22.
It wasn’t that the dish was tasteless, but it wasn’t particularly tasty.
‘Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I’ve cooked properly.’
Even when he was young, he wasn’t particularly good at it, and he felt sorry for his younger brother who still ate it well.
“What about mine?”
“Yours is delicious too.”
It wasn’t as good as Do-jin’s, but Seon-woo was also quite good with his hands. Thanks to them, he had a good lunch, but he didn’t want to include this as a hobby. It was because it took a lot of work to do.
‘Food prepared by others is the best.’
Hyeon-woo nodded his head at the newly realized truth. He had tried many things since then, from light sports to artistic hobbies. But he particularly didn’t really like anything.
After finishing all of that, Hyeon-woo went to the sofa where he usually lay and lay down. He couldn’t be more comfortable, being covered with a blanket and hugging Kero in his arms.
“Now I see. My hobby is taking naps.”
“It’s a good hobby.”
“But we can’t just write it down as it is, can we?”
“It’s not like it can’t be done. I think we need to give a little narrative crisp to it.”
“A narrative?”
“Unn, I’ll take care of this.”
I have faith that Seon-woo could do it on his own. But on the other hand, didn’t they do all the work? is what he thought.
‘Well, it’s because Seon-woo likes doing it anyway.’
Sometimes, it was good to move along in the direction of your brother. Hyeon-woo smiled bashfully and stretched out his body. He gradually fell asleep. It was a calm night as usual. Of course, the serenity did not last long. Because there was still work to be done.
Early in the morning, Hyeon-woo was sitting in a chair and fell half-asleep. It was because he woke up too early.
“Would you like to sleep in some more?”
“No, it’s okay. It’s only an appointment.”
“We can delay it.”
Hyeon-woo answered confidently as he waved his hand at Seon-woo.
“No. You must keep your appointment.”
“You are my Hyung though.”
Seon-woo raised Hyeon-woo and naturally wrapped a blanket around him. He was still sleepy, and when he was covered in a blanket, his eyes started to close. Just then, when the door was opened wide, a lively female voice was heard.
“Hello! My name is A-yun, from Yoram Guild!”
A-yun was a woman who had her hair tied up and looked young. In his eyes, she was probably around the same age as Seon-woo.
“Let’s see. This person is an acquaintance, and this one is also familiar, so there is only one person left. Nice to meet you. I’ve never seen a First-Generation before!”
Seon-woo stopped A-yun from coming closer.
“Even though I’m a non-Awakened, should you really be wary of me?”
As she grumbled, Seon-woo answered.
“There’s a famous rumor that the Guild Leader of Yoram Guild handed over various items to her younger sister.”
“Still, there are no items that can kidnap anyone. I’ve already been checked at the entrance.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being careful, right?”
“That’s so like you.”
A-yun made a sullen expression and took a step back. Then, she pulled out a tablet from her little bag.
“Then I’ll tell you about today’s schedule. First on our list is.”
Go to the saloon. Of course, this was no ordinary saloon. It was the best place among the saloons frequented by famous celebrities and conglomerates. They did not accept just anyone.
“But! Who are we? A member of one of the top guilds in the country! The reservation wasn’t difficult to get. It’s also the saloon my mother frequently goes to. S-class Awakened say that their skin naturally improves, but of course it doesn’t! It needs management. Full course, please!”
“We’ll do our best.”
Then, the saloon manager and an employee stuck to Hyeon-woo’s side.
“Oh my, you have very nice skin?”
The manager admired and massaged Hyeon-woo’s face.
“You don’t need to touch too much.”
He massaged his whole body, including the face, cleaned it up, and even put on make-up. During the makeup part, Hyeon-woo resisted, but A-yun was more adamant than his refusal.
“Let’s do it just a little. A little. It’ll feel like it is nothing. Too much of it won’t work.”
“Do I have to?”
“There’s a person who is weak to things that are pretty and sleeping.”
“I’m not pretty.”
Hyeon-woo grumbled, but A-yun expertly ignored it. Then, she tapped the tablet and smiled contentedly.
‘This is the real thing.’
She thought he would look similar just because he was Ji Seon-woo’s older brother, but he wasn’t. He was a little taller, slenderer, and gentle in appearance. When he lowered his eyelids slightly for makeup, it even made him look innocent. It was just the right look for the current plan.
She didn’t know what his personality was yet, but seeing what he had been doing, he didn’t seem to be particularly angular. It seemed like he would get a good response on broadcast if he was left standing still on his own.
‘You don’t even have to be good at acting.’
Because Ji Seon-woo was good at that. He could just stay behind Ji Seon-woo.
‘First, a documentary, and then as the guests of the Daring Dinner Show Broadcast. After attracting a certain amount of attention, let’s start outdoor activities.’
The first thing to do was to meet the First-Generation Missing Family Association. Of course, she had no intention of going alone. She had to attach a few people to keep her safe.
This way, step by step, she would make it a natural thing for the Seon-Hyeon Guild to have him.
‘Ugh, I really want to talk to you.’
A-yun glanced at Hyeon-woo while fiddling with the tablet for some reason. What I really wanted to ask was a pile of questions. But I couldn’t ask because I promised not to ask while I was working. If you ask him, that sassy Ji Seon-woo would break the contract. It was true that Ja-yun and A-yun were the children of the owners of a large media company, but it was not that there was no other way for her at all. It was right to take care of herself for now.
“How is it?”
Hyeon-woo, who had completed all the procedures, stood right in front of her.
“Cool! You’re quite a looker.”
Even before management, he was a beauty, but after doing the make-up, he shone more. Then, the coordinator A-yun called in and dressed him up in new clothes. Wearing a toned-down pink angora top that looked fluffy and soft, and with the right pants, he looked really harmless.
‘You don’t look like a 25-year-old.’
Maybe it was because he didn’t go to the military? He wouldn’t be going there anywhere in the future either. The missing people and the Awakened were exempt from the military. The guilds that were wary of each other held hands for the first time at that time.
If an Awakened was forcibly taken out, the country would try hard not to let him go. Besides, the environment was also poor.
‘His damnt war.’
Let’s stop thinking about this here. A-yun erased her thoughts about the army from her mind. Then, she went outside with Hyeon-woo, who had been styled. After Hyeon-woo had been cared for from head to toe, and appeared in front of him, Seon-woo, who was in the waiting room, put on a surprised expression. It was the same for Do-jin.
“What did I say? They do it really well here.” (A-yun)
“……they are really good indeed.” (Seon-woo)
A-yun shrugged.
***
The four then moved to the location by car. The destination was a village in a remote place. No, to be precise, this was a remote private land.
A warning sign was posted at the entrance.
「From here on out, this is a private property.」
In front of him were those who had been invited in advance. It was the team from the production company that shot the documentary of Ji Seon-woo in the past. As for the documentary, A-yun acknowledged that it was good.
“You came early.”
“I just came on time.”
The director smiled and replied.
“I look forward to your kind cooperation today.”
“I should say the same to you as well.”
The money he received was huge since he was chosen to film this. Not only that. It was the first time they were shooting with a First-Generation. The aftermath would assuredly be amazing. As a director, it was something that must be done well.
After all, this vast land was private property. It was awesome. The director barely suppressed the desire to blow a whistle in excitement. On the other side, the writer was showing the script that had been prepared in advance to the brothers.
The writer had also struggled to write in such a way that it would not be too exaggerated or pretentious but could also stimulate people’s hearts.
“Then, we’ll start shooting after familiarizing ourselves with the scripts!”
The director, who ate to his heart’s content through his suppressed feelings, shouted.
Before the broadcast had started, Hyeon-woo looked around with a blank expression on his face. He didn’t notice it while he was reading the script, but now that he saw it, it was a very familiar place.
“This is.”
His parents passed away 11 years ago, and he barely got a small monthly rented room in Dal-dong with the remaining money. It was the neighborhood with the house, where he lived together with Seon-woo for a year.
His heart was pounding. How could I explain this feeling? Hyeon-woo started moving slowly along the road.
“Uh? Uh! Camera action!”
The director, who saw it, instantly sent a cameraman to go behind him, but Hyeon-woo did not hear it. Only the memories of his past came to his mind.
As they climbed a high slope, there was a small house at the end. Entering through the old green gate, he saw the house, which stood just like how it was back then.
Hyeon-woo carefully walked towards the room, where they had once stayed a long time ago. The wooden door was incredibly old, but well maintained. A sign that it hadn’t been entirely unoccupied over the years.
He opened the door, and a part of his old memory was unveiled upon seeing the room. Like the well-maintained front door, the inside was also cleaned up. However, he felt the unique feeling of old objects that could not be erased.
He took off his shoes and went inside. From the low crippled desk to the spoon in the cutlery, everything stimulated the memory.
“Hyung.”
Since all of this couldn’t have been maintained alone, someone must have done it. And if there was such a person, it would be Seon-woo. Hyeon-woo looked back. There stood Seon-woo, who was grown up now.
------
Credits:
Translator: Hoshi Miya
Editor/Proofreader: Davine and Meimei
Wahhhh 😭i feel sad for some reason...