Suspiciously Close Siblings (Going Up)

"⋯S."

"⋯Mmm⋯."

"⋯Son."

"⋯Hm?"

Omg.

I jumped up and woke up.

"Son."

"⋯Yes."

"What if I sleep in my brother's bed even after drinking alcohol?"

"⋯Is this the winter room?"

"You're crushed in the corner over there."

When I turned my gaze, I saw my younger brother sleeping soundly on his face against the wall of the bed, covered with a blanket.

⋯.

Whether fortunate or unlucky

"⋯I must have been drunk and confused."

"Drinking is good, but drink in moderation. Don't you feel sorry for the winter?"

"There is no one who takes care of winter like me."

"Is the guy who takes care of you drunk and stealing your sister's blanket?"

"No, you're covering it well today."

"That was covered by my mother again. It was spread out on the floor."

"⋯Maybe."

"Anyway, if you want to sleep better, go to your room and sleep, and if you want to eat, come out. Because it's winter, I think I need to sleep a little longer."

"I will eat."

"Drink in moderation."

"Yes."

"⋯Okay?"

"⋯Okay."

As her mother left, she stroked her chest.

⋯Despite the fact that my head was about to break, I remembered yesterday vividly.

Why did you do that?

Your words and actions were the exact opposite.

I never thought of that.

Should I stop drinking

She turned her head to look at her brother lying on her stomach.

I lightly pulled the blanket off.

His hair covered his neck.

He gently brushed it away with his hand.

It was undeniably red and bruised.

⋯.

I took out her cell phone and checked my appearance.

Fortunately, my side was hidden from view by my clothes.

I cautiously got out of bed and tried to leave the room.

The moment you hold the handle,

"⋯Brother."

My brother, who I thought was sleeping, started talking to me.

"⋯Your brother is… Your brother, right?"

"⋯Even if you don't like it, you'll be my brother forever."

"⋯Did you get drunk yesterday?"

"Huh."

"Is the film cut off?"

"Yes."

"⋯Yes. I'll sleep better."

"Okay. Good night."

"⋯Happy birthday."

"⋯."

After a brief conversation,

At her table, her mother was beaten on the back until she left for work.

Still, seaweed soup was delicious.

***

My house counts birthdays on the lunar calendar, so we don't take special care of birthdays on the solar calendar.

It's just seaweed soup in the morning.

Of course, since I don't count the lunar calendar, I don't know exactly when my birthday is.

I only know that it's roughly around Chuseok.

Except for the fact that there are so many different kinds of meat on the day, it might be because it doesn't really feel like a birthday.

Even with friends… I just use my birthday as an excuse to get together, but I don't feel like having a party.

The bottom line is that I never received a birthday present until after I graduated from high school.

After graduating… I got a gifticon from my younger brother.

I don't know if it's a society, but how to use it in the military.

Of course, I wrote it.

"Brother."

"Huh."

"I'll give you this."

After lunch, after washing the dishes, I was lying on the sofa when my brother brought a long box with a familiar design and handed it to me.

⋯Isn't this a bit expensive?

"⋯Birthday present?"

"Yes."

"Isn't this worth several hundred thousand won?"

"It's a slightly cheaper version, so it's only 400,000 won."

"Where is the high school senior's money?"

"⋯I don't have anything to spend my pocket money on."

After unboxing the vinyl, there was a smart watch that was being advertised these days.

No, it's true that I was contemplating whether or not to live while I was discharged.

"How much money do you get?"

"Fifty thousand won."

"⋯ In a month?"

"One week."

Still, shouldn't it be two months?

It's less than the military salary.

⋯Something.

Something feels guilty.

"⋯Because I drive my brother's car these days, I don't pay for transportation, and I also eat at home."

"What, that… Uh."

"So I had some free time."

Uh,

It is an indescribable feeling.

Should I say I'm sorry or should I say thank you?

I do not know.

"⋯Can I fill it out?"

"Oh, wait."

I took the box, unwrapped things, and attached the string.

Then he held my hand and put the watch on my wrist.

"⋯It's pretty."

"My brother said he doesn't wear a watch often. I think you will need it."

"⋯Thank you."

It's true that it's a bit burdensome, but since it's a gift, I think it's better to receive it with gratitude.

⋯Oh, what should I do?

What should I bring for Winter's birthday?

It's a real big deal.

Even if you can't do this, it's a laptop, this.

"⋯Winter."

"Huh."

"That… Do you need anything?"

"⋯I think it's a bit like asking me that."

While connecting with the phone, I sneakily asked, but it got stuck.

⋯ Jeop.

In the end, you have to hit yourself.

"… Uh, that…"

"?"

"⋯No."

Winter, who put down his phone and held his left hand, looked down.

Perhaps because he had his head down, the traces were conspicuous.

But I couldn't point it out.

Because it never happened

"Ah… I'll bring you a bandage."

"⋯."

⋯But the eyes couldn't be fooled.

I'll have to hit it with a mosquito bite, well.

***

I thought I was wasting too much time, so I tried to do something productive.

It's a workout, honestly, it doesn't take that long.

But I don't know what to do, maybe it's because I've been meaninglessly living for a year and a half.

I can't study for the exam again.

Do I also need to get a license?

But strangely, studying for certification is not easy.

I must have picked the wrong fruit.

I headed to the kitchen to get some coffee.

After boiling water and waiting for a while, a personal message came.

Someone told me, he was a tight-fisted bastard who would go to the army soon.

-Sir

-ㅙ

-Are you okay?

-What

-Are you okay?

– So what

-Alcohol fucking Perma Cedarman

-I like to drink

-Masem, even Gura, doesn't even drink soju all the time

-That's because I don't have a taste bud.

-Anyway, are you all right?

-I think I'll be finer than you

-A fight with your girlfriend?

– No, why?

– Is it normal to just drink alcohol without saying anything?

-I didn't fight.

– I don't know how far, but it's your fault, so I'm sorry.

-No, I'm fine.

-There are not many people who will accept your fucking personality

-Don't worry about wearing rubber shoes upside down. Don't worry about others.

-S No such thing

Why is the guy who cried out loud when he got drunk while drinking, doing this to others?

I just kept my mouth shut because I had nothing to say.

There is nothing to expect from Nojam Jinjichung.

Fighting with my fingers, the water was boiling, so I grabbed my coffee and tried to go back to my desk.

However, the visit next door, which seemed to pass by, bothered me for nothing.

⋯ What are you going to do?

I don't know why.

Knock, Knock, Knock.

As the hand knocked on its own, his younger brother poked his head out through the door.

"⋯What are you doing?"

"⋯I was reading a novel."

"I'm going to drink coffee, would you like some?"

"Huh."

"Black? Milk?"

"Milk."

"With ice?"

"No. Warmly."

"Wait."

I turned my back to the door and went back to the kitchen.

I tore off the coffee mix and poured it into a teacup, followed by the boiled water.

I put two cups of coffee on the tray and headed back to my brother's room.

"Ruler."

"I made the bed, so you can sit down."

I hadn't really thought of that.

But I refused, so I sat cross-legged.

They put their noses into each other's teacups.

Only the sound of coffee going down my throat resonates throughout the room.

It's strange, it seemed like we had a good conversation until yesterday, but why is it suddenly like this?

"⋯Hey, brother."

"Uh."

"Didn't you come here because you had something to say?"

"⋯It's not like that."

"Okay? ⋯."

I'm just curious what you're doing

I just wanted to make a coffee and check it out for a bit.

Something happened in the flow.

"⋯Winter."

"Huh."

"What do you want to eat for dinner?"

"⋯Because it's my brother's birthday. Delicious."

"⋯Shall we go out to eat?"

"Yes."

In the end, this was the only thing worth talking about.

I can still go to the restaurant these days.

It's been a long time since I went out to dinner with my brother.

"Where shall we go?"

"Well, what my brother likes."

"⋯The scope is too wide."

"It's your brother's birthday."

"Still, since we're eating together, we have to choose something that suits our tastes."

"⋯Then let's look for it together."

Her younger brother pounced on the seat next to her, so she had no choice but to sit down.

I looked at how Kyeori was searching for things on her phone, but I didn't see anything plausible.

"⋯Wouldn't it be better to find a restaurant than to find food?"

"That's the case…"

"Let's eat near the house for now. A place you can walk to."

"Huh."

It's like driving a car anyway, and when I looked around the house, I saw an Italian restaurant with good ratings.

It was a special day, and I ate Korean food too often.

It's a familiar dish that I don't like or dislike.

Are you okay?

"How are you doing here?"

"⋯I don't think it's bad."

"Let's go here. Let's eat some food in a while."

"What should Italians eat for their birthday, oppa?"

"How about pasta or pizza?"

Even after deciding on a place, Winter continued to search for something.

What are you looking for?

"Oh, in Italy there is a culture of pulling ears on birthdays."

"Okay?"

"Yap."

Then he quickly tugged at my ear.

⋯You shouldn't touch your ears.

"Don't ⋯."

"I heard you have to pull it as much as your age?"

"Seriously, don't."

I tried to take it off, but it wouldn't let go of my ear.

Winter tugged at my ears too, because I thought I wouldn't be able to hear it in words.

Unlike me, he was small and soft, so I felt very strange.

"⋯."

"⋯."

It was very awkward to see each other and touch each other's ears.

Uh…

Um⋯.

How many seconds had passed since our eyes met?

My fingers got a little warm.

"⋯I've finished drinking coffee, so I'll go."

"⋯Ah. Huh."

I quickly got up and left the room.

I forgot and didn't even bring my coffee cup.