~ 이십육 ~

Thankfully, after passing by the packed Pyongil Avenue, the drive home was smooth. Jiwon did not want anything more but to already go home, lie on the comfortable bed, and perhaps get some good sleep. It has been a tough day for him; he skipped the rest of his classes when the semester has only begun, and waited for about seven hours for his brother’s arrival to Seoul. On his mind ran plenty of thoughts he kept suppressing, his brother beside him made him anxious as hell.

In one last turn, they finally reached their house. Jinwoo was kind enough to open and close the gates for the car to enter and park in the garage. After turning off the engine, Jiwon quickly got down the driver’s seat, rushing to the backdoor to open it and lug his brother’s baggages. The other meanwhile requested for the door keys and Jiwon threw them to him, he then opened the main door and the lights. A rather disgusting sight welcomed him to his very own home.

He frowned and picked up the plastic bag in front of him. Jiwon palmed his face mentally; of all days he forgot to clean the house, it was when his brother is coming. His brother despised clutter and this sight was not helpful at all.

Jinwoo tried to be calm about it; maybe his brother really had a tough time living independently in their homeland after being used to the West. He went upstairs and unlocked his room, but before that, he noticed that the guest room was empty. He turned towards Jiwon, who was struggling to carry all those bags upstairs, and asked, “Is Seungyoon still here?”

“No, uh, he already moved out a few weeks ago. He said he already found a share house near his part-time work,” Jiwon replied and successfully took the baggage in front of his brother’s room.

The latter shrugged, “Figures,” referring to the mess he saw a while ago. If their cousin was here, Seungyoon would not bear to live in a clutter unlike Jiwon, who could practically live in slums if sudden occasion arise, Jinwoo thought.

He grabbed the bags and entered his room. Without saying anything, he shut the door in front of his younger brother. The latter had expected it from his hyung. Passing by the short corridor, he entered his room and jumped into his bed. Sleep came like lightning.

Jiwon dreaded for the morning after. It’s Tuesday which meant he has to attend his classes. Gathering up all the strength he has, he mustered to get out of his bed, to which he referred to as a huge magnet dragging him down, making him unable to do anything. He went to the kitchen to prepare bacon and eggs, his usual breakfast, but for today he added another serving, in any case his brother wanted to eat with him.

Well, of course as if that would happen.

While Jiwon was eating his American breakfast, Jinwoo came down the stairs, fully clothed in a suit, making him look as if he was to appear in a formal gathering. The former tried to invite the latter to share breakfast with him but the latter rejected him.

“No thanks, I’m up for a busy day ahead. I plan to visit all the stores in Korea to check their statuses, something I believe you still haven’t done,” Jinwoo said and swung his thick coat on his shoulder. He slammed the door shut and unlocked his own car, which has been well maintained throughout his absence. With the sound of the engine fading, Jiwon slumped on the chair and sighed. Well, he was very hungry anyway, that was why he cooked for two, he reasoned out.

After engulfing himself with a huge amount of breakfast, Jiwon readied himself for today. Shaking his legs to fit in his denim pants, dressing himself with his favorite navy sweater, tying his chuck’s laces, and waxing his hair, Jiwon was finally done as he glanced at his mirror. Giving himself a wink and a pout, Jiwon hafted his knapsack on his left shoulder, his trench coat on his right, and went out of the house. He drove all the way to the university, which was not that very far.

Just like the usual start of semesters, most of the classes were just a period of introduction to the course, the professor, the grading process, and whatnot. Some, however, chose to be different and start right away after handing out the course syllabus to their students, like with what Hayi experienced with one of her majors this semester. Likewise unfortunately, Jiwon’s professors were somehow treading the different path like Hayi’s professor Yang Hyunsuk, making Jiwon flustered and distressed.

Days passed, Jiwon became more and more stressed. Since he was already a sophomore, this meant that he has to get over with being spoon-fed like a freshman, which also meant that his professors would be quite ruthless. Aside from the courses being difficult, some of his professors were unapproachable and cold. He had plenty of reading assignments to read and cry over every day, when it was only a few weeks after the semester started.

“,” he breathed as he walked from one building to another, toward his next class which was two buildings away. The weather also did not help his case; it rather gave him much more stress than it should be. Since spring’s about to come any time in a few weeks, the winter season decided to go all out and blast a negative six degrees throughout Seoul. Even though Jiwon wore thick clothing, the cold air hit his face nonetheless. “If only, there’s this cloth to also protect my face!” He thought.

Jiwon had already met Hana after passing by her a week ago. He was not aware of his surroundings as he was busy reading his notes on his phone for his next class when he accidentally bumped someone. He apologized and resumed walking not until someone shouted behind him. It was a familiar voice and as Jiwon turned around, he was greeted with a frowning Jang Hana. They exchanged greetings and whatnot; turns out Hana was living at Hayi’s place for the meantime but she will move out soon though, she has found a nice apartment with a good price. He wished he could talk and catch up with her more however; he still has an economics class to encounter first. He bid farewell, exchanging phone numbers and saying to chat more once he had a time, which never happened.

Speaking of his phone, a loud buzz emanated, he glanced at the caller id and frowned upon realizing who it was. Wanting not to answer, he tried to ignore it and the call soon ended. Yet another vibration followed shortly after, making Jiwon left with no choice but to answer the call.

“Yes, hyung?”

“Jiwon why  aren’t you answering my call?” said the voice on the background. Jiwon sighed and massaged his nose bridge.

“I’m sorry hyung, I’m quite busy at the moment,” he lied. Of course, he was not that busy, he was just walking along the paved corridor with half an hour left before his next period.

The other line became silent for a while, which was followed by a cough. “Whatever. Email me the store monthly report at the Hanggang branch. The last two months, that is November and December if you do not know.”

Jiwon was about to reply when the caller abruptly ended the call, leaving him stunned. Pursing his lips, he nodded and answered as if the call was still on line. He sat on the nearby bench to relax and run circles on his temples to contain himself. This was another one of those reasons; his brother was certainly a pain in the . As Jinwoo arrived, he kept ordering his younger brother to do this and that. Certainly, Jiwon understood the other’s stand but he could not help but to feel exasperated since everything was just not working for him.

After his final period, instead of going back home, Jiwon thought of staying at the university for a while. It was already given that he does not want to see his brother just yet, and he also wanted to be alone for a moment. To think. To reflect. Maybe even find a divine intervention?

Jiwon sat on the cold marble bench circled around a withered maple tree that is lightly covered with snow. He looked at the sky—it was dawn. The sun’s about to bid goodbye for a few hours and darkness will hug the place. Eyes still fixated on the heavens, he thought about the things happening recently.

His brother’s arrival was so sudden. It still shocked him. He had believed all this time that he will be the only one returning to Korea, as his mother and father have responsibilities to attend to at the States while his brother, Kim Jinwoo, will be assigned to manage the expanding business overseas, including the States. His mother already told the two of them who would manage and inherit the business; the older will inherit 25 percent of the shares, and will be in-charge of the international relations of the company, while Jiwon will have 30 percent, will be in-charge with the whole company—thus making him the successor and future CEO.

He wanted it, to be honest.  Ever since he was young, he was always with his mother to help her with selling the products. He would always make sure that he could help in any way he could; it even came to a point where he would decline some of her friends’ invitations just so he can accompany his mom. He was that kind of a son, thoughtful. This made him interested with how the business industry works since he witnessed the expansion and evolution of their family’s business. From a small stand of market-bought beauty products, they have became one of the well-recognized in the cosmetics industry, having their own brand names, and continuing to develop more and more products, not just cosmetics but hygienic products too.

When the news broke out, it also broke the sibling’s close relationship. Before they were stuck with each other like rice cakes. But then Jinwoo drifted apart from him. Maybe Jinwoo was disappointed that he did not have the position he wanted, maybe he was mad that his younger beat him in getting more shares, maybe he thought his parents did not seem to trust him just as much as they trusted Jiwon—the latter do not know. He was so depressed when his brother slowly turned to a cold and low-tempered from the jolly and kind hyung he was. It was difficult to live in a foreign country but it has been more difficult to endure the way he was being treated as a foreigner by his brother. He barely had friends. His brother was his one and only best friend.

Jiwon was too preoccupied with his thoughts that he had not noticed a figure already standing in front of him. The person, who was standing there for a good five minutes already, realized that he was in his own bubble. As rude as it was, the person burst the bubble for the other to come back to his senses.

“Yah Jiwon oppa!” She said, frowning and biting her lips to hide her embarrassment.

The boy snapped back to reality and noticed her. “Oh, Hayi, why are you here?” He asked, patting down the space beside him. The now identified person, Hayi, gladly sat beside him and hugged her backpack. “And what did you just call me?”

Hayi’s face turned beet red as she shook his head repeatedly. “N-nothing! Maybe you’re just daydreaming.” , I just called him ‘oppa’!

Jiwon frowned, sure he has heard something oddly weird yet he wasn’t able to understand it. Nodding his head, he shrugged the odd feeling off. “Alright, alright. Why are you here?” He asked again.

Hayi turned to him and pouted cutely, “I think I should be the one asking you that one. Why are you still here? I had a group practice for a presentation, and you?”

Jiwon returned his gaze to the sky, which has turned pitch black. It was already night, he had not noticed. “Uh, thinking?” He replied.

“Is... something bothering you right now?” Hayi inquired. She knew Jiwon quite well that she could tell if he is worrying about something.

He smirked. he was caught. He knew that it would be better to tell her the truth because she already knows a lot about him already. Telling this one would not change anything.

So Jiwon told Hayi everything. The split of inheritance, his brother’s coldness, and the sudden return to Seoul. He also added the stress he has been feeling about his studies and the pressure too, of course. Hayi just listened all throughout his storytelling, not cutting him off while he was talking. And telling this verbally to someone somehow helped, Jiwon though. Moreover, it was Hayi. He felt lighter, the anxiety he has been bouldering on his chest has finally lessened.

Once he was done, he looked at her with expectant eyes. Hayi looked back and smiled. “Do you want me to say something?” she asked and Jiwon contemplated. “Well, uh, err, if you want to, I don’t mind.”

Hayi grinned and also looked at the sky. The stars are very pretty, she thought. It took her a while before she gathered everything she wanted to say. Taking a deep breath, she told Jiwon: “So what?”

“Huh?” Jiwon looks at her, puzzled at her response.

“So what if he acts like that. You know that it is normal to feel that way. I mean, if I were in his place I would feel more likely the same; only that I would be ier and might even mistreat my dongsaeng for stealing my —I’m just kidding. Anyways, do you know what you should do? You should just stay put and not let it affect you. Act like nothing changed, and treat him how you used to treat your brother before. I am quite sure he still loves you and he wants to make-up with you. It’s just his pride that hinders him, I guess?”

Hayi looked back at him after telling what she thinks about the situation; she did not expect that Jiwon was also looking back at her. The eye contact lasted for a while; Jiwon was staring at her, loss for words, amazed with Hayi and her exemplary skills in giving advices.

Hayi was the first to break the contact, coughing as she did. She has flushed into crimson yet again. Jiwon cleared his throat and looked away too, feeling embarrassed at his action.

After a few moments of silence, Hayi stood up and grabbed Jiwon’s hand, making the latter surprised and instantly grabbing his bag. Jiwon asked her where will they go and Hayi only chuckled.

“Come. I know what’s best to cheer someone up!”

They spent the night laughing, talking about random things, and eating lots of ice cream at Jiwon’s place.

a/n: AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! I UPDATED YET AGAIN YEHEY!!!!!! I hope you all liked it! Tell me what you think about it!! I'd love to hear them all~~

here's pretty jinwoo <3

and a cute jinwoo!!