NOVEL NEXT 42.
42.
“My younger brother used to forget even my birthday.”
“Our Sehun really likes me a lot though.”
Jian, who became doting when it came to matters related to Sehun, shrugged his shoulders.
“Alright, the drinks are ready. Let’s sit down and enjoy them. There are unusually few customers in the cafe today.”
The tables that were always full now had two empty spots. Jian handed out freshly made drinks to those who occupied one of them.
Sehun took a cup and gestured to the seat next to him for Jian. Jian sat down and placed the bag of cookies he had received from Sehun earlier on the table.
“Wasn’t baking difficult? Measuring and getting the temperature right must have been challenging.”
“I remembered doing it with you before, so it was easier than I thought.”
In truth, he had burned them a few times. The instructor, unable to stand by, had given Sehun one-on-one attention. Thanks to that, he managed to make cookies of a quality that could be sold in stores.
“Does Seonjun hyung have no work today?”
Sehun looked at Seonjun while fiddling with the surface of the cup where water droplets were starting to form.
Seonjun, who had been sipping his drink through a straw, opened his eyes wide. Then, with an embarrassed smile, he rubbed the back of his neck and said,
“Maybe it’s because my ability is a bit unique. Unless I’m raiding with Jian hyung, it’s difficult to coordinate with other people.”
Glancing at the blushing Seonjun, this time Hyunsu asked in a casual voice. The thick straw crushed the strawberry pulp accumulated at the bottom, creating juice.
“What was your ability again, hyung?”
“…It’s plant-based.”
“Ah, right. When I first heard it, I thought it was really cool, but I keep forgetting since I hear it all the time.”
Hyunsu smiled broadly while sipping the drink that had become even more vibrant in color. Seonjun’s ability was so unique that there were only a few people in South Korea with similar capabilities.
Most people’s ability levels were only helpful for gardening, but Seonjun could transform parts of his body into plants for attacks. However, because he was vulnerable to attacks, he always needed a skilled defensive ability user by his side.
Since the dark net had many hunters specialized in offensive or stealth and pursuit abilities, Seonjun’s ability synergy was best with Jian.
Ding-a-ling.
“Welcome.”
The brief moment of rest was quickly over. As if the previous lull had been a lie, suddenly a group of customers streamed into the cafe.
An odd silence fell over the table where Jian had disappeared. Despite Seonjun’s constant efforts to become friends with Sehun, he always felt an invisible wall.
It was the same now. Chewing on the straw with his teeth, Seonjun’s face as he looked at Sehun resembled a dog waiting for a treat.
‘This could lead to trouble.’
Hyunsu, deciding it would be difficult to keep watching, slightly turned his upper body towards Seonjun.
“Hyung, are you interested in Jian hyung by any chance?”
“Cough, cough, cough…”
Startled eyes rolled over the faces of Hyunsu, Sehun, and Jian, who was busy taking orders.
“Well, you know. Even if you get along well with Jian hyung, you’re not even a part-timer, but you come to the cafe every day. I know Jian hyung’s coffee is delicious, but didn’t you say your home is in Gyeonggi-do?”
“That, well…”
The cup in Seonjun’s hand trembled. He thought he had hidden it well, but the idea that even young Hyunsu had noticed sent him into a panic.
Especially since Sehun, Jian’s brother, was also present, his face turned as red as a radish.
“…Is it that obvious?”
“Yes.”
At the firm answer, Seonjun’s expression turned into a frown. His innocent impression became even more pitiful.
“But I don’t think Jian hyung is interested in dating? With a slight exaggeration, there’s been about a truckload of people who’ve shown interest in him, but none of them succeeded.”
As long as Sehun was firmly by Jian’s side, it seemed unlikely to happen anyway, so Hyunsu thought it best to make him give up early.
Unless someone Sehun liked more than Jian came along, Jian’s romance would be a disaster for both Jian and everyone around him. Hyunsu could clearly see Sehun’s patience wearing thin day by day.
While his own wet dream subject was a noona from the neighboring school, it wasn’t hard to guess who Sehun’s subject was.
Hyunsu had long known that Sehun and Jian were not blood-related brothers. Although Jian might not realize it, the way Sehun looked at Jian and the attention he showed him was clearly different from the affection between himself and Hyunwoo.
“…I expected him to have high standards.”
However, despite Hyunsu’s subtle warning, Seonjun still couldn’t come to his senses. Instead, he smiled shyly and glanced at Jian.
“I’m not trying to do anything with Jian hyung. Just being by his side is enough for me. Me with Jian hyung… Whew, that’s impossible.”
If it’s impossible, why do you keep blushing?
Hyunsu narrowed his eyes as he gulped down more than half of his latte. He was dying of anxiety because of his friend who was just quietly watching the ice melt with a calm face. It was like having an unpredictable time bomb attached to his side.
“I’ll go first. Hyung, take care on your way home.”
With the sound of a chair being pushed back, Sehun stood up. Before Seonjun could say anything, the tall figure quickly disappeared from the cafe.
“Did I make a mistake?”
Seeing Seonjun looking back and forth between the cafe door and himself with a restless face, Hyunsu just smiled. He had tried to help, but it felt like he had just poured oil on a fire.
As Jian, unaware that Sehun had left, remained busy, Hyunsu quietly wished for the well-being of both of them.
* * *
Kwa-rrrr-rung―
A flash of lightning was followed by a sound as if the sky was being torn apart. Jian’s brow furrowed as he was startled from his light sleep by the thunder and lightning accompanied by wind and rain.
He tried covering his ears with a pillow, but every time he was about to fall asleep, the sound returned, eventually causing him to open his eyes.
His body was exhausted, but his mind was wide awake. With no other choice, Jian got up from bed, thinking he’d at least drink a glass of water.
As he scratched his stomach while heading to the kitchen, a flash of lightning illuminated a large figure sitting in the living room, coinciding with a clap of thunder.
“Huck…”
He thought his heart had dropped to his feet. For a moment, he even activated his skill window. But he quickly turned it off when he realized the person sitting there was Sehun.
“Sehun, why are you like this…?”
Calming his startled heart, Jian approached Sehun. Sehun, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, tilted his head back and looked up at Jian blankly.
“I’m scared of the thunder.”
Despite saying this with a face that didn’t look scared at all and in a calm voice, Jian crouched down in front of Sehun and stretched out his arms.
Sehun’s hair, which had been lying flat, spread out in various directions following Jian’s affectionate yet mischievous touch.
“Oh my. Our Sehun is still a child.”
He should be past the age of being afraid of thunder. Knowing that Sehun only showed this side to him, Jian’s heart softened.
“Then do you want to sleep with me tonight? It’s been a while.”
“…Is that okay?”
At the slightly trembling voice that seemed to express disbelief, Jian nodded. He too used to lie awake at night, scared of thunder and lightning when he was younger.
Jian, with rose-colored glasses firmly in place, believed without doubt that Sehun had woken up because he was scared of the thunder.
“The bed is king-size anyway.”
As Sehun grew, they had changed the small bed twice. Until Sehun turned sixteen, they had slept in the same bed.
By then, they were already addicted to each other’s warmth. However, thinking it was no longer appropriate, Jian tried to give the bedroom to Sehun, but Sehun said he would make the walk-in closet his bedroom.
Thanks to that, Jian’s room had a bed too large for sleeping alone. As his spending had increased considerably, it seemed a waste to replace a bed frame that cost several million won.
“Come here.”
Jian stood up and extended his right hand to Sehun. Sehun, who had blinked slowly several times, took Jian’s hand and interlocked their fingers.
The hand that used to be large enough to cover his own when he was young had now become smaller than his. Suddenly realizing this fact made his heart beat faster.
Forgetting that he had come out to drink water, Jian lay down on the bed side by side with Sehun, facing each other.
Even in the darkness, his face was faintly reflected in Sehun’s clear eyes. Although loud noises still came from outside the window and bright light occasionally poured in through the curtains, unlike before, sleepiness was creeping in.
“I’m sleepy… Sehun, you should sleep too. You have school tomorrow.”
Speaking like any parent would, Jian closed his eyes, unable to resist any longer. Soon after, wheezing breaths flowed from under his round nostrils.
Sehun crumpled his large body and placed his ear where Jian’s heart was. The sound of the heart beating at a steady pace soothed the anxiety that had been tormenting him all day.
“…You’re mine, hyung.”