Good Night, Brother! - Chapter 2.4

“Well… I don’t really plan on meeting anyone right now. Been busy lately.” “Busy or not, people in relationships still find the time. She’s got a great personality, and she’s really pretty too.” “Hmm…” “There you go again, playing hard to get. Fine, think about it and let me know.”

“Got it.” With a few taps on Eun Hyun’s shoulder, Kim Sun Woo disappeared into the crowd. As Eun Hyun watched him leave, lost in thought, Yi Hyeon suddenly spoke.

“You must have a lot of friends, Hyung. Running into someone you know even in a place like this.”

“Huh? Not really. Seoul is just smaller than you’d think. The popular areas tend to overlap.” “What counts as a popular area?” “Well… places like Hongdae or Gangnam, those kinds of spots. You’ve probably heard of them.”

“I have. I’ve wanted to check out Hongdae.” “Haha, you’ll be going there all the time with your college friends soon enough.”

“I wanted to go with you, though…”

“What’s the fun in going with your older brother, who’s five years older than you?”

“…”

Instead of answering, Yi Hyeon gave him a silent, unreadable look. Since they were already at the bookstore, Eun Hyun decided to browse the stationery section as well and eventually purchased the Excel guide he had been eyeing.

With the paper bag containing his new book in hand, he turned to his brother. “

Yi Hyeon, didn’t you say you had a book you wanted to check out?”

“I did, but they said it’s out of stock.”

“Really? What bad luck. I was going to buy it for you…”

As they exited the bookstore, Eun Hyun glanced at his phone’s clock and remarked, “It’s already two o’clock.

What did we even do?

Are you hungry, Yi Hyeon?” “I think I’m a little hungry…” “You haven’t had a chance to eat out since coming to Seoul, right? Let’s grab something while we’re out.” “Okay.” “Do you like pho? There’s a great pho place nearby.

It’s cold out, so some hot soup sounds good.” “Then let’s get pho.” The two arrived at a pho restaurant near the subway station and were guided to a table. Glancing at the menu, Eun Hyun quickly made his choice. “I’ll have the brisket pho. What about you?”

“I’ll have the same.” “What? Don’t just get the same as me. Order something different so we can share.

Hmm… You get the pineapple fried rice.” “…Okay.”

“Oh, and let’s get some spring rolls to split. The ones here are really good.”

“Sure.”

After confidently placing their order, Eun Hyun sipped his warm jasmine tea. Meanwhile, Yi Hyeon glanced around the cozy, café-like restaurant and asked, “Do you come to places like this often?”

“Not really… My ex-girlfriend liked this place, so I’ve been here a few times.”

Yi Hyeon’s expression hardened as he frowned. “You had a girlfriend? You never mentioned that.” “Huh? Of course, I’ve had a girlfriend. I’m 25, you know. And why would I tell you everything?” “How long did you date? How many girlfriends have you had?”

“Why are you grilling me all of a sudden?” Eun Hyun felt too embarrassed to admit he had only dated one person and avoided answering the question. Thankfully, the arrival of the spring rolls gave him an excuse to change the subject.

“They look delicious. Let’s dig in.”

Yi Hyeon seemed to have something on his mind but, likely hungry, picked up a spring roll with his chopsticks. He used to struggle with chopsticks when he was younger, but now his movements were neat and precise.

The crunch of the perfectly fried spring roll between his brother’s lips brought back unwanted memories of last night’s dream.

That pretty mouth on me… Ugh!

This is driving me insane. Eun Hyun felt like he might lose his mind if things continued like this. Perhaps dating wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Chewing thoughtfully on his spring roll, he seriously considered going on the blind date.

“Hyung.”

“Huh?” “Are you going to do the blind date?” Startled, Eun Hyun gulped down the piece of spring roll he had been chewing.

Could he read my mind?

“Oh, uh… I’m thinking about it.”

“Why?” Why? There was no way he could admit that dreaming about his younger brother had triggered the idea. Avoiding eye contact, Eun Hyun shifted his gaze downward.

“Just… I’ve never tried it before, so I thought it might be an interesting experience.” “Hyung, you don’t go on a blind date just for the experience. That’s disrespectful to the woman.”

“Haha, it’s not like it’s a formal match or anything. I’m sure she’s taking it lightly too.” “…” Yi Hyeon set his teacup down a bit too forcefully and muttered under his breath, his voice low but clear: “Shit…”

“Wait, what? Jeong Yi Hyeon, did you just swear?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You did! You said shit!”

“You must have misheard.”

Before Eun Hyun could argue further, the waiter interrupted, serving their brisket pho and pineapple fried rice, the steam rising enticingly. “Just… eat,” Eun Hyun said, sighing. They say even dogs aren’t disturbed while eating.

He scooped some pho into a smaller bowl and placed it in front of his brother. Watching him, Yi Hyeon quietly scooped a generous portion of fried rice and set it on Eun Hyun’s plate. Without a word, they began eating.

At one point, Eun Hyun glanced up and noticed that, on his brother’s plate, most of the pineapple pieces had been left untouched.

The sight made him chuckle. “Jeong Yi Hyeon, are you a picky eater? Don’t like pineapple?” Yi Hyeon hesitated briefly before answering, “I can’t eat pineapple.

I got a stomachache from it when I was a kid.” “Oh…” Eun Hyun suddenly remembered. When they were young, the family had shared some pineapple at home, and shortly afterward, Yi Hyeon had cried out in pain, his stomach hurting so badly that they had to rush him to the emergency room.

He even remembered his brother’s pale face as he lay on a hospital bed receiving an IV. “Ah… I completely forgot. You should’ve said something before I ordered it.”

“It seemed like you really wanted it.” “You finish the pho. I’ll eat the fried rice.” Feeling guilty, Eun Hyun swapped their plates. After finishing their meal, Eun Hyun returned from the restroom to find the bill gone.

“Where’s the check? Don’t tell me you paid.”

“I did.”

“What? Why? No older brother makes his younger sibling pay for a meal.”

“A younger brother can treat his older brother too.”

“You idiot, it’s tradition for the older sibling to treat. Besides, you’re just a student. How much money do you even have?”

Already feeling unsettled from ordering a dish his brother couldn’t eat, Eun Hyun now felt even more awkward knowing that Yi Hyeon had paid. But his brother seemed unbothered, casually donning his coat as he said, “Then take me to Hongdae next time and buy me something better there.”

“Huh?” “You can treat me to something more delicious then.”

“…Alright, let’s do that.”

Hearing Eun Hyun’s agreement, Yi Hyeon’s face lit up with a bright smile.

Back home, Eun Hyun sat on the couch, mindlessly flipping through TV channels while his thoughts returned to the blind date. In truth, Eun Hyun vaguely thought of himself as unsuitable for relationships.

As a university freshman, he had experienced his first and only relationship. The girl he dated was a senior he met through a campus club his friend had encouraged him to join. She had taken an immediate liking to him and made the first move.

Captivated by her attention, Eun Hyun found himself falling deeply for her. He had felt special, as if he were someone truly unique. Their secret smiles and gestures in a crowded room. The little shops they made their own as a couple. T

he long conversations filled with laughter. Even the physical intimacy of their first time together… T

hat first relationship was blissfully sweet. She was three years older and the perfect partner in many ways. For Eun Hyun, her thoughtfulness and maturity were especially attractive.

Born and raised in Seoul, she had given him a sense of stability when he, a newcomer to the city, felt out of place.

But the thrill and excitement of a new relationship don’t last forever.

While Eun Hyun wanted to spend all his time with her, neglecting even his studies, she wanted to maintain balance in her life. To Eun Hyun, dating meant being together whenever they wanted. But she valued plans and boundaries, even in a relationship. One day, during exams, Eun Hyun had shown up at her school without notice, hoping to surprise her.

He had imagined her smiling happily at the sight of him. Instead, her expression was filled with surprise and confusion. Rather than heading to a cozy café like usual, she stood in front of the library, her tone serious as she said, “Eun Hyun, even though we’re dating, shouldn’t we respect each other’s space? Aren’t you worried about your grades?”

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