By Zephyria 
It was a rare day off. Eun-myeong folded all the completed cast nets and stuffed them into a black bundle. The bundle puffed up considerably. It felt quite heavy, and his heart felt full along with it. He stepped outside and slowly headed toward the shore.
The seawater always breathed out a salty scent. It surged gloomily, tinged with a deep blue light. Whenever he watched it in silence, a needless sense of anxiety would often creep into his heart.
“…….”
Eun-myeong walked slowly along the pier, passing the docked boats one by one. Just a little further, he would reach the boat that bought cast nets.
“Oh, Hyung!”
He heard someone calling him from a distance. When he looked up, a boy with deeply tanned skin was waving his hand vigorously. It was Yong-hee. He was the youngest son of the Fisherman Ahjussi who bought the cast nets. Yong-hee ran toward him with a look of great delight.
“Huff, huff… Hyung, when did you get here?”
“Just now….”
Yong-hee quickly reached him and took the bundle. He peeked inside at the cast nets and grinned. A snaggletooth poked out.
“You knitted a hell of a lot of nets. Trying to get rich quick?”
Feeling awkward, Eun-myeong rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.
“Yeah, I had some time left, so I knitted more.”
In truth, even when he felt like he was dying of exhaustion after returning home from work, he had rubbed his eyes raw to make them. He had to plug the holes in his living expenses somehow. He had gritted his teeth and knitted, and knitted, and knitted again.
“Ooh, Eun-myeong Hyung, make lots of money and buy Yong-hee some chicken~”
Yong-hee acted cute, just as one would expect from a pampered youngest child.
‘…Chicken?’
Eun-myeong carefully calculated his finances. If it was chicken from the market, he could settle it for 8,000 won per bird. The problem was that Yong-hee was in his growth spurt and ate a lot. He would have to buy at least three birds, but his wallet was already riddled with holes this month.
Under these circumstances, it was tight just to put food in his own mouth, but as an older brother, it felt shameful and embarrassing that he couldn’t even buy a bit of chicken. Instead, Eun-myeong made a small promise.
“I’ll buy it for you on your birthday.”
“Really? I’m gonna eat like five birds, okay?”
Yes, Eun-myeong nodded slowly, telling him to do so.
“Score!”
Yong-hee chuckled and adjusted his grip on the bundle. On Yong-hee’s lean forearms, there were quite sturdy muscles. He must have naturally developed functional muscle from going out on the boat every dawn with his father.
…Wait, is he wearing a school uniform?
Eun-myeong stared intently at Yong-hee. He usually wore nothing but a shabby T-shirt, but for some reason, today he was in a white shirt. There was a beige check pattern inside the collar.
“Ah, why are you staring so hard?”
Yong-hee’s noticeably dark earlobes turned strangely red.
“I think it’s the first time I’ve seen you in a uniform,” Eun-myeong murmured faintly. “It looks good on you.”
He couldn’t even remember when he had last touched a school uniform. The last time was in middle school, so it had been nearly five years. It felt novel and cool, so Eun-myeong stole glances at him. He only took in small amounts at a time, fearing that if he looked too envious, Yong-hee would feel burdened.
“Ah, I fucking hate going to school.”
Yong-hee pretended to stretch, subtly showing off his broad shoulders.
“My dad said he’d give me a boat once I get my diploma.”
As he muttered this, Yong-hee stole a glance at Eun-myeong.
His face was one that naturally drew a gasp of surprise. Damn, how could someone living in a rural seaside village have such fair skin? He wondered if he never went to a hair salon; although his hairstyle was a bit nerdy, his hair texture was good and appealing. It was as if he had one of those “angel rings” people talk about.
“I can steer the boat now even without my father.”
Eun-myeong nodded. His eyes were so clear and sparkling that he looked just like a puppy. The light dusting of freckles on his cheeks looked like he was acting cute, making him fucking pretty and cute…
His limbs were slender and lean, making him look like an Omega to anyone, but the fact that he was a Beta was also pleasing. Because if some Alpha came along and snatched him away, there would be no solution.
But if he really were an Omega, his scent would have been killer… Eun-myeong sniffed. A subtle, pleasant body scent brushed the tip of his nose. What should he call it, a floral scent? But not a cheap smell like a bathroom air freshener; this was the real deal. What adults call the genuine article. Eun-myeong felt his heart race.
“They say if I go out on the boat, I can make at least a thousand a month.”
“Ooh….”
Even though he was bragging openly, the only response was a soft “ooh” of admiration. Every time this happened, Yong-hee wondered, Ah, fuck, is this the charm of someone older?
“Hyung, don’t you think I’ve grown a bit taller?”
Eun-myeong turned his head and looked up at Yong-hee. That gentle, upward gaze—just that one look made Yong-hee’s heart sink. His solar plexus felt maddeningly ticklish.
“Yeah, I think you have.”
Yong-hee cheered inwardly. It felt like the heart of a kid who had just kicked a soccer ball perfectly into the goal in front of a girl he liked. The other brats in his class were desperate to win over girls, but for some reason, Yong-hee’s antenna was entirely tuned to this side.
Before they knew it, they reached the destination boat. Yong-hee climbed onto the rocking vessel. The captain, who had been hauling in a net, straightened his back.
“Hello,” Eun-myeong bowed his head slightly.
“You’re here? Let’s see.”
The fisherman pulled some bills out of his daily collection bag, counted a few, and handed them to Yong-hee. Yong-hee quickly took them and passed them to Eun-myeong.
“Here, Hyung.”
Only then did Eun-myeong give a soft smile.
“Thank you.”
His small front teeth appeared and disappeared beneath plump, red lips. Does he smile like that for a mere sixty thousand won? But why is he so blunt about ten million won? He could have just said he couldn’t buy the chicken, yet despite being so poor he couldn’t even throw away his holed slippers, he promises to buy it for him.
When the birthday comes, this Hyung will keep his promise. By then, I’ll be an adult; I wonder if I’ll be able to hold that hand.
“I’ll go now.”
As Eun-myeong turned to leave, Yong-hee reached out and grabbed Eun-myeong’s wrist.
“Hyung, we’re grilling meat, so come eat at my house before you go.”
Eun-myeong shook his head slightly.
“It’s okay…. I already ate.”
Already ate, my ass. Yong-hee quickly jumped off the boat. He strode forward, dragging his stylishly worn sneakers.
“Then I’ll walk you home.”
“No, I….”
Eun-myeong’s large, bead-like eyes rolled to the side. His face looked as if he were momentarily lost in thought.
“I, uh, have an appointment.”
Yong-hee’s face crumpled. To anyone, that looked like the expression of someone making up an excuse. Feeling grumpy for no reason, he let his mouth run.
“What appointment? Hyung, you don’t have any friends. My mom said that Eun-joo noona is also currently….”
Then, realizing he had made a mistake, he clamped his mouth shut. Eun-myeong’s eyes were wide open.
“…….”
“…….”
A low silence flowed between the two.
“Has the rumor spread?” Eun-myeong asked softly.
In a tiny village, people knew everything—how many spoons were in the neighbor’s house, how many pillows there were, and even which direction they were facing.
Eun-myeong felt a sharp pull at the back of his neck. It had already reached Yong-hee. This meant Jjangja would find out soon; this was a real problem. If he couldn’t pay the money back, he might be beaten to death. He was the kind of bastard who would beat someone with a cue stick if things went south while playing billiards.
“Hyung, I really, it’s not like that….”
Yong-hee looked visibly flustered, stomping his sneakers on the ground.
“Ah, fuck, why did I say that…. I’m a fucking idiot.”
Eventually, he even started slapping his own mouth with his palm.
“Don’t hit yourself so hard.”
Eun-myeong shook his head slightly, saying it was okay, that there was no need for that. Yong-hee didn’t need to be sorry for anything. It was all true anyway.
“I have some more cast nets to finish, so I have to get back quickly.”
He only got 2,000 won per net, so even if he made five, he’d only get 10,000 won, but that was still something.
“Ah, Hyung….”
Yong-hee stomped his feet. He seemed unable to find a place for his body in his guilt over the slip of the tongue. Eun-myeong let a word slip.
“It’s okay.”
He wasn’t just saying it; he was truly okay. This wasn’t enough to leave a scratch on his heart.
“I’m going.”
He turned his back and trudged away. He felt a gaze on him from behind, but he didn’t bother looking back. He felt that Yong-hee would only feel more sorry.
On the way home.
Eun-myeong passed countless houses. Laughter burst out from windows lit with yellow light. Since it was dinner time, families were likely gathered together eating.
…What should I eat?
He had spent a whole month weaving cast nets until his fingers were blistered, but all he had in his hand was a mere 60,000 won.
Luxury was forbidden. To buy something to roughly soothe his hunger, Eun-myeong stopped briefly at Stork Supermarket.
“Hello.”
“Yeah,” the Mister greeted him. As he picked up two packs of ramen and headed to the counter, something caught Eun-myeong’s eye.
‘Wow….’
Perhaps because the weather was cold, there was a steamed bun warmer in the supermarket. The white steam made them look warm and inviting at a glance. The buns looked incredibly warm and chewy.
“Planning to get by with ramen again today?”
He heard the supermarket Mister’s voice from beside him. He had been caught drooling pathetically while looking at the steamed buns. Eun-myeong’s head bowed low, like a ripened stalk of rice.
“I had a late lunch, so I don’t have much of an appetite.”
Despite the natural excuse, the Mister’s eyes were full of pity, as if he found the situation heartbreaking.
“Want a steamed bun?”
“No, I’m really full.”
Eun-myeong’s nose tingled for no reason. He was grateful for the offer alone. He felt a surge of emotion that someone would readily show kindness even though his appearance was so shabby.
“Thank you.”
Still, a thing was a thing. His noona had always told him that even if they were poor, they shouldn’t live by being a nuisance to others.
Eun-myeong paid and trudged out of the supermarket. He thought of the steamed buns for a moment, but he couldn’t spend money recklessly in this situation. He moved his feet quickly, as if shaking off the lingering desire. He planned to go home quickly and boil some ramen.
Finally, the front gate of his house began to appear in the distance.
“…Why is the door…?”
Eun-myeong’s heart crashed and broke. The door was boldly open—wide, very wide open. His slow, plodding footsteps gradually quickened.