really didn’t expect the applause and praises). Sometimes Wonwoo would ask him to accom-
pany him buying gifts for Soonyoung, and Jihoon then realized how fondness would fill
Wonwoo’s eyes to the brim as he talked about the cheerful boy.
Before he even knew it, they became inseparable. It was almost as if he’d been known them
for so long, like they had been with him for the longest time. With them by his side, soon he
forgot about his concerns. About the mysterious shoes, about the dream. About many things.
His new worry came only when August was approaching. It would be Seungcheol’s birthday
in less than a month. All this time, his brother always refused every time Jihoon asked what
he wanted for presents, telling him to use his allowance and saved up money for things he
liked instead. Jihoon would cook dinner for him (he nearly blew up the kitchen every time,
but at least the meals were edible) or give him back massages for a whole week, the kind of
gifts Seungcheol would accept. But still, Jihoon wanted to give him something. Something he
could use, something he could keep.
“How about a watch?”
Soonyoung said, showing him a catalog of a brand on his phone. Hmm. That’s not a bad idea.
Just like many other things his brother owned, his watch was old. Full of scratches and dents,
it had stopped working many times before, but Seungcheol kept wearing it. All new and nice
things are for Jihoonie, he said, and Jihoon couldn’t argue when his brother always being so
sincere about it. But he deserved it. His brother deserved all new and nice things, too. The
nicest things. Jihoon would give him the world if he could, but for now, he would buy him a
new watch first.
But the problem is, he didn’t have enough money for it.
Soonyoung had been being considerate by only showing him affordable watches from the
websites, but for Jihoon who had to save up for weeks to buy his school supplies, the prices
were still high. As if he could read Jihoon’s mind, Soonyoung asked him if he could tutor him.
Exams were still months away, and Soonyoung had Wonwoo, one of the school’s top students
who usually helped him with the lessons. But Soonyoung insisted.
“Please, Jihoon, pleaaase?”
“Are you bored with my teaching, Soonie?” Wonwoo chimed in, while taking chunks of
cucumbers out of Soonyoung’s fried rice. Without the vegetable he hated with all his heart
away from his plate, Soonyoung could finally eat. He chewed happily and answered with
puffed cheeks.
“No, but your handsomeness distracts me too much.”
Junhui shrieked and closed his ears in an exaggerated way, as if Soonyoung just said the
cruelest insult of the century. Or maybe it really was for Junhui, who claimed himself (and