Be My Baby - Vol.1 Chapter 2 Part 2
At nearly 10 PM, after finishing the brief call with Seonwoo, Eungyo dialed another number while filling an empty glass with wine, standing in front of the bar.
With only his jacket removed, his tie loosened, holding his phone in his right hand while pouring wine with his left, Eunhyeok and Eunsoo, sitting in chairs across the bar, gave him strange looks.
Feeling their questioning gazes full of doubt, Eungyo turned to look at them while raising his wine glass, and Eunhyeok, leaning on the bar, cautiously asked.
“Are you dating someone these days?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
After snapping back sharply while raising his wine glass, Eungyo spoke briefly in the ensuing call.
“Make a reservation at Cheongwon for tomorrow evening. The entire Unhwa Pavilion.”
“Excuse me? As far as I know, there’s no such schedule for tomorrow…”
“It’s a personal schedule. Prepare the meal without any greasy food, keep it clean. Make sure to preparesanjeok (meat and vegetable skewers)andtteokgalbi(minced meat ribs). It’s for two people.”
“I understand.”
After hanging up, as Eungyo put his phone on the bar and downed his wine glass in one gulp, Eunhyeok and Eunsoo looked at each other in surprise before turning to stare at Eungyo again.
Feeling their piercing gazes, Eungyo frowned as he refilled his empty glass.
“What?”
“It is a date.”
“What nonsense have you been spouting since earlier?”
“It’s not nonsense. If you’re reserving the entire Unhwa Pavilion, you must be putting in quite some effort… Who is it?”
“Am I crazy to put in effort? I just want to talk somewhere quiet.”
“There are plenty of quiet places, so why specifically Cheongwon? And you’re smiling like that, looking so happy.”
“Go get your eyes checked. Who’s looking happy?”
“You are.”
“…Are you drunk already?”
“I’m not the one who seems drunk, you do. Who could it be that makes you smile like that while talking on the phone? And then you say you’re free tomorrow evening? Have you forgotten why we’re here right now?”
Only then did Eungyo recall the reason his older brother and youngest brother had suddenly shown up at his apartment without notice, and he let out a small sigh.
“Ah…”
“It’s not just ‘ah’. We rushed over here for a strategy meeting about Father’s summons tomorrow, and you’re saying you’re going to skip out?”
“We’re not kids anymore, we don’t all need to go running just because Father called. You and Eunsoo go.”
“Father is most angry at you right now. It won’t work if only we go.”
“He’s always been sturdy, so tell him to grind his teeth all he wants. Anyway, I’m passing for tomorrow.”
“Just who are you meeting?”
“None of your business.”
As Eungyo curtly cut off the conversation, annoyed by his meddlesome brother’s interest, he sat down in a chair and reached for the wine bottle again. At that moment, Eunsoo, who had been quiet until then, cautiously asked while studying Eungyo’s expression.
“Could it be… Seonwoo?”
At his sharp younger brother’s question, Eungyo silently poured wine into his glass, and Eunhyeok looked at Eungyo in surprise.
“The airhead?”
“…”
“Why are you meeting that airhead?”
“He said he has something to ask about regarding an experiment.”
“What could that kid have to ask you? And if it’s about that, why go to Cheongwon? Why not just talk in the office?”
“It seems he needs some equipment or new devices made, so he wants to talk somewhere quiet.”
As Eungyo spoke nonchalantly while raising his glass, Eunsoo muttered softly, not wanting to prolong this conversation.
“…Still, this is strange… He’s terrified of you when he’s in his right mind…”
At those words, Eungyo frowned as he looked at his youngest brother while drinking his wine.
“…He’s afraid of me?”
“He must have done something wrong.”
Though it was natural given how stupid he was, even if he had some sense of guilt, it still didn’t feel good to hear directly that he was afraid.
Although he didn’t want to admit it, Eunsoo was right – he had let that airhead get away with a lot.
He was certainly an extraordinary person, but in other ways he was so lacking that it was tiring to get angry, and since his accidents were caused by pure, harmless affection, Eungyo didn’t feel the need to get too upset.
So, he let things slide.
He really let a lot slide.
But then why does he tremble in fear or run away with a panicked face when they meet face to face when he’s in his right mind?
“Forget about that airhead, so what are you going to do tomorrow? Eunho’s actions seem very suspicious.”
“It’s beyond suspicious. He’s not answering my calls at all. And there are rumors he’s been chasing after a woman lately.”
“Ah, that sneaky lizard. We need to catch his tail somehow…”
Eunhyeok and Eunsoo continued to criticize their third brother, Eunho, who seemed to be trying to add some thrill to the otherwise tensionless inheritance war.
While the two of them were seriously pondering how to teach their third brother, who always tried to go his own way among the four brothers, a lesson, Eungyo’s mind was already preoccupied with another issue.
“He’s afraid of me… huh?”
At Eungyo’s soft mutter while holding his glass during Eunhyeok and Eunsoo’s conversation, they both turned to look at him. Eungyo smiled crookedly while leaning on the bar.
“That airhead beagle…”
As he gripped his glass so tightly it made a creaking sound, feeling somewhat twisted inside, Eunhyeok asked with an incredulous expression.
“What are you saying all of a sudden? Beagle? Are you raising a dog?”
Just as Eunhyeok was about to add “Why a beagle of all breeds?” Eungyo’s phone on the bar started ringing loudly.
At that clamorous sound, Eungyo put down his glass, picked up his phone and pressed the call button.
“Yes.”
“The reservation has been made for 6:30 PM tomorrow.”
“Cancel it.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said cancel the reservation.”
Hearing him tell her to cancel just one minute after making the reservation, his secretary replied glumly.
“Understood. Then…”
Just as she was about to say she would call to cancel, Eungyo picked up the phone again.
“Don’t cancel. Leave it.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said leave it.”
“Ah… yes.”
“That’s all, get some rest.”
“Yes. Good night.”
After ending the call with those final greetings, Eungyo stood up from his seat and downed his glass in one go.
“Drink moderately and go home.”
With those words, Eungyo headed towards his bedroom while loosening his tie. Eunhyeok raised his voice in bewilderment at the sight of his brother walking away.
“Hey, what about Father? And Eunho? Are you just going to let that bastard have everything?”
Eungyo clicked his tongue softly at his brother’s shout, clearly displeased at the thought of giving up everything to their third brother.
“What era do we live in for a father to try to control his sons’ lives with talk of inheritance and succession? I can’t stand him fighting with Mother.”
“Hey, this isn’t something you can brush off so lightly. With Father’s personality, he’s probably furious right now, so there’s no telling what he might do. You might wake up one day to find a woman sleeping next to you.”
“Tell him to try if he has the ability.”
“Our father could even drug us to make it happen.”
“By all means. Tell him he’s welcome to fight his sons in court if that’s what he wants. Now, see yourselves out.”
As Eungyo disappeared into his room without looking back, waving his hand as if shooing away flies, Eunhyeok and Eunsoo turned to look at each other simultaneously.
After staring at each other blankly for a moment, as if bewildered, Eunhyeok asked with a dazed expression.
“What’s wrong with him?”
At that question, Eunsoo snapped back fiercely.
“How should I know?”
“Aren’t you Eungyo’s shadow? Don’t you know anything? He seems to have more emotional ups and downs than during puberty, don’t you think something’s going on?”
“I told you I don’t know.”
“Report if you know anything, Kang Eunsoo.”
“I don’t! I’m leaving.”
Seeing Eunsoo get up abruptly from his seat, showing his bratty youngest child side now that Eungyo had disappeared, Eunhyeok gaped in disbelief.
“Hey, what about Eunho?”
“I don’t know. I’m the youngest anyway, so the eldest should handle it.”
As Eunsoo threw those words out grumpily and headed towards the entrance, passing through the living room, Eunhyeok yelled out indignantly.
“You only treat me as the eldest at times like this!”
***
