Chapter 82: Kevin’s Mother Arrives

Late night had fallen. Yeon-chae finished his shower and entered the room, settling onto the bed beside Yoonwoo.

A delicate scent of spring blossoms subtly permeated the bedroom. Yoonwoo’s cheeks flushed inexplicably, and he moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue.

Yeon-chae swept back the wet hair from his forehead with one hand. Though he seemed tired from spending several days with Kevin, he didn’t appear to be in a bad mood.

He seemed to have something to say, pausing to choose his words, then let out a small laugh and shook his head.

“Kevin hyung has been quite a handful, hasn’t he?”

“Uh, well…”

Unsure of what Yeon-chae meant by “quite a handful,” Yoonwoo merely stammered. It was true that things had been “a bit like that,” though he wasn’t sure if it was in the way Yeon-chae was thinking.

Yeon-chae’s expression grew a little more serious, as if a new thought had struck him.

“Kevin hyung’s hobby is to flirt with everyone he sees. He’s not actually trying to seduce anyone; it’s just his personality. I know that, but earlier, I got annoyed without realizing it… Did you feel uncomfortable?”

“He was trying to seduce *me*?”

“No, not seducing. He just acts that way because he wants to get close to you, hyung.”

“So, his goal was just to hang out with me?”

“Yes. It’s easier to think of him like a Sapsali dog that just loves people. Still, he tries not to be alone with you, which is his way of drawing a line.”

“Oh…”

Yoonwoo had wondered if Kevin was following Yeon-chae, seizing an opportunity. Taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, Yoonwoo could only gape.

Kevin had only been there for two days, yet it felt like two months.

Last night, and the night before, Yeon-chae had stayed up late playing with Kevin in the living room, only returning to the bedroom after Yoonwoo had fallen asleep.

It had been so long since Yoonwoo had a private conversation with Yeon-chae in their master bedroom that he couldn’t even remember. This was especially true because, ever since their honeymoon, Yeon-chae had consistently slept in the small room he’d set up as a study.

That small room was now occupied by Kevin. The only other spare room had been converted into a nursery, leaving no space.

Consequently, Yeon-chae had no choice but to sleep in the master bedroom with Yoonwoo for the past few days. If newlyweds, fresh from their honeymoon, were sleeping separately, even the thoughtless Kevin would find it strange, making it unavoidable.

That had been the sole advantage of Kevin’s sudden arrival.

Today was no different. When it was time for bed, Yeon-chae entered the bedroom, and Kevin, for some reason, was quietly entertaining himself in his own room.

Perhaps Yeon-chae’s earlier scolding had gotten to him, as Kevin seemed intent on not disturbing them tonight. It was a sudden, unexpected moment for just the two of them.

A long-awaited opportunity had finally arrived. Though Kevin had said he would only stay for a few days, there was no telling how long that Sapsali dog would stick around, so Yoonwoo needed to bring up his topic now.

Having steeled himself, Yoonwoo swallowed dryly.

“Um, Yeon-chae.”

“Yes?”

“You know, that thing I was going to tell you back then.”

“Back then? What are you talking about?”

“A few days ago… before Kevin hyung called.”

“Oh, was it? What is it?”

Yeon-chae slowly turned to face Yoonwoo. His light brown eyes, pale in pigment, clearly held Yoonwoo’s gaze.

Now that he was about to speak, his throat felt parched. ‘Was this truly the right thing to do?’ This was the first time the words he wanted to say felt so hesitant.

‘Still, if you’ve drawn the sword, you must at least cut a radish.’ Just as Yoonwoo let out a deep sigh.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! 

Ding-dong! Ding-dong! 

With a tumultuous banging sound, as if someone was pounding on the front door with their fists, the doorbell chimed incessantly.

Yeon-chae, with a startled expression, dashed towards the front door. Yoonwoo hurriedly followed Yeon-chae, glancing briefly at the firmly closed study door.

Surprisingly, amidst all the commotion, Kevin was as quiet as a mouse.

“Who is it?”

Unlike modern new apartments, this old apartment building, where Yeon-chae had lived as a child, lacked a security lock on the ground floor entrance and cameras in front of individual apartment doors.

One could only peer outside through a small peephole, like a convex lens, on the door. Yeon-chae gestured for Yoonwoo to stay back, then cautiously peered into the hallway.

He then let out a deep sigh.

“……Ah, now I’m going to get scolded too.”

“Huh? What’s wrong, Yeon-chae? Who is it? Should I call the police?”

Yoonwoo, gripping the phone he had quickly grabbed, nervously tapped his foot. However, Yeon-chae shook his head, his expression weary.

“It’s fine. Could you go get Kevin hyung for me?”

“Kevin hyung? Why Kevin hyung? Is he good at fighting? He certainly looks like he could be.”

Remembering Kevin’s firm, bulging arms, like those of a cattle rustler, Yoonwoo nodded, thinking, ‘That makes sense.’ It seemed quicker and easier to use Kevin than to wait for the police.

However, Kevin, who had been holding his breath motionless in the study, wouldn’t open the door no matter how much Yoonwoo knocked. The doorknob clearly turned, but the unlocked door remained firmly shut, refusing to budge.

It was because Kevin was holding it shut from the inside.

“Kevin hyung? Why aren’t you opening the door? Come out quickly. There’s someone outside…”

“Tell them I’m not here! I’m not here!”

“What? Oh, seriously! What are you doing?!”

‘What is this cattle rustler saying? He should at least earn his keep!’ Yoonwoo’s anger flared instantly, and he began to seethe.

Kevin, the largest of the three, seemed to be embodying the proverb ‘even dog poop is hard to find when you need it for medicine,’ whimpering in a terrified voice for them to leave him alone.

“I’m not here… I’ll, I’ll jump out the window!”

“What are you talking about? This is the tenth floor! You’ll die instantly!”

Yoonwoo couldn’t fathom what this chaos was all about. At a loss, he simply gripped the doorknob and rattled it. But Kevin on the other side didn’t budge.

Yeon-chae, who had been silently watching, clicked his tongue. Then, he squeezed his eyes shut and, without warning, flung open the front door. Yoonwoo jumped back in surprise.

“Yeon-chae, you!”

“……Hello, ma’am……”

“Huh…?”

Outside the open door stood a tiny woman, whose height barely reached Yeon-chae’s chest, glaring intensely and huffing.

Kevin obediently knelt before the woman seated on the sofa. Beside him, Yeon-chae knelt in parallel. Yoonwoo was assigned the spot on the sofa next to the woman.

Still, he was just as nervous. The woman—Kevin’s mother, that is—exuded a terrifying aura despite her petite stature, making Yoonwoo wonder how she could have given birth to Kevin.

“So, what about school? How did you end up all the way here?”

“Uh, Mom. I’m on spring break right now… No, I mean Thanksgiving… It’s vacation. I didn’t skip school to come here.”

“Thanksgiving is in November, isn’t it? You’ve been studying abroad for 15 years. Do you think your mother’s a fool?”

“Uh-huh, they said they moved it up this year…”

“Are you crazy?! Where are you pulling these blatant lies from?!”

Kevin, who had claimed he couldn’t even speak Korean, could even speak Gyeongsang dialect. He seemed to speak Korean better than Yoonwoo.

“If you came, you should have scurried straight home, not loitered at Yeon-chae’s house!”

“I always used to loiter at Yeon-chae’s house whenever I came, didn’t I?”

“Is then the same as now?! He’s married, and you’re loitering at his newlywed home?! I’m so ashamed I could die! Did I really eat seaweed soup after giving birth to something like this?!”

“Mom, how did you know Yeon-chae got married? I didn’t even know.”

“What do you mean you didn’t know?! Yeon-chae’s mother distributed wedding invitations to your house and mine! And Yeon-chae, you!”

The fire then turned to Yeon-chae. Yeon-chae, who had been kneeling politely, flinched his broad shoulders and slowly raised his head.

“Why did you let this scoundrel barge in and stay again?! You should have contacted me! This isn’t just your house anymore; you’re married! What am I supposed to say in front of your spouse?!”

“Well… Yoonwoo hyung said it was okay too, ma’am. Please don’t worry.”

“So, if he just barges in and asks to sleep over, how can you say no to his face?! Do I have to spell it out for you, huh?”

‘Exactly!’ Yoonwoo clapped his hands inwardly. He wished Kevin would be dragged out by his mother right now.

As if she had telepathy, the mother immediately grabbed Kevin’s ear and stood up abruptly. Kevin screamed “Ow, ow!” as he was dragged out.

“I’m truly sorry to you. I raised such a foolish son, and he’s only been a burden to you.”

“Oh, no, not at all. I was glad to get to know Yeon-chae’s friend.”

Kevin’s mother, who had reached the front door at some point, bowed politely to Yoonwoo. A flustered Yoonwoo bowed back, completely at a loss.

Meanwhile, the front door opened. Kevin’s mother sharply turned her head and glared at Yeon-chae.

“You treat him well too! If you keep accepting any good-for-nothing as a friend, you’ll end up divorced!”

“Yes, yes…”

“Ugh, the neighborhood’s a disgrace; I can’t live like this. Let’s go, Yoon-ah!”

“Moooom!”

And then, the door slammed shut before their eyes. The surroundings suddenly fell silent.

But for Yoonwoo, it felt as if a bomb had exploded in his ear. He couldn’t believe the last words Kevin’s mother had uttered.

“Yeon-chae, just now…”

Yoonwoo’s lips parted, his face devoid of all color. Yeon-chae turned to him, asking, “Yes?”

“What did the ma’am just say?”

“What are you referring to?”

“What did she call Kevin hyung…?”

“Kevin hyung?”

Yeon-chae tilted his head, then chuckled, “Ah.”

“That’s Kevin hyung’s Korean name. Everyone at home calls him by his Korean name.”

“Oh, but…”

Yoonwoo slowly, stiffly, turned towards Yeon-chae. He was afraid to open his mouth, yet he couldn’t help but ask.

“Have you ever called Kevin hyung by his Korean name too?”

“Me?”

Yeon-chae raised one eyebrow, looking puzzled. He seemed curious as to why Yoonwoo was asking this, but then shrugged and answered lightly.

“Everyone used to call him by his Korean name, including me. But Kevin hyung really disliked it, so now we just use his English name.”

“……”

“Why do you ask that?”

“……Never mind.”

Silent horror spread across Yoonwoo’s entire face.