Chapter 111: The Kiss That Wasn’t a Dream

Doyoon nodded briefly. Hyung-ju’s contacts ranged from low-level thugs to police.

“…Alright. Let me know if anything else comes up.”

<Of course.>

But Hyung-ju hesitated before hanging.

<You sure you’re okay staying there?>

“…”

<I get super anxious when you go silent.>

“…No plans to reveal. Just make sure it doesn’t leak anywhere else.”

<Obviously—who do you think I am?>

Still worried. Doyoon reassured him.

“I know confessing to someone who thought of me as a brother would just get me labeled crazy.”

…But seducing without confessing is fine. He kept the real thought inside.

Hyung-ju clicked his tongue. The only one who knew Doyoon’s sticky obsession. Words weren’t needed—kindred spirits recognize each other. When he learned the secret, Hyung-ju’s only reaction was a short “Ah, that explains it…”

<Yeah, you know—best to stay quiet.>

But even trying to stay quiet, the world wouldn’t leave Doyoon alone.

At the company, rumors suddenly spread that Seunghyun was illegitimate—driving Doyoon insane (he hunted down the source and got them disciplined). Meanwhile, Seunghyun—not content with Bae Ji-an—started asking about Hwang Yeon-seok. Doyoon knew it was impossible but still got anxious. Men his type?

Knowing Seunghyun was quite open about same-s*x relationships made it harder to brush off.

Doyoon even chased the company sports day to show off, but Seunghyun seemed indifferent. His only gain: the robot vacuum Seunghyun wanted. Of course, he paid Bae Ji-an a fortune for it…

“You paid this much? It’s not worth that…”

Doyoon knew. He just didn’t want to give Seunghyun something anyone could.

“Yeah. In exchange, invite me to marketing team dinners. Hyung’s too busy to eat with me.”

“That’s easy anytime.”

Doyoon studied Ji-an’s smile. Just symmetrical features—why so pretty? Anyway, observation showed she had little interest in Seunghyun. Doyoon liked that one thing.

The problem was always Seunghyun. He fussed over Ji-an excessively, even told Doyoon not to come to team dinners. Doyoon had practically funded Ji-an’s wallet himself…

And Seunghyun kept pressing for the exact reason Doyoon vanished for six years without a word. The absence had clearly scarred him deeply. Doyoon felt guilty—yet secretly thrilled.

“Do you even think of me as hyung?”

The truth nearly slipped:

“I don’t. We’re nothing.”

But he couldn’t hurt him. Didn’t want to lie either—so he gave a polished half-truth.

“I’ll tell you when you like me a little more.”

Whether that day would come was doubtful, but Doyoon wouldn’t give up on even 1%.

Then opportunity struck unexpectedly.

The day Doyoon was finally invited to Seunghyun’s place, Seunghyun got wasted alone and passed out. They were watching a movie; he kept dozing, mumbling adorably when asked questions.

The shock came after Doyoon carried him to bed.

“Gotta eliminate all the fedora guys… the writer too…”

“Hyung really loves that movie.”

Doyoon lay beside him, smiling. Then Seunghyun suddenly pressed a finger to Doyoon’s lips. Leaned in—and lightly brushed their lips together.

“…?!”

Like a bird tapping a stone—barely there. Doyoon froze solid. Seunghyun giggled in his sleep, unaware. Doyoon’s mind went blank white. After a beat, voice shaking:

“Hyung… did you just kiss me?”

“…Mhm.”

“Why?”

Seunghyun didn’t answer, just closed his eyes and chuckled. Doyoon’s heart raced.

“Why’d you kiss me?”

“‘Cause I like you.”

“Who am I?”

“…Doyoonie.”

Doyoon’s heart ignited—body on fire.

Hyung… me?

The lingering wine on Seunghyun’s breath tasted sweet. Heart pounding too hard to think. Later, Doyoon gently held sleeping Seunghyun’s cheek and carefully kissed him back. The docile response lit a fire in him.

Can you kiss your “brother” in your sleep? He knew it was me.

No—don’t overthink. It’s all delusion.

But the tiny butterfly wingbeat Seunghyun started in his sleep caused a storm in Doyoon’s heart.

…Maybe my efforts are finally paying off? Hyung feels the same?

He didn’t sleep that night.

Up at dawn, making bean sprout soup, rehearsing questions for when Seunghyun woke: What did you mean yesterday? Did I appear in your dream? What were you thinking?

Until Han Won-ju sent someone with a strange letter.

[Need to talk about the “Noh Jae-sik” you once looked for. Interested? Come here.]

The moment Doyoon saw the letter left by the courier, his blood ran cold. Han Won-ju mentioning Noh Jae-sik was shocking—but the phrase that seized him was:

“…you once looked for”

He read it over and over.

Seunghyun searched for Noh Jae-sik through Han Won-ju? He knows about him?

Doyoon turned to stone.

Since when?

Memories exploded like pop-ups.

Seunghyun—unlike Seunghee—never cared about success. Rejected Grandfather’s offers like clockwork.

Doyoon thought it was just diligence. Was there another reason?

The way he’d been oddly passive about the recent illegitimacy rumors suddenly bothered him.

Once suspicion started, it snowballed. Even an old memory: the day Father’s mistress sent a painting, Seunghyun comforting him:

“We didn’t do anything wrong.”

We.

Doyoon covered his mouth. Goosebumps on his neck.

He knew even then?

Or earlier?

“…No way.”

How long had Seunghyun carried that secret alone?

Imagining him suffering in silence broke Doyoon’s heart.

Yet selfishly, hope for yesterday’s kiss surged anew.

If that’s true… he kissed me knowing I’m not his brother.

His chest nearly burst—wrong timing. He forced his pounding heart down.

First—protect Seunghyun from Han Won-ju. The world was full of threats. Sending a person, not a text, felt like a warning: I can come to your house anytime.

Luckily, Han Won-ju soon spectacularly self-destructed with the yakuza—far better than Doyoon’s plan to send reporters for minor embarrassment. Temporary relief.

But then Seunghyun changed.

Awkward answers when asked what was wrong. Avoided eye contact. Doyoon faintly hoped it was self-consciousness from closeness—but no, it wasn’t.

Worse—Hyung-ju reported Noh Jae-sik had been drifting in Southeast Asia, recently entered Korea.

<Maybe he and Han Won-ju were in it together? Planned something against hyung, but Han imploded—so Noh panicked and came back.>

Plausible, but Doyoon shook his head.

“No—if so, they’d have demanded something from us at Hanseong. Still silent. Either only Han knew, or he knew nothing. Problem is Noh. Why return now?”

<To reveal himself to hyung?>

“…”

Doyoon’s brow furrowed. Anyone endangering Seunghyun had to be stopped.

But when Doyoon told Seunghyun he wanted to protect him, the response was unthinkable:

“Calling yakuza to half-kill someone just because you don’t like them—what’s the difference between you and that bastard?! Violence over feelings?!”

The look in his eyes—Doyoon’s heart sank.

Hyung… is scared of me.

…What has he thought of me all this time?