Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
You stared at Hyunjin, mouth agape, unsure of how to react. Your brother just sat there, his face uncharacteristically expressionless, as if he'd just told you about something mundane like the weather, or sports.
"What do you mean, no??" You finally found the words to demand.
Hyunjin shrugged, taking a chopstick-full of rice. "I mean that you can't go to Jeju."
You pushed your plate back, stomach turning over and over again too many times to bring yourself to keep eating. "And who gave you the power to tell me what to do?"
Hyunjin wiped his mouth. "I'm your older brother, Laska. You have to listen to me."
"I just graduated from university, I can make my own decisions! I'm not five anymore," you fumed, crossing your arms over your chest and glaring at him. "And I have the money to afford a trip. Therefore, I can go wherever the hell I want."
"It's not the money I'm worried about. Even though you spend way too much on clothes," Hyunjin finally finished his food and fixed you with a scrutinizing stare, his walnut-toned eyes boring into you. "You can't be trusted to go on a trip by yourself like this."
"What??" You exclaimed, cheeks heating up in indignation. "What the hell does that mean?! I've been an adult for a long time, and if I make bad decisions, that's my problem not yours!"
"With mom and dad gone for so long, I'm the one who suffers the consequences if you do something stupid," Hyunjin countered. "Like when you got so drunk you couldn't drive home, who had to pick you up at two in the morning? Me. If you go to Jeju, you won't have anyone to pick you up. And don't tell me either of your friends are responsible enough to help, because you're all crazy."
You huffed, realizing he did have a point. You did tend to make stupid decisions, no matter how outwardly responsible you might seem. But was that really Hyunjin's problem? You could ask anyone to take you home if you decided to get drunk at a bar with your friends. Why did it always have to be him?
"You don't need to look after me all the time," you finally said, uncrossing your arms and stacking both of your plates on top of each other to take to the sink. "I don't need you there."
For the first time during your conversation, Hyunjin looked caught off guard. His cheeks flushed pink as he stared at you with narrowed eyes. You could have sworn you saw a look of hurt pass over his face before it was gone, and you thought you'd just imagined it.
Hyunjin immediately gained his composure back before you could dwell on it for long. "You always need me, Laska," he scoffed, placing his chopsticks on the stacked plates. "If I wasn't always there to take care of you, you'd probably be lying in a ditch somewhere."
You shove the plates toward him and scowl. "That's not true and you know it."
"Face it Laska, no matter how hard you try to seem put together, you're just an immature mess," Hyunjin raised an eyebrow at you before taking the plates and setting them in the sink to be washed. "I can see it. We all can."
His words made you do a double take. Was that true? Were you that obviously a mess? Did Hyunjin feel burdened having to take care of you all the damn time? You were known to do some dumb things, like get lost on your way home from new places, tripping and falling on hikes because you were too stubborn to say it was too steep, or nearly getting kidnapped because you accepted a ride from a stranger.
All of which Hyunjin had to get you out of.
Maybe Hyunjin was right. You were too immature to be left unattended.
But you weren't about to tell him that. You weren't going to let him know that he might, might be right. He probably wasn't anyway, right? Besides, since when did Hwang Alaska ever lose an argument?
You sniffed and stood up from the table, watching as Hyunjin filled the sink with hot, soapy water and started to wash your two plates.
"Well, I'm going whether you like it or not," you said, moving to stalk off to your room like the dramatic bitch you were.
It must have run in the family, because Hyunjin wasn't done with the argument. Before you could barely walk two steps, he'd grabbed your arm with his soapy, watery hand and dragged you back over to the sink, glowering at you like you were a disobedient puppy.
"Hey, my shirt!!" You protested, but he didn't seem to care.
"I just want to protect you, you know that right?" Hyunjin let go of your shirt and studied you carefully. "I don't want you to get hurt. I can't have you leaving me like... never mind," he shook his head. "You get what I mean. I want you to be safe."
Your heart, which had been burning a hole of anger through your now-drenched shirt, cooled at the sight of your brother, expressing his true feelings for once. You knew your parents were never around, but Hyunjin never seemed to mind, being more of an independent, introspective type. But maybe you'd assumed too much about his feelings toward the situation.
"I know you do," you finally relented. "But it can be a bit much sometimes."
"It's just what I do," Hyunjin shrugged, returning to his usual closed-off state.
"So you're seriously going to try and stop me from going?" You scowled at your brother, the tender moment gone. "I'm not going to be alone. I'll be there with friends. And Jeju is full of other people. It's not like I'm going to mysteriously go missing, and no one is there to help me. You go on trips with your friends all the time, why can't I do the same?"
Hyunjin was silent for a moment. "I guess you can go," he said finally.
"Seriously??" You nearly ran into Hyunjin's arms in shock.
"On one condition."
You stopped mid-hug and let go of him. "What's that?" You asked, immediately suspicious. None of Hyunjin's conditions had ever been good.
"I'm coming along. And so are my friends."
laska's note — i'm sure you all already saw this coming lol! of course hyunjin the overprotective brother had to come along on the most iconic vacation of the century! but that means a certain sunshine birdie gets to come along too... ;) these chapters are a little slow, but i swear that these next ones will get more interesting with alaska finally seeing felix again! what do you think is going to happen when they're reunited??
question of the day — which skz member first caught your eye and why?
