Good Night, Brother! - Chapter 4.3

Feeling unsettled, Eunhyun hit the back button.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated loudly, startling her enough to drop it.

“Ouch!”

The rounded edge of the phone hit her square on the nose. Rubbing the sore spot, she glanced at the screen—it was a video call from Yi Hyeon. Eunhyun assumed he must’ve accidentally hit the button and ended the call.

“Did he drink too much…?”

The clock on the wall read 9 p.m.—prime drinking time. Eunhyun recalled her own freshman orientation, where she drank with seniors until sunrise. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of worry. What if Yi Hyeon drank too much and made a mistake? Freshmen often feel regretful after embarrassing themselves at their first big social event.

Before she could dwell on it, another video call from Yi Hyeon lit up her screen. This time, Eunhyun answered, deciding it was better to address whatever was happening.

As soon as the call connected, Yi Hyeon’s face filled the screen. His flawless features were in full view, unfiltered by any angles or tricks.

“Yi Hyeon, did you mean to call me?”

-“What? Of course, I did.”

“You made a video call?”

-“Yep.”

“Are you drunk?”

-“I haven’t had anything to drink.”

“You’re at orientation, and you didn’t drink at all?”

-“Nope. I said I wasn’t drinking, and they told me not to.”

Eunhyun blinked in mild surprise. Well, orientation atmospheres vary from school to school. As she began to accept his explanation, a new thought crept in—what if he couldn’t adapt to the social atmosphere? Yi Hyeon, though usually cheerful, had a side that could intimidate people when he spoke seriously.

“Then… why are you calling?”

-“I wanted to see your face.”

“……”

-“I miss you so much. I should’ve taken a photo before I left.”

Even in what appeared to be an outdoor setting, Yi Hyeon managed to deliver such embarrassing lines without batting an eye.

-“Can you send me a picture, Hyung?”

“I don’t have any pictures.”

Of course, Yi Hyeon knew this. Eun Hyun disliked having his photo taken. The few times he’d checked Eun Hyun’s phone gallery, it had been full of food, landscapes, and animal photos—nothing personal.

“Can’t you take one for me?”

“No.”

“Hyung, you’re so cold. Here I am, suffering in Gangwon-do, and you won’t even take a picture for me.”

“What suffering? You’re just there to have fun.”

“Sleeping with ten, maybe twenty strangers in the same room feels like suffering.”

“That’s just how OT works.”

“Haa… Hyung, don’t you miss me at all?”

“Uh…”

Eun Hyun hesitated. Saying “I miss you” felt odd, but saying he didn’t seemed unnecessarily harsh.

When he didn’t respond, Yi Hyeon’s face fell, and he asked again, his voice tinged with hurt.

“Do you not want to see me ever again?”

“What? No, of course not. It’s not like we’re cutting ties.”

“Then? You miss me, right?”

“Haa… Fine, yes. I miss you.”

At that, Yi Hyeon’s face lit up with a bright smile. Seeing his brother’s happiness, Eunhyun couldn’t help but crack a small smile of his own.

“You miss me so much, don’t you?”

“…I’m hanging up.”

“I’ll call you again tomorrow. Make sure you answer.”

“…Hanging up now.”

“Goodnight, Hyung.”

Eunhyun scrunched up his face into a deliberately silly expression before ending the call. As he set the phone down, he realized something: he didn’t feel bored anymore.

To be fair, orientations do vary by school and department. Eunhyun was ready to let it go but soon changed his mind. Could it be that Yi Hyeon didn’t blend in at the drinking sessions? Though he almost always smiled warmly, there were times when his serious tone and expression could be intimidating—even for his older brother.

Eunhyun’s emotions grew a little complicated as he asked, “So, why did you call?”

“I just wanted to see your face.”

“…….”

“I miss you so much. I should’ve taken a picture before I left.”

It sounded like he was outdoors, yet Yi Hyeon spoke those shamelessly sentimental words without hesitation.

“Can you send me a picture of yourself, Hyung?”

“I don’t have any pictures.”

Both brothers knew the truth. Eunhyun didn’t like having his photo taken. The one time Yi Hyeon had snuck a look at Eunhyun’s phone gallery, it was filled with photos of food, landscapes, and animals—but none of himself.

“Can’t you take one for me? Just this once?”

“No.”

“Hyung, you’re so mean. Here I am, suffering in Gangwon-do.”

“What suffering? You’re just there to have fun.”

“I have to sleep in a room packed with strangers, ten or twenty of them.”

“That’s just how OT is.”

“Haa… Hyung, don’t you miss me?”

“Uh…”

Eunhyun hesitated. Saying he missed him felt strangely awkward, while saying he didn’t seemed unnecessarily harsh.

When no answer came, Yi Hyeon’s face turned sullen as he pressed again.

“Do you not want to see me ever again?”

That would be far too hurtful, wouldn’t it? Eunhyun furrowed his brows.

“…Of course not. It’s not like we’re cutting ties.”

“Then? Do you miss me?”

“Haa… Fine, fine. I miss you.”

Yi Hyeon’s face instantly brightened with a radiant smile. Seeing his little brother’s joy, Eunhyun found himself chuckling despite himself.

“You miss me so much, don’t you?”

“…I’m hanging up.”

“I’ll call you again tomorrow. Make sure you pick up.”

“…Hanging up now.”

“Goodnight, Hyung.”

Eunhyun scrunched his nose, deliberately making a goofy face, before ending the call. As he set the phone down, it dawned on him—he didn’t feel bored anymore.

The next day at work, Eunhyun spilled an entire Americano on his pristine white shirt. It all started when he decided to nibble on some ice, which led to an unfortunate attempt at opening the takeout cup’s lid.

If he’d had the time, he might have bought a fresh shirt from a nearby store, but today was far too busy compared to the day before. Forced to wear the coffee-streaked shirt all day, Eunhyun vowed to bring an extra shirt to the office from now on.

Exhausted, Eunhyun returned home and peeled off the dirty shirt, spreading it out on the floor. For a moment, he debated whether to just toss it out. However, the embroidered logo on the chest pocket quickly changed his mind. It was a high-end shirt he’d bought as a treat to himself with his first paycheck from his current job.

Pulling out his phone, he searched for ways to remove coffee stains.

“Mix vinegar and dish soap in a 1:1 ratio, rub it in, then wash. That’s easier than I thought.”

Following the instructions, he dabbed the homemade mixture onto a handkerchief and began scrubbing the stain.

“It’s actually working.”

Once the stain had lightened considerably, Eun Hyun got ready to wash the shirt. That’s when he realized it was the only white item in the laundry pile. Tossing just one shirt into the washing machine felt oddly wasteful, almost like he was letting down Mother Earth.

“Oh, I’ll just wash one of Yi Hyeon’s shirts with it.”

He vaguely remembered seeing Yi Hyeon in an ivory sweatshirt a few days ago. Leaving his shirt for a moment, Eunhyun crossed the living room and headed toward his brother’s room.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t been inside since he showed Yi Hyeon the space on his first day in Seoul. He was mildly curious about how his younger brother had decorated and organized the space.

Opening the door, Eunhyun found that the room was as neat and tidy as Yi Hyeon’s personality suggested. But then…

“Ugh…!”

He instinctively raised an arm to cover his nose and mouth. The air in the room was thick with Yi Hyeon’s pheromones, their intensity unlike anything Eunhyun had encountered before. Unlike the faint traces that lingered throughout the house, this was a potent concentration that made his eyes sting. It was overwhelming, suffocating, and strangely intoxicating.

Despite his efforts to block the scent, Eunhyun’s arm eventually lowered, and his eyelids grew heavy. All that remained in his mind was an overpowering urge to inhale the alpha’s pheromones deeply.

“Haa…”

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