CHAPTER 79: ANOTHER FORGOTTEN AND UNSPOKEN PROMISE

He stared at the paper as wet drops dripped onto it, one after another, soaking into the page. Rian’s crayon scratched to a halt, the screeching sound cut off as he noticed the wet stains on the colors. Cheon Areum swiftly turned to the right, desperate to hide his tears from his little brother—but instead, he came face to face with Yoon Seoyul. Their eyes locked. Cheon Areum’s features softened, breaking through his carefully held mask. He instinctively drew his head back, caught helplessly between the two people he couldn’t afford to let see him like this.

"Areum?"

Yoon Seoyul’s voice rang out with urgency as Cheon Areum raised his arms to cover his face. He couldn’t stop himself from crying, so he hid his face the best he could, compressing the arms around his eyes. Yoon Seoyul’s hand tugged at his arm in an effort to remove it, but the moment one hand was moved, it shot right back into place, refusing to let anyone see him.

"Areum, look at me."

"What is it? Tell me, hm?"

The gentle voice came from directly in front of him—soft, coaxing—when suddenly, a loud clattering sound filled the room, like multiple things crashing into something at once. Cheon Areum flinched, his body tensing, and his arm slipped from over his eyes. Blinking through the blur of tears, his gaze fell upon Yoon Seoyul’s face—his eyes squeezed shut. Cheon Areum’s attention drifted downward, where the crayons lay scattered across the carpet, thrown in chaos as Rian spoke out in a frantic shout from his left side.

"You hit Hyung, didn’t you!!"

Rian glared with an intensity he had never seen before in a child’s eyes as Yoon Seoyul slowly opened his eyelids. Cheon Areum immediately got up on his knees in front of Yoon Seoyul.

"Wait!"

"That’s not what happened!"

Cheon Areum stopped Rian, who was actively going for Yoon Seoyul. Listening to his words, Rian’s gaze shifted to him, the corners of his eyes rounding as he looked up at Cheon Areum.

"He didn’t?"

Rian spoke in a calm tone as Cheon Areum shook his head, his cheeks still buried under the steadily flowing tears.

"He didn’t hit me."

"He didn’t do anything... he didn’t do anything wrong..."

Cheon Areum mumbled incoherently, his words choked out between broken sobs as he completely crumbled, crying like a child. All this time, he had been selfishly thinking only about himself and Rian—how to protect Rian, how to survive—but he never once stopped to think...

What about Yoon Seoyul?

What if he never chased after Lee Nari? What if this time, he really walked away?

After everything Yoon Seoyul had done—for both of them, quietly, without expecting anything in return—how would he feel hearing that Cheon Areum had started to resent him, even hate him? Imagining how Yoon Seoyul would feel in that moment crushed his heart.

If Yoon Seoyul left, if he gave up on him...

He’d be all alone again.

Yoon Seoyul’s arms wrapped tightly around Cheon Areum’s waist and arms from behind, holding him together as if trying to keep him from falling apart any further as Cheon Areum cried his eyes out.

"It’s okay, Areum. Everything is fine."

From the front, Rian pressed his small body against him, hugging him with all the warmth he could offer.

"Hyung..."

Not having the strength in him to pull away from either of them, he let all the heavy emotions making it harder to breathe out.

*

Cheon Areum blinked slowly, his eyes dry but heavy, as he watched Yoon Seoyul press soft, soothing kisses to the back of his hand—their fingers still interlocked. He lay on the grass with Rian beside him while Yoon Seoyul sat quietly at their side. The subtle breeze rustled the grass around them as Rian exclaimed,

"Hyung, look at that star! It’s so bright!"

His gaze followed the direction of Rian’s small finger, pointing up at the moonless night sky scattered with stars. The heavens stretched endlessly above them, a blanket of shimmering lights. Among them, the star Rian had picked out sparkled brighter than the rest—its silvery glow wavering.

"Do you like the stars, Rian?"

He asked, staring at the sky with a small voice.

"They are pretty. I love them!"

Seeing the shining stars above in the dark sky, mindlessly, he agreed silently.

"But more than the stars, I love Hyung!"

Rian rolled over to Cheon Areum’s side, wrapping his small arms around his head tightly. His cheek pressed against Cheon Areum’s hair, holding on like he’d never let go.

"I love Hyung more than anything in the world!!"

"It’s the same for me. Cheon Areum loves Rian more than anything in the world."

"Ah... Hyung, are you crying again??"

Cheon Areum closed his eyes, but the tears welling in his eyes without permission continued to spill. Yoon Seoyul brushed his hair back and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Stop crying now. You need to sleep too, it’s already midnight."

"Rian... you go to bed."

Sniffing and rubbing his eyes, Cheon Areum spoke as Rian sat up.

"I’ll only sleep if you sleep."

"Then follow along."

Yoon Seoyul said, lifting Cheon Areum from the ground and carrying him into the house as Rian trailed after them upstairs. Yoon Seoyul gently laid Cheon Areum onto the bed, pulling the sheets up around him and tucking him in. He sat on the bed staring down at him for a moment before getting up and walking to the door.

"You’re not going to sleep here?"

Hearing Cheon Areum’s words, Yoon Seoyul stopped before the door and asked,

"You want me to sleep here?"

"Yoon Seoyul."

Suddenly calling him out, Rian grabbed Yoon Seoyul’s hand to stop him.

"Yoon Seoyul, Hyung has always told me to apologize for my mistakes."

Staying true to his words, Rian took a few tiny steps back and bowed deeply at the waist, his voice soft but steady as he apologized with sincerity.

"I’m sorry for hitting you with crayons."