Burn Marks
Series Title/AU: My Baby Brother is the Strongest Character
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Featuring: Gun Park, Goo Kim, Jichang Kwak, Jihan Kwak, Jibeom Kwak
Jihan Kwak burst into their dining room. "Tell me it's not true."
The Kwak brothers didn't always get along, but that was normal for most siblings. Their youngest, Jihan, was the most energetic, which was a nice way of saying that he was a pain in the ass.
"Tell me it's not true," Jihan repeated, walking up to his oldest brother, who was seated and staring at his coffee. "Did that woman really come here?"
"Yep," Jibeom answered instead, placing a third bowl of rice on the dining table. He caught three large boars this afternoon and prepared one of their favorite meals: jeyuk bokkeum, stir-fried spicy pork. "She's staying with two guys at the inn."
"Two guys?" Jihan scoffed. "Someone's ambitious."
"Big bro is already in a bad mood so settle down."
"She's just here to show off."
"We don't know that."
Jihan ignored him and turned to their eldest. "Hyung, what did she say to you? Please tell me you told her to piss off—and please tell me you weren't wearing your hair the dorky way when you met."
Jichang opted to silently sip his coffee.
Jibeom interrupted again, "Just sit down so we can eat."
"Not until we figure out why she's here!"
"She's here for the holidays—that's what the lady who owns the inn told me."
"She doesn't have any family here, and who the hell spends their vacation in a town like this one? You said she's with two guys? She just came here to gloat!" Jihan slammed the table, rattling the dishes. "You need to find a girl too, hyung. Show her that you're happier now that she's out of your life."
Jichang downed the last of his coffee and grabbed his police jacket from the backrest of his chair. "I'm going for a ride."
"Big bro—"
"Eat without me."
Jihan chased after his brother. "Hyung, what did she say to you? She came here to show off her new boy toys, didn't she?" [1]
Jichang stopped walking.
Jihan braced himself for a hit. But rather than a slap to the face, he received two gentle pats on his shoulder.
"Go back," his brother said, looking at the stars instead of him, "Jibeom worked hard on dinner."
Jihan watched as he disappeared with his bike.
Clenching his fists, the youngest Kwak brother stomped back to the dinner table. "You have better not told him to go after that old hag."
"Watch your mouth, I'm still your older brother." Jibeom pointed his chopsticks. "And 'old hag'? You had the most embarrassingly obvious crush on that old hag, remember?"
Jihan's face turned pick. "Shut up!"
"Don't even try to deny it, even I could see how you got all tongue-tied when she was around."
All right. It was true—Jihan used to have the smallest, tiniest, most insignificant crush on you—but that was years ago! He'll never forgive you for breaking his brother's heart.
"What if he goes back to her?"
Jibeom replied with a mouth full of rice, "Then we can finally have our big sis back. You think big bro still has that ring he bought for her?"
"Why are you so okay with this!? Don't you remember what a mess hyung was after she left?" After your so-called breakup, their eldest buried himself in work. But he also became much more absent-minded and careless.
"If she had stayed…" Jihan shakingly said, "…maybe hyung would still be the King of Seoul."
"We don't know that, bro. You can't blame her for everything that happened."
"I can and I will—and stop eating! How can you eat like this when hyung could be on his way to the inn to see her? She left us—I mean, she left hyung. You're the one who kept blabbing on about how they should just get married already. How are you not beyond pissed off?"
"Because they're just going through a rough patch."
Jihan's jaw slackened. A "rough patch"? It's been years.
His brother then added, "She is his lobster."
"…what?"
"You know, his lobster? His yellow umbrella."
"What?! What the actual hell are you talking about?"
Jibeom rolled his eyes and began to explain, "In one of the American shows big sis and I watched, they say that two people who are meant to be together are lobsters because lobsters mate for life—"
"I don't think that's true"
"—and in another show, the yellow umbrella represents the main character's wife. It's a symbol of destiny and love."
"…"
"…"
Jihan threw his hands in the air. "Augh!"
Because of your influence, Jibeom became a sitcom addict. The idiot who barely passed elementary school English could now hold proper conversations with foreigners. He also became a complete geek.
Jihan scooped more rice onto his bowl before getting up.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm eating in my room. I hate you!"
***
Jichang rode his motorbike down the mountain and entered the town. Unlike in Seoul, where countless lamp posts and billboards and office buildings chased away the darkness everywhere, the roads outside the towns in Chungcheong were dominated by the night. It wasn't a bad thing. though. Without the artificial lights polluting the sky, the moon and stars shined even more brilliantly.
He had slipped you a Post-It with his new number and you sent him a message begging him to hide with Mr. Noh.
He didn't blame you for being paranoid. He may have lost touch with most of his connections in the city, but even Jichang knew that Charles Choi was no pushover. Self-made men don't have clean hands.
Still, it was weird how strong your reaction was. It was almost as if you knew something he didn't.
When he refused to give you Mr. Noh's whereabouts through text, you begged to meet with him.
He was passing by the rice fields when, through the hum of his bike and the wind slashing past him, he could hear a voice call out to him.
"Ji!"
"What the—"
Your figure appeared from the road ahead. Draped in dark, practical clothes, you looked more like a thief than someone on vacation.
He got off the bike and began lecturing you. "I told you I'd pick you up from the inn. Does your brother know you're out here alone? Do you have any idea how dangerous—"
You bent over, hands clasping your knees, and began to heave.
"Did you seriously run all the way here?"
"Where's Mr. Noh? Please—cough—please tell me h-he's—huff, huff—"
"Calm down, bee." He dabbed his handkerchief on your face. Seeing you breathless and panting as sweat ran down your forehead brought back some old memories. Jichang tried to focus on something else.
"Why are you doing this?" It was a shock finding out about your relationship with Gapryong Kim and the other members of the Fist Gang. He had to admit, it was painful that you never shared that part of your life with him. "I'm grateful that you're concerned about Mr. Noh, but I don't understand why you're this desperate to delay his plans."
Finally recovered, you replied, "Let's check up on him first."
"Why won't you tell me?"
You were already approaching his motorcycle. "Charles Choi gives me the creeps."
"Is that all? That's what gave you a panic attack? That's what had you running through the darkness alone?"
"Jichang, you of all people know how dangerous wealthy, ambitious men can be." You put on his spare helmet. "I… I've heard stories from Gapryong-nim and Jinyeong-nim about how ruthless that man was. I just—I have a bad feeling, okay? A really big, really bad feeling and if I'm wrong, then I'm wrong, but I can't let this go. If something happened to Mr. Noh—if something happened to you, I will never forgive myself."
Your shoulders sunk and the walls around Jichang's heart began to falter.
"All right," he sighed as he strapped the helmet for you. "Let's go."
Having your arms around his waist felt right.
This was the first time you two rode on a bike together. During your relationship, Jichang always drove you around in his car because you carried two bags worth of reviewers and medical equipment.
"It's easier to retain information when I can feel the material and smell the ink," you said after he suggested getting a tablet instead of hauling five books everyday. You then asked him to help you study anatomy. He thought it was your cute way of asking him out, but he soon realized that you meant it literally. You spent half a day tracing his veins and muscles with neon highlighters. [2]
His shoulders trembled as he chuckled.
"What's so funny?" you shouted over the wind.
"I was just thinking about what a huge nerd you used to be."
"You're calling me a nerd? Hah! Say that again to my face, four-eyes."
He could hear you smile as you retorted.
He would have laughed too, but the sudden brightness ahead pulled the humor out the both of you. Giant, scarlet flames licked the sky. Smoke hovered over the distant trees like angry clouds.
There was only one house in that area.
"Hold on tight."
When Jichang couldn't drive anymore closer, he got off the bike, barked orders through his radio and then shouted over the burning courtyard, "Mr. Noh!"
The logical part of him knew that no one could have survived this fire. But if there was even a sliver of chance that Mr. Noh was alive—
You touched his arm.
"I know," you said.
He looked at you.
You gave him an empathetic look. "But you can't save him."
He hated that look. He hated that it was you who was telling him exactly what he needed to hear, because, at this moment, you understood his helplessness better than anyone. You have gone through this thousands of times.
You began tugging him back towards his bike.
You both needed to leave. Whoever did this could still be around and while Jichang was strong, he wasn't going to risk your life.
He pulled himself together. "Yeah, let's go—!"
Your head jerked backward and you fell sideways like a stringless marionette—straight into the arm of a blonde.
It was the young man who came with your brother to the police station. Goo Kim.
Jichang's skull buzzed with questions—Why is he here? How did he get here? Why didn't I sense him?—but first, he locked into a fighting stance. He needed to get you away from here.
However, Goo Kim didn't seem interested in him. The blonde nudged your head towards his shoulder before lifting you up bridal style. He glanced at your unconscious form. "'I'm just gonna stay in and sleep.' You are one lousy liar, angel."
"Put her down."
Goo's eyes lazily drifted towards the White Viper of Seoul, as if he was only just now noticing him.
"So you two had a thing?" His tone and smile dripped with disdain. "First there was Chest, and that pink-haired freak, then that monster from Mexico—she is just a magnet for thugs, isn't she?"
Jichang glowered. His instincts screamed at him. This smirking blonde was not an easy opponent, but retreating was not an option. He was too late to save Mr. Noh, but he wasn't going to let anybody hurt you.
He ran all the possible options in his mind and came to the conclusion that he needed to wake you up. He would stay here and keep this guy busy while you run away.
Your captor interrupted his thoughts: "You keep staring at her with that disgusting look in your eye. It really—" his grin disappeared "—pisses me off."
Murderous intent wrapped around Jichang like tar. It weighed down his entire body.
The first time he faced certain death, he had no fear. Even when Gitae Kim held an axe to his face, Jichang stayed firm. He would rather be slaughtered than kneel to anyone.
However, tonight, inside this brilliant man's mind, only one thought prevailed: I can't save her.
I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her. I can't save her.
Jichang fell to his knees.
He then pressed his nose on the ground.
Goo Kim jumped in surprise. "What—why are you prostrating all of a sudden?!"
"Please…" Jichang would crawl on the dirt and kiss anyone's shoes if it meant protecting you. "Please don't hurt her."
"Oh, geez. When you say shit like that it makes me feel like I'm some creep."
Before Jichang could reply, another voice spoke from behind him: "Why is she still out here? If nee-san gets sick from the smoke, I'll kill you."
"I was going to bring her inside the car but as you can see, someone's in the way."
"What's he doing?"
"Begging, I think."
Jichang heard your brother sigh.
"Whatever," Gun said. "We need to leave before the firefighters get here."
***
There was a white snake on your bed. Its head was bigger than yours—so big that it could swallow you whole. But you weren't afraid. Despite its body that was longer than a school bus, the snake moved lightly as it slithered onto your lap. It was no different from a clingy puppy.
You were petting it when a golden-furred, glasses-wearing, cartoon fox burst into the room.
The surprise catapulted you awake.
You blinked a couple of times and found a golden-haired, glasses-wearing, fox-like creature grinning down at you.
"Congratulations on making it to heaven," Goo said, crossing his thumb and index finger to make a heart.
You groaned. Your hand flew to the back of your neck. It ached, but you had more pressing matters to deal with.
"Whe—" you coughed.
Goo raised a cup of water to your face. He held the straw as you took a sip.
After lubricating your throat, you could finally talk. "Where's Jichang?"
He pouted.
"Goo."
"He's somwhere in this hospital."
You shot up. Did Charles Choi kill him? No, if he was dead then Goo would've said so… Right? In the original story, was Jichang also taken to the hospital? No, that can't be… There was a news report showing his body next to Mr. Noh.
"Relax." Goo ran his fingers through his hair. "He's fine. The paramedics cleared him and everything."
"Really? Jichang's not hurt? Are you serious?"
"Last I saw him, he was talking with a doctor—"
You threw your arms around him and exhaled like a giant weight had been lifted off your shoulders.
"Thank you, Goo."
"Oh. Um… No problem?"
You placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before sprinting out the room.
Left alone, Goo remained seated, still frozen from shock.
First, you kept rubbing his face and muttering "good boy" while half-conscious, then you kissed him and ran away? You sure got some nerve!
He clasped his hand over his mouth.
Why was his face so hot?
You passed by a couple of nurses and asked them if they saw a cop. Barely anything happened in this town so a freak fire and police in the hospital had everyone in talking.
You thanked them and hurried towards the entrance. Jichang Kwak was outside. He was standing there, surrounded by fellow officers.
You collapsed in relief, earning concerned gazes from everyone.
Jichang turned around and, finally noticing you, hurried to your side. "What's wrong? Are you hurt—?!"
You stared at him.
"Bee?"
The dam broke and hot tears streamed down your cheeks like a flash flood.
Jichang panicked.
The spectators whispered, "Boss made a woman cry."
Jichang was going to make them pay for that. But first, you needed consoling.
"Sweetheart—"
"I—I'm sorry! I don't—I c-can't s-s-s-s-stop it—waaaah!" He has seen you cry with Jibeom over books and TV shows, but nothing like this.
"It's okay." He palmed your arms reassuringly. "You must've been scared. This is normal."
"I-I-I thought—sniff—I thought I l-lost you!"
"You didn't lose me," he said. "I'm right here. Always."
You paused and then your lips quivered before you started sobbing again.
On the second floor of the hospital, Gun and Goo watched from the window as Jichang Kwak lifted you in his arms and carried you to a police car.
The air was so gloomy that even the ghosts haunting the hallway refused to approach them.
"Hey, siscon," Goo asked, eyes trained at the scene, "are you really just going to stand here and watch?"
"Even I can read the room." Gun scowled at the car. "I don't like that snake bastard but right now, my sister needs him." Sparing him was the right choice. Gun hated seeing you with anyone—especially men, but he hated seeing you upset even more.
Goo, still looking at the car, changed the subject, "I can't believe you shattered an old man's legs. What would your big sister think?"
"He wouldn't listen to reason so I had to shut him up first—and quit talking like you wouldn't have done the same thing." Bakgu Noh was still in surgery for his fractures. Once stable, he would be transferred to a secure location and stay in hiding until Charles Choi was dealt with.
"If you expose Charles now he'll drag you into it."
"I'm not an idiot." The only reason Gun remained at Charles Choi's side was to minimize any damage to you. For whatever reason, the always doubtful Charles had never discovered your existence. Joongoo's loyalty to him has always been shaky, so Charles likely didn't want to risk Gun's wrath by investigating him.
And, as much as it irked him, Gun suspected James Lee had something to do with keeping your identity a secret.
Goo changed the topic again. "What will you do if Kwak tells her what we did?"
"He won't."
Jichang Kwak was a smart man. Charles Choi's two bodyguards will report Bakgu Noh's "death" and pretend to destroy all evidence against him. In exchange, he was to keep his mouth shut about their backstabbing. Once Choi's crimes are brought to light, Bakgu Noh can finally live in peace.
One wrong move, like telling you the truth, and Gun pulls the plug.
And Jichang Kwak knows that.
Inside the police car, your wails have calmed down into mild sniffling.
Ji had told you that he convinced Mr. Noh to fake his death while they wait for a more appropriate opportunity to expose Choi's crimes.
"I'm surprised he agreed," you said.
"Yes, well… Mr. Noh's a reasonable man and I can be persuasive."
You smiled and blew your nose in his handkerchief.
"Hey, bee…"
"Hm?"
"Your brother is... what does he do?"
"He works at a security firm."
"Do you know who he works for?"
"He's never given me the company name and to be honest, I never thought to ask. It's a security firm and I don't wanna trouble him with my questions," you recited your usual explanation. "Why do you ask?"
Jichang tapped the steering wheel. "Nothing. He just looks like he works out."
You beamed with pride. "Right? Our little Jonggun has always been athletic. You should've seen him when he was younger, he would show off all his karate moves." And when he was done, he would look at you like a dog waiting for a treat and some praise.
Midway through your spiel about how cute your brother was, you were hit with a realization and you gasped.
"What? What's wrong?"
"My brother!" If Goo was here then so was Gun. "He must be wondering where I am. Can I borrow your phone?"
You sent Gun a text telling him you were safe and that you were with Jichang.
"You and your brother are really close," Ji said, pocketing his phone.
"Well, duh."
"…what about the blonde? Is he really just a friend?"
"You mean Goo Kim? Well, yes. He's my brother's friend, and now he's my friend."
"He likes you."
"I should hope so."
"You don't have to play dumb with me."
"Rude much?"
"Bee, he likes you. Not as a friend, not as his friend's sister. He's crushing on you."
"Trust me, Joongoo doesn't have a crush on me."
"I don't understand how someone as emotionally mature as you can be so blind to something so obvious."
"I'm not blind, Ji, you're the one who keeps looking for something that isn't there."
"I knew you would say that. I guess you haven't changed."
You crossed your arms.
"You can charm the pants off anyone. You connect with people, but the instant that things start to feel real, you chicken out. You convince yourself that only your feelings matter, only what you know is true and that you know best.
"I can handle rejection, bee. I could live with you not being mine, but you insisted that my feelings weren't real. You told me that we had no future and then you just… left."
Jichang slumped in his seat. "And I lost my friend."
The two of you stewed in silence.
A minute later, Jichang exhaled and turned to you. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. That was childish."
You reflexively reached out to him, but stopped before you could touch his arm. You pulled back your hand. "No. I deserved that."
You licked your lips.
"I was being selfish when I left. The truth is…" You got scared. You didn't realize who Jichang was until after the two of you became close friends. At that time, you were alone. Your memory issues were getting worse, you thought you lost your brother entirely, and the people you loved in your old world were forever out of reach. You were falling for Jichang, but he was going to die too, and you were too much of a coward to do anything about that. When he confessed that he wanted to be more than just your fuck buddy, you spiraled.
"The truth is I got cold feet."
Jichang was leaning over the center console. So were you.
His lips were so close.
"Jichang, the truth is, I really—"
Something slammed onto the windshield. "I OBJECT!"
You shrieked and started choking Jichang.
"Get away from my brother, old hag!" That something was Jihan Kwak. His face was smooshed against the glass as he glared daggers at you.
Jichang gently pried your fingers off his collar before getting out the car to smack their youngest. "Are you insane!?"
You clutched your chest. Once you got your breathing under control, you watched the two yell at each other and smiled.
Like many little siblings, Jihan was a tsundere for his older brother. You don't blame him for holding a grudge. If a man broke your heart the way you did with Jichang's, Gun would never let him near you again.
Someone tapped on your glass. It was Jibeom.
You rolled down the window.
"Long time no see, noona!" he greeted you in English.
"Hi Jibeom. Still watching sitcoms?"
"I finally started Sex and the City."
"Nice. Who's your favorite girl?"
You both answered in unison—"Not Carrie"—then you laughed together.
Jibeom wiped his eye and said, "Noona, have brunch with us tomorrow."
His brothers stopped bickering when they heard that.
"Oh." You chuckled nervously. "I don't want to impose."
"I'm not taking no for an answer." He then leaned in and pretended to whisper, "Our fridge broke down—I stored everything in a cooler but they won't last forever. You can even bring your brother and your friend."
"Thank you, but—"
"Please?"
You liked both of the younger Kwak brothers, but Jibeom was the only one who shared your love for Western comedies so you had a soft spot for him.
"All right."
"Yes!"
Jihan screamed, "Sunova—mmf!"
Jichang covered his mouth and asked, "When did our fridge break?"
"It was right after you left, big bro."
"Oh, really?"
"Yup."
Jibeom will never admit that he destroyed the wires before coming to the hospital. [3]
To be continued...
[1] In case you're wondering why Jihan uses "hyung" while Jibeom uses "big bro;" it is a deliberate choice on my part. IMO it helps flesh out their characters, plus it makes writing dialogue easier.
[2] I wish I had a patient, sexy, glasses-wearing boyfriend help me with anatomy when I was in school...🧍♀️
maybe in another life
(இ﹏இ`｡)
[3] Jihan "Cockblocker" Kwak vs Jibeom "Shipper" Kwak
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Disclaimer: The images used are screencaptures from Ep. 440, 435 & 441 - Lookism, Webtoon.
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