LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 204
Chapter 204
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“Someone treats you nicely, and you start talking informally out of nowhere. What’s with your manners?”
“Yeah. So what about you?”
I decided to just go all out.
If this guy was really Seo Moon-gyeol’s brother, my character issues would be handled by Seo Moon-gyeol, and if he was just a pretender with no relation to Seo Moon-gyeol, then he deserved this treatment.
Still, just in case, I thought about recording our conversation from now on.
As I was thinking about that, he reluctantly manipulated his phone and showed me Seo Moon-gyeol’s contact registered in his messenger.
[Dumbass]
The profile picture was correct, and there was nothing written in the status message, which was also right.
The name… I heard that siblings don’t usually save each other’s names in a very friendly manner.
Could it be real?
No. It could just be a stalker who found out his number and saved it.
“Still don’t believe me?”
Seo Joo-won then found some childhood photos of Seo Moon-gyeol saved in his gallery and showed them to me.
Looking at those private photos, I was confused, not knowing if he was a crazy stalker who collected all these personal photos or if he was really Seo Moon-gyeol’s brother.
“You thought I was a stalker, didn’t you?”
“If you were in my shoes, wouldn’t you?”
“You’re so suspicious. Are all celebrities like this?”
Seo Joo-won sighed deeply, as if making sure I could hear it, and then he made a call somewhere.
“Hello? Auntie, I’m meeting my brother, but there’s some strange misunderstanding. Could you tell this person that I’m really Moon-gyeol’s brother? Yes. No, it’s nothing. I’ll switch to video call then.”
A moment later, Seo Joo-won’s phone was handed over to me.
– Hello?
I opened my eyes wide, recognizing the beautiful face on the phone screen.
– I’m Moon-gyeol’s mother. Do you remember me?
It was definitely Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother, whom I briefly met during the last Pick Heart broadcast.
Back then, her genetics were a hot topic online, with everyone saying that all of Seo Moon-gyeol’s delicate and gentle features came from her.
I never imagined meeting her again like this…
“Hello, ma’am. I’m On Raon, working with Moon-gyeol. Do you know me?”
– Of course, I do. I heard there’s a misunderstanding with Joo-won…
“Ah, yes. Is the owner of this phone really Moon-gyeol’s brother?”
Now that I confirmed the person I was talking to was Moon-gyeol’s mother, it was hard to doubt Seo Joo-won’s identity any further, but deep down, I still hoped he wasn’t.
– Yes, he is.
“I see…”
– Sorry, but I have an urgent matter… I have to go.
She seemed like she was avoiding talking to me.
Maybe it was just my imagination.
Anyway, the call ended quickly because of Seo Moon-gyeol’s mother’s urgent business.
Feeling inexplicably uneasy, I handed the phone back to Seo Joo-won, who was waiting with a triumphant expression.
“You see, I told you.”
“Yeah, you were right.”
Unfortunately.
“But why did she hang up so quickly? You looked like you had a lot to ask her.”
“She said she had something urgent.”
At my words, Seo Joo-won’s face twisted again, looking as cold as before.
“Urgent, my ass. All she does is spend my dad’s money at home…”
What did I just hear?
“Anyway, can you take me to your dorm? I know the address, but I’m new here and don’t want to wander around in the heat. I saw you and decided to follow.”
“Moon-gyeol should be at the gym right now, so he won’t be there even if we go. It’ll take him a while to finish up and come back.”
“That’s fine. We’re going soon anyway, so you don’t need to call him.”
“I said I’m not okay with it. Didn’t you understand?”
“I’m fine. And shouldn’t you at least offer a guest a glass of water if they visit?”
I recalled all the good deeds Seo Moon-gyeol had done for me and tried to stay calm.
Let it go. It’s Seo Moon-gyeol’s brother.
He was a family member of my group mate, and besides making me uncomfortable, I had no reason to kick him out.
Somehow, he knew our dorm’s exact location and apartment number, so even if I left him alone, he would find his way there eventually.
Reluctantly, I warned Seo Joo-won, barely hiding my irritation.
“Hey, if you say stuff like that in front of my hyungs, I won’t let it slide.”
“Fine. I won’t say anything.”
And so, I headed to the dorm with an awkward burden.
While talking with Seo Joo-won, I received a message from Ban Yo-han.
[Little Fox] Why are you taking so long?
[Little Fox] Kang Joo is worried something happened to you.
[Me] I met Moon-gyeol’s brother at the convenience store, heading back now.
[Me] Almost there.
[Little Fox] ??
[Little Fox] How do you know he’s Moon-gyeol’s brother?
[Me] I talked to Moon-gyeol’s mom.
[Me] But he seems a bit odd.
[Little Fox] Why?
I quickly relayed Seo Joo-won’s outrageous words through the messenger.
This wasn’t gossip; it was a measure to protect Gyun Seong-ha’s fragile mental state, which was already shattered.
Really.
When we arrived at the dorm, Seo Joo-won started acting coy again, just like when we first met.
“I’m here.”
“You’re back? Who’s this?”
“Hello. I’m Seo Joo-won, Moon-gyeol’s brother.”
“Wow, Moon-gyeol’s brother? How old are you? Why are you wearing a school uniform on the weekend?”
Kang Ji-woo asked Seo Joo-won friendly questions as if he knew nothing.
Gyun Seong-ha was nowhere to be seen, either sent out or in the bedroom.
“I’m a freshman in high school. I had a school event, so I came here directly without changing.”
“What brings you here?”
Ban Yo-han, who had been quiet all this time, gently asked.
“Hmm?”
“No matter how much you’re Moon-gyeol’s brother, showing up unannounced isn’t right. We have a rule that no outsiders are allowed in our dorm. Even family members aren’t an exception.”
Was that so?
Last year, I stayed here for a long time as a total stranger. It seemed a bit strange now, but I didn’t open my mouth to say so.
Kang Ji-woo seemed to have picked up on something and stayed silent.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m also a fan of you guys, and I was thinking of starting my studies this summer vacation. I thought getting a signature from Yo-han, who scored perfectly on the college entrance exam, would be like a lucky charm.”
“Really? That’s different from what I heard.”
“Huh?”
Ban Yo-han continued in a gentle tone.
“I heard you badmouthed our members on the way here.”
Seo Joo-won, momentarily flustered by Ban Yo-han’s straightforwardness, quickly regained his composure and wore a smug face that made me want to hit him.
“Ridiculous. Did you really tattle on me that quickly?”
I had a lot to say too.
“How do you think I felt listening to your nonsense with a straight face?”
Seo Joo-won, noticing my gaze on his name tag, laughed.
“Oh, there was a reason for that. Didn’t your brother tell you? It’s rare for idols to be friendly, so it seems your members aren’t close either.”
“Hey, even Moon-gyeol doesn’t know he has a brother.”
“Wow, you have a brother?”
“…”
Why was Kang Ji-woo, who had responded so sensibly earlier, now looking at me with a ‘how could you do this to me’ face?
Seo Joo-won’s face was filled with a mocking smile as he watched us.
“There was no need to inform each other in such detail that you aren’t close.”
“What nonsense. I’ve just shown that even close people can be unaware of such things.”
“Well. Maybe Moon-gyeol doesn’t care at all, and you’re the one thinking you’re close to him? Or maybe you just want to get closer to such a great brother?”
This guy was really getting on my nerves…
I couldn’t even show him my affection meter.
“But why do you keep calling him Moon-gyeol instead of ‘Moon-gyeol hyung’?”
“Ah, that’s because…”
At that moment, I heard the sound of someone quickly pressing the front door’s password.
“Oh, Moon-gyeol must be here.”
“It’s not his usual time. Did someone call him?”
Seo Joo-won’s expression turned cold as he looked towards the entrance.
“Why already…”
“I called him,” I said, smiling brightly, just as Seo Moon-gyeol entered the living room, his face drenched in sweat.
“Seo Joo-won.”
Seo Moon-gyeol’s expression was much scarier than usual when he spotted Seo Joo-won sitting on the sofa.
“Oh, hyung, you’re here…”
“Get out. Now.”
“Why, what’s wrong? Are you crazy?”
“Get out.”
“It hurts! Let go of me…!”
Seo Joo-won, who had been acting up, was easily dragged out by Seo Moon-gyeol’s hand.
With a loud bang, the front door slammed shut, and Kang Ji-woo, who looked as if he had been hit over the head, called out to Gyun Seong-ha.
“Seong-ha, you can come out now.”
Gyun Seong-ha, who looked noticeably thinner than a few days ago, opened the slightly ajar bedroom door and stepped out.
“Did you hear everything from inside?”
“Yes…”
We were all silent for a while, shocked by Seo Moon-gyeol’s unprecedented display of strength. After the initial shock wore off, we started to whisper to each other, faces full of surprise.
“I thought calling Moon-gyeol directly to confirm instead of calling his mom was a bit strange, but I didn’t expect this. If I had known, I would have just thrown him out myself.”
“No, you did well.”
“I’ve never seen him so angry before.”
“Me neither, me neither.”
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
Gyun Seong-ha, who was holding a hand to his chest as if feeling his heartbeat, spoke in a dazed voice.
“I think I’m happy right now. I never knew hyung could get angry like that…”
Gyun Seong-ha’s face, which had been filled with anxiety and gloom recently, visibly brightened.
“What do we do? He looks genuinely happy for the first time in a while.”
‘Could this be considered one of Seo Joo-won’s few positive contributions…’
Caught between laughter and tears, I added my own words.
“To be honest, I was preparing myself for a frustrating conversation with Moon-gyeol hyung defending him.”
“What?”
“If he had really taken his brother’s side, I was ready to list all the terrible things Seo Joo-won said to me, and even prepare myself for a period of awkwardness with Moon-gyeol hyung, expecting to get hurt in the process…!”
“…On Raon, just how far were you planning to go with this?”
“People like you usually mess up relationships because of overthinking.”
“Ban Yo-han, why are you suddenly picking a fight?”
“To stop you from dating. Anyway, I knew Moon-gyeol had a temper. Last year, I asked him to team up in Pick Heart, and he coldly rejected me. I still remember that indifferent face.”
“You’re really narrow-minded… How do you still hold on to that? Think of all the good things Moon-gyeol has done for us.”
“Moon-gyeol has neglected me plenty of times to take care of you and Seong-ha.”
As the conversation about Seo Moon-gyeol’s unexpected display of strength died down, the topic shifted to his shocking brother, Seo Joo-won.