My brother is an Idol

Chapter 64: Chapter 64
Chapter 64

Hyoyoung tried to explain, but Mikyung continued, “Do you think I’m stupid? I have a brain, you know. Just… do what you think is best and don’t try too hard, Hyoyoung. It’s… not working.”

Hyoyoung begged her, “Mikyung, please… I just have something going on at home and I can’t discuss it with you because it’s a family matter…”

Mikyung sighed sadly. She seemed resigned when she replied, “And I understand. I realize how hard it is when there’s a problem at home. I totally get how you can’t talk about it, and what I hate the most about this situation is the fact that I feel upset by it. I mean, I shouldn’t, right? I should be more understanding, yet I feel hurt, which makes me a narrow, small-minded friend. Just because we are friends doesn’t mean we have to know everything about each other. I have decided that I won’t ask you any more questions. I won’t even think about it, so stop trying too hard. Even now, I can see how anxious you are, trying to come up with more excuses. More lies… It’s too hard to watch you like this, so… just stop. Do you understand me, Hyoyoung? Do you get what I’m trying to tell you?”

“I do.”

“Good. Now, just relax. We both need to let this go.”

After their conversation, Hyoyoung couldn’t help feeling miserable. During every break, Mikyung went to her other friends to chat with them. She would laugh and joke with them. Occasionally, Mikyung still spent time with Hyoyoung as usual, like eating lunch with her and going to the washroom together, but Hyoyoung could feel a clear wall between herself and Mikyung.

And Hyoyoung knew too well that it was her who built this invisible wall.

She felt frustrated and angry at herself.

Mikyung was her most precious friend, and Hyoyoung had lost her. It hurt her so deeply that Hyoyoung had to bite her lips to stop herself from crying at school. As soon as she reached home, however, she couldn’t help but burst into tears. She lay on her bed and sobbed uncontrollably.

Things were going so wrong.

***

After a good cry, Hyoyoung felt guilty for treating Hyojun so rudely. There was no need for her to yell at him like that. After all, he was only trying to help. She sat up on her bed, and now, she wished she had someone to console her.

To tell her that everything was going to be okay.

She was frustrated. Why did things go so wrong so badly? She glared at her pillow before throwing it hard at the door.

Just then…

Just as her pillow was about to hit the door, it opened and Kiwook walked in. The pillow hit Kiwook in the face, making him freeze in place.

He had been outside Hyoyoung’s bedroom hesitating nervously for a while, and when he finally got the courage to open the door, he was attacked by her pillow.

Hyoyoung screamed, “AHHH! Oppa! What the?!”

“I just wanted to come and talk to you privately… I didn’t realize I would be assaulted like this.”

“Gosh, you could’ve just left me alone…”

“But if I did, I was afraid you would continue to cry by yourself. I don’t want to ever see a single drop of your tears…”

“… Just stop with the stupid corny comments…”

“Haha, I just wanted to make you laugh.”

Hyoyoung shook her head in annoyance.

“You are making me sigh in frustration, Oppa.”

“I was standing outside the door for a long time and couldn’t hear you cry anymore, so I thought you must be done crying. I figured it’s my time to step up and make you feel better.”

“I see. Good timing.”

Studying Hyoyoung’s face carefully, Kiwook asked, “So… why were you crying? Did something happen at school?”

“No, it’s just… things have been going badly for a while now.”

“And…”

“It finally got to me, I guess.”

“Do you want to talk about it at all?”

“It’s… Mikyung. We’ve been friends for many years, but now, our friendship is in jeopardy.”

Kiwook tilted his head and asked, “Mikyung is your best friend, right?”

“Yeah. It’s really hard… Friendship can be tricky. I thought it would be the easiest and the most comfortable thing in the world, but in fact, it is the most difficult thing to manage.”

“It’s all because of us.”

Hyoyoung looked up at him and replied slowly, “That’s what I thought at first, but I think I have been making excuses.”

“Why do you say that, Hyoyoung?”

“I realized that… it’s me who can’t trust Mikyung.”

“Hmm… what do you mean?”

“Oppa… if I really trusted Mikyung, I would’ve shared the truth with her. About you guys and everything else. She is my best friend after all. She is someone who knows me better than I do. This means that I am keeping all these secrets because I don’t trust Mikyung, right? I am questioning her loyalty to me. I am assuming that she will go tell someone about it if I told her about you guys.”

Kiwook thought for a second before answering her slowly.

“I don’t think that’s it, Hyoyoung.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“The reason why you didn’t tell Mikyung is not because you don’t trust her. I think it’s because of your priorities.”

“My priorities?”

“More specifically, priorities of your loyalty.”

“Loyalty? What are you talking about?”

When Hyoyoung looked confused, Kiwook explained, “I think… defining a relationship is tricky. Just because you say you are close friends doesn’t make that relationship a close friendship.”

“Then?”

“It is defined by the memories and how times are spent with each other.”

“I don’t understand…”

“Think about it. You can know someone for a very long time and still be very awkward around each other, while you can meet someone and instantly become good friends, right?”

“Yes, I agree. I know that feeling.”

“I think this is because of the quality of time you spend together.”

“Quality?”

“When you spend time with someone you get along very well with, the time you spent is meaningful and profound. If you do the same with someone who isn’t right for you, the time you spend with that person would be vague and faint. So, the quality of time spent defines the depth of your relationships.”

“Oh…”

“For example, you and The M members. We lived together for less than a month, yet we got close to each other very fast like we have known each other for decades.”

“Yeah… It’s true. I do feel very close to all of you.”

When Hyoyoung nodded seriously, Kiwook sat down next to her on her bed. He looked down at her adoringly and leaned towards her, his lips almost touching her ear. Hyoyoung flushed as Kiwook whispered, “And… you and I… our relationship is… even deeper than any other, right?”

When she couldn’t reply, Kiwook grinned and continued to whisper, “That is my definition of a relationship, Hyo.”

He puckered his lips as he said the first syllable of her name. He then kissed her ear gently, making her tense. He slowly moved down to her neck with a trail of kisses as he continued to whisper her name seductively.

“Hyoyoung.”

“Hyoyoung.”

“Hyoyoung.”

She trembled and turned towards him. She stared at his lips while Kiwook stared at her eyes.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Kiwook whispered, “Let’s go on a trip. Tomorrow. Together, just the two of us.”