By Zephyria “Jae-eon hyung, they said to come down for breakfast!”
A lively shout was heard from outside the room, along with the sound of thumping and running. In addition, a series of noisy conversations followed, such as, “Ah, don’t push!”, “What’s for breakfast today?”
It was a morning that would be unimaginable in Heavenly Land, where tranquility was considered etiquette. But it wasn’t bad, as it felt very much like the main office.
“Y-yeah, I’ll be out s-soon.”
Ki Jae-eon answered, putting away the letter he had been reading habitually. Then, he got up from his seat and approached the door. The process of reaching for the doorknob was very natural, like flowing water.
It meant that he was now that much more accustomed to life at the main office. It was truly a positive change. Above all, the biggest change was that the carrier that had been occupying one corner of the room had disappeared. Unlike when he was mired in lethargy, only taking out and using the necessary items, he now neatly organized his clothes in the closet and his books on the bookshelf. In particular, the letters he received from the children and the ointment that Kim Ju-won had given him were placed in the first drawer, within easy reach.
In addition, he always ate meals together now. Although his small appetite worried Aunt.
“Good m-morning, m-morn-ning.”
Now that he was at ease, it seemed that even the frequency of his stuttering had faintly decreased.
“Oh my! You look goo~d today too.”
When he arrived at the kitchen and greeted her, Aunt, who was ladling soup, turned her head and greeted him gently. Today it was seaweed soup. The savory smell stimulated his sense of smell. Before he knew it, the children had each taken a seat, and the surroundings became bustling.
“Hello.”
Taking advantage of the chaotic moment, Ahn Seo-myeong quickly took the seat next to Ki Jae-eon. Perhaps he wasn’t fully awake, as his already dazed eyes looked even more so than usual. Blink, blink. Sitting there blankly, he suddenly rested his head on Ki Jae-eon’s broad shoulder. The body heat that reached him was as warm as a baby kitten basking in the sunlight. Sleepy? When he asked awkwardly, he rubbed his eyes with a round fist instead of answering, and nodded faintly. He still seemed like a child. In particular, his tousled hair and slightly flushed cheeks made him look several times younger. …He must have slept soundly. Ki Jae-eon looked at the young face and slightly raised the corners of his lips.
“……”
“……?”
“Ah.”
Ahn Seo-myeong, who had been staring intently at Ki Jae-eon’s face, suddenly let out a sigh and hugged his knees to his chest. Then, he buried his face in between his knees. Ki Jae-eon was flustered by his suddenly curled-up body. Was he not feeling well? A sudden worry surged at the sight of the small creature looking unwell.
“D-does your stomach h-hurt?”
Then, he slightly lifted his head from between his knees, rolled his eyes, and slowly opened his mouth.
“No. I’m healthy.”
I’m too healthy, that’s the problem. He made a slightly pessimistic expression. His fidgeting toes also seemed somewhat anxious. Was he really okay? He wanted to ask more, but there was an atmosphere that seemed to discourage questions, so he gave up. Instead, he switched the bowls of soup. Whether Aunt had intentionally done it or not, only Ki Jae-eon’s seaweed soup was filled with plenty of beef.
Ki Jae-eon quietly placed his bowl of soup in front of Ahn Seo-myeong. Ahn Seo-myeong stared blankly at the bowl of soup placed in front of him, then secretly twitched his eyebrows without Ki Jae-eon noticing.
“They say a favor includes pork.”
Well, I hope it’s a hidden agenda. His muttering voice was tinged with playfulness.
“I’ll enjoy the meal, hyung.”
Ahn Seo-myeong picked up a large piece of beef and conveyed his greeting. However, the chopsticks were actually aimed at Ki Jae-eon’s lips. The beef was pushed against his tightly closed lips.
“Knock, knock.”
Ahn Seo-myeong folded his eyes into crescents and teased. It was that mischievous smile of his again.
“Open the door. The meat wants to go in.”
It was like something you would do to a child who was refusing to eat, so Ki Jae-eon didn’t know what to do. However, at Ahn Seo-myeong’s persistence, he lowered his gaze and slightly parted his lips.
“That’s right.”
Whether he was happy to be fed, Ahn Seo-myeong’s smile deepened a little more.
Anyway, that’s how the amicable mealtime began. Unlike the main house, where even the sound of utensils clashing was sensitive, the main office was filled with many sounds all mixed together. What was even more amazing was that no one seemed uncomfortable. Rather, they liked it. Aunt asked if the food she made today was too salty, and the children answered that it was delicious. Also, some of the children who had assignments shared their schedules while eating, and the children who were resting chattered about the dramas they had watched yesterday or their trivial daily lives. It was truly bustling. It felt like eating in the middle of a lively beach with the sun shining brightly.
Ki Jae-eon, who had difficulty adjusting in the beginning, now participated in the conversation quite naturally. When someone said, “You know-,” he would chew and swallow the food in his mouth thoroughly, rinse his mouth with water, and then answer, “Y-yeah.” Slowly but steadily.
And right now was such a situation.
“Hyungnim, are you really going to lend me that knit sweater?”
Lee Gyeong-hak asked, his eyes shining. Then, Ahn Seo-myeong, who was munching on his rice, turned his gaze to the two of them. He kept looking back and forth, as if trying to figure out what they were talking about.
“What knit sweater?”
Another child, unable to contain their curiosity, picked up a side dish and asked.
“Oh, Jae-eon hyung said he’d lend me some clothes. It’s Uncloming.”
“……?”
The children’s chatter, which had been close to a collective monologue, stopped all at once. After a brief silence, someone shouted out, representing the feelings of many of the children.
“Uncloming? The Uncloming I know?!”
“Wow.”
“Hey, that’s basically, wait, let me search. …Oh! Wow, hey~ the cheapest one is a hundred?”
“Oppa, are you crazy?”
“Yeah, Jae-eon. It doesn’t seem like something you should lend out carelessly.”
“If Lee Gyeong-hak has something on you, shake a carrot.”
“His lending class is different….”
“Are you really going to lend it?”
Ki Jae-eon nodded, feeling dazed by the sudden barrage of intense interest. Actually, he had said that they could just take it, but they were really burdened by that and vehemently refused, so he ended up lending it to them.
‘It’s not new clothes, it’s just lending clothes that I’ve worn.’
Ki Jae-eon was the one who found the children’s reactions strange. In fact, there was a reason why his sense of economics was shattered. First of all, his family was well-off, and his income was beyond imagination. It was only natural. The brand value that Ki Jae-eon possessed was already at the peak of the industry. Also, he didn’t really have any particular hobbies, so his wealth was accumulating to the point of explosion, and even when he did shop, he was buying Mystical Instruments that started at a basic hundred to a thousand units, so his spending was bound to be high. Above all, the Ki family had been teaching him since childhood that [You must use precious things to live preciously.] So, extravagance was not extravagance in Ki Jae-eon’s life. Luxury goods? Honestly, he barely knew any brands. To him, department stores were just places to buy ordinary household goods.
He just bought things because people around him said he had to buy them, wore things because they said he had to wear them, and ate things because they said he had to eat them.
In other words, he had grown up as a typical young master who didn’t understand the lives of ordinary people.
“H-hyung… no, the great Jae-eon hyungnim, if it’s not too much trouble, could you possibly lend me the sneakers you wore last time? I-I’ll wear them really neatly.”
“What kind of sneakers does Jae-eon hyung have?”
“Cudem. And even Donscano on the side.”
“Wow, that’s insane. I heard it’s hard to get… but is your foot size the same?”
“Does it matter? I’ll wear them even if I have to stretch my feet.”
“Crazy. Smart.”
“Gasp! Then I-.”
“Hyungnim, among the shoes you have, besides Cudem….”
The children’s eyes were turned inside out as they raised their hands and shouted, Me, me! Eventually, Jo Eun-ha, unable to watch any longer, stepped in to mediate. She warned the thieves who were coveting Ki Jae-eon’s belongings to stop being so greedy.
However, even with her anger, Ki Jae-eon asked with a rather cloudy expression, “E-Eun-ha, is there n-noth-thing you w-want?” causing Jo Eun-ha’s insides to burst. Jo Eun-ha opened her mouth wide and made a face that said, ‘Did I hear that wrong?’ Then, she grabbed the back of her neck as if her blood pressure had risen sharply and let out a loud scream, Ah!
“In my opinion, this oppa… really, really has a lot of problems.”
Some of the children who had been watching the situation also expressed their strong agreement.
“If we leave him alone, he’ll probably even guarantee someone’s debt.”
“Jae-eon probably wouldn’t even know he’s been scammed even if he was scammed.”
“Are all Geniuses like this? Besides their main job, they’re stu-, no. Du… um, ba-, haaa…. Okay.”
Even though she was frustrated, the child couldn’t bring herself to curse her idol and pursed her lips tightly.
Before they knew it, an inglorious public opinion had formed: ‘Ki Jae-eon, the clueless pushover.’ But Ki Jae-eon, the person in question, didn’t seem to care at all. Rather, he seemed happy that he could give something, and he was listening carefully to the brand names they were mentioning.
While the other children were arguing over whether to draw numbers or not, Ahn Seo-myeong, who had finished his bowl of rice all by himself, suddenly poked Ki Jae-eon’s arm.
“Hyung.”
Ki Jae-eon’s head turned. He wondered if Ahn Seo-myeong also needed something. Instead of mentioning a brand name, Ahn Seo-myeong glanced at the tissues in the distance with his characteristic lifeless eyes.
Ah, tissues?
Ki Jae-eon, understanding his intention, stretched out his long arm and pulled out two tissues, handing them to Ahn Seo-myeong. But instead of taking them, he just stared blankly.
“S-should I give you o-one more?”
Ahn Seo-myeong tilted his head. His black eyes stared intently at Ki Jae-eon for a long time. Then, he smiled, folding his eyes into crescents.
“Wipe.”
“……?”
“Wipe it for me.”
The accurate pronunciation was closer to ‘Wipe it fo’ me.’ But even for Ki Jae-eon, who was always lenient with Ahn Seo-myeong, wiping his mouth for him was too much. Apart from the fact that they were the same gender, he had never done or received such an embarrassing act in his life. Moreover, he had taken care of everything himself even in his earliest memories, so there was no need to say more.
But unfortunately, the fox-like younger one was difficult for the bear-like older one to beat. As if he had predicted Ki Jae-eon’s refusal in advance, Ahn Seo-myeong rubbed his forehead against his broad shoulder, making his throat vibrate before he could even react. His thin, abundant hair fluttered and gave off a pleasant scent.
Then, the words he had heard last time came to mind.
-‘He’s a baby.’
Ki Jae-eon suddenly felt like he was looking at a younger sibling and smiled faintly. The future Ahn Seo-myeong always called him ‘Exorcist Ki Jae-eon’ or ‘Ki Jae-eon-ssi,’ so he didn’t really feel like he was younger. Honestly, it was a little amazing. He was such a child now.
‘If the future you saw this, you might be disgusted.’
Ki Jae-eon’s heart softened. Then, he wondered what it would be like to have a real younger sibling. Would they be as cute and lovable as Ahn Seo-myeong? No, not necessarily. Thinking of his older brother, it didn’t seem so. His brother was……. Ki Jae-eon blinked once and quickly organized his thoughts. There wasn’t really any memory to compare with his brother.
So, he compromised with reality appropriately.
‘It’s not hard to wipe his mouth.’
He decided to just enjoy the present moment.
Ahn Seo-myeong must have been quite spoiled as a child. With this ridiculous misunderstanding in mind.
“S-should I p-poke out your l-lips?”
A pale hand with prominent blue veins picked up a tissue and carefully wiped Ahn Seo-myeong’s lips.
“Huh? Uh-huh.”
Well, whatever the case, Ahn Seo-myeong was happy.
He puckered his lips like a beak and fully enjoyed Ki Jae-eon’s affection, which he had coveted so much.