BonBin | Darkened Love

2. There is something strange

Perhaps it had been a long time since Hyuk had been patted on the head by Hanbin, so the boy seemed very pleased. Lew noticed his older brother smiling to himself and occasionally humming a tune, looking unusually cheerful.

"Why does that melody sound so familiar? And why does Hyuk look so silly just sitting there smiling?"

_________

Hanbin was in charge of dinner tonight for the boys, and seeing their eyes light up at the sight of the food on the table made him very happy.

"Eat a lot, everyone. I made all your favorite dishes today," Hanbin said with a big smile, feeling truly happy to be with these contract brothers, who were like family and a solid support for him in a foreign land.

Taerae was always the loudest at the dinner table, mischievous but incredibly lovable. "Eat a lot, everyone, or I'll eat it all myself and won't share."

After dinner, it was Hyuk and Lew's turn to do the dishes. Being Aries, they were always competing with each other, even arguing while washing the dishes.

"I wash better than you and faster too."

"If you're so good at it, then you do it all. I don't care."

"Will you two be quiet and hurry up with the dishes?" Ahn Hyeongseop, the peacemaker, poked his head into the kitchen, seeing the mess still there and getting quite annoyed.

Since there was no schedule today, after dinner, the whole group sat in the living room watching TV.

"Hanbin, is that wound completely healed? Turn your head so I can see," Eunchan asked, touching Hanbin's arm and inquiring about the injury on his head.

Suddenly reminded of the wound, Hanbin was a bit startled.

"I think it's almost healed, but it might leave a scar," he said, reaching back to touch the nape of his neck, feeling relieved that it no longer hurt.

Hyuk sat quietly in a corner, unusually silent, his eyes wide open, glancing around the room nervously. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, each drop falling onto his collar. He bit his lower lip so hard it almost bled. Hyuk's hands trembled, twisting the hem of his shirt until it was wrinkled.

Everyone seemed to notice something strange, especially Hanbin. The older brother glanced at the usually playful boy, now sitting silently and looking down.

"Hyukie, what's wrong?" Hanbin asked worriedly, walking over to Hyuk, who was still sitting with his head down.

Hyuk tried to take deep breaths, but each breath was interrupted and heavy. He placed his hand on his chest, feeling his heart pounding, as if it wanted to burst out of his chest.

"I'm fine," the puppy boy said with a trembling voice.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Don't scare me, okay?"

"Maybe he's worried about you, Hanbin. He's like that sometimes. That day he cried the loudest and looked like a lost soul," Taerae guessed immediately.

Hanbin was a bit surprised, smiled gently, and reached out to hug Hyuk, patting his back to calm him down. "I'm fine now, Bonhyukie. Aren't I sitting here perfectly fine?"

Hanbin sat there comforting the puppy boy until his arms and legs went numb, but he felt very touched. The puppy boy could be childish and often sulky, but he was a very emotional person and, above all, cared deeply for Hanbin.

__________

Perhaps something strange had happened to Hanbin's heart, because every time he was near the white puppy, he felt his heart beat faster, as if an electric current was running through him.

Hyuk, with his bright eyes and warm smile, always made Hanbin feel flustered. Every time the younger boy smiled, the older brother felt like the whole world lit up. At first, he couldn't understand why he had these feelings, but gradually, Hanbin admitted that he had fallen in love with his adorable younger brother, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape it.