“His parents got remarried. I wanted to get along well with Do-hwa, but Do-hwa often took my clothes and sneakers without permission and used them or even sold them secondhand.”
“What are you talking about?”
The protagonist, amidst his misdeeds, was actually Jio. As his thievery escalated, Do-hwa even informed his mother about it. However, his mother was quick to cover for Jio’s wrongdoings, and his father blamed Do-hwa for being incompetent. Do-hwa had no one on his side.
Do-hwa’s eyes grew heated with anger at Jio’s malice, and his hands trembled. At that moment, Min-jun’s hand suddenly reached out and firmly grasped Do-hwa’s hand. Then, Min-jun’s gaze turned chillingly towards Jio.
“Do you find it fun to tell such lies?”
An icy atmosphere hung in the air, as if cold water had been splashed around. Jio’s rigid expression remained unchanged, and Do-hwa also felt awkward at Min-jun’s statement. In a corner of his heart, he felt as if Min-jun knew his situation all too well.
“Uh…”
Jio’s frozen face gradually turned red. He seemed to want to say something, but it was difficult for him to spit it out. His eyes only rolled awkwardly, struggling to convey his thoughts. For Do-hwa, who had only seen Jio being adored or praised by everyone until now, it felt refreshing. However, if this atmosphere continued, it would be troublesome. He felt like he might cough before the meal.
“Uh…”
As Do-hwa was about to break the tension in the situation, the door opened. A waiter entered carrying a tray of food. The atmosphere, which had been heavy for a moment, turned quiet. Since each person had ordered different items, the waiter checked before setting them down. Then, they poured wine into the glasses from the bottle. The radiant red color sparkled under the lights.
Do-hwa was taken aback by the unexpected appearance of wine and widened his eyes.
“Why is there wine?”
“It was pre-ordered.”
“Oh…”
After looking at the label, it seemed quite expensive, which made Do-hwa feel uneasy. In truth, Do-hwa had chosen the cheapest option, which was the spaghetti Aglio e Olio.
The glasses were placed in front of Jio as well, and the waiter skillfully filled them with wine. Do-hwa was facing this sight as he suddenly remembered that he was pregnant.
“He… he’s pregnant.”
“Oh? Ah.”
The waiter looked flustered as they held the bottle.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Jio looked at his glass blankly, but his complexion remained poor. On the other hand, Min-jun elegantly raised his fork and knife, encouraging Jio to enjoy the meal. Then, he cut his steak into cubes and placed them neatly on Do-hwa’s plate.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Let? Qts lr atlr?”
“Kgs la. Vfbcyjf rtbeiv fja delmxis yfobgf atf vlrtfr ufa mbiv.”
“Ktfc P’ii ulnf sbe rbwf qjraj abb.”
Lf qlmxfv eq tlr obgx, cba kjcalcu ab pera gfmflnf.
“P’w bxjs. Vfbcyjf, qifjrf fcpbs la.”
“Ft-tet.”
Cwlvra remt jc jawbrqtfgf, tf kbcvfgfv lo la kjr bxjs ab fja. Lbkfnfg, Zlc-pec, ktb tjv lclaljafv la, kjr mjrejiis fcpbslcu tlr rafjx, jcv Alb jirb yfujc aklgilcu tlr obgx ab fja tlr mgfjws qjraj.
He honestly didn’t have much of an appetite, but he couldn’t just leave the food untouched either, so he picked up his fork and put some pasta into his mouth. Then he chewed meticulously. He would normally savor the taste while eating, but right now, he didn’t have the luxury of feeling such sensations. He only felt the obligation to chew properly and swallow, not wanting to choke.
The meal continued uncomfortably and quietly. Around the time Do-hwa had eaten about a third of his Aglio e Olio, Jio set down his fork.
“I don’t know how you perceive me, but I want to clarify that it’s a misunderstanding.”
This caused Min-jun’s hand to pause. He calmly raised his head and sharply looked at Jio.
“I was simply being honest about Do-hwa. In a relationship, there shouldn’t be any lies.”
“It seems you don’t understand that rudeness and honesty are different things.”
Min-jun directly responded to Jio’s words.
“Even if Do-hwa seonbae did something wrong as you claim, it was just a mistake from his immature days. The Do-hwa seonbae I know is kinder and more considerate than anyone else. I trust him now, and above all, is it good for an older brother to tarnish his younger sibling’s image?”
“I was worried that you might get into unnecessary trouble because of Do-hwa.”
Jio’s voice trailed off.
“We’ve only known each other for two hours. I don’t understand why you’re saying such things for Do-hwa’s sake.”
Min-jun responded sternly, causing Jio to fall silent. He then set down his fork and fanned himself before taking a sip of the wine the waiter had poured earlier.
“Huh? You said he’s pregnant. Can he drink?”
Min-jun’s eyes were sharp as he spoke. Jio was perhaps startled as he quickly set down his glass again.
“Be careful, hyung. What if something happens to the baby?”
Do-hwa moved his wine glass back to his own place. It was understandable in such a situation to crave wine to the point of forgetting about pregnancy, but this was still not acceptable.
The atmosphere sank even further. It was fortunate that they were in a private room; it would have been even more awkward if they were with other customers. However…
For some reason, Min-jun felt a surge of exhilaration from within, as he felt like he had become his shield.
“I thought it was juice.”
Jio hastily took a sip of water.
“…”
Min-jun soon rose from his seat, having been scrutinizing Jio as if dissecting him. Approaching Jio’s side, he whispered something in his ear. At that moment, Jio’s pupils dilated, and his complexion turned ashen. It was almost visible to the naked eye how the thread of his composure was being severed.
Do-hwa leaned in to listen, as he was curious about Min-jun’s remark, but Min-jun had already returned to his seat. Jio’s complexion went beyond discomfort and bordered on sheer terror. He eventually set down the fork he had been holding and got up from his seat.
“I… I’m going to go now.”
He muttered anxiously before hurriedly leaving.
Something out of the ordinary had undoubtedly occurred. Do-hwa was concerned for Jio as he abruptly stood up from his seat. Upon seeing this, Min-jun grabbed Do-hwa’s wrist.
“Let go.”
“What did you just say to my brother?”
“How can he be like that? He’s worse than anyone else.”
Min-jun looked uncomfortably at the seat Jio had just vacated. Do-hwa felt overwhelmed with mixed emotions. If analyzed rationally, Min-jun’s actions towards Jio were quite rude. However, Min-jun was the first person to take Do-hwa’s side against Jio.
But they couldn’t just let Jio go like this. Do-hwa had to rectify what happened while Min-jun took his side.
“But I’ll just go say goodbye quickly.”
Do-hwa gently pushed aside Min-jun’s hand and followed the path Jio had taken as he left. In the moment Min-jun was also hastily getting up, a vibration rang out from his jacket. He irritably took out his phone. On the screen were the name and number saved as ‘Jane’. He hesitated for a moment, then sighed deeply before answering the call.
ꕥꕥꕥ
Outside the restaurant, Do-hwa looked for Jio. It wasn’t difficult to spot him amidst the crowd. He was walking briskly down an alley, and Do-hwa followed closely behind.
The alley was narrow and sparsely populated, and even the air felt chilly. Do-hwa gradually closed the distance between himself and Jio.
“Jio hyung!”
At Do-hwa’s call, Jio’s steps halted. He slowly turned around and gave Do-hwa a piercing glance, completely different from the look he had at the restaurant earlier. It was so chilling that one could sense he was deeply enraged. Jio was always good with sharp remarks, even on ordinary days, so now the situation seems even more intense. Do-hwa resolved to speak carefully, not to further upset him.
“Are you feeling very upset? Hyung?”
“…”
“I don’t think Min-jun meant any harm with what he said. So… umm…”
Do-hwa couldn’t finish his sentence. Jio struck Do-hwa’s cheek mercilessly, feeling like he was being hit with solid timber. Do-hwa staggered and grabbed onto the wall. His mouth tasted bitter and metallic from the blood.
“And you’re siding with that bastard in the middle of this? Are you dating him?”
Jio shouted angrily. He suddenly lifted his leg and kicked Do-hwa’s stomach. Do-hwa’s body collapsed backward, hitting the ground hard.
“Honestly, someone pathetic like you doesn’t suit being with someone like him.”
Do-hwa remained silent, unable to deny it. In truth, Jio’s words were somewhat true. Despite manifesting as an Omega late into adulthood and being passionate, he felt infinitely inferior compared to Min-jun. Therefore, he couldn’t understand Min-jun’s intentions in claiming to be his lover even more.
“After going to college and becoming independent, did you forget your place?”
“…”
“Getting involved with you only brings trouble.”
At Jio’s words, Do-hwa’s complexion turned ashen with dread.
“Father’s thriving business started declining when you entered our house. There were rumors swirling around when your mother got involved with you. They even said father worried that you might be a harbinger of misfortune.”
“…”
“Even friends who were close to you in high school had inexplicable accidents.”
Do-hwa gasped for breath. For some reason, he couldn’t catch his breath and couldn’t get up. Jio looked down at Do-hwa, mixing in a hint of self-pity.
“Above all, they said you were the reason father passed away.”
In that moment, Do-hwa’s complexion plummeted into darkness, as if falling into the depths of despair. His eyes, previously restless, became glassy with tears, and his trembling hand, resting on the ground, shook violently.
“Do you think Min-jun will also bring misfortune like what brother did?”
Jio’s words felt like a blade piercing through Do-hwa’s heart. If his argument were fallacious, it wouldn’t hurt so much, but since it held some truth, Do-hwa couldn’t refute it.
“So, stop wearing that unfitting robe and causing harm to others before leaving.”
Jio was casting a disdainful glance at Do-hwa before disappearing into the opposite alley. His behavior was as cold and detached as if he were avoiding someone infected with a contagious disease.
all i can say is.. that btch! the audacity!
thanks for translating!
Grow some back bone Do-hwa. Cut off family members that make you sad and cry. Not worth it..truly.
Girl you’re the one who’s flirting with another man whilst having a fiancé and a baby shut the hell up 👹👹
Is he actually pregnant or is that Minho guy rich? 🤔