Chapter 369. Searching for the Lost Younger Sibling (3)
The timeline shifted back to the present.
Jung Siwoo entered the practice room after finishing his vocal lesson. He had been crunching on the Jeju Island cactus chocolates that Yugeon and Hajin brought back, but the moment he opened the practice room door, he froze in place.
It was because he sensed the ominous atmosphere filling the room.
“…What’s going on?”
As he entered and asked Taehyun, who was stretching nearby, Siwoo soon found the source of this gloom.
In the corner of the practice room sat someone crouched, holding onto his phone as if he would burst into tears at any moment… looking like a madman.
“What’s wrong with Hajin?”
Hajin, always peculiar, seemed particularly strange today—Kairos’ leader looked more out of sorts than usual.
While smoothly stretching with his legs split 180 degrees, Taehyun answered casually.
“His sibling isn’t answering his calls.”
“Which sibling?”
“His Kang sibling.”
“Oh. …Why? Wasn’t everything fine after that last festival?”
He didn’t mention his sibling before because he thought it would be bothersome, and there didn’t seem to be any issues then.
As Siwoo asked again, Taehyun sat up and sighed.
“He didn’t say anything.”
“…?”
“…The problem is that he *didn’t* say anything.”
With his hands on his hips and an exasperated look, Taehyun began to confess Hajin’s blunders in detail.
“Remember after the Hanbit University festival when Kwon Wook-hyung bought a ton of street food? He brought so much that we had enough to share with the staff working late, and we still had leftovers.”
“Oh… Yeah. That kimchi pancake was delicious.”
“Well, Hajin-hyung was the one who bought all of it.”
“…Huh?”
Siwoo snapped the chocolate he was eating in half, stunned by this revelation. But Taehyun wasn’t done talking.
“As if that wasn’t enough, he also paid for everything at another table at the art department’s street stall—*with his own money.*”
“…”
“And remember that painting in the dorm? The one framed on the wall?”
“Yeah, I thought it had a nice vibe.”
“His sibling painted that.”
“…What?”
“At the festival, the art department held a flea market for the event. Out of all the artwork, he specifically picked *that one* and bought it—through Kwon Wook-hyung.”
“…Well, buying some food and a painting isn’t exactly a big deal, right?”
Siwoo tried to think positively, but Taehyun nodded and agreed.
“Right, yeah. It’s not like he did anything wrong. He used his own money to buy what he wanted.”
“…”
“It’s just that among the Hanbit University art students, there’s a particularly famous freshman named *Kang Hawon* who looks eerily like Kairos’ Kang Hajin. And with what happened, that rumor is spreading like wildfire.”
Taehyun, as if expressing how self-inflicted this mess was, shook his head in dismay and declared Hajin’s downfall. Then, he strode toward Hajin, who was still crouching in the corner as if trying to disappear into the wall.
With a loud slap, Taehyun smacked Hajin’s back and snatched the phone from him.
“Come on, how long are you going to stay like this? Aren’t you going to practice?”
“Taehyun… Hawon isn’t reading my texts… He’s never done this before… He must be really mad…”
“Then wait until he cools down and try contacting him again. If you keep clinging to your phone and checking it every five minutes, any anger he had that was fading will flare up again!”
“What should I do…? Hawon’s never been this angry before.”
“Why are you regretting it when you knew he’d be upset in the first place?”
Taehyun, flustered by Hajin’s incomprehensible behavior, finally expressed his frustration. In response, Hajin grabbed onto Taehyun’s leg and started to wail, as if compensating for the phone he had just lost. Taehyun gently patted his shoulder in a consoling gesture, while at the same time, prying him off.
“Since it was aired during the *Miro Maze* broadcast, people who know you’re brothers probably already figured it out. If he’s not answering now, just stop by when your schedule frees up and talk to him. He’s not picking up your calls?”
“I don’t know. I was too scared to try…”
“Kwon Wook-hyung bought the food and the artwork, didn’t he? The people there don’t know you used your own money, and nothing’s confirmed unless your sibling says so.”
Finally, Hajin, still clinging to Taehyun’s leg like a leech, raised his head slowly. He had the face of a confessor seeking absolution from a priest.
“…Do you really think it’s okay? Actually, after the performance, I *did* kind of act like I knew Hawon when I gave his friend a signed autograph.”
“…How?”
“Well, there was a guy working backstage near our dressing room… He was one of Hawon’s close friends that he had shown me in a picture before. When I asked his name and it matched, I was so happy that I just… couldn’t help it…”
“…What did you say?”
Taehyun’s voice was filled with dread as he asked. Hajin, looking pitiful, like the cat from *Puss in Boots*, mumbled softly.
“I told him to take good care of Hawon…”
“Just stand in the corner and stare at the wall.”
What’s wrong with this guy?
Completely unable to understand Hajin’s actions, Taehyun finally gave up and turned his back, declaring defeat.
Abandoned even by Taehyun, Kang Hajin buried himself deeper into the corner, staring at his phone, which still showed no new messages.
* * *
So, if I were to make an excuse―.
It was all about the mood. Everything was a matter of atmosphere.
Kang Hajin, who had never had a single sip of alcohol in his life, was naturally not someone who would do something reckless under the influence. However, that didn’t mean he wasn’t impulsive. When Kang Hajin *did* something reckless, it was almost always due to his emotions.
– So you ended up broadcasting to the whole school that Hawon is your sibling?
“I swear, I didn’t mean to do that… I just got so excited thinking about how Hawon’s school was hosting a festival…”
In short, he was just overly excited.
For an ENFP, the personification of emotional sensitivity, this event—”the fact that I, who had once given up on being an idol, had returned as one and was invited to perform at my sibling’s university festival”—was a deeply moving event!
It was an explosion of emotions like pride, satisfaction, and accomplishment, along with a sprinkle of excitement from wanting to subtly show off his sibling, who was attending Hanbit University.
Everything was fine while he was on stage, as he managed to stay in his professional mode. But the moment he finished the performance, thrilled to the point of bursting, the emotions that hadn’t been fully expressed began to spiral out of control in a strange direction!
“I mean, seriously, I didn’t intend for things to go that way! Listen to me, okay? After the performance, I was starving, and Kwon Wook-hyung asked if we wanted to try some of the street food while we were there.”
– Uh-huh.
“But? And? I remembered Hawon had mentioned their stall was selling kimchi pancakes and other stuff, so I figured, why not help boost my sibling’s department sales? That way, Hawon could have a better MT or something, right? So I asked Wook-hyung to buy some food from their stall.”
– Uh-huh.
“But you know, after we killed it at the festival, just buying a little food didn’t feel like enough, you know? We’re the top-rising boy group, after all, so I figured why not make it a good story too? So I just… paid for everything!”
– Wow, my son must be making good money now, huh? Paying for everyone’s food, even at other tables?
The person on the other end of the call, Hajin’s mom, Young-in, responded with a hearty laugh, making a lighthearted joke as she listened to his whining.
For the first time in 20-something years of being siblings, Kang Hajin was facing a level-1 crisis and had urgently called his mother for help. Her words made him grin with pride.
“Hmph. Well, your son is doing pretty well these days… Haha, by the way, did you get the allowance I sent you?”
– Yes, I got it. Thanks to you. …So, is that why Hawon isn’t answering your calls?
“Yeah… Is Hawon really mad? Can’t you just casually ask him?”
Kang Hajin had never experienced Kang Hawon being this angry before.
Unlike Hajin, whose emotions were like fire, Hawon was usually more laid-back and dealt with things calmly.
Even when Hajin upset or angered Hawon with his mistakes, he’d usually wait a few hours and then casually approach Hawon to play games together or buy him something delicious as an apology. That would usually do the trick.
The reverse situation was similar, but Hajin rarely got genuinely angry at Hawon, so it was hard to compare.
“I’ve never gone this long without talking to Hawon before… It’s really upsetting and I feel so bad.”
If only they still lived together, like before, then at least he could apologize in person. But since his debut, they’d both been so busy that they hadn’t seen each other in months.
Though he’d occasionally visit home when he had no schedule, Hawon was often away during those times. Even when they were both home, Hajin would often pass out from exhaustion due to his packed schedule, so it had been so long since they’d properly spent time together that Hajin couldn’t even remember the last time they hung out.
“Ah, seriously, why did I do that? I knew Hawon wouldn’t like it… I should’ve known rumors would spread. Ugh, I’m such a fool…”
Hajin punched the armrest of the sofa in the dorm’s living room in frustration.
What he regretted the most was knowing full well that Hawon would hate it, yet he still went ahead and did something so thoughtless. He was in his twenties now, but it felt like his brain had regressed to that of a careless 21-year-old.
Despite preaching consideration and understanding to so many people, he felt ashamed that he hadn’t extended that same consideration to his own sibling, the person closest to him.
As Young-in quietly listened to her son’s self-reproach, she finally spoke.
– Well, Hawon’s been so busy lately that I’m not sure either. He only comes home once in a while to change clothes, and these days, he’s been staying at a friend’s place because he says it’s too late to come home after his late-night projects.
“Really…? So he’s not even coming home?”
– Yeah, so I’m not sure if he’s mad or what. But I’ll ask him. I’ll say his hyung called and couldn’t reach him.
“Okay… Tell him his hyung feels super bad and is really reflecting on how careless he was.”
– Got it.
Young-in’s gentle tone finally helped Hajin relax a little. He hadn’t spoken to Hawon yet, but since Hawon was a good kid who listened to his parents, there was a glimmer of hope that after hearing from their mom, he might at least check his messages.
With that reassurance, Hajin started to feel a bit more at ease. He switched to a video call and smiled as his mom’s face appeared on the screen.
“Mom, did you get the stuff I sent from Jeju? Wook-hyung was supposed to drop it off.”
– Yes, he came by himself. But why’d you send all that? Your manager must have a lot on his plate.
“I was going to bring it over myself, but I’ve been too busy to visit home lately. I’ll have to treat Wook-hyung to some steak or something.”
– Make sure you’re always thankful. Never take for granted the people who work hard for you. Got it?
“I know, I know.”
Hajin nodded, understanding his mom’s usual advice.
– Are you at the dorm? Are you alone? Where are the others?
“Oh, they’re all at lessons. I’m just resting at the dorm today because I’m not feeling too well.”
– You’re not feeling well? Why? What’s wrong?
“It’s nothing, just a little cold from being out in the wind and not sleeping well. I took some medicine and I’m resting. I’ll be fine.”
– Alright then. Rest up. I have to get going and do some house chores now.
“Okay, but don’t forget to talk to Hawon, okay? Tell him I really regret what I did, alright?”
– I said I would. Now hang up, son.
“Tell Dad I love him too.”
– Tell him yourself. You know, your dad’s been feeling a bit lonely with both of his sons being so busy these days.
Hajin nodded at his mom’s words, saying he understood. He lingered for a few more minutes, watching her face, reluctant to say goodbye. Finally, when she insisted that she had to go, he reluctantly ended the call, filled with a sense of longing.
“Ah… I miss them.”
Even though they didn’t live far away, sometimes his home felt further away than places like Busan or Jeju. It reminded him of the old days when he worked as a PD, constantly at the office day and night.
‘So, how am I supposed to make Hawon feel better…?’
Though his mom might help bring Hawon out of hiding, it was still up to him to find a way to appease his sibling’s anger.
As he sighed and pondered his next move, his phone rang.
“No way, is that Kang Hawon?”
Could his mom’s intervention have worked that fast?
Hajin’s eyes sparkled as he grabbed his phone at lightning speed.