Chapter 370. Searching for the Lost Younger Sibling (4)
‘010-XXXX-XXXX’
I quickly grabbed my phone with hope, but instead of seeing “My One” saved as the contact name with Hawon’s picture, an unknown number appeared.
‘A call from an unfamiliar number at a time like this, for no reason?’
Hajin, assuming it was 100% a prank call from a sasaeng fan, irritably hung up.
“Ugh, these stalkers are at it again…”
No matter how many times I changed my number, how on earth did they keep finding it?
While I was still in disbelief, two or three more calls came in. Knowing from experience that picking up a call like that, even by accident, would only lead to more hassle, I switched my phone to airplane mode.
Then, the intercom at the dorm started ringing.
“What the heck, are they insane…?”
Could they have broken into the dorm?
A chill ran down my spine.
I remembered Ji Suho saying it was about time we moved out. He mentioned that the extreme cases could even crack the door code. Should I call the police first, or maybe Wook hyung? As these thoughts were running through my head…
*Beep beep beep beep—*
The sound of the door lock’s passcode being entered reached my ears. Realizing how serious the situation had become, I quickly turned off airplane mode and looked for the emergency contacts.
As I dialed Ji Suho, saved at the top of my list, I rushed to the entrance and locked the double bolt. The door began to open, and I heard a voice on the other end of the phone saying, “Hello?” Hajin hurriedly spoke.
“Hyung, I’m home. Right now at our dorm…”
As I was speaking, the person outside suddenly flung the door open. But because of the double lock I’d engaged, it barely opened halfway. A startled voice came from the other side.
Standing in the 30-centimeter gap between the door and the frame, I finally saw who it was.
And I was stunned.
“Oh? Wait, hyung, you were home?”
-Hello? Hajin, is something wrong at the dorm?
Peering through the rimless glasses he’d worn since high school, with his sharp eyes that resembled mine, stood…
“Why didn’t you pick up the phone? I was dying of heat waiting out here.”
On either side of him were two large cooling bags. He was dressed in a neatly buttoned navy short-sleeve shirt and beige linen pants…
“There’s a ghost at the dorm wearing Hawon’s face, hyung. I think I have heatstroke. I’m hallucinating… Am I about to die?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? Just open the door.”
…It was none other than my annoyed (presumably) younger brother, Kang Hawon, standing right in front of me!
—
‘Why is my Hawon here at the dorm?’
I was completely caught off guard.
Not just a little bit surprised, but genuinely, seriously stunned.
I mean, it’s not every day someone who had been ignoring my messages up until now suddenly shows up at my front door. Wouldn’t that startle anyone?
But Hawon, ignoring my dumbfounded expression, pushed his way into the dorm as soon as I unlocked the door. It was only then that I snapped out of it and finally spoke.
“You, you… How did you get here? Why are you here? Did you come alone? Why didn’t you call?”
“I did call, but you didn’t pick up. I came because of this.”
“…?”
Hawon shook the cooling bags he was holding in both hands and then asked, looking genuinely confused.
“Mom told me to bring you some side dishes. She said she contacted your company. Didn’t you hear?”
I hadn’t.
I had just been on the phone with Mom five minutes ago, and I was currently on the phone with the company. But no one had mentioned anything!
Interrupting this absurd situation was Ji Suho, who was still on the line.
-Ah, right. Your mom did say she was going to send some side dishes today. I gave her the door code since you guys weren’t supposed to be home at this time. But since you’re resting because you’re sick, you were home today.
“Why do you only mention this life-or-death situation, where I almost kicked my only brother out, now?”
I had almost reported him to the police as a stalker!
-Sorry, sorry. I meant to tell you, but I forgot. Are you feeling any better?
“I was so shocked, I can’t even remember why I was sick.”
-Do you think you’ll be able to come to the recording this evening? I pushed back everything else, but we really don’t have any time left to reschedule this one.
“I think I’ll be okay. I’ll check how I’m feeling later, and if I really can’t make it, I’ll let you know.”
-Okay, okay. In the meantime, enjoy some good food with your brother and rest. I’ll be in touch later.
“…I’ll call you later.”
There’s no way I can enjoy a peaceful meal with my brother considering all the guilt I’m carrying, Your Honor.
Anyway, I finished the call, and when I turned around, Hawon was already in the kitchen, efficiently unpacking the side dishes and organizing them into the fridge.
‘Is he not mad anymore? Or did he already cool off?’
But then, why did he ignore my messages?
Feeling unsure, I quietly approached the kitchen. The sight of the seemingly endless stream of side dishes coming out of that small cooling bag made my mouth water, and I realized the cold I had since the morning was long gone.
After Hawon finished organizing and shut the fridge door, I cautiously spoke up with a shrinking voice.
“…But why did you come? Why didn’t Mom come herself?”
“I have a meeting in Seoul this evening, so I just said I’d drop them off. Mom looked tired too.”
“You should’ve told me…”
“I thought you weren’t home. Besides, I called, but you didn’t pick up.”
“You called? When? I didn’t get any calls from you.”
I checked my missed call list, but there were no calls from Hawon. My eyes landed on the most recent unknown number.
‘010-XXXX-1012’
…A number that coincidentally had the same last digits as Hawon’s birthday.
‘No way… could it be?’
I looked up, and just then, Hawon let out a small “Ah,” as if he’d just realized something.
“I changed my number.”
“…When?”
### “It’s been about two weeks, right? The day after our festival. Didn’t I tell you?”
“You didn’t…!”
“Oh, really?”
Oh, really? Oh, reeeaaaally?
Someone couldn’t eat for two weeks (though I actually ate well), couldn’t sleep (because I was just too busy), and felt so uneasy (but had a great time in Jeju)…!?
Unable to believe this, I widened my eyes to the size of Dan Haru’s famously big eyes. Not that they actually grew that large, it just felt like they did.
“You, you…!”
“…?”
“You weren’t mad at me!?”
“Mad? Me? At you?”
Kang Hawon, with a face full of question marks, tilted his head and asked me back as if he couldn’t understand.
“Why would I be?”
“I… I…”
“…?”
“…I went to your school and caused a scene…”
Just in case, on the off-chance that Kang Hawon had been too busy to hear about the incident, I mumbled, shrinking into myself. It was a bit humiliating, but pride wasn’t important right now.
Hawon, hearing what I said, sighed as if he now understood and nodded.
“Ah. When you rang the golden bell at our department’s bar, bought my painting at the flea market under your name, signed autographs for Dongwook and Hyunjun while pretending to know me, and then made some cyberpunk school anthem that now blasts metal rock every hour across campus… and our school’s forum is still in chaos because everyone’s trying to figure out who Kang Hajin from Kairos is?”
…Yeah, so he knew everything.
The last hope that maybe he didn’t know was thoroughly shattered.
But as one door closes, another opens.
Seeing my terrified face, Hawon chuckled in disbelief. Considering that he usually goes completely serious without even a smirk when he’s really mad, this reaction was a good sign.
As I predicted, Hawon responded with an unbothered expression.
“It’s fine. I kind of expected you to do something like that anyway.”
It was the answer of a younger brother who was 99% introverted and fully accustomed to having an older brother who was 99% extroverted.
—
This is the perspective of Kang Hawon, the younger brother who happened to be born with Kang Hajin as his hyung.
‘People are exhausting.’
Kang Hawon generally disliked people.
He hated loud noises because of his naturally sensitive senses, and he wasn’t fond of physical closeness or forming new relationships with strangers.
It might have been because everyone in his family, under the same roof, was loud and assertive.
Kang Hawon simply wanted to live quietly and comfortably.
He wasn’t particularly materialistic or gluttonous, and he had absolutely no desire for power. Despite his incredible dexterity, Hawon never even ran for class president in elementary school.
– Hey, Kang Hajin! We’re going to a trampoline park, wanna come?
In contrast, his hyung, who had existed in his life from the day he was born, was the complete opposite of him in every way. From elementary school, Hajin was so sociable that there wasn’t a single person in his grade who didn’t know him. Even if he didn’t know someone, he would strike up a conversation with them at the playground.
Apparently, when they were younger, his bold and assertive personality got him into trouble here and there. But young Hawon didn’t know much about those details.
– I don’t mind going, but can I bring my little brother?
– Huh? You have a younger brother?
– Yeah, he’s a year younger than us.
– Fine, but he’ll probably have to play in a different section since he’s in a lower grade.
– Ah… really?
There was only one clear memory young Hawon had of his brother.
– Then I won’t go. You guys go without me.
Though his hyung knew a million people outside, and there were probably ten million people who wanted to hang out with him, introverted Hawon was always his hyung’s first priority friend.
Of course, Hajin hadn’t always been a “good older brother.”
Being exceptionally smart, Hajin would sometimes sneakily eat a little more of the snacks their mom had split for them, and when they played games, he often tried to take the more fun role for himself.
Sometimes, Hajin found it burdensome or annoying that he always had to bring Hawon along when going out with friends. He also struggled with having to share everything with his younger brother or having to yield because he was the older sibling.
Yet, despite all that…
– Whoa! Whoa!!! That hyung is really fast!!!
– Oh? Ohhh? He’s going to win!
When Hajin was 10 and Hawon was 9, Hajin had made a dramatic comeback in the relay race for the lower grades.
– Hey, Hawon, who was that hyung who held your hand and ran? Do you know him?
– He’s really tall. I was so scared when he suddenly came over to our side.
When Hajin was 13 and Hawon was 12, Hajin had grabbed Hawon’s hand and raced across the field during the mission relay.
– Do you know? There’s an idol trainee at our school.
– A trainee? A girl?
– No, a guy. He’s a second-year. Super tall and has an amazing face.
– Oh, isn’t it that hyung? The tall one with brown hair who did the b-boying at the festival?
– Whoa, is it really him? The one who plays basketball sometimes during lunch?
– Yeah, I think so. He’s insanely good-looking.
When Hajin was 15 and Hawon was 14, Hajin had shown off some incredible b-boying moves during the school festival and became the school’s superstar.
And then…
– Hawon, Hawon! Is this really your hyung? The one who’s in *Miro Maze*, Kang Hajin!
When Hajin was 20 and Hawon was 19, his hyung, who Hawon thought had given up on his dream, soared back into the sky.
And then…
– Hey, hey, Kang Hawon! Are you really Kang Hajin’s brother from Kairos? I got his autograph at the festival yesterday, and he told me to take care of you! What’s going on? Is this real?
When Hajin was 21 and Hawon was 20, his hyung had become an idol, leaving his unforgettable mark even at college with his name echoing across the campus.
Every time, Hawon had the same answer.
– Yeah. That’s my hyung.
Because every single moment, he was proud of his hyung. He always wanted to boast about him.