episode_0078

“Ugh… Did you wake up early today?”

“Yeah… I slept really well.”

In the early morning, as I woke up, my brother was touching me in the darkness.

It’s not easy to figure out where he touched considering his preferences. It felt like feeding rice cakes while lying down…

“How long are you going to touch me? If you’re going to touch, do it coolly. It tickles.”

“Oh… Okay.”

Why is he being so distant?

“Do you think I would want that?”

“A game… Let’s play.”

“…Are you still tired?”

“…Am I showing consideration because I’m tired?”

“Don’t charge in knowing it’s tough, right?”

My brother embraces me.

A quiet voice reaches my ears near my head.

“Can we just stay in today?”

“I don’t mind. Really.”

As rain continued to fall and there seemed to be no urgent need to go anywhere, I felt content as long as my brother was around.

“…How about going somewhere nicer?”

“You can decide that. Whether it’s a nice restaurant to eat at or a new movie to watch, it’s all fine. Seriously.”

Was my response of no help to my brother?

After groaning and getting up from bed, I also got up as he pulled me along.

“Let’s eat, play games… and then think.”

“But didn’t you say you’d play games all day?”

“I can’t let this bonus money go to waste when I’ve received it.”

“It’s not like the money is meant to be spent recklessly, though.”

“…Let’s spend the bonus since we received it.”

Usually, when I suggested going out, now that I wanted to rest, my brother seemed eager to go out.

I felt like going somewhere, but either there wasn’t a good place or I couldn’t think of one.

With that kind of atmosphere, I too felt perplexed.

“Anyway… a game?”

“Yeah. Let’s start with a game.”

Filling our stomachs with bread roughly for breakfast, I sat at the computer desk as if it were old times.

Placing the chair between two friendly computers, I turned them on.

“But what should we play?”

“I’m not sure about anything specific… Are there any fun games these days?”

“Hmm… I saw a game that’s currently in open beta.”

My brother watched a video on his phone explaining a game with a considerable number of concurrent users despite being in open beta.

“It seems to have a unique and interesting mix of elements.”

“Yeah. Since it’s free, trying it out once could be good.”

After installing the game and watching the video, I got a rough idea.

The game was 3v3v3.

Characters were divided into three types: small, medium, and large.

The large type had a hefty physique and stamina, capable of ruthlessly destroying buildings and disorienting opponents.

The medium type, while ordinary, could take various routes, providing healing to teammates or laying turrets and instantly reviving fallen allies, responsible for sustainability.

Lastly, the small type was like an assassin, swiftly dodging attacks, taking down one enemy with strong offensive capabilities, disappearing, and then rejoining teammates to engage in 3v2 battles.

The tutorial was very simple in its explanation.

The game involved opening safes scattered throughout the map, collecting items, and transferring them to our team’s account. The team with the most items wins, making it a straightforward game.

But next to the items was an RPG-7 along with a two-story house.

*Boom!*

“Wow… Can we really destroy buildings?”

Dust billowed up and soon disappeared, revealing a hole in the building’s outer wall.

-Whoa!!

Feeling like some sort of superhero, I shouted as I used a skill to demolish the building.

“…How on earth was something like this created?”

The building continued to be demolished until not even a pillar remained on the first floor.

Then, with the sound of the building collapsing, only ambiguous debris that could hardly be called a house remained.

“Quickly play the game. It’s quite significant, isn’t it?”

I decided to go all out and destroy buildings on a large scale.

*

“Hunt down the little one! Oh no, I only have a hammer…”

“I can’t tell where they’ve hidden… Ah! Here, here!”

I rushed forward and relentlessly chased the little one, changing directions in mid-air until I finally caught them.

[Victory]

As the game progressed in a tournament style, I experienced victories and defeats repeatedly.

Initially lacking good gadgets, I barely made it to the finals after a last-minute effort and emerged victorious in the end.

“Phew… That was tough.”

“It was fun. I must buy it when it comes out.”

It was enjoyable after a long time. Though my skills weren’t as sharp as before, I had returned to a level where I could skillfully drag along foreigners who were playing with us.

“Oh… It’s already lunchtime.”

“Let’s eat. Ugh… Phew. I won’t be able to eat this for much longer.”

“Are you getting old already? Will you be walking around with a cane later?”

“Ugh. What are you talking about? Then will you be using a wheelchair?”

My brother groaned as if he were dying.

Without anything particular to say, I immediately got up.

“How long will we live like this?”

I relaxed my posture, which I had been resisting until the end, at my brother’s serious tone.

“Why?”

It wasn’t a disapproving tone. I still had a smile on my face, just curious.

“I go to work, Jihye models, then comes home to cook for me. We sleep together. Isn’t that what couples do?”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

Nodding at my words, my brother continued.

“On weekends, we go out and have fun together. You’ll be really happy. Being with someone you love, going somewhere together, even just being like this is so much fun, right?”

“That’s right. I feel the same way.”

Agreeing with me, my brother nodded again.

This time, he looked at me with a hopeful expression.

“Baby… I agree too.”

“Oh…!”

“But.”

Surprising me, my brother grabbed my shoulders and moved me to the couch.

Sitting next to me, he looked at me with eyes full of sweetness.

“Let’s do it after we get married.”

I had the same thought.

It’s not like we’re rushing things.

It’s quite strange that my stomach is already full before getting married. I wonder if the wedding dress will fit… Since it’s custom-made, I’m not sure about that either.

And our parents would probably be shocked collectively.

“Yes…! Sounds good.”

“Yeah. Thanks for listening.”

“Of course.”

The atmosphere between us, sitting close on the couch, was slightly peaceful.

“…Do you want to kiss?”

Teasing my brother informally changed the calm atmosphere into something peculiar.

My brother accepted it positively.

He simply nodded without saying anything, but without a second thought, I took his lips.

As always, it had been a long time since we kissed.

I missed the feeling of our skin touching and being captivated by my brother’s whole body.

“It’s… not necessarily bad, right?”

“Yeah… I like it.”

“Well then… I have something to say too.”

“Yeah.”

Hugging me, my brother wanted an answer.

I embraced him with arms that didn’t reach all the way.

“Saying it’s not necessarily bad… but when I’m alone, it’s not boring, it’s lonely.”

Each word carried a weight of contemplation.

Filled with worry. Meaning to calm down.

“So, just work moderately and spend time with me. What’s the use of a wife who doesn’t even see you sleep or feed you?”

“Uh… I’ll do that. There won’t be any work every day from now on.”

Brother embraced me tightly with a promise.

*

Brother changed his clothes and suggested going out to eat.

I dressed up nicely and followed him.

We ran down the road without knowing the reason, heading to eat delicious food without hesitation.

What’s happening today…?

No matter how much I think, nothing comes to mind.

Not a birthday for either my brother or me.

100 days… a celebration…? Probably not.

It must have already passed…?

No way, is it today?

Nah, impossible.

“…”

With a nervous heart, I opened my phone and roughly calculated.

It’s almost winter since we started dating, feels like a long time has passed.

It’s been a while since we met… not this, but the day I called my brother for the first time and said I wanted to date him, the day we started dating again.

Looking at the title I proudly put on the calendar with hearts, I honestly felt a bit annoyed.

What’s with this ‘Dating with Suhan Oppa Heart Heart’?

Ignoring it and flipping through the calendar one by one.

90, 91, 92, 93… 98… 99…

Oh. Crazy. Is this for real?

Could it be that my brother was planning to go out because of this?

I haven’t prepared any gifts.

“Do you like wine?”

“Oh, wine?”

“Yeah. Trying red wine once gives a really unique taste. It’s different from the taste of soju or beer, you know?”

“Ah… I see…”

It became hard to meet my brother’s innocent gaze.

If I accidentally overlooked this… oh no.

My brother must have been carefully preparing something like an anniversary.

Why did I suggest going out or staying at home?

I suddenly thought of wanting to hide in a mouse hole.

This was exactly that situation.

I needed to find a way to overcome the situation.

Luckily, if there’s any luck, it’s probably just that I wore stockings…

If I wear them now, they might smell a bit at night…

I should prevent the smell.

And if today’s gift is me…

“Ah.”

“…?”

Brother looked at me strangely.

“Alcohol… so are we booking a motel to sleep in?”

“Probably… seems like it.”

“Uh, okay.”

No other options came to mind.

I should stop by a convenience store and buy something like a ribbon to wrap around myself.

“We’re here. This place. A gourmet restaurant?”

“Wow…”

While thinking about that, in front of me was a building that couldn’t quite be called a house to call it a gourmet restaurant, but also not a restaurant.

Excited yet anxious, I felt like I might not live up to expectations.