Be My Baby - Vol.2 Chapter 5 Part 4
Sitting in his designated seat at the cafe he had visited after two weeks, Seonwoo was staring endlessly at the entrance of the building across the street, resting his chin on both hands.
He had come on his way back from his brother’s hospital, hoping to see Eungyo’s face for even a moment, as he hadn’t come home for four days, but today he hadn’t seen him even once.
Usually, he would come here for coffee or pass by here at least once a day, he thought, sighing deeply as he checked the time and saw it was almost quitting time.
It would be nice if they could go together, he thought, but seeing as there was no answer to the problem, it seemed like he wouldn’t be coming home today either.
“I want to eatsamgyeopsal…”
Saying that, he stretched his stiff body that had been sitting for hours.
He felt like he really should leave now, but he kept feeling reluctant.
It was understandable that he couldn’t even come this way since he was so busy that he was staying at a hotel, but it was disappointing that he hadn’t even seen his back after sitting all day.
Once again, hoping against hope, he took out his phone to check, but there was still no reply.
The fact that there was still no answer to the text he had sent in the morning meant he was that busy.
Wondering if he was overworking himself too much and if he should bring him some medicine, he quickly shook his head.
You shouldn’t bother busy people.
Soothing himself to behave quietly, Seonwoo finally stood up, slung his cross bag over his shoulder, and trudged out of the cafe.
As he was walking mindlessly through the streets filled with people during the rush hour to take the subway, he suddenly came to his senses and found himself in front of the entrance of Genitech’s headquarters, which was gleaming with light.
“Huh…”
Thinking that he hadn’t meant to come here, but wondering why he had, Seonwoo still glanced inside.
The lobby, brightly lit against the gradually setting sun, was bustling with people about to leave work.
Just in case, really just in case Eungyo might be seen, Seonwoo stood in front of the door, peering inside in a way that anyone would find suspicious.
Thinking he’d look just one more time, just once more, he peeked inside the entrance with his head slightly raised when suddenly a familiar voice was heard from behind.
“Lee Seonwoo?”
Startled by that sudden voice, he whirled around to see Eunsoo standing on the dark street.
Only then did the thought ‘Ah, he works for this company too’ occur to him.
“What are you doing here?”
“Huh…?”
“Did you come to see my brother again?”
As Eunsoo, dressed in a gray suit, asked with a face that said this was pathetic, Seonwoo was flustered.
Although it had been a while since he had seen his friend, he remembered that Seyoon had told him never to let Eunsoo find out, so he stammered, unable to meet Eunsoo’s eyes.
Eunsoo clicked his tongue.
“How does your brain work, by what standards? Do you think my brother would come out through this entrance?”
“…Then?”
“My brother would never come out this way. I’m still a low-level employee so I go in and out of various places and run errands, but Eunhyeok hyung and Eungyo hyung are people who come to work by car from the underground parking lot to their office, stay in the office all day, and then leave work. Even if they move during the day, they only move by car. Do you think my brother, for whom time is money, would wander around the streets?”
At those words, Seonwoo gasped, swallowing his breath.
He had never thought about that until now.
He always came out through the entrance of the research building and walked to the dormitory, and it was the same for other researchers, so he thought that was normal, but come to think of it, it’s not.
Come to think of it, hyung’s car comes right up to the apartment entrance.
And since he goes to work the same way, he really has no reason to walk.
But…
“…He comes out for coffee, doesn’t he?”
Based on what he had seen every time he hung around at Cafe Mila across the street, he goes out every day.
So thinking that he must really like that cafe’s coffee, he said that while looking cautious, and Eunsoo clicked his tongue.
“Are you crazy? Why would he come out with a machine in the office? Does my brother have time to spare?”
“…But I saw him come out every day…”
“Who said that?”
“I saw him…”
“It must have been a coincidence. My brother hardly moves from his office. Why would someone who’s busy working all day move around?”
Wondering why he had seen him every time then, Seonwoo paused for a moment.
Since it was Eunsoo’s words, who would go crazy for Eungyo, there’s no way it could be nonsense, but he had seen hyung every time, every time he came.
Wondering if he was just incredibly lucky, he tilted his head, and Eunsoo, who had been looking at him as if finding him pathetic, suddenly spoke.
“But what’s with you? Did you cause trouble again?”
“…Huh?”
“Last week when I called my brother, he said you were there. What’s going on? Did you cause such big trouble that you had to be dragged to my brother’s? I thought you said you were going to quit drinking, did you get drunk and cause a ruckus again?”
At Eunsoo’s irritated questions fired rapidly, Seonwoo quickly rolled his eyes to avoid Eunsoo’s gaze.
Suddenly, Eunsoo’s voice rose.
“What? Did you really drink again?”
“…No. I’ve quit drinking. This time, for sure.”
Although he tried to justify to himself that it wasn’t a lie since he certainly hadn’t caused a ruckus while drunk, the suspicion in Eunsoo’s eyes didn’t disappear at that answer.
Having known Seonwoo for a long time, he felt something was fishy, but at the same time, knowing that Seonwoo absolutely couldn’t lie, Eunsoo, who had been scrutinizing Seonwoo with a puzzled expression for a while, finally nodded as if convinced.
“Well, fine. My brother told me not to interfere, so I won’t say anything more… but you, be really careful. If you cause trouble one more time, I won’t stand by either.”
“Really… I told you I quit drinking.”
“I’ll try to believe you for now.”
Thankfully, as Eunsoo seemed to be trying to let it go roughly, Seonwoo let out a very small sigh of relief.
Then he suddenly glanced at Eunsoo.
“…But, what about hyung?”
“Huh?”
“Has hyung left work?”
“He should have. My brother is punctual about his work hours.”
Ah, so I won’t be able to see him even if I wait in the parking lot, Seonwoo thought, letting out a small sigh.
“Then I won’t be able to see him today either…”
As Seonwoo dropped his shoulders in disappointment and uttered those brief words, Eunsoo made a face as if finding it ridiculous.
“What, did you used to see him every day before? Why suddenly?”
As Eunsoo sneered as if wondering why he was feeling disappointed now when he had been constantly rejected officially and unofficially anyway, Seonwoo scratched his hair and mumbled.
“That’s true, but… he’s not coming home at all, so… He seems tired too…”
“Not coming home? Who?”
“Hyung, he’s staying at a hotel now, right?”
“Hotel? What hotel?”
“He said he’s commuting from a hotel because he’s busy…”
At those words, Eunsoo gasped.
“What are you talking about? Our brother is so picky about where he sleeps, how could he commute from a hotel? And it’s not even a particularly busy period right now.”
“Huh? He said he’d be commuting from a hotel for a while because he’s busy.”
“So why…”
About to ask why he was busy, Eunsoo suddenly stopped speaking.
This conversation was strange.
No, it was very strange.
“Wait, how do you know that? Are you at my brother’s house right now? Still?”
“Yeah.”
“Why you?”
“…No comment.”
“What no comment? My brother won’t even let me stay at his house, why are you there?”
At Eunsoo’s reaction, going wild asking why on earth you’re there when he got rid of all the rooms and only has one bed in that big house so that no one else could stay, Seonwoo quickly grasped the atmosphere this time.
More accurately, rather than grasping the atmosphere, he decided to avoid it because he could predict Eunsoo’s next reaction, having known him for a long time.
“Ah, it’s late. You need to go home. I’ll see you later. Well, goodbye.”
As Seonwoo, who had hurriedly finished his greeting, tried to turn around urgently, Eunsoo fiercely grabbed the back of Seonwoo’s neck.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Ah, I have to go! I’m hungry!”
“Then let’s eat! You, talk to me for a bit. Let’s go somewhere…”
Just as Eunsoo, who had grabbed the back of Seonwoo’s neck, was about to take a step, a silver sedan stopped in front of the company.
And soon the driver’s door opened, and Eungyo, dressed in a dark blue suit, got out and quickly headed towards them.
At his sudden appearance, Seonwoo and Eunsoo stopped their scuffle and stood blankly, and Eungyo, who had approached right in front of them, spoke to Eunsoo with a serious face.
“Let that go.”
“…Huh?”
“That guy’s nape, let it go.”
At Eungyo’s voice, which was low but somehow seemed angry, Eunsoo watched his expression and slowly released his grip on Seonwoo’s nape.
As Seonwoo, whose neck was finally free, tried to run away hurriedly, this time Eungyo grabbed the back of Seonwoo’s neck.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“…”
“You, why are you hanging around here? Stay quietly at home.”
At Eungyo’s question, which had become a bit sharper as if he was in a bad mood, Seonwoo lowered his head and answered softly.
“…I missed you…”
At that answer, Eungyo sighed for a moment and then muttered in a slightly deflated voice.
“You’re really lacking…”
Although it was a word he always heard, somehow it felt like his heart was being stabbed, so Seonwoo stood quietly in place, and Eungyo, who had been looking down at Seonwoo, turned his gaze to look at Eunsoo standing in front.
And then he frowned.
At Eungyo’s expression, which was more fierce than usual, Eunsoo also lowered his head.
As Eunsoo, who feared his brother as much as he liked him, stood deflated without making a peep, Eungyo spoke in a lowered voice.
“If you’re back from fieldwork, finish your work properly and go home. What’s this ruckus on the street? It’s not like you’re kidnapping a child.”
“…I had something to talk about. But, why is he at your house?”
As if he had to know that reason no matter what, Eunsoo asked again despite being cowed, and Eungyo clicked his tongue.
“Didn’t I tell you? Stop interfering in other people’s business. I hate it when family or whoever lurks around me telling me to do this or that. Just live your own life properly. Why are you so interested in other people’s business?”
At his tone, which sounded like he was scolding despite his gentle voice, Eunsoo fell silent.
Additionally, as Seonwoo also drooped his shoulders, looking cowed, Eungyo sighed as he glanced down at Seonwoo.
“Go back in. Lee Seonwoo, you come with me.”
“But, hyung…”
As Eunsoo tried to stop Eungyo, who was about to turn around and walk away, Eungyo stopped at that sound and turned to look at Eunsoo.
And then he threw a cold gaze towards Eunsoo.
“And don’t grab this guy’s nape and drag him around anymore. And I’ve seen you hit his head sometimes, don’t lay a hand on him from now on.”
As he was getting called out only for himself, when it was a common habit left from high school days for friends to hit each other’s heads or kick each other lightly, Eunsoo made a face as if feeling wronged.
“That… everyone does it. He hits my head too.”
“He can hit you, but you can’t hit him.”
“Why?”
“Because it bothers me.”
At those nonsensical words, Eunsoo gasped and stared at Eungyo, and Eungyo left one more warning.
“Be careful. I’ll be the one to drag this guy around if needed, and I’ll be the one to curse at him if needed.”
After spouting a series of sophistry that couldn’t be understood no matter how you looked at it, Eungyo, as if to practice what he had just said, grabbed Seonwoo by the nape and dragged him towards the car.
Left alone in this situation that was utterly unlike his brother and impossible to understand no matter how he thought about it, Eunsoo muttered softly.
“What is this?”
***
