OMLM | Chapter 29

How was he supposed to eat with all this going on? Cha Hyuk barely touched the food in front of him as he watched Kang Yebon.

The smile on his face was definitely not one you’d expect from someone just watching a close younger brother eat.

If Cha Hyuk didn’t like him that way, what did he think of him?

‘An impolite person who cursed the first time we met…?’

No, that can’t be right. He couldn’t look at him that way if he truly thought that.

Then, a precious younger brother…? That sounded weird.

He didn’t even really understand what a precious younger brother was supposed to be. All that came to mind was someone he liked.

‘Ah.’

Yebon’s hand, which had been moving to eat, stopped.

Cha Hyuk was thirty-three, and he was twenty-one. Yebon wondered what it would be like to look at someone twelve years younger.

The conclusion was, he might see him as a nephew.

That would explain the affectionate looks, the constant siding with him, the comforting… It all made sense.

“Why did you stop all of a sudden?”

Cha Hyuk looked puzzled as Yebon just sat there with his mouth slightly open.

Yebon gave an awkward smile, shook his head, and chewed on his fried rice more vigorously.

It seemed better to finish eating quickly and get out of this situation.

Otherwise, he might keep having weird thoughts.

But still, the word ‘nephew, nephew, nephew’ wouldn’t leave his mind.

Trying to shake off his thoughts, Yebon buried his face in his plate and ate his fried rice at a rapid pace. A glass of water was pushed in front of him.

“Eat slowly. You’ll get indigestion.”

Maybe Cha Hyuk really did see him as a nephew or a hypothetical younger brother.

Yebon felt utterly desolate.

“How should we watch the movie?”

Yebon hung his rubber gloves at the sink and moved towards the living room.

Cha Hyuk had insisted it was okay, but Yebon stubbornly did the dishes anyway.

Just being served didn’t sit well with his nature, and if he stayed quiet here, he’d really become like a real nephew.

Cha Hyuk turned on the large TV and was checking behind it.

“Sit on the sofa. I’ll put it on for you.”

Yebon peeked at what Cha Hyuk was doing for a moment then obediently sat on the sofa.

The dark-colored sofa wasn’t leather but fabric, making its surface soft.

Cha Hyuk seemed like he would live in a space with a black leather sofa in a monochrome space, but everything was beyond expectation.

From the cozy-looking exterior of the house to the surprisingly cold interior that seemed newly occupied.

Yebon rubbed the dark green fabric sofa and then Cha Hyuk sat next to him.

Just when he thought everything was set up, sound came from the TV. Yebon’s head automatically lifted.

The title of the movie Yebon had chosen appeared on the TV. The quality was not great, clearly an old movie.

The TV looked expensive and modern, but the old movie playing on it gave an odd feeling.

Yebon was staring at the TV when he felt a gaze from beside him.

He turned, thinking it was his imagination, but it wasn’t. Cha Hyuk was looking at him.

It was an indescribable gaze. Ever since Yebon had mistaken Cha Hyuk’s affection, he found it difficult to look him in the face, probably because it was embarrassing.

“…Why, what is it?”

“Just checking if the volume is okay.”

Ah, Yebon quickly nodded.

Why did he keep feeling strange? Yebon felt his throat burning and rubbed it for no reason.

Then, just as he was about to reach for his phone on the low table in front of the sofa, he realized why.

…Because it was Cha Hyuk’s house, of course he would be nervous. That was why he hadn’t slept well until dawn.

As the excitement of being at Cha Hyuk’s house faded, Yebon tensed up again.

Absolutely nothing weird would happen. He knew that, but still felt nervous.

Lost in irrelevant imaginations, Yebon lightly hit his head and shifted his body to the side slightly.

There was definitely something off in his head.

“Uncomfortable?”

Yebon jolted, and Cha Hyuk was equally taken aback by his reaction.

Yebon, looking obviously awkward, quickly responded.

“No, not at all! I’m very comfortable! Like I’m at a relative’s house!”

Cha Hyuk laughed as if deflating and naturally brushed Yebon’s long bangs to the side.

“Good, make yourself comfortable.”

Unlike Cha Hyuk, who withdrew his hand nonchalantly, Yebon’s heart thumped wildly.

Why, why was he overreacting so much? Yebon felt embarrassed by his own sensitive response and bowed his head deeply.

‘I’m here to work on a project. Yes, to work on a project.’

After repeating this several times, Yebon was finally able to watch the movie.

“Oliver, I’m sorry. But even so, the moments I spend with you make me feel like the world is a little more beautiful and kind.”

Tears fell on the letter.

“To be honest, selfishly, if you are with me, I feel like I could stay in this world. But I know, even if it feels this way now, as time passes, I will want to crumble away even if I’m with you.”

“Then you will wither away because of me, and I will rot away because of myself. I don’t want to pass this pain onto you. In the end, I will become your most painful shackle. I don’t want to remain that way for you.”

“Oliver, I love you.”

“Ps. I hope you never read this letter.”

The pen clattered down, and the woman pressed her lips to the letter.

As the woman’s narration filled with moisture ended, a tear finally fell beneath Yebon’s chin.

On the screen, the letter she read was burned, and the remaining ashes were blown away by a strong wind.

The ashes completely dissolved into the dark night sky, and the woman stared into the void before heading into the sea.

The water reached her knees, then her waist, and as it reached her chest, the screen flashed and the ending credits rolled.

Yebon had turned on the notepad to organize ideas for a PowerPoint but had turned it off long ago.

He couldn’t take his eyes off the screen for a while then bowed his head deeply.

Cha Hyuk, watching the ending credits with an indifferent face, turned to talk to Yebon.

“It’s over. You watched well…”

Facing away from Cha Hyuk, Yebon’s body was trembling slightly.

Cha Hyuk, sensing something was off, called out to Yebon, but there was no reply.

“Kang Yebon, what’s wrong?”

He had eaten hastily earlier; perhaps he had indigestion.

As Cha Hyuk was about to check on him by placing a hand on Yebon’s shoulder, Yebon abruptly stood up.

Still facing away, his head bowed so his face wasn’t visible.

“…Where’s the bathroom? Where is it?”

His voice wasn’t just weak; it was trembling, clearly not in a good state.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

Even though he hadn’t yet told him where the bathroom was, Yebon moved as if to flee.

Cha Hyuk urgently grabbed Yebon’s wrist, and only then did Yebon turn around.

Cha Hyuk froze completely when he saw Yebon’s face, a mess with tears and runny nose.