Ch.85Call Me Brother (2)

Meeting Doyoung’s brother, Solyoung, couldn’t exactly be described as pleasant, even as a polite formality.

Even though I tried to prevent a major commotion, I ended up siding with those girls who had mocked Doha-min at the restaurant.

It wasn’t that it was wrong.

Just that my first impression wasn’t particularly good.

But that was only the beginning.

“Hey.”

“Mmm… what is it, Dad? Is it morning already?”

“I’m not Dad, but yes, it’s morning. Get up and eat breakfast.”

“Eek! What the hell?!”

On a typical weekday morning,

Unlike the usual days when Dad would wake me up wearing a pink apron over his kendo uniform,

The morning after Solyoung returned, he was the one who entered my room wearing that apron to wake me up.

“Why are you in my room again?! Dad usually wakes me up!”

“Don’t you remember? I used to make breakfast when I was home.”

“I don’t care, damn it! At least give me some warning! Or at the very least, knock! Why are you just barging in and pulling off my blanket?!”

“Ban Doyoung! Don’t use bad language with your brother!”

Dad’s thunderous tiger-like scolding echoed from downstairs.

Right, normally I would have known in advance that Dad would climb the stairs to wake me up, whether I liked it or not, thanks to that sound.

But Ban Solyoung, this bastard.

This bastard gives no warning.

Despite having a height of over 190cm that would make him the center of attention no matter where he hid,

His movements were disturbingly stealthy.

The sound of climbing stairs, opening the door,

Even the voice he used to wake me up.

Every sound was less than half of Dad’s.

‘Objects are closer than they appear.’

It was just like the phrase written on car side mirrors.

In Solyoung’s case, it would be ‘Objects are closer than they sound.’

“Make some noise when you walk! Are you a ninja?”

“I don’t really like being loud.”

“Then don’t make me be loud!”

When I notice his presence and turn my head,

His broad shoulders and tall frame have already cast their shadow over me.

Even common horror movies give audio cues when something isn’t visible,

But when this blue-headed giant bald guy suddenly appears in front of me, it’s impossible not to develop a sense of wariness.

“It’s morning, get up quickly. Please be decent enough to put on pants when you come out. Even though it’s spring, that underwear-only look is a bit problematic.”

“I got it, so just get out! I can dress myself!”

Well, fine, let’s be generous and accept that this big guy moves quietly.

The real problem comes after that.

“Ah, it’s so nice having Solyoung home. It makes things so much easier for Dad. I feel bad though. Making you cook breakfast when all you did in the military was work as a cook. I feel a bit sorry.”

“It’s fine. I woke up at my usual time anyway. Besides, compared to cooking for 200 people at once, making breakfast for three is nothing. Just do the dishes later.”

“Of course, absolutely! Then I’ll count on you for lunch too?”

Solyoung was currently serving in the military as a cook.

I see, that explains why his skin was unusually fair for someone in the military.

After all, a cook’s battlefield involves fighting different flames, not ultraviolet rays.

“How is it, Doyoung? Having breakfast made by your brother after so long?”

“…Well, it tastes good.”

Solyoung’s cooking skills were excellent.

They were almost on par with Mom, who was overseas.

The best dish I could make was rolled eggs,

And while Dad knew how to cook rice, he wasn’t really a cook, so our breakfasts were often monotonous or had side dishes all in the same color.

With these two skilled cooks away from home,

The Ban family’s dining table had inevitably become rather sparse.

I’m grateful for Ban Doyoung’s growth period, which managed to develop this chest size despite suffering from the nutritional imbalance caused by the long-term absence of these two people.

“By the way, I can’t help but admire you, Solyoung. How do you manage to bring Doyoung down every morning with her eyes wide open?”

“What are you talking about? She was getting up well for a while.”

“I wish that would continue. After the exams ended, she started slacking off again. Today she’s fortunate to have woken up on time. What did you do to wake her up so thoroughly? When Dad goes to wake her, no matter how much I yell or drag her down, she still falls asleep at the table with her face in her plate.”

“…”

“Hey, Solyoung. Tell Dad your secret before you go back to your unit.”

“Even if I told you, Dad couldn’t do it.”

“Why not?”

“Just because.”

Dad’s behavior sends warning signals from his entire body.

Grrrr. I’m going to scold you. Grrrrr. I’m going to reprimand you.

Grr. Grrr. I’m going to flick your forehead.

Just like a bull that paws the ground with its front hooves,

Trembling its mouth and warming up its body,

Before charging at a red cloth.

Because his emotions and intentions are openly displayed,

His voice might be rough and his actions boisterous,

But it’s possible to prepare for them.

Even if preparation isn’t possible, there’s at least time

To mentally prepare for what’s coming.

To put it cutely…

‘Strong Doha-min’

Yes, that’s exactly the feeling.

Maybe that’s why I don’t find Dad’s nagging so scary.

“Oh, right. Solyoung, have you heard about Doyoung’s midterm exams? She scored in the 70s, something she never achieved in middle school.”

“Hmm, sounds like she worked hard.”

“Geez, your reaction is so dry. When Dad heard that Doyoung scored an average of 72 points, I was completely floored.”

“You must have had really low expectations to react like that.”

“It’s not about low expectations, it’s about gratitude. I’m not happy because of the good grades, but because she showed effort as Dad asked. That’s what makes me so happy.”

“Well, it is surprising. I thought she had given up before I enlisted. Did she attend some academy?”

“No, not an academy… There’s this friend she met in high school named Doha-min… a very kind and upright kid who taught Doyoung how to study throughout the exam period. Thanks to him, I think Doyoung learned how to study properly.”

“Doha-min… Ah, that kid who looks like an elementary school student, right?”

“Hmm…? What? Solyoung, you’ve seen Hamin’s face too?”

“He was about my height when I was in fifth grade, so I mistook him for an elementary school student at first. I should apologize to him when I see him.”

“Hehehe, well, Hamin is a bit petite. But he’s an excellent friend. Your dad has a good eye for people, you know.”

“I see, so Dad already knows everything… Then I guess you won’t be shocked if I tell you.”

“Huh? Shocked? Did something happen?”

“He and Doyoung are dat—”

—THUD!

Suddenly, something surged up from under the table, causing the rice and soup bowls to move.

“Damn…!”

“…Hey.”

Solyoung, who had been kicked in the shin by something that emerged from under the table, lowered his head.

I grabbed his earlobe and pulled his head toward me.

“Turn on your blinkers before entering, damn it. Don’t you have a license? Not even a Class 2?”

“Ow… I almost got discharged for medical reasons with 50 days left. Hehehe.”

This was the main reason why I was wary of Solyoung.

This bastard doesn’t give foreshadowing or hints like Dad does.

He appears suddenly from behind without making a sound,

Or stands there as if he’s jumped out of the shadows,

And stabs you in the gut without any warning, like a sneak attack.

And all with pure intentions and no malice.

With no signs, I couldn’t detect him coming,

And with no malice, if I tried to forcibly prevent it, I’d be the bad guy.

“W-what’s that? An earthquake…? Is it an earthquake? Doyoung, Solyoung, get under the table just in case!”

Fortunately, Dad, who was still unaware of the situation, looked up at the ceiling, thinking the sound had come from above.

“Solyoung, are you okay? Did you hit something?”

“No, it’s nothing…”

“What about you, Doyoung? Are you hurt?”

“She’s the one who caused—”

“Brother, do you have plenty of leave? Do you need medical leave by any chance?”

I crawled under the table with Solyoung, still holding onto his earlobe, following Dad’s instructions.

“What’s with you… Is this something Dad shouldn’t know about? I thought this was all settled already…”

“Settled? If it could be settled that easily, I would have already finished it and handed my body over to Miss Ban Doyoung.”

“What does that even mean…”

“Just stay quiet and don’t act up. Only ask when you need allowance money.”

“Wow, that’s a really trashy thing to say…”

“If you want to be called ‘oppa’ that badly, then do it.”

“If you’re going to go that far, just call me ‘hyung’ instead.”

I should have realized it sooner.

Just like Ban Doyoung’s father, Ban Doche, who hasn’t transformed into a daughter-obsessed dad despite having the world’s most beautiful girl, Ban Doyoung, as his daughter,

Similarly, Ban Solyoung hasn’t transformed into a sister-complex brother despite having Ban Doyoung as his younger sister.