By Zephyria 
Side Story 3.
“You don’t know anything, Hyung!”
“Why are you talking to me like that again?!”
The heated voices of Haon and Seong-gu showed no signs of calming down. It was because their feelings of resentment had doubled in proportion to how happy they were to see each other.
“I don’t know. I’m not talking to you today.”
Blinking his reddened eyes rapidly, Haon turned his head toward the window. His voice, telling Seong-gu not to speak to him until tomorrow, was quite sharp.
Startled by this unfamiliar side of Haon, Seong-gu’s eyes widened, and he could only gape, lost for words. The gentle soul he once knew had completely changed after spending some time in Seoul.
“Are you… really Jung Haon? Are you actually my little brother?”
As he had declared, Haon did not respond. He even turned his back, signaling that he was finished with the conversation.
“I heard Omegas were sensitive.”
Genuinely flustered, Seong-gu accidentally let his inner thoughts slip. At this, Haon’s eyes grew as wide as full moons in shock.
“Hyung, don’t say things like that in public. That’s a prejudice.”
This time, Seong-gu seemed to realize his mistake and merely scratched his cheek. Having never actually met an Omega in his life, the words had come out unfiltered.
On the day Haon told him he was returning to the countryside, he had confessed to his brother that he had manifested as an Omega.
Seong-gu had accepted the fact much more calmly than Haon had feared. He had simply told him to come home quickly, saying he was worried to death and wanted to see him first.
Reflected in the dark window, Haon’s face looked as if he were on the verge of bursting into tears. However, he held them back until the end, swallowing hard against the ache in his throat. His throat hurt from shouting so loudly, something he rarely did.
“Drink some water.”
Glancing at the clearing-his-throat Haon, Seong-gu handed him a water bottle. When Haon didn’t take it and instead gripped his seatbelt tighter, Seong-gu forced it into his arm.
“I brought this for you to drink.”
Only then did Haon take the bottle. The water in the transparent plastic container was yellowish. When he opened the cap, the savory scent of barley tea wafted out.
Seong-gu’s family only drank home-brewed barley tea like this instead of plain water. As a child, Haon had occasionally visited Seong-gu’s house just because he wanted to drink this tea. After savoring the memory triggered by a single water bottle, he spoke.
“Do Auntie and Uncle know too…? That I manifested.”
“They all know. Didn’t you tell me so that I could let them know in advance?”
That wasn’t it. The disappointment in Haon’s eyes deepened.
“I told you first because I was worried you’d be surprised….”
“Then you should have told me sooner. Right when you manifested.”
A sigh mixed with Seong-gu’s low voice.
“How could you not tell me something that important? Does it make sense that you hid it for over a year, not even a week? Aren’t we family?”
Overwhelmed by the last question, Haon lightly grabbed Seong-gu’s forearm. The skin touching his palm was rough. It was a completely different sensation from In-ho’s.
“I’m sorry, Hyung.”
With these sturdy arms, Seong-gu had always carried the young Haon on his back, exploring the entire village together. To Haon, he was like a father, a brother, and his only friend.
“If you keep secrets from your brother again, I won’t let it slide. Don’t you dare do it again.”
“I absolutely won’t. I’ll tell you everything from now on. I promise.”
Seong-gu pulled Haon into a tight hug with one arm. As if he had been waiting for it, Haon leaned against Seong-gu’s shoulder.
“I’m really sorry.”
“Since you’ve come back healthy, I’ll forgive you.”
“Yeah, I’ve gotten a lot healthier. I’m different from before.”
That was something Seong-gu acknowledged. He had expected Haon to return looking haggard. He assumed that a frail boy who had endured life alone in an unfamiliar city would be exhausted.
However, as if to shatter his worries, Haon had rushed toward the truck with a brighter expression than ever. Seong-gu had been surprised to see him hopping up and down like a frog; Haon had never been that energetic even as a child.
As Seong-gu ruffled Haon’s hair, which had become much softer, he suddenly narrowed his eyes.
Haon smelled of a scent he had never encountered before, not the usual smell of soap. Come to think of it, the clothes he was wearing all looked quite expensive.
Even to someone like Seong-gu, who had zero interest in fashion, they seemed extraordinary. Seong-gu glanced at the cargo bed through the side mirror and twisted the corner of his mouth. When In-ho’s grinning face came to mind, his eyes wrinkled.
The man seemed too perfect, which made him even more suspicious. He needed to keep a closer eye on him.
“Sleep separately today.”
“Huh?”
“Let that guy sleep at your place, and you come to mine.”
Haon’s jaw dropped. He tried to shout, “Hyung!”, but was silenced by a flick to the forehead before he could. This one actually hurt.
“Jung Haon.”
Using a stern voice, Seong-gu continued while keeping his eyes fixed forward.
“It’s been a long time since you’ve seen your brother. Don’t make me feel more neglected.”
“But still….”
Cowering at his brother’s unusually firm expression, Haon mumbled.
“It’s In-ho’s first night here, how can he be alone….”
Seong-gu didn’t respond and shut his mouth. It was an expression that left Haon with no choice but to give in.
Ultimately, Haon gave up on persuading his brother. He let out a loud, discouraged sigh on purpose so his brother could hear, but it was useless. Until they arrived home, Seong-gu’s tightly closed lips did not open an inch.
Haon leaned against the window with a heavy heart. He had believed that Seong-gu would like In-ho once they actually met.
He felt terribly sorry to In-ho for letting him be treated so coldly from the very first day. To be ignored rather than welcomed the moment he arrived.
He closed his eyes tight, recalling In-ho’s hand after the handshake was rejected. That white hand, hovering awkwardly in the air for a few seconds, felt like it would haunt his dreams.
How embarrassed must he have been?
As he remembered In-ho’s worried expression before Seong-gu arrived, heat gathered in his eyes again. But he forced back the tears. Since he was the only person In-ho could lean on here, he had to stay strong.
“Just drop off your luggage.”
Seong-gu spoke firmly as he stopped the car in front of Haon’s gate. Nodding, Haon stepped out of the car alone, pressing his lips together.
What should I say to In-ho? Patting his pounding chest, he headed toward the cargo bed. In-ho was hoisting the luggage over his shoulder one by one.
“In-ho, give those to me.”
Haon rushed over and stretched out his arms. In-ho handed him the lightest bag and climbed down from the truck. Fortunately, his expression was the same as before.
“It was uncomfortable, wasn’t it? The floor was hard.”
“No, I actually liked it. It felt like I was going for a drive.”
In-ho reassured Haon with a bright smile. It didn’t seem like he was pretending; he genuinely seemed to have enjoyed it. His voice sounded a bit lighter, too.
“Is this your house, Haon?”
In-ho’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the low gate. Just by standing there, the layout of the house beyond the gate was clearly visible. Haon nodded with a bashful face, his lips trembling.
“Um, In-ho….”
He couldn’t bring himself to say that In-ho would have to sleep here alone tonight. But he couldn’t just leave the angry Seong-gu alone either.
“Is your stomach okay, Haon?”
As Haon hesitated, In-ho took a step closer. Haon had felt a bit motion-sick just before getting off the bus. In-ho had asked then, and it seemed he was worried again after the short truck ride.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Nothing else bothering you?”
In-ho checked his condition as he always did, gently touching Haon’s forehead and neck. Whenever Haon returned from a crowded place or spent a long time outside, In-ho would always check his complexion like this.
Haon told him he was fine with a spirited face. He was perfectly healthy from head to toe. Strangely, his stamina had improved from the moment he decided to return home.
“Then sleep at your brother’s house today. Don’t worry about me.”
Haon blinked at the soft, low voice.
“It’s been a long time since you’ve seen him. He must have worried about you a lot.”
The smiling face suggesting this was infinitely bright. Despite that, Haon couldn’t easily feel relieved.
“Will you be okay sleeping alone…?”
“Of course.”
In-ho answered lightly with a chuckle. However, Haon warned him with a dead-serious face.
“It might be a little scary being alone at night. It’s very dark and quiet.”
“I prefer that much more than bright and noisy.”
In-ho, who had been about to kiss him out of habit, stepped back, mindful of the passenger window. From the driver’s seat, Seong-gu was watching him with eyes blazing. It felt as if he would jump out and drag Haon away the moment they kissed.
“Then… just for today, sleep separately. I’ll come as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”
“Yes, that sounds good.”
Haon gave In-ho a brief introduction to the house as they entered together. Although he was worried, he felt a bit more at ease thanks to In-ho speaking first.
“This… is my house.”
The moment he opened the gate and stepped into the yard, his voice grew slightly smaller.
“…….”
After staring for a moment at the wooden platform where his grandmother used to sit, he walked toward the porch with brisk steps.
“The bathroom is on the right. To turn on the light, just pull the white string on the ceiling hard. Like this.”
He explained diligently, mimicking the action of pulling the string. In-ho listened intently, taking in the sight of Haon.
“Use the flashlight when you go to the bathroom at night. I always leave it here.”
Pointing to the flashlight in its usual spot, Haon paused as he looked at the wooden floor. Surprisingly, there was no dust at all. Come to think of it, the yard was also clean, as if someone had swept it.
The inside of the house was the same. It was evident that it hadn’t just been a superficial cleaning, but that every nook and cranny had been meticulously tidied.
Haon’s Adam’s apple bobbed rapidly. His eyes began to well up again.
“Ahem, you can turn on the room light with this switch. Oh, and you can put your luggage wherever is comfortable-.”
Haon couldn’t finish his sentence. As In-ho, who had been following him, stepped onto the porch, he suddenly pressed his lips against Haon’s.
The luggage slipped from Haon’s weakened grip and rolled across the floor. In-ho gently pushed it aside with his foot and wrapped his arm around Haon’s slender waist.
Pressing their upper bodies firmly together, he filled Haon’s small mouth with his own.
Pushed back by the force, Haon’s back soon hit the wall. Haon moved his tongue in response to In-ho, tilting his chin up. Without a moment to think, a passionate kiss followed.
As In-ho’s breath flowed into him, the emotions swirling inside Haon melted away. To Haon, it felt like a miracle.
“Haa….”
In-ho released his lips just before Haon ran out of breath.
He showered Haon with light bird-kisses, peppering his wet lips, the bridge of his nose, his eyes, and his forehead.
Only after the corners of Haon’s mouth curled up did he release his grip on his waist. Then, he pressed his lips to Haon’s ear and whispered.
“See you tomorrow. I’ll wait patiently.”