Good Night, Brother! - Chapter 4.8 (R19)

Resolving himself, Eun Hyun stood up and made his way to the living room. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of butter and sugar. Yi Hyeon was standing by the electric stove, turning to glance at him as he entered.

“What are you making?”

“Got bored, so I made pancakes.”

“Smells good.”

After washing his hands, Eunhyun sat at the kitchen table, and Yi Hyeon placed a large plate in front of him. Alongside the buttered pancakes were scrambled eggs and crispy bacon.

“Hyung, eat this too.”

As the scent of the food stirred his appetite, Eunhyun began cutting into the pancakes with a knife. Just then, Yi Hyeon pulled something from the refrigerator and placed it on the table—a takeaway cup of iced Americano.

“What’s this? Where did the coffee come from?”

“I bought it. You looked out of it on weekends without your coffee.”

“Wow, I was actually craving some…”

The logo on the cup revealed it was from a franchise café located a decent walk from their home.

What’s with this luxury hotel-grade service first thing in the morning…

For some reason, Eunhyun felt like a wife in an American TV show, enjoying a breakfast made by her husband after a night of satisfying sex. Shaking off the strange thought, he focused on eating his pancakes.

After finishing, he felt full to the brim. As if to fatten him up for some ulterior motive, Yi Hyeon then brought out a perfectly peeled apple for dessert. Eunhyun found himself absentmindedly biting into the apple when Yi Hyeon suddenly spoke.

“Hyung. Do you want to get the imprint removal procedure?”

“Cough! Cough, cough!”

The unexpected, unfiltered question caught him so off guard that he choked. Yi Hyeon handed him a glass of water with an expressionless face. Eunhyun took a sip but continued coughing for a while before glaring at his brother.

“How… how did you know?”

At least deny it if you’re going to ask! Yi Hyeon’s calm tone, however, betrayed no emotion.

“I just figured you might want to.”

Eunhyun’s expression grew complicated as he studied his brother’s face.

“Well… I’ve thought about it, but…”

He didn’t bother to add that the procedure cost over ten million won, making it unattainable for him anyway.

After a moment of silence, Yi Hyeon spoke again.

“You know what?”

“What?”

Another pause.

Yi Hyeon’s gaze was so dark that Eunhyun couldn’t read his thoughts.

“If you get the imprint removed, I’ll just imprint you again.”

Eunhyun’s jaw dropped slightly.

“And if you remove that one, I’ll imprint you again. And again.”

“…….”

“Even if it takes forever—until your neck can’t take another imprint—I’ll keep tying myself to you.”

“…….”

“I can’t stand the thought of anyone else smelling your pheromones and drooling over you. Got it?”

Eunhyun was at a loss for words.

From that moment on, the cold, piercing look in Yi Hyeon’s eyes left Eunhyun feeling cornered. The atmosphere in the house was suffocating, as if it were covered in a thin layer of ice. Even the idea of discussing their relationship with his brother slipped from his mind under the oppressive tension.

When it became clear that the mood wouldn’t improve, Eunhyun decided to escape to a nearby café. He gathered his things, hoping for a brief reprieve.

As he stepped into the living room, Yi Hyeon, who had been sitting on the sofa, snapped his eyes to him as if he’d been waiting for this exact moment.

“Where are you going? To get the imprint removed?”

“Where are you going? To get the imprint removed?”

Who goes for imprint removal on a Saturday…? Eun Hyun, baffled by the suggestion, replied curtly.

“No, nothing like that. I’m just heading to a café.”

“Take me with you.”

I’m going out to avoid you—don’t you see that? Or are you just pretending not to notice…?

Feeling like even his attempt to escape was failing, Eun Hyun let out a sigh, his shoulders sagging.

“Haa… Yi Hyeon, just let it go, okay?”

“Hyung, do you really want to get the imprint removed?”

“I don’t even have the money for that…”

“But if you had the money, you’d do it?”

“……”

“So, if you had the money, you’d really go through with it?”

Eun Hyun was at a loss for words, his lips parting soundlessly under Yi Hyeon’s sarcastic tone. Considering that they lived together and saw each other daily, Eun Hyun thought it best to extinguish this brewing conflict quickly. He decided to try placating Yi Hyeon.

“Yi Hyeon, I won’t do it. I won’t get the imprint removal procedure.”

“Really? You’ve lost so much of my trust, Hyung.”

Distrust was evident in Yi Hyeon’s eyes.

“What do you mean I’ve lost your trust…? Ugh, anyway, I’m serious. I won’t do it.”

“You won’t do it for the rest of your life, right?”

“…I won’t do it for the rest of my life.”

The moment Eunhyun’s answer left his lips, Yi Hyeon opened his arms with a playful “Hyung—” and pulled him into a tight embrace.

“It’s a reconciliation hug.”

…But the “reconciliation hug” didn’t end with just a hug.

Monday arrived.

Yi Hyeon’s semester had begun. Yes, it had begun. A fact so significant it warranted repeating.

Eunhyun thought back to his own university days. He remembered napping at the library with his head on a desk after hours of writing reports, pulling all-nighters to study for exams, and staying late at the cafeteria to work on group projects.

And that wasn’t the end of it. Between maintaining his grades and securing scholarships, he also had to participate in school events. On top of that, there were English proficiency tests, certifications, competitions, extracurricular activities, and club meetings. It was no wonder modern college students couldn’t enjoy the romanticized version of youth.

Exactly, Eunhyun thought, nodding slightly in agreement with himself.

Surely, even someone like Jung Yi Hyeon would find himself overwhelmed by the complexities of university life and the chaotic environment of Seoul. Naturally, his attention on Eunhyun would diminish.

Someone as impressive as Yi Hyeon wouldn’t go unnoticed for long. He would undoubtedly get invited to every social gathering and receive countless confessions.

As Eunhyun considered this, he frowned, his thoughts turning to a pressing question:

Why was someone like Jung Yi Hyeon so obsessively attached to him?

Obsession. Yes, obsession was the only word that seemed to fit. His best guess was that it stemmed from their childhood together.

Even as a child, Yi Hyeon had followed Eunhyun around like a chick trailing its mother hen.

He had wanted to do everything Eunhyun did. If Eunhyun joined a taekwondo class, Yi Hyeon would sign up too. If Eunhyun started piano lessons, Yi Hyeon would register for the same time slot, playing in the room next door.

Though it hadn’t been Yi Hyeon’s intention, his exceptional ability to quickly surpass Eunhyun’s skills made the elder lose interest in whatever they were learning. Eunhyun would always be the first to quit.

Whenever that happened, Eunhyun’s mood would understandably sour, but Yi Hyeon would always be the first to notice and approach him cautiously, even before their mother did.

“Hyung, hyung—”

“What?”

“Here, take this.”

And he would always offer a piece of chocolate or candy. Seeing his younger brother, five years his junior, try to cheer him up with his chubby cheeks and innocent expression, Eunhyun couldn’t stay upset for long.

Thinking back on those moments, a quiet chuckle escaped him.

Yi Hyeon had once said that, even as a child, he could sense the latent Omega pheromones in Eunhyun, despite the latter being registered as a Beta. Perhaps that was what had fueled his obsession.

But surely Yi Hyeon would realize eventually. As he formed broader relationships, he’d come to understand that Eunhyun wasn’t someone worth obsessing over. Someone as remarkable as Jung Yi Hyeon would see that Eunhyun was as ordinary as a grain of sand on the roadside.

Eunhyun concluded that Yi Hyeon’s strange, twisted obsession would fade in time. When it did, their improper relationship would naturally come to an end.

And then…

What would be the benefit?

The rhythmic clatter of the subway brought no answers as Eunhyun stared blankly ahead.

When Eunhyun returned home from work, the apartment was empty. He turned on the living room light and loosened his tie, only for his phone to buzz. A message from Yi Hyeon lit up the screen.

Yi Hyeon:

Hyung, I’ll be home late today. I’m out for dinner with my classmates.

Eunhyun replied with a short “ㅇㅋㅇㅋ.”

Yi Hyeon:

Make sure to eat dinner.

“ㅇㅇ.”

Seeing how Yi Hyeon was already staying out late with friends, Eunhyun thought, Of course, I knew this would happen.

As Yi Hyeon made new friends his age, it was only a matter of time before he found someone he liked. When that happened, they could both undergo imprint removal procedures and return to being distant siblings, like before.

Eunhyun changed into comfortable clothes and headed to the kitchen, wondering what to eat. He rummaged through the fridge, debating whether to heat up some instant soup and pair it with whatever side dishes he could find, when his phone rang.

It was his mother.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hi, Eun Hyun. Have you had dinner yet?”

“Not yet.”

“You should eat soon. You must be hungry.”

“Yeah, I was just about to eat.”

“By the way, isn’t today Yi Hyeon’s first day of classes?”

“Oh? Yeah, it is.”

“I wonder if he made it to school okay.”

Why not just directly ask, “Did Yi Hyeon make it to school?” Or better yet, call Jung Yi Hyeon yourself. Eun Hyun thought cynically but answered obediently.

“He went this morning. He said he’s having dinner with his friends too.”

“That’s good. How does Yi Hyeon seem to be doing these days?”

How is Jeong Yi Hyeon doing these days?

…He doesn’t seem normal, that’s for sure.

Like the pages of a book blown by the wind, a flood of thoughts fluttered through Eunhyun’s mind. Jung Yi Hyeon had bonded with him, an Omega, and they’d crossed lines that no siblings should.

The memory made anger flare uncontrollably. He didn’t know what was more upsetting—his mother asking only about Jeong Yi Hyeon or her complete obliviousness to his own feelings.

“I don’t know! If you’re so curious, why don’t you ask Jeong Yi Hyeon directly? Why call me just to ask about him?”

“Eun Hyun, I didn’t mean—”

“What about me? Why don’t you ever ask how I’m doing? Even my friends ask how I’m managing at work, but why don’t you?”

Eunhyun’s voice grew louder as he vented his pent-up frustrations. His tangled thoughts spilled out without a filter.

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