When Hoon returned home that evening, he had been expecting to see Serin on the couch, working on her laptop while the TV played in the background. It wasn’t that late, and he didn’t think she’d have gone to bed. So it was surprising when, instead of his wife, he found his brother-in-law lounging on the couch with Serin nowhere in sight.

“Hey, Hoonmin,” Hyunsaeng said from his reclined position, shifting into a sitting position as he did so.

“Hello, Hyunsaeng hyung,” Hoon responded cordially. “How are you this evening?”

“Pretty good,” the older man replied. “Serin just went out to the store for a few things.”

“Oh. Okay. Why didn’t you go with her, hyung?”

“She was kind of embarrassed about having her brother tag along.”

“Why would she be embarrassed if you went with her?”

“Because of what she was buying,” Hyunsaeng stated.

“Oh…” Hoon remarked as it dawned on him what it was she’d gone to buy. “I’d have stopped for her if she’d have asked me.”

Hyunsaeng raised an eyebrow at Hoon as he sat down on the recliner next to the couch. “And you could get away with buying feminine hygiene products in public without anyone noticing?”

Hoon shrugged. “I guess I could just say they were for my mom.”

“But… would you be buying that for your mom? That’s kind of weird.”

Hoon stopped and thought about it for a bit. “Yeah, okay. You’re right.”

Hyunsaeng laughed then. “Besides, it would be really embarrassing.”

“Not really,” Hoon replied calmly. He further explained, “It’s a part of life. If she needs something from me, I will do it for her.”

Hyunsaeng smiled. “I knew there was a reason I ended up liking you as much as I do. And I really shouldn’t at all.”

“You’re still Serin’s main protector,” Hoon admitted. “She can’t rely on me like I want her to. But I’m glad you are always there for her. It’s very reassuring to know that you’re watching out for her.”

“No problem, Hoonmin. Watching out for Serin is my job.” Hyunsaeng simply smiled after he said it, very relaxed and unguarded. Hoon wasn’t used to seeing this side of him, and it felt a little odd to him.

“Actually, hyung, there’s something I always wondered about.”

“What is that?”

“You say it’s your job to protect Serin. When did that happen? I mean most of the stories she tells me about your childhood involve the two of you getting into fistfights and arguments.”

Hyunsaeng laughed then. “We did fight a lot as kids. And we still argue, but I think she gave up throwing punches at me a long time ago.”

“So what made you take the role of protector?”

Hyunsaeng rolled his head, stretching his neck out as he thought. “I never really consciously made the decision. It just happened naturally. I watched out for her when she was a teenaged girl. I would chase away her little boyfriends. I could see through them. They weren’t serious and I didn’t want them to hurt my precious little sister. That was my job.”

Hoon snorted in amusement. “I bet that made her mad.”

“Oh, she hated it. But I was older, wiser, and I just knew, I guess. And then when our mom died, she just collapsed in on herself. That’s when it really happened. She needed all the protection and support she could get just to make it through every day. She went away to school, and I couldn’t do anything for her. It was difficult for me, but I just focused on my work and contacted her as often as I could. And then she brought him home.”

Hoon scowled. He knew exactly whom Hyunsaeng was talking about. “How much did you hate him? Because I know how much he rubbed me the wrong way.”

“He was a damn leech, and he wouldn’t let go. He avoided me as much as possible because I didn’t bother to hide how much I hated him. I tried and tried to get them to break up. I constantly told Serin that she could do so much better. I don’t know why she didn’t leave him, but I still tried to keep her separated from him if I could. I was ecstatic when she started going on business trips and couldn’t see him anymore. You don’t understand how much I wanted to beat him to pieces, but I couldn’t because of her.”

“No,” Hoon assured him. “I fully understand. If I ever see him again, I probably will.”

“I got first dibs, Hoonmin,” Hyunsaeng stressed. “If the guy has the balls to show his face in front of Serin ever again, he won’t have the balls left to do it ever again. I’ll make sure of it.”

And Hoon realized how serious his brother-in-law was being. “You go for it. But hopefully we won’t have to. I don’t want to go through that stress again.”

“You’re married now,” Hyunsaeng said with a shrug. “She’s thoroughly off the market.”

Hoon smiled. “So what about me? How did you feel about me?”

Hyunsaeng pondered briefly then, seemingly unsure if he should divulge the information. “I never really… hated you. When I first met you, I was trying to get a good read off of you. I was trying to see if you had any underlying motivations for being with her. And I just… couldn’t find any. You were genuine. You were going to such great lengths just to be with her. And she was so happy with you. Like… more like how she was before our mom died. The more time I spent with you, the more I liked you. You and I are very similar, Hoonmin. You wish for her happiness as much as I do.”

Hoon nodded, absorbing the information. It was then that the door opened, and Serin walked in carrying a plastic bag and looked at the two of them talking in the living area in surprise. “I thought you would be later, Hoonie,” she said as she slipped her shoes off.

“Nope. Nothing to keep us extra late tonight,” he told her.

“That’s good.” She went and deposited the bag on the kitchen table before walking back into the living area and settling herself in Hoon’s lap, an act that got her a shocked look from Hoon and a cross between a pout and a frown from Hyunsaeng. “Were you two playing nice?” she asked. “Hyunsaeng wasn’t being mean, was he?”

“We were just talking,” Hyunsaeng said gruffly.

“Yep,” Hoon agreed happily. “We were having a perfectly nice conversation.”

“You were talking about me, weren’t you?” she asked, pouting as she wrapped her arms around Hoon’s neck.

He glanced down at her and over to Hyunsaeng, who was looking very uncomfortable, but Hoon had a sneaking suspicion that that was Serin’s goal. It’s not like she was going to have with him. If she’d just started her period, she was unlikely to want to do anything of that sort. But she just wanted Hyunsaeng to leave, but she didn’t want to outright tell him. And it worked because it was immediately after she asked the question, that he stood up, answered, “You bet we were,” and excused himself.

She said goodbye, and once he was gone, she smirked at Hoon. “Good. He left. I was hoping he'd leave, and I definitely thought he’d be gone when I got back,” she explained.

“I was surprised to see him. Thought it was strange he didn’t go with you.”

“I had to uh… buy—“

“Stuff for your period. He told me. Said you were embarrassed to take him along.”

She scoffed. "It's not me who's embarrassed. It's definitely him. He’s so awkward and weird when it comes to that sort of thing.”

“He loves you though. He would do anything for you,” Hoon said, running his hand up her back as she curled against him on the chair.

“I know.”

“I love you, too.”

“I also know that.”

He kissed her then. “I hope you know that I’ll do everything I can for you,” he told her when he pulled away from her.

She smiled, and kissed him quickly on the lips. “That’s all I can ask for.”