Good Night, Brother! - Chapter 2.5

Strictly speaking, what she said wasn’t wrong, but Eun Hyun was deeply hurt by her words. When had she gone from calling everything he did “adorable” to suddenly pushing him away? He even felt betrayed. Perhaps that’s when it started.

The harmony between them began to break, with Eun Hyun introducing small variations into the melody they once played together seamlessly. Eun Hyun’s approach to relationships was part of the problem. When she didn’t respond to his texts quickly, he felt anxious, as though she were drifting away or preparing to leave him.

Yet when she approached the emotional boundaries he had set, he panicked and retreated. Even something as natural as sharing personal family matters became an issue.

Coming from a relatively harmonious family, she would casually talk about her parents or older sister, venting minor grievances or recounting stories.

But Eun Hyun feared that if she glimpsed the cracks in his own life—his lack of parental affection or the inferiority he felt toward his younger brother, she would find him pathetic.

In the end, he showed her only a shallow facade while endlessly craving her love. Eventually, she broke up with him. “I thought dating you would help me get to know you better but the more we spent time together, the less I felt I understood you.” Did he cry after the breakup? It wasn’t that long ago, but he could barely remember. Unbeknownst to him, Eun Hyun’s heart was like a bottomless pit.

Years of accumulated insecurities had carved a hollow within him that no amount of love could fill. E

ven if someone loved him with all their heart, it still wouldn’t be enough to satisfy him.

“…Hyung.”

“…”

“Hyung?”

“Huh?”

Yi Hyeon’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

“What are you thinking about? I’ve called you a few times.”

“Nothing… why?”

“You were just sitting there, flipping through channels with a blank look.” Yi Hyeon plopped down on the couch as he spoke. The TV was playing a news segment, showing scenes of middle and high school graduation ceremonies. Eun Hyun, grasping for a distraction, commented lazily. “I thought graduations were all in February, but I guess some schools do them at the end of January.” “Seems so.” “Oh, speaking of which, when’s your graduation?”

“February 5th.” “Next Friday, huh? I should head to Daejeon for it.”

Eun Hyun refrained from saying that his brother could’ve just stayed in Daejeon for the ceremony instead of coming to Seoul first. Yi Hyeon, however, replied indifferently, “Nah, I already got the yearbook. There’s no point in going.”

“What? No way. You can’t skip your high school graduation.”

“…”

“By the way, Mom and Dad called the other day. They were asking how you’re doing. You should visit before you start college—show your face.”

It was ironic how Eun Hyun, who avoided visiting their parents, was quick to suggest it to his younger brother.

Eventually, after much convincing, Eun Hyun handed his brother 200,000 won as graduation money and sent him off to Daejeon the day before the ceremony.

On Friday, Eun Hyun returned home early after work. The living room, unheated and empty, felt unusually cold. With Yi Hyeon gone for two days, the house felt strangely hollow. You don’t notice someone’s presence until they’re gone, he thought. After a quick shower, he rummaged through the fridge for a snack when his phone rang.

“Hello?” “Eun Hyun, it’s Friday night.

What are you up to? Let’s go out.”

“Sure.”

“Where should we meet?”

“My place is empty tonight. Want to come over?”

“Where’s your brother?”

“He went to Daejeon for his graduation.”

“Alright, I’ll head over. Want me to bring anything?”

“Just bring whatever you think I’ll like. You know the drill.”

“You’re such a freeloader. What time should I come?” Eun Hyun glanced at the clock—it was just past 7 p.m. His friend’s house was only a 15-minute drive away.

“Can you make it by 8?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there.” “Hurry up. If you’re late, I’m locking the door.”

“Don’t forget who’s bringing the booze, though.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t be late.”

After hanging up, Eun Hyun looked around the empty house. It felt oddly quiet and desolate, even though he was usually comfortable being alone. He absentmindedly cleaned up, tossing a towel into the laundry basket and straightening up the living room. He realized how much he had come to rely on Yi Hyeon to handle the cleaning. Around 7:50 p.m., the sound of the door lock beeping woke him from a light nap on the couch.

Groggily, he looked up to see his friend, Han Jin Seo, entering the apartment.

“Jin Seo, you’re early.” Rubbing his eyes, Eun Hyun got up to greet him, but Jin Seo walked straight past, frowning and pinching his nose. Without a word, he set down his bags and opened the balcony door wide, letting the winter air rush in.

“Hey, it’s freezing! What are you doing?” Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Jin Seo turned to Eun Hyun.

“Whew… Eun Hyun, does your brother have trouble controlling his pheromones or something?”

“What? I don’t know. Why?”

“It smells like a rutting alpha’s been in here.” Eun Hyun tilted his head, confused.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you should have Yi Hyeon checked at a hospital. It could be a pheromone regulation issue.”

“Is it that bad?” Jin Seo’s serious tone made Eun Hyun widen his eyes. “No one lives like this, releasing pheromones all over the place.

There’s got to be something wrong.”

“…Alright. I’ll look into it.” Recalling how someone else had mentioned his brother’s pheromones recently, Eun Hyun made a mental note to bring it up with Yi Hyeon after his return. The choice of words wasn’t exactly appropriate to use with his older brother.

However, Eun Hyun, happy to see Yi Hyeon again, dismissed the oddness without much thought.

“How did you know? You remember my friend Han Jin Seo, right? Jin Seo was over.”

“With how strong the smell is, how could I not?” Yi Hyeon firmly grabbed Eun Hyun’s shoulders and buried his nose against the nape of his brother’s neck, inhaling deeply. The sharp bridge of his nose and the warmth of his breath made Eun Hyun flinch instinctively. “Oh, pheromones? Does it bother you?”

Instead of answering, Yi Hyeon strode across the room and flung open Eun Hyun’s door. He let out a loud, dramatic sigh, as if making sure his brother would hear, before turning back and demanding,

“Did you sleep together?”

“Huh? Yeah. He stays over at our place from time to time.”

“Shit. This is so messed up.”

Yi Hyeon growled under his breath, his voice low and laced with anger. Eun Hyun’s eyes widened in shock. His brother, who hadn’t uttered a single harsh word even during his teenage years, was now cursing harshly.

“Hey, why are you swearing like that…”

“…”

Yi Hyeon stared at his brother for a long moment before speaking slowly.

“I’m pretty sensitive to pheromones. Smelling someone else’s pheromones in the house makes me really uncomfortable.”

“…”

“Sorry for cursing.” “Oh!”

At the mention of pheromones, Eun Hyun recalled Jin Seo’s suggestion the day before that his brother should get tested for pheromone regulation. Hesitantly, he brought it up while carefully watching Yi Hyeon’s reaction. “Um, Yi Hyeon…”

“Yeah?” As if he had never cursed moments earlier, Yi Hyeon now wore a gentle smile, his usual demeanor restored.

“You seem really sensitive to other people’s pheromones. I don’t know much about it, but I was wondering if maybe your pheromone regulation isn’t working properly.”

“What?” “Well, Jin Seo said yesterday that he could sense your pheromones really strongly in our house…”

“Oh, so Han Jin Seo thinks I’m some kind of failure who can’t control my pheromones?”

Yi Hyeon’s sharp tone, so unlike his usual calm nature, made Eun Hyun shrink back slightly. For some reason, his brother seemed like a different person today.

“Yi Hyeon, don’t talk like that about Jin Seo. And watch your language.”

“…Fine. Did Jin Seo hyung really say that?”

“Yeah, he suggested it might be a good idea to get checked at a hospital. Don’t take it the wrong way. Both Jin Seo and I are just worried about you.”

“Hyung, do you even know? All dominant Alphas have mandatory yearly checkups from the government.”

“What?” Eun Hyun blinked in surprise, realizing he hadn’t known about this at all. In truth, dominant Alphas and Omegas were monitored by government agencies. Because the state had historically granted privileges to these groups, such policies were kept out of public discussion to avoid backlash from the general population.

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