Good Night, Brother! - Chapter 6.6

Yi Hyeon placed the bag on the table, his expression resembling that of a child seeking praise. “Open it.”

Inside the shopping bag was a small, neatly wrapped box. The white paper was thick, and the box itself was surprisingly heavy for its size. A red ribbon tied the package, complete with a wax seal at the center. Eunhyun tugged at the ribbon without much care, the wax seal tearing the paper as it came undone. Yi Hyeon gasped.

“You’re opening it like that?”

“How else am I supposed to open it?” Eunhyun asked, unimpressed.

Yi Hyeon, silenced by Eunhyun’s indifference, pressed his lips together and looked away as Eunhyun shredded the wrapping paper without a second thought. The pristine packaging was instantly reduced to a pile of trash, and Yi Hyeon couldn’t bear to watch.

Beneath the torn wrapping, a red leather box was revealed. Eunhyun narrowed his eyes at it. Could it be?

When he opened the box, his suspicions were confirmed. A simple silver ring with a polished finish rested inside. It was elegant, understated, and undeniably beautiful. Eunhyun’s first thought was how strikingly simple yet refined it was. The lack of gemstones and the minimalist design, featuring only a small engraved logo, exuded a sense of sophisticated charm.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a ring,” Yi Hyeon replied matter-of-factly as if the answer were obvious.

Without waiting for Eunhyun’s permission, Yi Hyeon took the ring from the box and gently lifted Eunhyun’s left hand. Cool metal met his skin as Yi Hyeon slid the ring onto his fourth finger. It fit perfectly—not too tight, not too loose.

How does he even know my ring size?

Yi Hyeon brought the newly adorned hand to his lips, kissing it lightly before letting go.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s pretty,” Eunhyun admitted begrudgingly.

“I knew you’d like something simple,” Yi Hyeon said, smiling. “You’ve always had a taste for that.”

“But, why a ring all of a sudden?”

In response, Yi Hyeon raised his left hand, showing an identical ring on his own fourth finger.

“You said you didn’t like seeing me smile at other girls. If I tell them I’m taken, I won’t have to smile at anyone else anymore.”

“…”

“So you can’t smile at anyone else either. Deal?”

Eunhyun’s gaze flickered between his own ring and Yi Hyeon’s. His expression was conflicted, and after a long pause, he finally muttered, “This is strange. It’s weird.”

“What’s weird about it?” Yi Hyeon asked, his voice soft but persistent.

“This. Between siblings,  this is wrong.”

“We’re people first, Hyung,” Yi Hyeon countered.

“…”

“And we’re Alpha and Omega.”

“…”

“What’s wrong with loving someone?”

Eunhyun sat silently, staring down at the table while Yi Hyeon stood in front of him, unwavering. The tension lingered for a long moment before Eunhyun finally spoke, his voice quiet and heavy.

“I don’t want this.”

“Why not? You love me too.”

“I’m scared.”

“What are you scared of?”

“That one day, you’ll hate me.”

Yi Hyeon froze for a moment, his expression softening. “Why would I ever hate you?”

“You will. Someday, you’ll hate me,” Eunhyun said firmly, his voice tinged with sorrow.

Yi Hyeon’s brows knit together as he crouched down slightly to meet Eunhyun’s eyes. His voice, low and steady, broke the silence.

“I could never hate you, Hyung. Not now, not ever.”

The primal unease that had no clear origin was foundational to Eunhyun’s character. Even when he sensed something was amiss, Eunhyun found it easier to expect that people would inevitably come to dislike him rather than hope they would ever truly love him. He was someone who acted only when he was certain, which made him reluctant to approach others first.

His first relationship at twenty had only happened because the other person had been persistent. But the sweetness of that experience soured so bitterly by the end that he wished he had never known it at all. It felt like he had been a diamond, only to be reduced to a pebble on the street.

Yi Hyeon was just twenty, freshly graduated from high school. He’d soon realize that someone like Eunhyun, flawed and unremarkable, wasn’t worth such a radiant ring. Before that happened, Eunhyun needed to tell him the truth.

“I’m selfish. I only care about myself. I’m not a good person.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is. You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know everything. If it’s about you, I know it all.”

“Don’t make me laugh! You don’t know me. You don’t!” Eunhyun snapped, his face twisting with frustration. His breath came in shallow pants, but Yi Hyeon remained calm.

“How could someone who gave away two of their three caramels to their little brother be selfish?”

Eunhyun froze. The image of his younger self handing over the warm candies from his pocket, smiling sheepishly, flashed in his mind.

“You always complained, but you still taught me how to divide numbers.”

He recalled sitting with Yi Hyeon, struggling to explain division in a way that a nine-year-old could understand, eventually promising to help him with any future problems.

“You told me something was good just to make me feel better, even when you didn’t like it.”

The memory of ruffling Yi Hyeon’s hair and saying he’d always care for him out of sympathy was something Eunhyun had long since buried.

“You even stood up for me and fought with that kid who teased me for being an orphan.”

Eunhyun’s shoulders tensed as his head shot up, his eyes widening in disbelief. “How, how do you know about that?”

“I told you, I know everything about you,” Yi Hyeon said, his smile a mix of sadness and warmth.

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