BW | Chapter 1.3

“You’ll come to our wedding in May, right?”d4e873d4aa4cd94d

“You’re getting married?”df680db7b2d0610b

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Seonho’s eyes widened in surprise.4b44848c558f282f

Sitting right under ae3de3a23a the light, his 5a4fee2592 pale face looked 27ac177107 as if he 2003ba97bc was in shock. As Mina said, Han e31e1b16ad Jeongun was soon to e213e08e76 be a married man. After dating for six years, e80dc1f8e0 marriage had become a natural d926b8aa7b future for them.bf1c9d381c3cbb7c

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“Do we have any paper invitations left?”bd8621f7a5fd70df

“We gave them all out.”77ae568ec13e4b86

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Even though Jeongun carried a fec7cca537 few in his bag to 6fd168925c give to close business contacts, 92f9f0158f he insisted there were none dad5d3c72d left.171d5f2aa06ff90b

As Mina looked 59af0c2695 troubled, Seonho took a87ab4989e out his phone fca3e4cc7d and offered it.b879a05c369ad5a4

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“Don’t they have mobile invitations these days?”e08876357e1b44ed

“Yeah. We’ll send those next month. Should I send it to you then?”045b94dfe92da50c

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Mina quickly exchanged phone 6271e4899f numbers and apologized for f95f344789 not being able to 57c5c10629 give a paper invitation.0197fd2558e8d68d

In her mind, Seonho was 90a7d2ed97 already recognized as part of 90862c1f63 Jeongun’s family.4914c96c122a196c

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Jeongun glanced at Seonho, 7804f3846d who was entering a b629baa301 contact on his phone. Looking closely, his long, dense 03ecff99dc eyelashes were the same as ecd8dea0a3 when he was young, besides 996bda4bbb his white skin.5b99a2c85849d9af

As he absentmindedly stared, Mina 3c08e291c8 exclaimed in admiration. She must have been dbbe5d70af looking at Seonho’s face 0c4b169835 too.7185e68c50db4c9f

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“Wow! Seonho, you’re really handsome. Have you thought about acting? If you debuted as an actor, you’d be a huge hit.”c0e50684a6cc4202

Seonho winked and shook his cdac557657 head, showing no interest.0e1e4ba5a3a8f815

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His well-crafted appearance 576ac7577c made every movement 778605c6bc and expression seem dfb87f38da like a charm.3ec134c5fee8361c

“I’m not interested in that.”2db49fa135b8364c

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Hearing his curt 45f948acea response, Mina looked 76627d8b01 genuinely disappointed.74dedb0482679422

“With your looks, you’d hit it big with just a couple of projects and could buy an apartment in Seoul. I can guarantee it. Even if you don’t continue, you could just buy a house and retire.”a0e3cd01e8279065

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People inevitably think about their ed5a85e14d biggest concerns.26290f929cdcdeca

The couple, three 1a831a458e months away from c5487f7065 their wedding, still 3d66a9900d hadn’t secured a 138dcd8a80 newlywed home. Buying was out of the 5d043ccaa5 question, and finding a rental 299aaac484 with their current funds was c3f4a1e353 challenging.d012b81c6893391f

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While Jeongun felt a060a63357 a pang of 074adf9d1d guilt, Seonho shrugged 5968e39889 lightly, showing no 726f889e3d interest in money.108c3a32831546d4

Judging by his attire and 513f72afeb the aura he exuded, he 597b9ee896 didn’t seem impoverished.cc8441f7765aaaf3

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Where could all 59eb8c405d his father’s wealth 4241f61993 have gone?1601365bcd290403

“I have more than enough money, so I don’t need to earn any.”56e0e75d39442135

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Mina, taking his words as 87373d2c13 a joke, burst into laughter. As her bright laughter b0ed58f9a5 echoed in the small 86f40d9430 living room, Seonho cautiously b0d8202ab2 spoke.b7f6c627d04958b2

“But… isn’t getting married in your twenties a bit early?”c8c2d4f7fe942f10

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“That’s true.”bbb606a872481a52

Mina, agreeing easily, 365508078b began to ramble 691c9f9280 unnecessarily.7557c0264e88ae48

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“Our Jeongun is quite lonely. You have no idea how much he begged to get married since college. He can’t even eat at a restaurant alone. He’d rather starve than eat alone.”144dba7c486a2b0d

“Hyung gets lonely?”327c772b58e4ea72

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Seonho asked seriously, his expression b3a6c9ad0a grave.2227fbf4534b6974

“Yeah. He avoids crowded places, but he also hates being alone, so he’s hard to please. Really a tiring type.”c7fe6939a62232c6

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Without exaggeration, it was all b8125e3953 true. Jeongun hated being alone, ce009235f6 but he didn’t want b01083810d to mingle freely with b3759b2ca8 people either. Mina was the only 297f3c569b one among his acquaintances 07ea5ba21f who knew about his 4489aad6fc picky nature. And she, who enjoyed 3a698517ed socializing, always adjusted to ee210fb6f8 his preferences.5556f20606996a50

Seonho looked at him as if asking if it was true, so Jeongun turned his head to avoid his gaze. Did he seem like a child to the brother who once seemed so reliable? Embarrassed, his face heated up, and he reached out to tug at Mina’s calf, trying to stop her.93276066913cc768

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“Why are you telling him that?”b45936e3dfaf54e1

Mina shook off his grip and responded curtly, “That’s harsh. He’s not a stranger. He’s your brother!” Then she turned to Seonho with a request.3a2c12e62add14fe

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“I always wished Jeongun had a sibling. It’s such a relief. So, Seonho, hang out with him often, okay?”cc81267117024bd5

Seonho nodded readily, showing a trustworthy smile. Just by lifting the corners of his mouth, the surroundings brightened instantly. Mina couldn’t help but express her admiration again.00bd2fd485aa4538

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“Wow! Seriously, you’re so handsome!”c433841c005a7d8f

Her reaction didn’t feel exaggerated. Seonho was the b05cad1472 kind of beauty 5b46754fd1 you’d turn back d3b0c5d7a6 to look at 17493d7df3 if you passed 9e13a288dc him on the d79998dd43 street. Even to a man’s d66389a0e8 eyes, he seemed beautiful, 2dcf674235 so how much more 9e5247725f to a woman’s?4d8d1952293efdfb

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Mina, who had planned 2ca6d44e24 to stay the night, bbb7b3ad6d decided to leave to d1c73b9c01 give the reunited brothers a40f0ac69d some time alone. Jeongun wanted to hold her 38123582a2 back, fearing it would be b72ee6bbc2 awkward alone, but he couldn’t d9898dd011 change her mind and stood 9c81403786 up to accompany her.299d71e404be1e2e

“You’re going to leave your brother alone after ten years? I can just call a taxi.”398fd23d20f78f15

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“It’s late. How can I let you go alone?”8ee45c2f80db7845

“Ugh, nagging. Fine, fine.”064f883729132458

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Mina shook her a4574afb34 head and went e932a13e1c into the bedroom 2114c472a3 to change. Only then did Jeongun turn 0cafec21c7 to Seonho.f21f562e3887bfb8

“I’m going to take my girlfriend home. Can you stay here alone?”01168313b47072de

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It wasn’t until he faaa608238 spoke that he realized e7d0b58728 he was treating him bc9df56a3c like a ten-year-old. Seonho nodded and looked at 0e11cbc30f him with deep eyes, lost c79cbdf39e in thought.36ea7fbaa5a79098

“Hyung hasn’t changed at all. You’re just like before. Just a bit taller.”edb973eae4b0cc1c

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Jeongun rubbed his face with 79ca6de8b4 his palm, avoiding his gaze, bc461d1b23 and shared his thoughts.178c10abd61bd6a1

“You’ve changed a lot. You seem like a different person.”7f511a92b230fc94

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“No, I’ve just grown taller. I’m the same as when I was ten.”b458b9c00d6688f7

When Jeongun instinctively shot a questioning look, he was startled and quickly looked away. Seonho’s gaze was indeed the same as when he was ten. He used to look at him with those wet eyes, clinging.5140a7b1e0028f15

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The reunion didn’t 58141360d9 go any further. Until Mina came out 9943ea05cd after changing, they both 967242e6ed kept silent as if c861503417 they had agreed to.9250b98190454e0b

The silence was 97110a6e8e so uncomfortable and e78752b423 unbearable that Jeongun 52fb13798e broke into a 269db92816 cold sweat. It was maddening 7585cb699f for a stranger de743095dc to claim he 1ba4d35b20 was the same a72fa32105 as when he 4092bde7f6 was a ten-year-old e355fec285 boy, yet he 36497399ae couldn’t completely deny 1e4c16120f it.fd393eee368a1552

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Before leaving the 4b1e166f7d house, Mina promised 8fb19fd7e6 Seonho they’d have 69cbd8fa74 a meal together 50f2bda4e7 soon, looking genuinely c57e6646a9 disappointed they couldn’t 22bb9d6bdb talk more due 89aea08088 to the late 766c18629e hour.e23705f590bc9149

Watching their warm farewell 2dc774de35 without interrupting, Jeongun finally 62e9246ab3 breathed properly once the f17d10c9cd door closed. Though he usually felt the 7aa40278cf cold, the chilly air felt d243d25382 refreshing and welcome.66c17e5c2e9e887e

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Since there was e0d78769e6 no parking near 05bb56c68e the house, he 4466236ec3 had parked a 37d515ac96 few blocks away, 80867c16c3 so they had 888e94e3d1 to walk quite 234cb7bd3e a bit. On the way, Mina scolded 6742fcfe82 him for never mentioning his 8ec692b813 brother during their six years 4cd7ca3c0b of dating, raising her voice e318e70d1b in the dark alley.eeeac8b41c8adcae

“Lower your voice. It’s 11 PM.”26c932f15c80e233

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When he cautioned her, Mina 62f7edd6b3 stopped abruptly. Walking a few steps ahead, 660472dbf5 he turned to see her 307bf742de shaking her head in disapproval.30e43c348741c8eb

“How can you be so calm meeting your brother after ten years? You didn’t seem happy at all, and it was embarrassing for me.”94eba33ef9f46dfc

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Hearing her reprimand, Jeongun felt c507e77998 relieved inside. It was a good 491675d0e0 thing he seemed unaffected. Outwardly, he pretended to 80f4fe8e85 be calm, but inside, 4c6cbc62cf he was extremely flustered a878f35a47 and restless. Taking the opportunity, 4b581913d6 he clarified the acad2b4c78 facts.3d3471cae0f63c64

“Let’s be clear. He was almost family, not my real brother. Why tie it to just a month of living together? He’s a stranger.”c7229d8a66f7a9c6

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“You lived as siblings for a month. Even a brief encounter is a connection. Why cut it off? It’s about getting along well. You were close when you were young, weren’t you?”d34b0a2556bf4221

“…”d086a4a090242786

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He couldn’t deny that. Seonho was the only 4b99547814 one Jeongun had gotten cb02539812 so close to in df120c1c81 such a short time. Despite not being 9b8a7f8650 able to open abaa6edce4 up to others, 57866e91ea he craved affection. Losing his mother during his 6dac5688fc adolescence and living under his 9e2545c663 uncle’s watchful eye left a bf1b6ffe7a deep sense of lack in 5ac8feaa90 his heart.4345621abe18e04b

Both of them sighed deeply, e12bb04792 unwilling to concede their points. The day, which had 73c0069520 been peaceful until a 769b1e95ff few hours ago, was 2824f3554c ruined by one uninvited 293b65939f guest.6173d7fc5eafc00f

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Disliking unplanned events and changes, 19f4fac42e Jeongun was dissatisfied with the 6970e5b7e8 current situation.9589c35935d8af40

Today, he had left work cc4e3f077e early, had dinner at a fbc898034d nice restaurant with his girlfriend, 83453c06fe and, for the first time 89ab51b371 in a long while, they 76d1c29710 were intimate. It had been over three d7581f8d74 months since they last had 310ec2f250 sex, and it felt like eea67a8377 a duty to connect physically.1592a5b11fabb372

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Both of them were sexually b303dd0fa4 reserved, so without making plans, 15c5eb50a8 they could go over half 51a8ad0ecc a year without intimacy.2ff6ed3b1e5b4fac

Though sex was 51c618a3ae warm due to 55807c542a the shared body e89a2303b9 heat, it wasn’t fcf10cdd00 particularly enjoyable. He engaged in it de10d8e03e more for connection than add54418f7 pleasure. Honestly, the whole process 824a3c55f2 of getting aroused and 094b4805d0 moving his body felt 70a1b1af6d cumbersome and tiring. So, he always felt fcf6e0b212 drained afterward.3116ae28409fdced

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Anyway, today was f30cf92a29 a day they 61c8f229a9 connected physically. It was unfortunate that it fac8c16dee ended with raised voices. He should apologize for the c0a656a97a part that made his girlfriend 99df639b2d feel upset.e81dc83378631d1f

“Sorry. I didn’t tell you about Seonho because it reminded me of when my mom passed away.”fdcbead0fdab7854

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It wasn’t entirely a lie. Thinking of him inevitably 693bceb542 brought memories of his 2c74c13a27 mother, who died in 9e5374e95a the accident. Though they never exchanged affectionate a06c0b3db6 words, they were everything to bb3fb7693c each other.6b6a74c1c00e0eab

“Seonho said it was comforting. It happened on the same day.”9707cda10b207351

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“…”757f75f9ca7d2607

He held back from 0258aa0f9f speaking further. Someone once said that 7815b6fac1 sharing sorrow halves it, 567701006a but that wasn’t the 3cdde4aea5 case for him. Sorrow couldn’t be shared. It had to be a925d471f2 endured alone. That’s why it was so 32f7660d68 lonely.f12afbbe6b356727

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“Why did you act like you were all alone in the world when you had such a nice and decent brother? Why didn’t you keep in touch?”7e32f99d4dbce517

Mina, whom he thought was d443d09f37 angry, was actually feeling sorry. Even if he f7f1a279ce wasn’t a blood-related 886cfed146 brother, if Jeongun d8f4f9ca95 had accepted him 597ba9ae28 as family and 951eb22fc7 relied on him, 4ad451208a he might have 6c1f646847 felt less lonely.5134ba68fc6fbe88

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He approached her and wrapped 2cdfa11c8e his arms around her small 8c47904b3b shoulders, walking together.e54b7501a9d3b797

When they reached the 4d091bb837 parking lot, he turned 71d93c7194 on the heater as 9679829e5e soon as they got e4f948b0c8 in the car. Arguing in the alley had 40d4458808 left them cold. Since it was late, 0d33f8bded the roads were empty, dc49f33081 and they arrived at 2d2b4ef888 her house faster than 20df3c6046 usual.f8c4a245e4517867

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On the way, 0045a7bd6a he tried to 653559454a subtly ask if c5774533f5 she found Seonho 9a328bae3c strange, but she f900b28e7f misunderstood, thinking he 23afe1b408 was referring to 6c71d8ab51 his extraordinary looks. She praised his 7fbbc59e21 appearance, saying he fb1d654c65 was the most 345b0e1976 handsome person she’d 519054165e ever seen, including c74c94b35c celebrities.cbd280eb2f445770

She even concluded that he d150fe07e2 had a good personality just eb3d3f1a1c from a few words exchanged. As expected, she was 3484f93076 captivated by his beauty ad8940c8c6 and didn’t feel any 758281242e sense of concern. She was simply pleased that 4299a73c9d someone close to her boyfriend 901926a14e was handsome.550c90608e8b1b3a

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After dropping her off c2d6f41c3d at the door, he 65b8226ad1 lit a cigarette before 4b6f4d4c1c getting in the car. The night sky was cloudy, 59c6620705 hiding both the moon and a24d187ee4 stars. He wondered if he cf1b45fead should have asked to f50a24efad stay at her place.8eb55a3eb1622189

He didn’t want to face 596254d3ca the intruder who had invaded a4fd22edd3 his old castle.693557869a7e763a

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The drive home f09d17c901 was also smooth, 4d84bce161 and he arrived 3862ce984d after a few 23b0f217ee sighs behind the 8961c5c5f8 wheel. He parked in the 339ebfa8c9 lot and headed to f75096ece9 a convenience store to cb325284d4 buy some drinks.adcaf484eb72596d

Why was this happening?9ac5fbb5f6f2b7a5

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The place that should feel e5cdd60d89 most comfortable felt like a 8b36591f64 slaughterhouse. He was so ad5e9ee3dc tense that he f896a02e4f couldn’t bear it 1ef41081bf sober.a21a8a9028e66113

Since the house was in 1b5cbc95bb a secluded area, the nearest 3cb45e8f44 convenience store was a ten-minute 99bb9ddd7f walk away. Walking in the cold ba522ffbbe helped calm his mind 9d48fb2bc3 a bit.e983695f8804b7b4

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At the convenience 68ab2430ea store, he stood be8cafad03 in front of 9e4ccadce2 the fridge lined db3881f9a9 with alcohol, deep bee0bbea5c in thought. Not being a drinker, 64e6d9bf39 one can of beer 402b7f6fb7 would suffice, but he 04c2f71349 picked up another.fed35778c965239d

Now that Seonho 4e308f32ae was twenty, he 7e8e801e2d might drink beer. Contrary to his worries, 07c344669a one can might not 31c4e91884 be enough.7f19e5f4b8c4e432

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He planned to have a a695e4bb28 drink and gently persuade him 2c4400bf31 to leave first thing in 10a2ede8a4 the morning.34faec1205485411

Why had Seonho ca85e7fce9 come to find 6297166b43 him? Surely, he hadn’t 88c5be1fb7 come to fulfill 5c45d5f764 the promise made 9d9e156260 after the funeral. Did he really 730a82defc believe and wait 91886e2825 for those childish acb8d7894d and absurd words?0f38ac51cdf3ab56

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