Chapter Text
Since their mother had fall and broke his knee a year ago, Inho had taken the habit of spending the weekend at their house: despite the fact that Mansool had recovered he still went to make sure that everything was fine and take care of anything that needed to be fixed - no matter how many time Junho tells him to not worry. For the past four months, though, on most Saturdays Inho would go out to meet with Seong Gihun, a mechanic that works not far from the police station he and Junho work in: they had met when Inho's car had broken down in the middle of the road, casually - or so Inho's says -right in front of Gihun's workshop, and they had been friends since then, spending more and more time together.
'Friends': that's how his brother likes to call what they have. Because friends totally stare at each other like the other has hanged the moon in the sky, right?
"Junho?"
"Yes?" Junho puts the comic book he was reading on the coffee table,sits up from on the sofa and looks at the entrance: there stands his brother, casually dressed - quite a rare sight - and with the jacket in hand, hair strategically falling on his eyes, smelling of his most expensive cologne. Because that's totally how you dress when you meet a 'friend'.
"I'm going to get something to drink with Gihun-hyung," he says while wearing his shoes, "Remember to empty the dishwasher."
Junho grins, mischievous: "Alright, have fun on your date."
"It's not a date," Inho clarifies for the nth time, glaring at him, "We just hang out after work."
"It's gonna be just you two? Like the past dozen 'hanging outs' right?"
"We just hang out after work," he repeats, looking at his reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall near the entrance and fixing a strand of hair.
Junho grins sharpens: "So I can come right?"
Inho pauses: "Mh?"
"If it's just 'hanging out' I can come too, it's been a while since I've been out with friends, and I like Gihun-hyung's company," he argues, a shiver running down his spine at the look Inho gives him.
"No," it's all he says before wearing the jacket.
"You're no fun hyung," Junho pouts, "Everyone knows you guys are having a thing, why pretend to hide it? Plus Gihun-hyung likes me, he would be happy to see me."
His brother doesn't even reply, he just shakes his head and opens the door, right when Mansool was going to insert the keys.
"Oh, Inho-ah, you are going out?" she asks, entering the house.
"I'm seeing a friend," he says as he takes the grocery bags from her hands and brings them inside, nodding at Junho to help him sorting them in the cupboard. Junho does so with no protest.
"Oh you must be in a hurry then," Mansool observes.
"I'll put these things away and go."
"Junho-ah, why don't you join Inho-ah? You are always holed up in here when you are not working."
"Yeah, hyung, why don't I join you?" Junho repeats, smiling like a fox at his brother's deadly stare.
After they are done putting the groceries away, Mansool retires to her room to watch a drama.
"Alright, remember about the dishwasher, I'm going on a d- I'm going!" Inho says as he walks to the door.
"But hyung," Junho can barely repress his laughter, "Mom said I can come."
Inho stops, turns, marches back to his brother and uses his most intimidating glare to compensate the ridiculous height difference between them.
"Hwang Junho," he hisses so that Mansool couldn't hear them, "You are not coming to my fucking date!"
"Shalalalala, My, oh, my, Look at the boy too shy, He ain't gonna kiss the girl," sings the radio in the small restaurant. Junho happily hums along while devouring his own kimchi fried rice like a starving man that never tasted something better in his life.
"Is it good Junho-ah?"
"One of the best ones I've ever had hyung!" he replies, eating with pure gusto.
Gihun smiles, pleased, and turns to his right with a slight grimace: "What about you Inho-ah?"
Inho grumbles something, expression sour, head resting on one hand while the other uses the chopsticks to play with his rice, looking a lot like a big grown child that was just scolded for a tantrum.
Gihun takes pity on him and gently touches his leg: "Inho-ah, I said I have no problem paying also for Junho-ah. C'mon, give me a smile."
"Yeah hyung, give Gihun-hyung a smile," Junho prompts him, smug only like someone that knows that his older brother is not going to do anything since they are in public and in the presence of his beloved could be.
Inho just glares at him and kicks his shin under the table.