TL: SHW
“Listen carefully, I-rok.”
I steadied Woo I-rok, who was slumping down.
Damn it. This na just doesn’t sit right in my mouth. Woo I-rok? Woo I-rok, of all things. How long has it been since I last thought of this na?
I've barely ever spoken it out loud. No, is this the first ti? Of course, no one at the research lab knew this na, and once I got outside, I was only ever called by my hyung's na. My biological parents weren't kind enough to register the birth of an experintal subject made in a lab, even if it carried their genes. Why bother with birth registration when the subject could be disposed of at any ti? It would only cause trouble.
The only reason I was able to live as Woo Hwijae was because of that. An unidentified child who grew up in a research lab. And I wasn’t even the only one.
The kids who had been kidnapped were no problem. Since there were missing person reports filed, they all reunited tearfully at the hospital and went back ho.
The problem was the handful of children who tilted their heads when asked their nas and gave numbers instead.
Among them, if there was even one kid who could give a na, even if it wasn’t verified,
Well… what do you think happened?
All the paperwork that followed was filed under the na Woo Hwijae.
While I was still at the hospital, the doctors and nurses began calling Woo Hwijae, and before I was discharged, that na had beco official. By the ti I moved to the orphanage, I was already Woo Hwijae.
After that, I continued to be Woo Hwijae.
Hong Seok-young’s son, Woo Hwijae. My Awakener registration, my resident ID card, my Hunter license, and even my driver’s license, all of it was done under the na Woo Hwijae.
For about twenty years.
During all that long ti, my hyung never ca to find .
“Hyung?”
Woo I-rok lifted his head slightly to look at .
Eyes full of trust.
Why did he accept as his hyung so readily, without any doubt? Was I really so thoughtless?
Well, I guess if I was calling out a na that only hyung and he knew, it would be hard for him to think otherwise.
“Hyung? Why did you stop talking?”
...I should have said my brother was dead.
A man who betrayed the organization he followed his whole life not to rescue his brother, but to avenge his dead brother. Wouldn't that have made more sense? Whatever crazy things I did could have been explained by being blinded by revenge.
I regretted it too late, but what's done is done.
And even if I had said that, it would’ve been troubleso later when this damn kid turned up alive. Anyone could see he looked just like . Even Lee Mi-seon had been certain the mont she saw the photo, that he was my little brother.
“Hyung!”
Woo I-rok hit my shoulder with his fist.
…It hurt. The weight of his punch carried so real strength. What the hell? Did I awakened earlier than I thought?
"HYUNG!!"
Anyway, I answered before I-rok could hit again.
“Hmm.”
“Why’d you call and then stop talking?!”
Just a few minutes ago, this kid had been sobbing, but now he was as dry as ever. If it weren’t for his swollen eyes and the small tremor still in his voice, no one would think he’d been crying.
Even if he is , he really isn’t cute at all. Father sohow managed to raise a kid like this. How did he even do it?
Now that Father’s gone, it’s my responsibility to raise him, right? How am I supposed to raise him?
I unconsciously loosened my arm and nearly dropped him, but I snapped out of it. After all, I did try, well, not that hard, to find him. But he was still my little brother. I had to take care of him.
“Ah… Right. Listen carefully, I-rok.”
“I’m listening.”
Rude little punk.
This is all because hyung spoiled him. I knew that already. My biological parents had been afraid that their precious experint would get hurt, so they let do whatever I wanted as long as it didn’t interfere with their research. That’s why hyung could stay by my side, even after taking a scolding for showing his face. And knowing that, I obediently took whatever dicine they gave .
It only got worse after my mother beca the head of the lab. As a subject of special care, no other researchers could touch . So, when my biological parents died and the man who took over as director later ca to power, he hated . I understand. He had suffered a lot because of .
Anyway, this ill-mannered brat is my responsibility now. The fortunate thing is that he believes I’m his hyung. Even if he’s a bit cheeky, he always listened well to his hyung… Didn’t he?
It feels like I’m digging my own grave here, but what can I do?
“Hyung! You keep calling and spacing out.”
“Hmm….”
I tried to recall my mories. It was so long ago. I’m not even sure if what I rember is accurate anymore.
Still, I mimicked my hyung’s tone as best I could.
"Do you rember what I told you?"
"What you told ?"
Woo I-rok furrowed his brow. What would be the words his hyung said that he cared about the most at this ti?
…There were too many possibilities, so I narrowed it down for him.
“You know, back at the lab….”
“…The person who said they’d help us?”
“You rember, right?”
Woo I-rok watched cautiously for a mont before speaking.
“I wasn’t going to say this, but….”
"Yes?"
“Isn't that person was a complete scamr?”
“…A scamr?”
What’s he talking about now?
“Hyung, you said you’d co back soon.”
Woo I-rok bit his lip. His eyes glistened with tears again, as if he were about to start crying.
“But now, seeing how long it took for you to co back, doesn’t it an… that person tricked you?”
I… might have thought sothing similar at one point. Or maybe I didn’t.
It was so long ago. I don’t look back on the past. Especially not this period.
But I couldn’t let him keep thinking like this. We had to get into Lee Mi-seon’s villa.
I quickly cut him off.
“No, that’s not it.”
“It’s not?”
“…It’s true that things got ssed up, but what you’re thinking isn’t right.”
Woo I-rok stared at , his expression still tense.
“If that person betrayed , do you think I’d be able to co here and get you, I-rok?”
Woo I-rok looked at my face silently. I could practically hear the gears turning in his head.
His frown eased a little, as if my words made sense to him.
“Then what were you going to say?”
“Right now….”
This ti, I furrowed my brows.
“The people who helped are waiting nearby.”
“Nearby?”
“The orphanage. They’re waiting outside.”
Woo I-rok squird, clearly surprised.
Watching a face that looked exactly like mine twist and wriggle in my arms was harder than I expected.
Isn’t there a superstition that seeing a doppelgänger ans death? I felt uneasy for no reason. This wasn’t just doppelgänger-level- this was basically .
“Just in case, never talk about the lab when I’m not around.”
Even as an empty warning, I was never a nice or obedient kid. I couldn’t shut his mouth entirely, so at the very least, I had to make sure he didn’t talk about it when I wasn’t watching.
"About Mom and Dad too."
“Okay.”
Thankfully, Woo I-rok nodded without much question.
“And…”
“Hm?”
“Do you have anything you need to bring from there?”
I gestured toward the orphanage building. Woo I-rok slowly shook his head.
“No.”
I figured as much. Still, as a considerate big hyung, I thought I should ask.
I nodded.
“Good. Then let’s go.”
“Right now?”
“Yeah. We’re running away now.”
“Running away?”
“To be exact, I’m kidnapping you.”
“Kidnapping?”
"We need to avoid the eyes of the Research Lab people. So we have to sneak out of here. Understand?"
“Okay.”
“Good. Then let’s go. Hold on tight.”
I tightened my arm around Woo I-rok. The thick bushes and trees shielded us from prying eyes. The wall wasn’t that high. Just like before, I could hop over it in one go. But since I had a kid with , maybe I should take it slow.
No, I wasn’t that soft-hearted.
“Ah, and I-rok.”
“Yeah?”
"No. 3 is also at the place where we'll be staying for a while. You rember No. 3, right? You need to get along well and not fight."
"Three wha-? Hyung, wait...!"
Before Woo I-rok could squirm, I swiftly jumped over the wall. Mid-air. I even added so flashy moves I'd never normally do. Deliberately spinning several tis in the air before landing on the other side of the wall made the child in my arms go quiet.
…Did he faint? Well, he was raised so delicately at the lab that he probably never experienced such intense movent before. I just hoped he wouldn’t make a fuss about No. 3 later. Annoying things were bound to happen anyway, but I wanted to enjoy at least five minutes of peace before that.
Still, I checked on the kid. Hong Seok-young and Lee Mi-seon probably wouldn’t be pleased to see a child passed out.
“I-rok?”
“…….”
Fortunately, the kid was still conscious. His eyes were as wide as they could possibly get.
“Woo I-rok?”
“…Wow! Hyung, hyung, can you do that again?”
“…….”
No worries there, I guess.
*
“Oh my, goodness! You look exactly like Teacher Woo! I had a feeling the mont I saw the photo.”
On the way back.
This ti, Lee Mi-seon was sitting in the passenger seat. She was so fascinated by Woo I-rok sitting in the backseat that she had practically turned her entire body around, clinging to her seat to look at him.
Woo I-rok, in response, scooted right up against my side to avoid her.
Unfortunately, that just made him look even cuter in Lee Mi-seon’s eyes. Seeing that, I couldn’t help but speak up.
“Put on your seatbelt and sit properly. You’ll cause an accident.”
“I won’t get hurt, so it’s fine.”
“The dia would have a field day if the Guild Master of Daseon and Hunter Hong Seok-young got into an accident because they weren’t wearing seatbelts.”
“If Hunter Hong drives properly, there won’t be an accident in the first place, right?”
“Accidents don’t only happen because you’re careless. Both of you, sit properly.”
Hong Seok-young chid in, sounding unfairly accused.
“I am driving properly. Don’t lump in.”
“Ever heard of joint responsibility?”
"Ah, fine, fine!"
Lee Mi-seon shuddered dramatically and sat back properly.
Still, Woo I-rok wouldn’t budge from my side. The space was far too narrow for him to be comfortable, though.
When I passed through this road earlier, I hated it so much I wanted to jump out of the car. But looking back, I realized I’d been overreacting.
In the end, people adjust to living. Just like how I sohow managed to live after being thrown into the past.
Besides, I’ve spent far more ti living as my hyung than as Woo I-rok. Honestly, there might as well have been no ti at all when I was called Woo I-rok.
Thinking back on it, I really shouldn’t have let myself waver.
It probably ans I’m inexperienced. If Yoo Ji-eun found out, she’d definitely laugh at . She’d say, “Who told you to just sit at your desk all the ti? That’s why you’re so ntally weak.”
What an irritating woman. If only she was innocent like when she was young... though that would have been annoying in its own way.
I quietly stroked Woo I-rok’s head, hoping to look like a caring hyung who had finally found his beloved little brother.
Lee Mi-seon, despite my earlier words, kept sneaking glances at the backseat, and even Hong Seok-young was stealing looks while pretending not to.
And the sharp kid, Woo I-rok, also noticed their stares and flinched his shoulders.
“…….”
I sighed and looked out the window.
I still had no idea what to do.
The sun was starting to set, and the sky was growing darker, just like my future ahead.
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