Chapter 15 - - My Brother is Gay?! Part 2 (1/2)

I was lost for words. Lee JiHan's eyes, which were looking into mine, looked so desperate that my heart became heavy. I wanted to tell him immediately that I would do as he asked. Oh! Is this guy trying to gain my sympathy? To get away from his brother. The sudden suspicion brought me back to my senses.

&“Of course not!&“

&“Why not?&“ Lee JiHan asked, looking even more unnerved after he saw me get offended.

I was right. With that face and those sad eyes, he knows no girl could say no to him. That's what he was after.

To not get sucked into his ploy, I gathered myself and replied firmly, &“Why not? Because it's impossible to stop your heart with your mind.&“

JiHan looked at me quizzically.

&“However much you want to stop it, you can't stop what the heart wants. You can stop or move your hands or feet with your head, but that's not possible with your heart.&“

I put my right hand over heart and continued. &“And because love is already in here, I can't stop it. Neither with my head nor my will.&“

While I'm at, should I do this too? I put up my left hand also, and with both hands at my heart, I made the shape of a heart. &“As long as my heart is beating, my love will never stop.&“

My heart beat erratically as if laughing at the ridiculousness of it all, but without a single change in expression, I continued my act as if this was my truth and I really hoped this truth could be seen by JiHan.

JiHan looked at me pathetically.

&“If you really are in love...then you can't possibly say those kinds of things with a clear head,&“ he muttered to himself.

&“What?&“

Lee JiHan shook his head as I questioned him, and instead of a response, he asked me another question.

&“If you stop, do you think you will die?&“

It didn't sound like he was being sarcastic or demanding. It sounded like he was sincerely and carefully asking me if that was the case. It was as if he was worried about me.

&“Of course!&“

I wasn't sure why he was asking this, but I answered confidently anyways. At my response, Lee JiHan's head drooped.

&“I really don't know what I should do.&“

You're saying you don't know what you have to do to me to get me to stay away from your brother, right? Now that annoying me is not working, did he change tactics to try to gain my sympathy instead? I'm not falling for that.

With a positive spirit, I scooped up a spoonful of abalone porridge and gave it to Lee JiHan.

&“You must be contemplating how to get rid of me, but before you do that, eat the porridge first. You have to get back your energy. What could you possibly do in this state? First, eat this, regain your energy, then you can continue thinking about it.&“

I crouched down to try to get a look at JiHan's lowered face. I then put the spoon to his mouth. He hesitated, but surprisingly, took it without a fight. He was like a stray cat that had finally decided to lower his guard and take the food I was offering. I was not only surprised but ecstatic.

After swallowing, Lee JiHan opened his mouth and said, &“It's tasty.&“

&“Really?!&“ I knew it would taste good, but I didn't expect him to actually say it out loud and so nicely.

&“Aren't you going to eat?&“ he asked.

I really didn't think he would have the courtesy to take me into consideration. I was so taken aback that the surprise I was feeling crept into my voice.

&“Me?&“

&“I'm not in a state to cook today. I can't make a meal for you so let's just share this,&“ he said.

&“Oh, no, it's okay! I can just eat the abalone porridge that I made. You should eat all the porridge made from the famous chef. It's not like there is a lot, you don't have to share with the likes of me,&“ I said as I sat down across from him.

I went to pour myself a bowl of my abalone porridge, which had been pushed aside by the hotel porridge, but JiHan grabbed my wrist with one hand and my porridge in the other.

&“Then I'll eat this,&“ he said.

&“What?&“

&“You can eat this one.&“ Lee JiHan let go of my hand and pushed the hotel abalone porridge over to me.

&“You don't have to, you said it didn't taste good.&“

&“The bitter one is probably better for my health.&“ Lee JiHan answered and scooped up my version of the abalone porridge.

He went on to take a spoonful and put it to his mouth but stopped his motion. He must have been unable to go through with it. Eventually, Lee JiHan let the spoon slip into the bowl of porridge, and in the next moment, he lifted the entire bowl with his two hands. With a scrunched up face, he squeezed his eyes shut and drank the entire abalone porridge in one go.

If it was that disgusting, why is he even bothering to finish it off? I stared at him, blinking in confusion, while JiHan emptied the bowl and slammed it back onto the table. With his face scrunched up even more, he let out a plea for help.

&“Something sweet!

&“What?&“

Lee JiHan shot up from his seat and headed for the refrigerator. He picked up the cider from the fridge and drank it straight out of the bottle.

***

After the strange dinner, Lee JiHan stayed locked up in his room and didn't think to come out. This morning he had followed me around all day during my day off to watch me, but now he was nowhere to be found.

Is he preparing an even more excruciating test? When this calm is over, is he going to come back with a vengeance blowing his whistle in full force? Like a newly freed bird that was afraid to venture outside, I paced nervously around the living room chewing on my fingernails.

I texted JiKyung to discuss the situation with him.

[We don't know when Lim DaeChul will show up so it might be better to move.]

&“Can't you just tell him that you're abroad and no one is at home?&“

[We might be able to avoid it for a while, but if he comes over once we're married, it will be a pain. Let's just move to a new house.]

&“But if we move all of a sudden to a new house, wouldn't your brother think it's weird? There's no real reason.&“

JiKyung didn't reply back to my message for a long time.

[Just tell him that I told you to do it.]

&“You can't think of a good enough excuse either, can you?&“

[Yea. If I was to tell him I have a stalker, then he will want to catch him and make the situation worse. If I say I don't like the feel of the house, he will find some professional to pick out a house for us….]

&“The feel of the house? Your brother believes in that stuff also?&“

[Yep. All the lucky talismans stuck around the house were put there by JiHan.]