28.

Ga Eul shoots an unamused gaze towards her brother, huffing at the behaviour of him for the boy keeps on cackling over one sentence she stated just now. Especially when the latter raises one arm up in the air, asking the other person between them for a high-five.

And as if it is a reflex, Jongdae responses to the gesture with ease. He couldn’t help but to join Haneul laughing as he sees the latter’s grin, however it doesn’t last long before his soft chuckles turns into winces as a slight pressure is suddenly applied on his scraped knuckles. Knowing that the act is done on purpose, his head snaps to the front, hissing, just to receive a squint from the lady as she speaks whilst teeth gritted, “Is it that fun for you guys?”

“Of course!” Haneul chirps, “Hyung clearly did a right thing. That’s what that ridiculous head deserves!”

Without sparing a look towards the boy, Ga Eul raises up her free arm, pointing at him, “Ma, Haneul speaks foul language.”

“I’d allow him do that for today.”

The mother’s cool response has led to another burst of laughter from Jongdae, yet again, the mirth is replaced by a yelp for Ga Eul did the same thing as before – pressing the same spot on purpose. The guy slips his hand out from the latter’s grip right away, whining, “Ah, noona! Stop that, will you?”

“Then who told you to get yourself into trouble like that?” She leans in, taking another cotton swab to be dipped in the ointment before gesturing the other to come closer again. And Jongdae doesn’t protest, this time leaning his face in for the lady to proceed what they have been doing for the past few minutes. Ga Eul clucks her tongue at the sight in front of her, sighing underneath her breath as she carefully applies the cream on the tiny cut on Jongdae’s lower lips. “Fistfight? What are you? Kids?”

The guy tears his gaze away from the other, only pouting as an answer to that question. He knows it too well that the lady is upset, he’d feel the same way if he were in her shoes, somehow it feels unfair that he gets the nagging over this.

Meanwhile Ga Eul is loyal with her antiques – of acting the exact opposite than the actual feelings that is buried inside. Her heart sinks over seeing Jongdae’s beautiful face is now covered with wounds and bruises here and there. Guilt wraps her heart tight, it’s almost suffocating to think that the fight wouldn’t happen if she steps in earlier.

And it never crosses her mind that Jongdae would do that for her.

She feels bad yet strangely it feels good too.

Neither of those two gets a wink of sleep yet since they only got home around 5 in the morning after sorting things out. And right after Jongdae finished taking a shower earlier, Haneul came into his house – telling the former to come over to their house, as that is what has been ordered by the mother herself.

“Quit blaming him, will you?” Madam Lee voices out as she comes towards the two person, handing over the peeled boiled egg to her daughter before the latter passes it to the young man for him to roll it over his bruised cheek. “Teacher Kim did it by impulse, it’s not like he purposely came over there to fight.”

“I know that, Ma.” Ga Eul places down the swab as she’s done putting it on all the cuts and scrapes, then leans to the other side of the couch to grab the blanket that Haneul brought out from his room just now. She glances to her mom while casually wrapping the cover around Jongdae’s shoulders, “But this kid didn’t do it once, they almost fought again at the station.”

“Oh, really? Teacher Kim, I don’t know you have that side in you.”

The mother giggles over it, meanwhile Haneul who’s supposedly be gulping down his essential dairy intake has slammed his plastic glass on the dining table in abrupt, shocking the others who are gathering at the sofa in the living room. “Ah, wait. I’ve been meaning to ask you that,” he exclaims before scurrying towards everyone, crashing himself to the seat beside his mother. The boy leans his body forward, gazes over Jongdae, curiosity filled his pair of eyes. “How did you guys end up there at the station? It can’t be they caught you or something.”

“Well,” the young man turns at the lady beside him for a nod of approval, then faces to the front again after gaining one. “Your noona was the one who told me to send him there.”

“And he didn’t refuse?”

“Actually–” Jongdae hums for a bit, a finger flies behind his ear, scratching it whilst another hand is still busy massaging the egg on his cheek, “–I’d say he wasn’t really in a state that enables him to do anything. Shixun was knocked out when we call the police over.”

Ga Eul shrugs as she receives a look of disbelief from her family then scooches over towards the guy once again, fixing the blanket that had almost slipped out from its position. Noticing that the cover keeps on sliding down due to Jongdae’s continuous movement, she holds out her hand quietly asking for the boiled egg – casually taking over the job.

“That prick was dead drunk at the moment we were about to walk home,” she continues telling the story in the guy’s place – not knowing the latter is battling against his heart as he is aware that they are now very close to each other to the point that he could feel her body heat. “And I don’t think he came over with a car or something. We checked his pockets, not even his wallet was there with him. So I thought it was better for him to spend the night there rather on the street.”

“Luckily Officer Doh and Officer Kim were on night duty. So I called them over to help us.”

Jongdae explains, before Madam Lee cuts in, “Ah, it’s been a while since I saw those two. I wonder how they’re doing…”

“They’re always there at the station, Ma. You could visit them later,” Haneul pats his mom’s thigh lazily, turning to the two person again in anticipation for more story. “Then, then?”

“There’s nothing specific happened after that.” Ga Eul pauses for a bit, recalling the event for a second, “Nothing except them causing a scene at the station.”

“Almost!”

“Yeah, right. Almost,” she replies half-heartedly at the guy’s strong disclaimer, “Thank God the officers stopped them before anything could happen.” Ga Eul snaps her head to the guy’s direction again, “I never knew you are that close with those two.”

“They’re the first friends I made here. And sometimes I help Auntie handing over packed meals for them.”

The lady huffs upon that statement, deadpanned by her own mother, “Ma, you really feed this whole neighbourhood, don’t you?”

“Those kids are working hard day and night, there aren’t many young officers like them in this neig