Chapter 11: The Brothers’ Conflict
Kang-yoon looked down at Bora’s large, clear, sparkling eyes and felt an odd sense of calm.
It was the first time he had ever heard these words in his life.
Words telling him to take what he wanted.
Words promising to help him get whatever he desired.
His eyes reddened in an instant, and Bora, panicking, quickly removed the mask from his wrist and handed it to him.
“Ah, pollen! Pollen! Put your mask on quickly!”
It wasn’t the pollen that had caused his reaction, but fortunately, Kang-yoon managed to put on the mask without revealing his weakness to Bora.
“Shall we hold hands too? Everyone else is holding hands while walking.”
Bora said this as she extended her small, white hand.
Kang-yoon stared at it for a moment, then gently took her hand in his large one.
They walked forward, holding hands precariously, hearts racing, too ticklish all over to meet each other’s eyes.
Kang-yoon thought that this walk under the cherry blossoms would remain etched in his memory forever.
The first time tasting the sweet cherry blossom ice cream, and this gentle woman offering to help him have what he wanted.
When he returned home, Kang-yoon had barely reached the second floor when he reflexively dodged a whiskey glass flying toward his face.
“You’re really aggressive right off the bat.”
“Hey, come over here.”
Kang Moon, sitting on the sofa with a scowl, slammed his beer can on the table and beckoned Kang-yoon over.
The table was already littered with broken and spilled items, evidence of his earlier tantrum.
Kang-yoon narrowed his eyes at Kang Moon, who curled his fingers like calling a dog, and approached him.
“You, who hate flowers, went to a flower festival just because of a girl?”
“And you, who stalk others because of a girl, who do you think you are?”
“Hey, Han Kang-yoon. I don’t know if you’re aware, but I claimed Yoon Bora first. I was the one who… first put my mark on her.”
“When did you ever put a mark on her? Stop talking nonsense.”
“Nonsense? Are you seriously talking to your older brother like that?”
“I’m serious. Don’t you dare touch Bora again. We’re going to be married, so treat your future sister-in-law properly.”
“Ha! Sister-in-law? That won’t do.”
Kang Moon glared at Kang-yoon with a flushed face, eyes full of contempt.
“Hey, Han Kang-yoon. Get your head straight, okay?”
Usually, Kang Moon smiled easily and acted friendly, but when he wanted something, he became relentless.
He was born with the blood of someone who could have anything. When denied or unable to get what he wanted, his temper flared uncontrollably.
“Bora is mine. Mine! Not yours, okay? Han Kang-yoon, you can’t have her. Why? Because I, Han Kang-moon, claimed her first.”
Spittle flew as Kang Moon shouted, his face bright red.
Kang-yoon simply watched silently.
The way Kang Moon looked was as if saying, “You’ll never get Yoon Bora.” Enraged, Kang Moon jumped from the sofa and approached Kang-yoon.
“No answer?”
“What answer? You have to say something reasonable for it to be an answer.”
“Damn it. You’ll never get her. If Bora’s family knew, who would they choose? Me, who will inherit the Gangsan Group? Or you, a bastard born from an unknown woman?”
Kang-yoon clenched his fist, staring at Kang Moon’s smirking face.
Should he hit him?
Should he smack this tiny, annoying fool into reality?
“Moon, stop it.”
While Kang-yoon hesitated, Jin Hyun-sook came upstairs and stepped between them.
“Mother. Didn’t I tell you? This kid and Yoon Bora can’t be together. I was supposed to meet Bora first!”
“Moon. That’s over now. Grandfather has approved Kang-yoon marrying that young lady. The formal meeting is next week, and you’ll attend. Get a grip and stop whining.”
“What? A formal meeting? Are you kidding me? Why is everyone giving the girl I like to this kid? Grandfather and mother, what’s going on?”
Kang Moon’s pupils were completely unfocused as he flailed about.
Jin Hyun-sook glared at the bottles and beer cans scattered across the table.
“How long will you keep drinking? Do you think grandfather will trust you and let you have whatever you want if you act like this?”
“Then why does he give it to him? He never did before! That’s unfair!”
“Han Kang-moon! Go to your room. Stop causing trouble and sleep.”
“Trouble? Trouble? If you’d listened to me earlier, none of this would’ve happened!”
Kang Moon, drunk, could barely keep himself upright and shoved Jin Hyun-sook’s shoulder.
“Stop it!”
Kang-yoon quickly supported Jin Hyun-sook, who had been pushed backward, and shouted at Kang Moon.
“What are you doing? Even if you’re drunk, you push your mother?”
“What! She’s your mom? YOUR mom? She’s MY mom!”
Kang Moon threw a tantrum, knocking over the bottles, which shattered on the floor.
Kang-yoon turned Jin Hyun-sook toward the stairs and guided her down.
“Go downstairs. I’ll calm him and clean this up.”
“…Ugh. Ugh. I really… can’t live with that kid…!”
Jin Hyun-sook bit her lip, pressed her hand to her forehead, and slowly descended the stairs.
Her sighs hit Kang-yoon sharply.
“You crazy idiot. Stop it already.”
Kang-yoon kicked Kang Moon’s slumped shoulder lightly, grabbed his collar, dragged him to his room, shoved him inside, and slammed the door.
“Really… makes me want to beat him up.”
Holding back his anger, Kang-yoon went into the living room.
He picked up the large shards and threw them in the trash, then used a cordless vacuum to clean the smaller pieces carefully.
After cleaning, he went to his room, stripped off his clothes, and took a shower.
Thanks to the allergy medicine he had taken, it was manageable, but his skin was itchy.
Earlier, the tension with Bora had distracted him from noticing, but now, red hives covered his body.
“Shall we hold hands too? Everyone else is holding hands while walking.”
The small, soft, warm hand Bora had extended to him earlier lingered in his mind. Kang-yoon slowly rubbed his palm against hers, savoring the memory.
“That crazy Kang Moon… he always tries to overstep.”
The more he thought about Bora, the more Kang-yoon’s heart softened.
She had overturned his plan to just casually attend the matchmaking meeting.
Even if it was a contract marriage, she promised to help him achieve his goals.
She had convinced him, a man who hated flowers, to go to a festival full of them.
Above all, she had confidently declared, in front of Kang Moon, that she would marry him.
“She’s pretty and kind, cute too.”
Bora was the kind of woman Kang-yoon could attach every charming, endearing adjective to.
“…I want to see her.”
Even after spending the whole day together, he wanted to see her again…
“Do I… like her? Bora…?”
No way. They had only met a few times.
The contract hadn’t even been signed yet.
Although standing under the cherry blossoms today, she had been so beautiful that he felt his heart stop.
Even when he had walked her home after their date, and she had smiled despite her allergies, he had felt… a stirring below.
“…Could it be?”
Having been away from love and romance for so long, Kang-yoon didn’t even fully understand his own feelings.
Even if it was a contract marriage, since they were going to be married, maybe his emotions were loosening a bit.
Still, he was glad that it was Bora who had fearlessly leapt into his barren, desert-like life.
For a woman like her, he thought, it was his duty to provide a refreshing oasis.
Standing under the shower, the water cascading over him, Kang-yoon couldn’t stop the twitch of a smirk on his lips.
“Damn… completely… done for. I’m totally… hooked.”
