Wooni Hyung didn’t come often, I hugged your pillow like this when I slept.”

Nam-woon’s pink floral pillow was wedged between Se-han’s legs. Se-han giggled mischievously at Nam-woon. Nam-woon threatened to wedge Se-han’s teddy bear friend, Andol, between his legs if he didn’t give back the pillow, so Se-han quickly handed it over.

“Se-han, go brush your teeth. Hyung will too.”

At Seo-oh’s words, Se-han got up without a fuss. Nam-woon followed Se-han to the bathroom. Oh, but I didn’t bring my toothbrush.

Se-han clumsily took out his child-sized toothbrush from the toothbrush case attached to the bathroom mirror. Nam-woon glanced at the mirror and paused. Three toothbrush cases were lined up side by side. As Se-han squeezed out the toothpaste, he said,

“Wooni Hyung, your toothbrush is the pink one here.”

Se-han took out the toothbrush from the pink case and handed it to Nam-woon. It was the toothbrush Nam-woon had used while staying at Seo-oh’s house. Nam-woon’s gaze lingered on the three toothbrush cases stuck to the mirror for a while, and Se-han, with a mouth full of foam, spoke up.

“If you don’t like the color, we can go to the supermarket and pick a new one to stick here!”

Se-han’s tiny index finger pointed to the spot where the pink case was attached between the blue and yellow ones.

“This is where Wooni Hyung’s toothbrush belongs!”

Nam-woon stood still, feeling a flutter in his heart, and Se-han looked at him curiously.

“Hyung?”

Nam-woon smiled slightly at Se-han, whose mouth was covered in white foam.

“Adult toothpaste is too spicy, so lend me your toothpaste.”

Se-han nodded and handed Nam-woon the strawberry-flavored toothpaste he had been using since kindergarten.

***

“Then, I’ll start.”

“Okay!”

“Errand!”

“…d…ugh”

Se-han thought for a while, then felt him turn his head. His small voice asked for help, “Hyung.” But a word starting with ‘rum’ would be difficult for Seo-oh to handle as well.

“Let’s do it again.”

Se-han said, and Nam-woon pretended to ponder before responding.

“Hmm, then bowl!”

“Bowl…”

Se-han looked at Seo-oh again. Seo-oh called Nam-woon softly.

“Seok Nam-woon.”

“Why don’t you call him Hyung?”

Se-han asked innocently, and Seo-oh belatedly added, “…Hyung.” Nam-woon quickly passed the turn to Se-han.

“Ah, I can’t think of anything. Se-han, you start this time.”

“Okay. Then poop!”

Uh. Nam-woon was taken aback for a moment. Nam-woon said “poop hole,” and then “eat,” “tiger” followed. The three played the word game for about fifteen minutes until Se-han’s breathing became heavy, and they ended the game.

Listening quietly to the whirring fan and the sound of crickets, Seo-oh stood up on his feet.

“Aren’t you sleeping?”

“Just do this.”

Seo-oh, who had gone to the corner, quietly set up the table and turned on the yellow lamp light. Nam-woon, who was watching Seo-oh open the laptop, also straightened up. Then, he rummaged through a black plastic bag he had placed aside and took out a newly bought tracksuit. The sweatpants he was currently wearing had become unwearable because Seo-oh had yanked them so hard that the elastic was completely stretched out.

Since it was said to be the clothes that kids these days wear, he bought the top as well while he was at it. When Nam-woon took out the clothes, Seo-oh asked,

“What is it?”

“Tracksuit. I’m going to change.”

Nam-woon started to pull down his pants but then hesitated. Ah, I’m wearing this underwear again. Seeing the underwear with 5,000 won bills on them, Nam-woon quietly headed to the bathroom. Just in case.

“Hyung.”

“Yes?”

“I think the clothes don’t fit well.”

Seeing Nam-woon come out with changed clothes, Seo-oh lowered his head.

I don’t know where he bought it, but the top was so big that even a slight bend revealed his collarbone, chest, and nipples, and the pants were wide but short, making it seem like his thighs would be fully exposed if he sat down.

Where did he get such clothes? Nam-woon would never wear such a tracksuit.

Nam-woon, with a puzzled look, said,

“This? It fits well, why?”

“It’s too big.”

“They said this is how it’s supposed to be worn. The shop worker said so.”

“Where did you buy it?”

“At Haengwon Market.”

Seo-oh didn’t care how Seok Nam-woon dressed. But now, it was bothering him so much that he couldn’t focus on his assignment. Seeing him so defenseless suddenly reminded him of the dream he had that day.

Seo-oh abruptly stood up and started rummaging through the bottom shelf of his closet. After a moment, he handed Nam-woon a piece of clothing he had pulled out from the depths of his closet.

“Change into this.”

“Why? Is this really that bad?”

“Yes.”

With Seo-oh’s firm answer, Nam-woon reluctantly took the clothes and awkwardly stood up. Then he lifted the hem of his top.

“……!”

In the blink of an eye, a feast of flesh spread out before his eyes. Nam-woon’s two nipples were clearly visible to his eye. Seo-oh hurriedly lowered his gaze and shouted,

“Go change in the bathroom!”

“Uh… okay…”

“Ummmn…”

At the sound of his voice, Se-han stirred under the covers. Nam-woon pursed his lips and lowered his voice.

“Do you find my body so unsightly?”

“Just… hurry up to the bathroom.”

Nam-woon put down the clothes he was holding and headed to the bathroom with his clothes in hand. The sound of him saying something could be heard from inside, but Seo-oh didn’t have time to care about that. He felt his whole body temperature rise at once, so he stuck his face in the fan that was spinning wildly.

Nam-woon came out of the bathroom again. Seo-oh checked his outfit and again failed to manage his expression.

“But isn’t that too small for you? It fits me perfectly.”

That’s because it was the gym uniform he wore comfortably in high school. Seo-oh’s height had grown even after he became a college student, so he could no longer wear his old clothes. It was a gym uniform that he had kept because it was a shame to throw away, but seeing Nam-woon in the clothes he had worn a few years ago was also quite stimulating.

Why is this happening? Am I sick?’

Seo-oh patted his pounding chest once with his palm and said it calmly.

“It’s the clothes I wore in high school.”

Nam-woon nodded as if he understood, and then suddenly said.

“Are you still growing taller?

“I don’t know. But when I compared my height to what I was two years ago and last year, I was taller.”

Nam-woon, who wasn’t short himself, looked at Seo-oh’s shoulders and build and showed a look of envy. Seo-oh couldn’t have even imagined this expression before. The Seok Nam-woon of these days was honest with himself.

Approaching Seo-oh, Nam-woon plopped down next to him and said.

“What are you working on?”

“Preparing for a presentation.”

Nam-woon, who had been staring at the laptop, looked up at Seo-oh awkwardly.

“It looks difficult. I don’t understand any of it.”

“It’s not difficult at all. You can do this kind of thing easily too.”

At that moment, Se-han turned over once more, mumbling something. Then, Nam-woon suddenly closed the distance, put his mouth into Seo-oh’s ear, and whispered. Looking at it now, Nam-woon had only changed his top, not his pants, so his bare legs were pressed against Seo-oh’s thigh.

“I’ve forgotten all about this stuff. Do you think I could learn it quickly if I tried?”

“……”

Nam-woon smelled like the body wash he used. His voice and breath, transmitted through Seo-oh’s ear, seemed to flow into Seo-oh. Seo-oh, who had stiffened his body, barely managed to speak.

“It’s true that you’re not very smart, but this is easy.”

“What!?”

Seo-oh gasped as Nam-woon suddenly wrapped his arm around his neck. The soft but firm skin touched Seo-oh’s skin. Seo-oh hurriedly pushed him away and was about to tell him to stop, but seeing the smile on Nam-woon’s face, he shut up.

“I didn’t do well in high school, so I don’t know much.”

“…That’s why you should have attended school properly. Do you know how much I suffered because of you?”

Although Nam-woon and Seo-oh went to different high schools, the Chairman demanded that Seo-oh, who was younger than Nam-woon, teach him, who was struggling with his grades. It was always a hassle to refuse the request of the boss who employed his father.

Nam-woon replied nonchalantly, as if he didn’t remember anything.

“What did you suffer from? I dropped out of high school halfway through.

Seo-oh looked at Nam-woon with surprised eyes at the mention of dropping out.