* * *

The item Taeshin retrieved for his brothers was a red and blue pouch with elaborate embroidery. Waving to Taeshin, who said he’d deliver it to them, I suddenly stood up and followed him.

My brothers, who had unfairly delayed his test results, would surely find fault with this request too. Hidden by the door, I listened to how they treated Taeshin.

“What’s this? Why are you here?”

“Get out. It’s not your time to be here.”

“I brought what you asked for.”

“What?”

“The piece by Lee Myung-hee you mentioned.”

Despite their cold attitudes, Taeshin continued calmly.

Peeking through the door, I saw my brothers open the box and examine the pouch skeptically.

Then, one of them asked how he got it, and upon hearing his answer, they frowned.

“Up until now, I’ve done everything you told me to, and I found the items you asked for. So, do I pass this time?”

“Lee Taeshin, do you have any conscience? Pass? Pass my foot…!”

“Aren’t you embarrassed to ask if you pass with your own mouth? Did you ever fetch water properly or do anything right?”

“My mouth still hurts from when you brought hot water and burnt it. Pass? Pass~?”

For the first time in a while, Taeshin was trying to secure something for himself, but his older brothers burst out in a rage.

They should have made their requests properly, but they were taking out their frustrations on Taeshin for not getting what he wanted.

As always, Taeshin kept quiet, and it was infuriating.

Come on, say something! You did your best too!

“You can’t even acknowledge this! Did you think we’d accept the items someone else got for you?”

“We wanted to see how actively you’d take on the youngest’s request, but this is unacceptable! It’s null, null!”

Null…!

“Null? Are you guys even human? Do you have any conscience?”

“Youngest?”

“Youngest!”

Taeshin stormed into the room, yelling. They’d been tormenting him day and night, and now they were saying it was null?

“You guys are too much! You called Taeshin to run errands, made him do weird tasks, and now you’re saying it’s null after he did everything you asked?”

“Youngest, it’s not that, but that kid…!”

“What about Taeshin? He did everything you asked without even sleeping! How could you do this? You delayed the physical test results in such a petty way, and now you’re treating him like a servant and saying it’s null? Enough. I’m done with this. Is Taeshin living with me or with you? It’s none of your business if I like him! I’m fed up! We’re both under a lot of stress because of you!”

I yelled at the older brothers, who looked unjustly wronged despite having tormented Taeshin under the guise of a test, and took Taeshin out of the house.

As we walked, still fuming, Taeshin quietly approached and took my hand.

“Sunwoo.”

“Don’t do what they tell you anymore. They’re so petty and mean. You’ve done so much…”

“Shall we go to the park for a while?”

Taeshin had tried so hard. I mumbled, feeling sorry and upset, and he quietly asked. I was silent for a moment before nodding, and Taeshin smiled and led me to the park.

“It’s been a while since we came here.”

“…Yeah.”

“When we were little, whenever you got into trouble, you always ran here.”

“…It wasn’t that often, okay? People might think it was all the time.”

We walked slowly, holding hands tightly, and reminisced about the times we had at the park.

From breaking Mom’s vase while playing spy games in the living room to playing explorer with a net, we talked about everything.

As we walked and talked, I started to feel better, my tense shoulders relaxing.

We had even planned to teach Taeshin once the term ended, but we never managed to do anything properly because of the older brothers.

“Taeshina, should we go watch a movie?”

“Now?”

“Yeah. Let’s watch a movie and have a meal. We planned to teach Taeshin once the term ended.”

I wanted to show Haeju nice places and let him taste good food. But we wasted time because of the brothers’ schemes.

I firmly told Taeshin not to be swayed by them anymore and decided to spend time together.

Watching a movie and eating delicious food calmed my anger. After wandering around for a long time, we were tired, and Taeshin gently and thoroughly massaged my swollen, aching body.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll tell Mom to kick the brothers out… If Taeshin knew, he would blame himself for not doing it properly.

So, he shouldn’t know… I thought, picking my words carefully, and Taeshin’s soothing touch lulled me to sleep. Trying to fight off the growing sleepiness, I eventually fell asleep.

---

In my sleep, I felt something poking my belly, so I hugged the blanket and stirred, eventually getting up. I blearily opened my eyes to find the spot next to me empty.

“…Huh.”

Where did Taeshin go again…?

Seeing the empty spot, I got up and went to the bathroom.

Maybe I was mistaken because I really had to go.

After finishing my business and returning, the bed was still empty.

No way… Taeshin, you didn’t go to run errands for the brothers again, did you? I squinted, suspicious.

Suddenly, I remembered that I hadn’t heard Taeshin say he would quit after I told the brothers to stop the tests.

Despite what happened earlier, Taeshin was stubborn enough to do it. I searched around and found Taeshin and the brothers in the study.

“Ta…!”

As I opened the door to the study with fire in my eyes, the smell of alcohol hit me. I frowned, taking in the scene.

“Hic, I can’t believe our youngest likes that guy…!”

“Drink, drink!”

Various alcoholic drinks, from beer to whiskey, were on the long sofa table.

Moon Jinwoo was curled up and sleeping in a corner, while the fourth brother was hugging an empty whiskey bottle and crying.

Taeshin and the third brother were sitting together, with the third brother drunkenly pouring Taeshin a drink.

“What are you doing! Taeshin can’t drink!”

“Sunwoo,”

“Youngest…!”

“Are you already drunk?”

Shocked to see them giving whiskey to Taeshin, who gets drunk after just two cans of beer, I rushed in.

The fourth brother, already drunk, came running to me.

“Youngest, don’t get married and stay single forever…! I can’t believe our youngest is with that dark guy,”

“Ugh, move! Taeshina! Don’t drink that!”

“Drink, drink!”

I pushed the fourth brother away and approached Taeshin. The third brother, drunk and slurring his words, clapped and urged Taeshin to drink, and Taeshin was actually drinking it.

“Stop drinking, you idiot!”

“Youngest is here? You drink too,”

“Forget it! You drink it!”

Telling me to drink! I gave the third brother the whiskey bottle and slapped Taeshin on the back as he finished his drink.

“Are you crazy? Why are you drinking that?”

“Because you handed it to me, hyung.”

“There are drinks you can have, and drinks you shouldn’t. Two cans of beer can kill you!”

I hit Taeshin’s back once more, who said he drank because his brother gave it to him, and helped him up.

“Ugh, the smell of alcohol! How much did you drink?”

“One can…”

“One can, my foot. I saw you drinking hard liquor just now,”

“One can, one can, half a can and half a glass, one glass…”

Taeshin softly counted the amount of alcohol he drank. As he leaned on me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, I listened to him and calculated the amount of alcohol.

“Are you insane, Taeshin? You can’t even handle alcohol, why would you drink that much?!”

“Ouch… I had to drink it…”

“Why would you say you had to drink?”

“If I didn’t drink, I had to sign.”

“Sign?”

I pinched Taeshin’s side, bewildered by his ridiculous excuse, and he muttered something strange with a sullen expression. Why would signing come up when drinking?

Rustle.

I looked down at the floor, confused by Taeshin, and saw a piece of paper with something written densely on it, crumpled underfoot.

[Memorandum]

“…A memorandum?”

“Sunwoo…”

“Ugh, Taeshin!”

As I read the words on the paper, Taeshin suddenly pulled me into a hug. Holding me tightly, he buried his face in my shoulder and drunkenly mumbled.

“I like you… I like you, Sunwoo… A lot…”

“Oh my. You’re really drunk.”

I couldn’t believe Taeshin, who has such a low tolerance for alcohol, decided to drink with his brothers.

Watching him drunkenly confessing his feelings, I was at a loss for words. I thought I should take him to his room before he got even more intoxicated.

As I put my hand on Taeshin’s back, he sighed and said,

“So later… If by any chance, our imprint is undone… and Sunwoo wants to break up with me… I… if Sunwoo wants…”

“Wait, what are you talking about?”

“Sunwoo, I like you…”

I pushed Taeshin away and asked, but he only gave me nonsensical answers as if he didn’t hear me.

Suddenly, I remembered the ‘memorandum’ at my feet. I put some distance between us, picked up the paper, and read it.

[Memorandum

1. Lee Taeshin guarantees that no coercion was used in forming any relationship, including the imprint and marriage, with Moon Sunwoo.

1-1. If it is revealed that Lee Taeshin lied about this matter, all relationships and rights with Moon Sunwoo will be immediately terminated.

1. Lee Taeshin will not act without Moon Sunwoo’s consent in their imprinted or married relationship.

2. If the imprint between Lee Taeshin and Moon Sunwoo is undone, their relationship will be resolved according to Moon Sunwoo’s wishes.

3-1. If Moon Sunwoo demands divorce or separation after the imprint is undone, Lee Taeshin will settle all parental rights and property according to Moon Sunwoo’s wishes.

If any of the above terms are violated, Lee Taeshin will forfeit all relationships and rights with Moon Sunwoo.

Date:

Name: Lee Taeshin (signature)

Witness: Jinwoo Moon (signature)]

“This, this…!”

The contents made me doubt my eyes. So that’s what Taeshin meant about the imprint being undone…!

The thought of them cornering Taeshin and making him sign this without my knowledge made me so furious that my vision blurred.

Trembling with anger, I turned around.

The fourth brother was still sobbing while caressing an empty bottle, and the third brother was filling another glass with alcohol.

Jinwoo Moon, the one who drafted this shocking memorandum, was peacefully asleep amidst the chaos.

Snap!

“Damn it! You’re all dead!”

I crumpled the paper labeled ‘memorandum’ and shouted. While holding the drunken Taeshin securely with one arm, I glared at my brothers.

“What’s going on?”

“Jungwoo hyung!”

Startled by the voice from behind, I turned around to see my oldest brother standing there. Having just returned home late at night, Jungwoo hyung looked at me and the Taeshin clinging to me and glanced further into the study.

“Give it to me.”

“…Here.”

Reluctantly, I handed over the crumpled paper to my oldest brother, who had scanned the room from the hallway to the study.

“Tsk.”

After reading the memorandum, he clicked his tongue and covered his mouth with his hand.

* * *