Chapter Text
"Who dared to eat my last piece of beef?!" Changbin roared in despair.
Just moments ago, when he’d stepped away to wash his hands, his delicious piece of meat had inexplicably vanished.
He’d been saving the best for last, but if he’d known it would disappear instead of ending up in his stomach, he would’ve devoured it from the start!
Without a second thought, he knew the culprit behind the missing meat could be none other than his youngest brother, Yang Chan.
While even the heavens would spare someone’s food, his little brother never spared a single bite.
The meat thief, now completely shameless, brazenly admitted while munching away:
"I ate it!"
"Seriously?! Why would you eat my food?!"
Changbin’s stomach churned as if he’d been punched; Chan’s response was infuriatingly casual.
"Because I was hungry."
"You’ve got to be kidding me. You have way more food than I do!"
Changbin rubbed his still-empty stomach, glaring at his brother’s round belly, which resembled a rice grinder. He was beyond furious.
If he ever wrote a memoir in his old age, he would undoubtedly dedicate a villainous role to his little brother, who turned his peaceful childhood into a turbulent one. His brother deserved at least 310 pages in his autobiography for his contributions to transforming him from a glutton into someone with refined eating habits.
"You have to share with me," Chan retorted.
What kind of logic was that?!
"Plus, Grandma said you’ve been gaining weight lately."
Adolescence was a sensitive time, and weight was an especially touchy subject.
It would’ve been better if he hadn’t mentioned it at all, but now it felt like a burn.
"Why bring that up all of a sudden?! I’m still growing! Besides, have you even looked at yourself compared to me?"
"We’re different. You just don’t realize it," Yang Chan shrugged.
"I’m adorably chubby, and you’re a pig!"
Even a cornered earthworm would writhe. If he could hold back from giving his brother a well-deserved beating at this point, his name wasn’t Yang Changbin!
He immediately dashed into the kitchen and grabbed the bunch of leeks that Aunt Minhwa had bought that morning.
"Aish! You’re asking for it! Want to see what it feels like to get smacked with these leeks?!"
Seeing the dangerous situation, Yang Chan quickly swallowed the remaining rice in his bowl, dropped his chopsticks, and bolted.
Oh crap, he’d pushed his older brother too far and triggered his fiery wrath!
Changbin chased after his fleeing brother, shouting, "If you dare to say it, you better own up to it! Don’t run away!"
"Only a fool would stay!"
"Oh, you think you’re so smart? Then keep running and don’t let me catch you!"
Changbin picked up speed, and with his broader shoulders and longer stride, he quickly closed the gap.
Just inches away from his brother, he reached out, grabbed the back of his pants, and gave him a swift smack on the butt.
At this point, Yang Chan had no choice but to call for backup:
"AAA! Domestic violence! Help me, everyone! Aunts and uncles, save me!"
"Will you two ever stop?! You’re both grown men, and you can’t even have a peaceful meal!" Minhwa couldn’t help but yell.
Yang Seungmin quietly watched the chaotic chase (a scene of utter mayhem) between his two nephews, mixed with his wife’s affectionate (scolding) voice, and could only shake his head and sigh helplessly.
The origin of this chaos could be traced back a few hours earlier.
It was Sunday morning, a day off, so Seungmin had hit the bed early the night before.
At exactly 6 o’clock, Seungmin’s biological clock woke him up.
As always, he carefully got out of bed, trying not to wake Minhwa and Haengbok, who were sound asleep.
Seungmin stretched, planning to go for a run to enjoy the fresh morning air.
After a week buried in work, he had only one precious Sunday off, so Seungmin decided to dedicate the whole day to relaxing.
He would start with a run around town, then return to help Minhwa with grocery shopping.
In the afternoon, he would take Haengbok to the amusement park because she had just gotten an A in math.
And in the evening, he would watch a movie with Minhwa, then read fairy tales to his daughter before bed.
It would’ve been a perfect and ideal day if not for an unexpected event that occurred the moment Seungmin was about to step out the door.
After getting dressed, while passing by the living room, Seungmin, still half-asleep, instinctively glanced at the sofa.
And this one casual glance made him immediately retract his foot, which was about to step outside, because Seungmin suddenly noticed something was off.
Strange…
WHY WERE THERE TWO BURGLARS IN HIS HOUSE?!
Racking his brain, Seungmin was certain he had locked the doors securely.
Trying to stay calm, Seungmin rushed to his study and grabbed his baseball bat as a weapon for self-defense.
Reaching into his pocket, he was about to dial the police when he paused, because the scene before him was rather comical.
He now noticed that these two “burglars” were quite resourceful; they had even covered themselves with blankets.
Or was he still dreaming?
Seungmin rubbed his eyes to get a clearer view of the two strange creatures sleeping soundly on his sofa, and then his jaw dropped…
IT WAS CHANGBIN AND CHAN?!
He must have opened his eyes wrong.
That had to be it.
♾️% that was it.
Because there was no reason for his two nephews to be at his house at this hour, especially on a Sunday!
And more importantly, how did they even get the key to his house?!
Seungmin stood there dumbfounded, staring at his two sleeping nephews for a long time, truly unsure of what to do.
After half an hour of deliberation, he decided to wake them up since the sun had already risen high.
He gently approached them and tried shaking their shoulders, but neither of his nephews showed any signs of waking up.
Were they sleeping or drugged?!
Seungmin shook and tickled them for a while, but it seemed useless.
Just when he was about to give up on their stubbornness, an idea popped into Seungmin’s head.
He decided to use food to lure these two lazy pigs awake.
Carefully closing his bedroom door to prevent the scent from waking Minhwa and Haengbok, Seungmin quickly cooked a bowl of instant noodles.
Once it was done, while it was still hot, he quickly picked up a mouthful with his chopsticks and brought it close to each of their noses.
Very quickly, Changbin and Chan’s stomachs reacted strongly to the fragrant aroma of the noodles, urging them to wake up.
These two uninvited guests groggily opened their eyes, and upon seeing Seungmin, they were startled and sat up straight.
Without any shame, they exclaimed in unison:
“Uncle, why are you here?”
He should be the one asking them that.
“Well, you two, if I’m not at my house, where else would I be?”
Seungmin put his finger to his lips, shushing them, pointed to the room, and told his nephews:
“Keep it down; your aunt and sister are sleeping.”
Hearing their uncle, Changbin and Chan looked even more bewildered.
Seeing that their surprise didn’t seem feigned at all, Seungmin wondered if they were also victims, just like him.
The three of them stared at each other for a long moment before Seungmin finally decided to break the awkward silence.
He sighed, took out his phone, intending to call his brother and sister-in-law to get some answers.
“Wait here; I’ll call your parents.”
Whether his brother answered or not, he needed to have a word with them and get a proper explanation.
Before he could do anything, just as he turned on his phone and disabled airplane mode, Seungmin received a notification on LINE.
A new message from “Dumbass Brother💩 ”:
The message was sent 9 hours ago. It was now 7 a.m.
Meaning…
THESE TWO HAD BEEN IN HIS HOUSE SINCE LAST NIGHT?!
His brother truly broadened his horizons, one surprise after another.
Hyunjin was right when she said his brother was an alien.
Remembering last night, Seungmin recalled that he had taken Minhwa and Haengbok out for a lavish dinner because he had just received his salary.
They got home at 10 p.m., quite late, so he locked the doors, took a shower, and went straight to bed, and so did Minhwa. Haengbok had fallen asleep on the way home, and she was still half-asleep while brushing her teeth.
With such intense drowsiness and the allure of his bed, locking the doors was probably the last conscious thing Seungmin had done. He hadn’t had the energy to check the entire house.
So he’d inadvertently overlooked the living room sofa, where two unexpected guests were now sleeping.
[To my dearest younger brother Seungmin ❤️ ~]
Just the opening line was ominous.
[By the time you receive this message, your sofa will probably be occupied by my two precious sons.
Surprised?]
Surprised enough to almost have a heart attack.
[I bet you have no idea how they ended up at your place, right?
Actually, you have yourself to thank. A few days ago, when I knew I’d be near Haengbok’s school, if you hadn’t asked me to pick her up because you and your wife were stuck with overtime, I wouldn’t have had the chance to create some quality bonding time on the way home. Or, to put it simply, I bought her ice cream and a cooking kit, and while I was at it, I casually asked about your spare key.
Changbin and Chan, you know how they are, once they hit the bed, they’re out like a light. It took a lot of effort to carry them inside. My back is still killing me.
The reason I went through all that trouble is because tomorrow, or rather, today by the time you read this, is my and your sister-in-law's 20th wedding anniversary!
By the time you see this message, we’ll probably have landed in the Maldives.
If your family wants to send a congratulatory gift, feel free. I won't mind.
My or my baby’s bank account numbers will do. Thanks in advance.]
Could I ship your two sons to the Maldives instead of a gift?
[If you or the boys try to call me, it’ll be a waste of time; I’ll have my phone off.
And don’t even think about contacting my baby; I’ve temporarily blocked your family’s numbers, including the boys’. I’ll unblock you when I get back.]
How thoughtful of you, brother. You even thought of backup plans.
[You know, no matter how far the Maldives are from Seoul, it can’t break our deep brotherly bond, so please take care of my sons for a few days, or maybe a few months.
I hope when we meet again, I’ll still see you and your family safe and sound.
Oh, I’m sure those two are reading over your shoulder, so this part is just for my beloved sons:
“It’s your parents’ day, not yours, so no gifts for you. Keep dreaming.”]
They say a father’s love is as warm as boiling water. This family’s love must be lukewarm water.
“Whoa, the Maldives! I haven’t even been all over Seoul yet,” Chan exclaimed.
“Ha, those two are really something, ditching us and going on a trip by themselves,” Changbin added.
Changbin and Chan were indeed standing beside Seungmin, reading his messages and munching on the instant noodles he’d made earlier.
Like father, like son, they knew each other inside and out.
When they got to the part of the message addressed specifically to them from their “esteemed” father, Seungmin nearly went deaf from their simultaneous shout:
“NO GIFTS?!”
He wasn’t sure if he’d survive to see his brother’s face again; his ears were about to bleed.
[I have to board the plane now. No time to message you anymore.
Anyway, send my greetings to Minhwa noona and little Haengbok.
Especially tell Haengbokie that her uncle says thank you very much, and I’ll get her a present when I get back.
Sincerely from your most esteemed, wonderful, and perfect older brother,
The most handsome and intelligent Yang Jisung in the universe]
Reading every word his brother wrote, Seungmin was deeply (and sarcastically) touched, to the point where his head was about to explode.
And that explained why Seungmin’s lunch now included two extra mouths to feed.
“WAAAAH!”
Seungmin’s reminiscing was interrupted by his daughter Haengbok’s ear-splitting wail.
Just hearing it, he knew she was cut from the same cloth as someone.
Haengbok had been sleeping soundly in her pink room when she was suddenly awakened by the loud arguing.
Following the noise, she found her two cousins had materialized out of nowhere and were fighting like cats and dogs. Her mom looked like she was trying to stop them but was actually joining in on the chaos, while her dad just quietly observed from a distance.
A peace-loving child, Haengbok hated seeing people fight.
Suddenly, she remembered what her mom had taught her: if you want people to listen, you have to be louder than them.
So, she gathered all her strength and wailed loudly.
“Stop fighting! Daddy, I’m scared!”
“It’s okay, Haengbok. Don’t cry. Daddy’s here,” Seungmin quickly reassured her, hugging her and patting her back.
He had to do something. He couldn’t keep trying to stay positive in the midst of this chaos.
If those two kept arguing for a few more seconds, he’d have to comfort Haengbok too, which would be a nightmare.
Comforting her required all sorts of tactics: promises, pleas, even threats. It took ages and put him under immense pressure because he always felt his wife’s “gentle” gaze on the back of his neck.
The thought of failing to comfort her and ending up sleeping on the sofa made Seungmin shudder.
Remembering that his nephew had a crush on his wife’s younger sister, he immediately said:
“Changbin, Yeni said she’s going to video call later.”
“Okay, so?”
…?!
Had his brother’s simp genes completely died out?!
This wasn’t working.
Food really was the root of all evil.
After racking his brains for a long time, while Yang Jisung’s youngest son’s butt was nearly as red as a ripe tomato and his eldest son was almost bald from his brother pulling his hair, an absolutely crazy idea finally came to Seungmin.
Since his brother had been inconsiderate first, he wouldn’t be the loyal younger brother anymore!
He picked up Haengbok, took her to her room, and asked Minhwa to feed her and put her to bed, giving his wife a reassuring wink.
Following his plan, he cleared his throat:
“Ahem, rumor has it some people here have been eating a lot of dog food lately.” (This is a Chinese slang 狗粮 means you had to witness romantic scenes from couples)
“And now they’re being left out in the cold. That’s rough.”
With a mysterious smirk, Seungmin casually dropped a bombshell:
“You know, there’s a huge family secret about your parents. I’m talking if you get this secret, not only will you automatically get gifts from them, but you can also avoid getting bossed around by them from now on.”
Seungmin wasn’t even sure they’d take the bait; his promise was too vague.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Changbin and Chan stopped fighting, just as he’d predicted.
They might skip a meal, but they’d never miss out on drama!
“How much of what you’re about to tell us is true?”
“We’re family. Don’t you trust me at all?”
“…”
“Do you want to hear it or not?”
“Yes.”
“Then sit still and stop fighting, got it?”
“…”
“If there’s something wrong with your ears and mouths, I’ll take you to the doctor. Don’t let it get worse.”
“Temporary truce. This isn’t over between us,” Changbin reluctantly released his brother’s butt (or rather, let his brother release his hair).
He pretended not to see his younger brother’s mocking tongue as he turned away to focus on the matter at hand.
“So, do you want to hear the beginning, middle, or end?”
“Are you kidding us? This isn’t a fish stew,” Chan retorted.
“Do you want to see what high school students are capable of?” Changbin threatened.
“Alright, alright, just kidding. Don’t get so worked up.”
Those two needed to give him a moment to organize his thoughts.
Thanks to those two, Seungmin’s youth was more eventful, if not more difficult.
Anyone who saw his brother and sister-in-law now would see them constantly flirting, being all lovey-dovey and over-the-top, showering each other with cheesy affection that made everyone cringe.
But no one knew they’d once had a “love that dared not speak its name,” and had even openly despised each other before that.