SANN | Chapter 10.2

“What if you and I… break up… like those other people… hic… What do I do then…?”

“…….”

Gureum’s unexpected worry left Sieon momentarily speechless.

“Hyung is all I have… sniff… now and in the future, it’s only hyung for me… But what if I’m not for you…?”

“Gureum.”

“Sniff… I’m sorry… hic… for saying such strange things….”

Sieon leaned in and kissed Gureum’s tear-streaked lips. They tasted both salty and sweet. Pulling Gureum’s slender waist closer, Sieon spoke softly.

“First of all… I’m sorry for making you feel this way, Gureum.”

“Hic… no, no, it’s not your fault….”

“What should I say to ease my baby’s worries? Hmm, let’s see. Gureum… you’re my first love.”

“…What? Then, those other people you dated…?”

“Those weren’t relationships with love. I was just… lonely.”

“…Oh….”

Sieon spewed nonsense without hesitation. Half of it was true, half wasn’t, but Gureum seemed to accept the idea of loneliness as an explanation, nodding slightly.

“Anything else you’re curious about? Ask me anything. I’ll answer.”

“…Really?”

“Of course.”

Gureum hesitated for a moment, as if gauging Sieon’s reaction, before mustering the courage to ask.

“…What do you do for a living, hyung?”

“Me? I’m a good-for-nothing unemployed bum.”

“…Huh?”

Gureum’s eyes widened in shock.

“Haha, just kidding. But I do live comfortably, making money from investments. That was my dream, after all. I own a few buildings… Want me to give you some?”

“N-no, that’s okay…!”

Gureum quickly shook his head in a panic.

“And I also run a club, though I’m more of a figurehead there. The manager I know handles everything.”

“…The manager at the club… Um, never mind….”

“Why? You can ask anything.”

Sieon playfully nipped Gureum’s cheek, prompting the startled Gureum to stammer out another question.

“…D-does the manager wear cologne? A heavy scent, maybe? When you come back after going out, sometimes that scent lingers….”

With his eyes tightly shut, Gureum voiced a question he had been holding onto for a long time. He felt ashamed, like a pathetic person suspecting his partner of infidelity. But Sieon burst out laughing at Gureum’s bold inquiry. He pressed Gureum’s cheeks with his palms and kissed him all over his face.

It must’ve been that day when Gureum had been sulking like a restless puppy—because Sieon had returned covered in Manager Park’s cologne. Damn, this is driving me crazy. He’s so adorable I might just explode.

“Baby. Are you jealous right now, hmm?”

“S-sorry… I just kept thinking about it….”

“You’re right. That cologne is from the manager. But it’s nothing. I’ll introduce you to him next time.”

“O-okay….”

Finally reassured, Gureum nodded lightly. He felt a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his chest.

“Now, ask me something else you’re curious about.”

“Uh… I feel like you might dislike me asking too many things….”

“There’s nothing you could ask that I’d dislike. Go ahead, ask.”

“…Well, I was curious about your family….”

Gureum’s eyes darted nervously as he watched for Sieon’s reaction. But Sieon, seeing it as no big deal, answered candidly.

“My family? My father, mother, and older sister. I’m the youngest.”

“…Whoa.”

“Whoa? Gureum, why does that sound so surprising?”

“Oh, no…! I just think it’s amazing that you’re the youngest…!”

Startled by Sieon’s mockingly wounded expression, Gureum frantically waved his hands in apology. This brat…. Feeling a tiny flicker of irritation, Sieon pinched Gureum’s soft cheeks and jiggled them playfully. Suddenly, a memory from the hospital popped into Sieon’s mind.

“You little rascal. Bring your partner over for a meal sometime. Your dad says he wants to see you.”

For someone as anxious as Gureum, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to cement their relationship. With a mischievous smile, Sieon gently rubbed Gureum’s back and asked,

“Baby… How about meeting my parents?”

“…What?!”

Gureum’s eyes grew impossibly wide at Sieon’s unexpected suggestion.

Gureum clutched the gift box Sieon had handed him tightly. Sieon had prepared it in advance, saying it was customary to bring something when meeting someone’s parents for the first time.

“Are you nervous?”

“Yes… I’m so, so nervous….”

“Be bold and say, ‘Please entrust your son to me!’ Okay, Gureum?”

“W-what?!”

Sieon laughed heartily at Gureum’s startled, wide-eyed look.

“I’m ringing the doorbell now.”

“W-wait…! Do I look okay right now?”

“Yep. Super cute.”

Bundled in the coat and scarf Sieon had chosen for him, Gureum still seemed unsure, burying his face deeper into the collar. Sieon grinned and pressed the doorbell. A staff member checked Sieon’s face on the camera and opened the door.

As they walked past the garden and into the house, the delicious aroma of food hit them immediately. When they stepped into the living room, a familiar middle-aged woman greeted them. She looked at Sieon and Gureum in surprise—and Gureum, too, was startled.

It was her. The woman who was a friend of Minjae’s aunt—the one he’d met at the hospital. Why is she here?

“Oh my, you’re here already? Honey! The kids are here!”

“Just a second! Let me put this stew down first!”

A middle-aged man hurriedly moved a steaming pot in the kitchen. Gureum’s eyes grew wide. Though not as tall as Sieon, the man had an impressive build for someone his age. Sieon hyung must take after his father more than his mother, Gureum thought.

Sieon gently massaged Gureum’s stiff shoulders and whispered in his ear.

“You’ve met my mom before, remember? At the hospital.”

“H-how did you know…?”

“I missed the chance to mention it earlier. And don’t worry—they all know about us. Just relax.”

Sieon lightly patted Gureum’s back, and Gureum nodded, pursing his lips tightly.

The middle-aged couple hurried over, having set the table to welcome their guests. Gureum closed his eyes tightly and bowed low, awkwardly presenting the gift box. His voice trembled as he spoke.

“Hello, ma’am, sir…! I, uh…!”

“Oh, goodness! Straighten your back, dear. No need for all this! Sieon, you told him to bring this, didn’t you?”

Sieon’s mother, Eunkyung, accepted the gift and gave her son a sharp smack on the back. Sieon, unfazed, stood there quietly but lazily offered a greeting with Gureum next to him.

“Hello. Sorry I haven’t visited sooner.”

“Yeah, you look real sorry,” grumbled Sieon’s father, Chae Youngwoo, with a sarcastic edge. Though his tone was eerily similar to Sieon’s, Gureum, used to Sieon’s softer demeanor, didn’t notice and kept blinking nervously.

Eunkyung, observing her husband’s sharp demeanor, intervened smoothly and extended a hand to Gureum.

“Our son-in-law, we’re meeting quite late, aren’t we? It wasn’t the right place to say it back at the hospital. I’m Choi Eunkyung.”

“S-Seon Gureum, ma’am…!”

Gureum clumsily shook her hand. Son-in-law? His mind went blank. Could this be what people call a formal marriage meeting? Seeing Gureum’s youthful face, Youngwoo frowned in pity before glaring sharply at his son. His expression was practically dripping with disdain as he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Sieon to hear.

“…You thief.”

“What?”

“Hm. Nice to meet you, young man. I’m Chae Youngwoo. Feel free to call me Father. I hope we can see each other often.”

“N-nice to meet you…!”

But even he ended up using the word “son-in-law.” Apparently, a lack of shame ran in the family, though Gureum, oblivious to the subtle tensions, simply blushed bright red. Eunkyung clapped her hands to break the awkwardness.

“Alright, enough introductions. Are you hungry, dear? We’ve prepared a feast for you. Eat as much as you like and make yourself at home.”

“Y-yes… Thank you….”

“Make yourself at home? It’s not his home. We’re just here for a meal,” Sieon cut in sharply. Eunkyung’s sharp glare fixed on Sieon, but he remained indifferent.

“Gureum, don’t feel like you have to eat everything. Just eat what you can, okay? Don’t force yourself and get a stomachache.”

“O-okay….”

“Oh, right. That’s a good point. No pressure, just eat as much as you normally would,” Eunkyung added, giving her son a side-eye glance as if she couldn’t believe his concern.

In truth, Gureum had already been worrying about how he could possibly finish the mountain of food on the table. Hearing that he wasn’t expected to eat it all brought him a sense of relief.

The meal turned out to be more relaxed than expected. Perhaps Choi Eunkyung and Chae Youngwoo were curious about their son’s recent life, as they occasionally asked Sieon questions—though it was unclear whether they were genuine questions or disguised criticisms.

At first, they also bombarded Gureum with questions, but after Sieon scolded them, saying they were treating him like a child, the inquiries abruptly stopped. Thanks to that, Gureum was able to eat in relative peace, his ears perked as he attentively listened to the conversations around the dining table.

“You’re just lazing around like that—why don’t you come back to the hospital?”

“Lazing around? Who? Do you think raising a child is easy?”

“…What? Seriously, this is absurd…”

“Ahem…!”

Chae Youngwoo cleared his throat loudly, trying to ensure Gureum didn’t catch on to the tension. After casting a quick glance at Gureum, Choi Eunkyung spoke again.

“…Well, our son-in-law is young, after all. But still, he’s an adult. Raising a child, really.”

“…Did Sieon hyung… work at a hospital?”

Gureum, brimming with curiosity about Sieon, cautiously asked. It was his first question of the meal, and Choi Eunkyung lit up as she eagerly began recounting Sieon’s past. Gureum’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“Oh my! So you didn’t tell him because you were embarrassed, Sieon? Well, let me tell you, he may look like this, but he graduated from Korean University’s medical school! He quit being a doctor halfway through, though, and caused his poor mother so much heartache…”

“Ha, Korean University’s medical school…?”

Even Gureum, who didn’t know much about universities, knew what Korean University was and how elite its medical school was.

With his jaw practically on the floor, Gureum glanced up at Sieon in awe. Someone who had felt so approachable now seemed just a bit more distant. Predicting this reaction, Sieon clicked his tongue and tried to explain.

“I didn’t mention it on purpose. I dropped out halfway, so it doesn’t mean anything anymore.”

“Oh… I-I’m sorry…”

“…No, it’s not that… Haa…”

Watching Gureum shrink back and immediately apologize, Sieon let out a deep sigh. This little thing really seemed to want to know everything about him. It was a strange feeling. In the end, Sieon decided to let it slide.

“…How about we look at some pictures of me as a kid after the meal? We have some at home.”

“Wow…! Yes, I’d love that…!”