VDN Ch 46

He was gasping for breath. His heart was pounding as if it would burst and sweat broke out all over his body. The breaths he couldn’t swallow were exhaled heavily. Red afterimages flashed through Nam-woon’s closed eyes.

Cars stopped on the road—an overturned black car and a man covered in blood inside.

“Oh my, it looks like there was a big accident.”

The murmuring voices of the people and

“That car… It looks like my dad’s car.”

His own voice was muttering softly.

“Ugh.”

Nam-woon clutched his chest in agony.

“Hyung, what’s wrong!?”

Seo-oh immediately opened the car door. He couldn’t leave him in the car like this.

He opened the driver’s door and practically lifted Nam-woon out of the car. Seo-oh, who was looking around, saw a convenience store with parasols nearby. The umbrella was soaking wet, but there was no time to care about that. He sat Nam-woon on a plastic chair, wrapped his arms around his shoulders and leaned him against himself.

“Hyung, look at me, please.”

“Ugh…”

“It’s okay, Hyung.”

Nam-woon could feel Seo-oh’s high body temperature touching him even in his dazed state. He could feel a steady breath right next to him. Even as he struggled to breathe, he listened to Seo-oh’s voice and slowly followed his breathing. Seo-oh’s voice was comforting as he hugged him.

“Lean on me. You’ll be okay soon. I’m right here.”

The hot body temperature, the low voice ringing in his ears, the large hands wrapped around his shoulder and his firm chest.

The patting as if he were a child was warm. Nam-woon held onto Seo-oh’s hand until his fingertips turned white. Seo-oh also held Nam-woon’s hand tightly.

Nam-woon returned to reality faster than usual. As he leaned on Seo-oh’s body and regulated his breathing, the anxiety gradually faded, and he really did feel better in no time.

“Are you feeling a bit better now?”

Nam-woon didn’t answer but just nodded his head.

The first feeling that came to him as he regained his senses was embarrassment. He couldn’t lift his face. Experience points about temporary sickness or something accumulated in the air, but he couldn’t check properly.

“You’re not still feeling bad, are you?”

“…No, I’m okay now.”

Nam-woon was nervous inside. He thought that Kwon Seo-oh would ask why he was suddenly like that or when he had started showing such symptoms. But Seo-oh didn’t ask anything and just told him to wait for a moment, then sat Nam-woon back down on the chair.

A little while later, Seo-oh came out of the convenience store with something in his hand. There were three raincoats.

They were both soaking wet from hugging each other in the rain. Seo-oh unfolded one of the raincoats and began to put it on Nam-woon.

“Hey, let me do it.”

“You’re not feeling well, Hyung. Just stay still.”

“Give it here.”

“Raise your arm.”

Nam-woon sniffled and raised his arm feeling like Se-han. Seo-oh, who didn’t listen even when he said he would do it himself, fastened the last button of the raincoat one by one. Nam-woon, feeling awkward, continued to sniffle.

Seo-oh, quickly put on his raincoat and pulled Nam-woon along. Naturally, their hands clasped together. Nam-woon fidgeted with his fingers and said,

“Se-han will be waiting. You go ahead. I’ll stay here a bit longer and then go.”

“What are you talking about, Hyung? How can you stay here alone?”

“I’m fine now.”

Seo-oh stood in front of the convenience store as if he didn’t need to hear Nam-woon’s answer.

“I left my ID with the convenience store owner and got permission.”

In front of Seo-oh and Nam-woon was a bicycle with a rear seat attached. Seo-oh, mounted on the bicycle, stared at Nam-woon. He was worried that Se-han would have to wait even longer. Nam-woon quickly climbed into the back seat. As Nam-woon grabbed the end of the seat, Seo-oh said,

“Hold onto my waist.”

“It’s okay.”

“Hurry up.”

Nam-woon hesitantly grabbed the hem of Seo-oh’s raincoat around his waist. Then Seo-oh pulled Nam-woon’s hand to wrap it around his waist.

“Hold on tight because we’re going to go fast. Don’t hold onto the back.”

Nam-woon felt Seo-oh’s broad back against his body. Contrary to Seo-oh’s words about going fast, he pedaled slowly. The rain had lessened and was falling gently, and Nam-woon turned his head to gaze at the rainy scenery.

Thanks to Seo-oh’s warm body, Nam-woon no longer felt the cold. Occasionally, Seo-oh would ask if he was holding on tight, if he felt okay, or if they should rest before continuing.

“Hey, I’m fine, so stop asking.”

Even though he replied gruffly on purpose, Nam-woon carefully leaned against Seo-oh’s back so that he wouldn’t notice. The light sound of rain filled the air above the raincoat.

***

“Hyung!”

Se-han, who had been waiting for his brother at school, saw Nam-woon and Seo-oh walking with the bicycle through the main gate and ran to them with sparkling eyes, hugging them tightly. Two of Se-han’s friends, whom he had met while playing baseball before, ran towards Nam-woon.

“Oh, it’s Nam-woon Hyung!” The children approached with happy expressions and bombarded Nam-woon with various questions.

“You’re wearing a raincoat too? I’m wearing one too!”

“Good job. Did you bring an umbrella?”

“Yes, here it is!”

The child who showed his umbrella was surprised when he looked at the bicycle Nam-woon had brought along.

“But did you come on the bicycle in the rain?”

“Well…”

“Wow, that’s amazing. Didn’t you fall? My dad told me not to ride a bike when it’s raining.”

“I don’t fall. I can even go unicycle down the stairs.”

Nam-woon said with a smirk, and the child admired him with a “Wow.” Nam-woon belatedly warned him not to do the same. The boy with glasses looked back and forth between Seo-oh and Se-han, then pointed at Seo-oh and asked who he was. When Nam-woon said, “Actually, he’s Se-han’s real brother,” the child stared at Seo-oh and thought for a moment before suddenly asking,

“Are you a celebrity? I think I saw you on TV last night.”

At that, Nam-woon burst into laughter. Seo-oh, with an awkward expression, slightly shook his head and then buttoned up Se-han’s raincoat. Se-han’s face was beaming with joy, perhaps because his Hyungs had come to pick him up.

The three of them all wearing raincoats, said goodbye to Se-han’s friends and then they took Se-han’s hands as they headed home.

“We’re back.”

“We’re back.”

Se-han greeted the empty house and was the first to enter the room. Nam-woon followed him.

“Se-han, you go in and wash up first. Here, Hyung.”

Seo-oh handed Nam-woon a dry towel. Nam-woon, having taken off his raincoat, wiped his wet face and hair with the towel. Se-han, who had quickly washed up, burst out of the bathroom showing off his round belly and then Seo-oh pushed Nam-woon into the bathroom and closed the door. Seo-oh handed Se-han some fluffy new clothes and said,

“Se-han, I think Hyung is a bit tired today.”

“What, why?”

“He seems to have worked a lot lately. Let’s let Hyung rest well today.”

“Uh… okay…”

Se-han nodded with a troubled expression. Nam-woon, who had finished washing, roughly dried his hair and put down the towel, but Seo-oh said,

“Your hair isn’t completely dry.”

“It’ll dry on its own.”

Then Se-han quickly picked up the towel Nam-woon had put down and came over to ask,

“Shall I dry it for you?”

“Sure.”

Nam-woon held back a laugh and sat on the floor with his legs crossed. Se-han covered Nam-woon’s head with the towel and rubbed the top of his head with his small hands. Nam-woon could feel the little hands moving. Regardless of whether his hair was getting properly dried, Nam-woon felt a bit better.

After rubbing with the towel, Se-han checked several times to see if the hair was dry and then seemed to give up and ask his brother for help.

“Hyung! Please dry Wooni Hyung’s hair!”

“Se-han, it’s okay. My hair is all dry now.”

Nam-woon said urgently, but Seo-oh, who had a hairdryer in hand, had already approached. Se-han stepped aside, and a warm breeze touched Nam-woon’s hair along with the sound of the hairdryer. And also Seo-oh’s large hand.

Except for the time when Deok-chil introduced him to a hair salon, Nam-woon had never had someone else dry his hair. Seo-oh’s fingers gently swept through Nam-woon’s scalp. Nam-woon turned his head several times, saying he was okay now, but each time he faced the hot wind directly in his face. Looking straight ahead again, Nam-woon thought,

Why are they like this today?

Ever since they entered the house, they have both been strangely kind. Next to him, Se-han was feeding Nam-woon jelly, one bite at a time.

“Is it delicious?”

“Yeah. Super delicious.”

“This has vitamins in it!”

“That’s really good, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. It relieves fatigue. It says so right here!”

Nam-woon smiled at the jelly bag Se-han showed him and slightly closed his eyes in the warm wind.

[Nam-woon]

[You need to run an errand]

It’s because of that he didn’t immediately check the message on the phone next to him.