Good Night, Brother! - Chapter 5.1

For several days, Eunhyun had been working late into the night due to disruptions in the supply of raw materials to his department. Last week, he even had to give up his weekend to work.

On Friday morning, as Eunhyun was leaving for work, Yihyeon spoke to him with a worried expression.

“Hyung, your face looks really rough.”

Eunhyun touched his cheek with the back of his hand. Sure enough, it felt dry and rough, just as his brother had said.

“Ah… I’m just a bit tired.”

“Are they at least paying you overtime?”

“Huh? No, we’re on a comprehensive salary system…”

“What? Isn’t it illegal not to pay overtime, even under a comprehensive salary system? Shouldn’t you report it?”

Eunhyun’s expression immediately turned grim.

“I’m not the only one with a contract like this.”

“Hyung, you always say everyone does it. Just because others live like that doesn’t mean you should too.”

“It’s not like I can report it to the Labor Department and quit my job.”

“Then quit.”

“What are you even saying? Do you know how hard it was for me to get into this company?”

Yihyeon stared at Eunhyun with a sulky look before blurting out bluntly.

“When will you be home today?”

“I don’t know. There’s still a shortage of materials. I might have to contact every supplier one by one.”

“If you come home late again today, I’m going to file a petition against your company on the Blue House website.”

Yi hyeon’s determined gaze made it seem like he might actually post a complaint about the company violating labor laws. No, knowing Yihyeon, he might even stand outside the company with a protest sign. Feeling a chill, Eunhyun rubbed his arm and replied.

“…Hey, don’t even joke about things like that.”

“Then come home early.”

“As if I have any control over that.” Eunhyun sighed lightly and grabbed the doorknob.

“I’m off. Go to school and make sure you eat properly.”

“…Take care.”

Yihyeon’s dissatisfied face slowly disappeared as the door closed.

After staring at her monitor all day, Eunsooah finally straightened her back and massaged her stiff neck as evening arrived. She had just managed to get the situation under control.

“Ah, finally, some relief. Eunhyun, good job today.”

“You too, Deputy Eun. You worked really hard.”

Eunhyun responded with a pale smile. Days of overtime had left him exhausted, and he longed to get home, shower, and sleep.

“Phew, it’s already 8 p.m. Still, compared to the past few days, this is practically an early leave. Let’s head out.”

“Sure.”

Eunhyun quickly tidied his desk and left the office with Eunsooah.

Just as they scanned their ID passes and exited through the revolving doors, a tall man standing by the company’s main entrance caught Eunhyun’s attention. The man strode toward him with long legs.

“Eunhyun.”

It was Han Jinseo. Since Eunhyun had blocked his number, it seemed he had waited outside the company to ambush him.

Eunhyun froze in place like a statue, staring at Han Jinseo.

“Eunhyun, can we talk?”

“…”

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Eunsooah interjected.

“Eunhyun, do you know him?”

“Ah, yes…”

Whatever conversation he needed to have with Han Jinseo, it wasn’t something he wanted to do in front of Eunsooah.

“Um, Deputy Eun, would you mind heading home first? I have something to talk about.”

“Oh, sure. I’ll head out then. See you on Monday.”

Eunsooah, seemingly concerned about the awkward tension between the two, walked a few steps before glancing back. Then she continued toward the subway station.

Eunhyun loosened his tie slightly, finding the spring night air stifling. Han Jinseo’s brown eyes followed his every move. With a low voice, Jinseo called Eunhyun again.

“…Eunhyun, I won’t take much of your time. Just hear me out for a moment.”

The earnest tone in Jinseo’s voice shook Eunhyun. It was the first time Jinseo had ever asked him like this. Not that there had been many opportunities before. Hesitating, Eunhyun dropped his gaze to the planter near the company entrance. A tense silence hung between them for a while. How many minutes had passed? Finally, Eunhyun made a decision and looked at Jinseo.

“Let’s find somewhere quiet to talk.”

Eunhyun began walking ahead.

The two of them settled at a large café in the alley behind the company. Despite saying he wanted to talk, Jinseo remained silent for a long time after ordering coffee.

Eunhyun discreetly glanced over Jinseo to see if he was okay. He’d taken quite a beating from Yi Hyeon that day, but thankfully, he didn’t seem to have any broken bones or serious injuries.

“Jeong Eun Hyun.”

“Yes?”

“…I’m sorry.”

In just three syllables, Jeong Eun Hyun felt the weight of genuine sincerity.

Han Jinseo was someone Jeong Eun Hyun could forgive even without an explicit apology. Yet, here Jinseo was, offering an earnest apology.

There had been a time when Jeong Eun Hyun considered Jinseo closer than family or a lover.

His parents, ironically, were so close that there were many things they didn’t know about him. Like looking at a leaf under a microscope, they missed the bigger picture. Occasionally, they clung to fleeting moments from his childhood or adolescence, forming biased perceptions about him. They failed to fully register how much Jeong Eun Hyun had changed as he grew and became socialized.

His first lover, from a relationship at twenty, was someone who could seem so loving and precious one day but turn away overnight. No matter how tightly he clung to the threads of affection, if the other person let go, the relationship would inevitably unravel.

But Han Jinseo was different. Over the course of a decade, Jinseo had accumulated enough data to immediately understand the reasons behind Jeong Eun Hyun’s actions. That level of understanding felt comfortable, and Eun Hyun found himself meeting Jinseo often. He thought they’d remain friends for life.

That was before his Omega manifestation.

The late manifestation that had unleashed an explosive surge of Omega pheromones—pheromones potent enough to drive Alphas into a frenzy.

Yes, it was all because of the pheromones.

The reason Jinseo tried to violate him that day, the incident with his younger brother, the imprinting with his brother, and the repeated nights Jinseo spent with his brother… All of it, nothing but accidents caused by pheromones.

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