Series Title/AU: My Baby Brother is the Strongest Character
<<read the synopsis and content warnings first>>
featuring: Jake Kim, Samuel Seo
Existence is a funny thing.
Every human being has looked into the abyss at some point in their life. Most people, the more well-adjusted ones, learn that the best way to live is to remain distracted. Let’s face it, human life is but a drop in the ocean of time. Nothing lasts. And what’s the best way to deal with this knowledge? Why, it’s to keep oneself distracted. The distracted have fun. The distracted don’t fall into despair.
Others aren’t so lucky. The void calls out to them more loudly, more persistently: “Nothing matters. Everything dies. Stop trying. What’s the point?”
You like to think that you were good at keeping yourself distracted, or at the very least, you were good at faking it.
See, while isekai was a popular trope in your old reality, when one thinks about it, no sane person would think: “oh, I’ve transmigrated” or “I’ve been reborn in a parallel universe!”
You were far from the picture of a mentally healthy human, but it took years before you truly accepted that you reincarnated within a webcomic.
You didn’t look down on everyone for being “mere characters.” (Not consciously, anyway.) Your mind did not let you think that. Instead, the first thing you thought was: Am I even real?
After all, if this was your current reality, who’s to say that your first life wasn’t a TV show or a novel? Hell, what if it was a fanfic?
Then there was the fact that you actually knew the horrible things that could and would happen in this world.
So yeah. Lots of existential dread. Sometimes there’s even guilt.
Tweaking with the plot has its ups and downs. Perhaps the worst part about knowing the fates of the people here is that destiny always wins.
If you were going to reincarnate, then why didn’t God or whoever is in charge wipe your memory? Did they run out of Meng Po Soup when you crossed the river?[1]
Why give you the ability to see the future when you hold so little power to stop it?
You tried to protect and run away with Gun, but that didn’t work, and that bastard Charles Choi still has him on a leash.
Sure, you managed to prevent a few tragedies, but as anyone in the life-saving business knows, it’s the people you can’t save that you remember.
Thankfully, you already have experience in not being able to help everyone. When the abyss stares back at you, when the void makes you question what is real and what isn’t, when the guilt gnaws on your stomach, there is only one solution:
“Don’t think about it.”
You can’t save everyone, so you’re going to focus on your happiness.
As a former ER nurse, you knew better than to use the dreaded “Q” word during slow days.
But you were just a humble school nurse now, you were in the comfort of your own home, and it was quiet this morning.
When you woke up, there was no Gun busy at the stove and no Goo bothering him. There was, however, a fridge full of pre-cooked meals and a note on the kitchen island:
Onee-san,
Things have gotten hectic at work so I won’t be able to come home for a while. I made food for the whole week, but if you want to eat takeout, I left cash in the key bowl.
If you need me, just call.
Don’t stay out too late.
Don’t invite weird men over.
Seriously, call me if anything happens.
Gun.
You giggled after reading the message. Sometimes you wondered which one was the older sibling. You weren’t complaining though; you preferred this overprotective brother over the cold, cruel man from the manhwa.
You put omurice[2] in the oven and thought of what you can do to celebrate having the place all to yourself.
Who are you kidding?
The answer was obvious: reading romance novels, playing videogames and eating junk food!
Time flies when you’re just lazing around. When you looked up from the flat screen TV in the living room, it was already dark out.
You paused your game and when you got up to stretch, you accidentally stepped on an empty bag of chips. There was also a box of almond Pepero, several chocolate wrappers, a half-eaten pretzel, and more bags of chips.
If Gun were here, he would never let you hear the end of it.
You checked the time. It was already six.
You sent Gun a text and prepared for your evening walk.
***
Jake Kim needed to clear his mind. For that, he needed to be alone, so he told Jerry to eat without him.
As Jake wandered aimlessly around the city, he recalled Samuel’s words: “If you want to help Sinu, then you need to take them down.”
Those bastards took Sinu and destroyed him. They stripped him of his dignity and took away his memories.
Every time Jake closed his eyes, he was haunted by that room—the cell where they kept his friend captive for years. Sinu wrote everyone’s names on the walls, scribbled them again and again. Everyday, everywhere. He was desperate not to forget.
The Workers. Not even Samuel Seo, with all his money and information, could take those monsters down.
It has to be Big Deal. It has to be Jake who crushes them and rescues Sinu.
He breathed out.
He thought that walking would help him calm down and get his shit together, but now he was even more rattled.
“Hey, handsome, can I have your number?”
That line was so sudden, so ridiculous that Jake couldn't help but laugh. He turned around, smiling. “Sorry, lady, I—!”
It was you. The nurse from juvie and the woman who saved Jerry from choking to death.
Your eyes glinted with mischief. “Small world.”
“Y-yeah.”
“Sorry about earlier. You looked a little worried so I thought a pick-up line would cheer you up.”
“Well, you’re not wrong. What’re you doing in this neck of the woods? Did you just get off work?”
“No, it’s my day off today. I’m just out on a walk.”
“Same here.”
“Brilliant minds, as they say.” You winked. “Anyway, how have you been?”
He gave you a smile. “I’m doing great.”
You were silent for a moment, then you grinned back. “I see. That’s good to hear. I hope you and your friends are doing better now.”
“Oh, you bet. Jerry eats more slowly now. I don’t think he can look at fried chicken the same way again.”
“Fantastic, he should be more careful. You too. You guys are way too young to die.”
“Duly noted, noona.”
“Anyway, I hate to keep you. Take care, Jake.”
He should let you go. There was no need to drag you into his problems, but Jake didn’t want to say goodbye just yet.
He stepped forward. “Hey, do you…”
“Hm?”
“Do you wanna grab a drink?”
“Welcome to Big Deal Street. We don’t have a bar but this soup place has the best kimchi stew and it tastes great with soju.”
“Good ‘cause I was starting to get hungry.”
Jake guided you inside the restaurant, where Jerry was still eating. Big Deal’s second-in-command stopped when he saw the two of you.
“Boss Jake and—noonim!” Jerry rose to his feet to greet you with a bow.
You and Jake blurted out at the same time: “Please stop.”
All heads turned to you and then Jake was shielding you from his nosy men.
“Whoa, so she’s the one who saved Jerry?”
“She’s shorter than I expected.”
“I thought she’d be hotter.”
Jake yelled at them, “Knock it off!”
Yeonhui was locking up her shop when she heard the commotion. Naturally, she had to see what was happening. “What are you guys doing?”
Amidst the chaos, the two made eye contact and she gasped out your name. “Is it…is it really you?”
Jake looked at you but you seemed as confused as he was.
“I’m sorry,” you said, “do we know each other?”
One of the older girls appeared next to Yeonhui. When she saw you she gasped as well.
“I thought you'd never been to Big Deal,” Jake said.
“I haven’t, this is my…my first time here…” You trailed off, legs wobbling.
Jake caught your shoulder. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, just got light-headed for a second there. I guess I was hungrier than I thought.”
He turned to his crew. “You heard her. Two bowls of kimchi stew and extra rice!”
Before he could ask them to join, Yeonhui had disappeared with the other ladies.
Jake knew that he was the one who invited you, but he didn’t realize how much you could drink.
You slammed the glass down. “Another order of eel please! Oh, and soju!”
Jake grabbed the bottle before you could. “Uh, noona—”
“Don’t worry, it’s all on me.”
“No, that’s not the problem—but thanks—”
“Then drink! Here, I’ll pour one for you.”
You were usually so composed and reserved, Jake did not expect this; he wondered if this was what new employees felt like when their superior brought them to dinner.
You could probably drink Sinu Han under the table.
Five bottles later and you could barely count the bills in your purse, not that Jake was going to let you pay.
“Come back anytime, noonim!” The guys waved as you and Jake stepped out.
“You’re—hic—too tall,” you slurred as Jake slung your arm over his shoulder.
“Nothing I can do about that, I’m afraid. If I let go you’ll fall.”
“Nooo, don’t let me gooo, I-I can’t stand properly.”
“Yeesh, you really are drunk. Please tell me you don’t drink this much everyday.”
“I’ll have yoou… I’ll have you know this is—this is my first alco—alcoholic drink in ages…”
“Yes, you mentioned that earlier.”
“I’ve had a—a verrry ssstresssful month, ya know?”
“I heard the spiel a couple of times while you were downing soju by the liter.”
“I can’t do this, I wanna go home…I want some cheesy, potato chips.”
“You’re still hungry?”
“I told you I’ve had a—”
“—very stressful month. Right. I’ll take you home, but you need to give me your address.”
“That’s a good–hic—idea… where’s my phone?” You fished through your purse with one shaking arm. “Urgh, I think I’m gonna… gonna throw up.”
“Please don’t, I really like this suit.”
“Mmm…oh.” You blinked a few times and looked around. “I know this place. This is Big Deal Street. Man, I haven’t been here—hic—in ages!”
“You said you’ve never been here before.”
“I ssssaid that? Nah, not possi—uh—possible. I used to collect trash here when you were still a toddler, ya know!”
“???”
“I mean, maybe, I dunno.” You looked around, beaming. “Hey, where’s Yeonhui? And that damn brat Sinu? Did he finally—hic—confess?”
Jake stopped walking. “What?”
He carefully let go of your arm, moved in front of you. Crouching, he asked, “How do you know Yeonhui and Sinu?”
“Mm…” Hanging your head, you furiously rubbed your face.
“Noona—”
You raised your chin and your eyes widened. “Gapryong-nim?”
“!?”
“Holy shit—hic—you lost weight! My diet plan worked, huh? But how—how do you look younger? Did you finally—hic—did you finally q-quit sssssmoking?”
Your words were a bucket of ice water, sobering and freezing Jake still.
Too out of it to notice, you rambled, “Listen to me—it’s not my business, I know, I know—but you gotta stop foolin’ around. You need—you need to keep it in your pants ‘cause you can’t keep making kids and—hic—not taking care of ‘em! One of these days, those little brats will not be s…so little anymore—they’re gonna be a big problem, one might even kill you—wahahaha—oh, and s-speaking of that bastard, tell your son to stop hovering over me, okay? Sure he’s hot, but he’s too fucking big! I couldn’t walk for days ‘cause of that assss…hole…” you trailed off and then covered your mouth.
Then you ran to a nearby trashcan and threw up.
The sound of you vomiting brought Jake back to reality and he followed you. “Who are you?”
You looked at him, eyes glazing over, then you threw up again.
“Hey, just—”
Jake reached out for your back, but his arm was rudely smacked away by an unexpected interloper.
“Get lost,” Samuel Seo said, glaring at him. Draped in a fancy white suit, the guy looked out of place in these streets. Even weirder was how he was gently combing back the stray hairs away from your face.
“Where the hell did you come from?”
“None of your business.”
You finished heaving and stumbled backward, the back of your head hitting Samuel’s massive chest. “Who put a wall here? Oh…” You finally noticed the third party.
“I thought I was your only drinking partner, noona,” Samuel said. There was no trace of coldness in his voice as he offered you a bottle of water. “I’ll take you home.”
Samuel scooped you into his arms and you leaned into his neck.
“Sammy… m-my head hurts… I thin...I think I’m dying.”
“Don’t say that, noona. You’ll feel better once you get some rest.”
Samuel took a step forward and then sighed when Jake blocked his way.
“Move, asshole. Unless you wanna fight me and take this poor woman captive?”
“She knows my dad.”
“Let’s get a few things out of the way: she isn’t one of Gapryong Kim’s affair babies, and as you can probably guess, she’s not one of his mistresses. He sponsored her after she saved someone’s life. She has nothing to do with your father beyond that. She’s a civilian through and through, so don’t ever think about approaching her again.”
Once again, Jake was at a loss for words.
Samuel scoffed and left with you asleep in his arms.
Samuel was cooking breakfast on the stove, ignoring all of Goo Kim’s messages, when he heard your bedroom door click open.
“Gun?” you called out hoarsely. You staggered into the kitchen, sleep heavy in your eyes. “Sammy?”
“Hi noona. You should sleep some more. I’ll call you when breakfast is ready.” He focused on the eggs frying on the pan. “You kept calling and hanging up on me last night, I was really worried. It’s a good thing you have that GPS locator on your app, but still, if you wanted to drink I would’ve done it with you. I’d get you something better than soju—”
You stood beside him and tugged on the hem of his shirt. “You’re Sammy.”
Samuel turned off the heat. “Are you still drunk?” he teased.
“You found me.”
Samuel’s eyes widened—
“You don’t have to come back for me, noona. When I grow up, I’ll find you.”
—he turned towards you.
A trembling smile, a face ridden with guilt.
“Noona...”
“I’m sorry for forgetting. I didn’t mean to.”
“Please don’t cry.”
“But…but I—”
“It’s okay. I found you, didn’t I?” He pulled you into his arms. “I’ll always find you, noona.”
Crystal looked around her. Kouji was playing on his Switch and the three other geniuses here—DG, Gun Park and Goo Kim—were on their phones.
What was the point of holding an onsite meeting if everyone was glued to a screen?
Goo’s frenzied typing was so loud the tapping echoed in the conference room. He has been texting someone since the beginning of the meeting. “Dammit, Chest, answer me!”
Gun’s eyes were hidden behind his shades but he was clearly staring at his phone, as if waiting for a message or call. He resembled a sulking dog waiting for its master.
DG was also preoccupied. When Crystal entered the room, DG was already here, and she caught a glimpse of him looking at suits and tuxedos. She guessed that it might be research for another music video or event.
At least one of them was working.
[1] For those who are unfamiliar with the reference:
Meng Po Soup is from Chinese mythology. The goddess of forgetfulness, Meng Po, serves the soup to the souls on their way to reincarnation. The soup is supposed to wipe their memories so they can have a fresh start in their next incarnation.
The river here is just a general reference. Many cultures have a river associated with the afterlife.
[2] Omurice: Japanese. Literally omelette rice. When Gun serves it fresh, he draws random stuff on your omelette with ketchup.
Sometimes it's a simple heart, sometimes it's a bunny or a cat.
Author's Note: For anyone confused about the MBBITSC timeline, here is a brief summary.
You were on your back, clutching the bed sheets while your husband's best friend slid inside you.
Samuel stopped. "Are you okay?"
Your Jakey wasn't small by any means, but since he was the only man you've been with for years, having Samuel's cock was a big change.
"Y-yeah…" you breathed.
"Should I keep going?"
"Yes—no! Sorry… can we wait a bit more?"
"Just how small is your husband's dick?"
You flicked his forehead. "Don't insult him."
Samuel was joking, of course. He's already seen Jake's. He only said that to lighten the mood. Despite spending thirty minutes eating you out, you were still tight with stress. He couldn't push the rest of him even if he wanted.
Why the hell was he here, anyway?
"Are you sure about this?"
"Listen, I don't care about my legacy or whatever. My father had tons of 'legacies' and even got killed by one of them. But my wife? She's my everything. I dunno if I can be a great dad, but I know she will be an amazing mother, and it hurts that I can't give her what she wants."
"You realize adoption is a thing, right?"
"Samuel, please. I can't be a father but that doesn't mean my wife can't have the baby she always wanted."
You shut your eyes.
Samuel's cologne was strong, it enveloped you, forcing you to focus on him. It was so different from Jake, who smelled like soap.
"Okay..." you breathed. "You can move."
Samuel looked doubtful. He then silently leaned into your neck, his breath tickling you.
You always thought Samuel would be a selfish, impatient lover, but his kisses were warm and kind.
You loosened with every peck.
"S-Samuel…?"
"You're still too tight." He continued with his kisses—his mouth touched everywhere except your own—until his lips latched onto your breast.
One calloused hand settled on the other side. His mouth and fingers played with your nipples until they became hard as pebbles.
Samuel let go of the breast he was sucking with a plop.
"Jake's an uptight bastard," he said, wiping his spit with the back of his hand, "he doesn't like discussing his sex life, even with Sinu, and he kicked out one of the members for asking if you were a virgin when you got married."
Samuel set both of his hands on your hips. He started moving again.
"I can't believe that same overprotective stick-in-the-mud would come to me, begging—"
you sucked in your teeth
"—to breed his sweet little wife."
You gasped—your thighs quivered as Samuel bottomed out.
"Fu…" he hissed, bending over. The veins on his arms and wrists visibly throbbed. His grip on you tightened briefly. He was doing everything he can not to hurt you.
"Are you sure about this?"
"It's what Jake wants. You've seen the way he looks at Yeonhui and Sinu's daughter… Adoption takes forever and I can't… I can't put us through all that waiting again—I can't—I can't—"
"Okay, I get it. Stop crying or he's going to think I'm insulting you."
"I'm sorry—"
Samuel rolled his eyes and handed you a box of tissues.
"Thank you, Sammy."
Jake only had one rule: Samuel couldn't kiss you on the mouth.
Samuel sort of understood the reasoning. You and Jake were romantics, this was his only reassurance that your heart would belong only to him.
It wasn't really a big deal. Kisses were nice, but Samuel didn't need them. That was always his philosophy, and yet, as he gazed down at your pretty, parted lips, with your tongue lolling out just slightly, he was overcome with the need to capture it with his own.
"Hah—hah—hah—"
You had one arm over your eyes, leaving only your panting mouth for him to admire. Samuel wondered if you were just as shy with Jake, but he wondered only briefly before shaking his head. You were avoiding looking at him, the sperm donor.
His chest ached.
He will never admit this in a million years but Samuel was jealous of you and Jake. He wanted to know what it was like to love someone so much that they would put that person's happiness over his own.
"S-Sammy, I'm—"
"I know."
Your legs were getting restless. He didn't really see the point in prolonging this, he knew that you would rather be with your husband, who was right outside, waiting for Samuel to finish.
He grabbed the back of your knees, pulled them up and picked up his pace.
"Hah—ahmn…!" you bit your fist. Muffling your moans so Jake wouldn't hear.
Samuel huffed. Figures.
You clawed onto his shoulder. Your toes curled behind him.
Samuel ripped his attention off your lips and focused on your bouncing chest instead. If this was successful, they would be swollen with milk in nine months.
You and Jake will have the family you've always dreamed of.
Samuel pressed back your legs and moved faster—you instinctively tried to push him away but he was too heavy.
At long last, your back arched you spasmed around him.
He shut his eyes, jerked his hips forward one last time and came inside.
"I'm going to ask one last time." Samuel, hair still damp from the shower, leaned in and looked you in the eye. "Are you sure about this?"
You smiled and then hung your head.
He grabbed your chin and gently forced you to look back at him.
"Say it."
"Yes," you muttered. "I'm ready to be a mom."
"Fine. Don't blame me when I get too rough."
Samuel didn't pull out just yet.
He was still on top of you you, held up by his elbows so he wouldn't crush you. He panted. "Are you okay?"
Your arm was still blocking your eyes. Instead of answering, you nodded.
Sweat rolled down your heaving breasts.
He couldn't tell if you were exhausted or ashamed.
Still joined to you at the hip, he slowly sat up. He called for Jake.
The door swung open and your husband came running to your side.
"Jakey?"
"I'm here, beautiful." He dabbed your chest and neck with a towel.
"We did it," you whispered.
He grinned. "You did it."
Samuel rolled his eyes for the hundredth time. For some reason, while Jake was very private about his sex life, the two of you had no problem flirting in front of Samuel. He suspected it was Jake's idea of a sick joke.
Jake sat behind you and helped you get into a sitting position.
"All right," Samuel said, preparing to pull out, "my job is done. I need a shower and—"
"Done?" Jake cocked his head. "We agreed you'd do it the whole day."
"I didn't think you meant it literally! Besides, don't you feel bad for your wife? She looks like she's going to pass out."
Your legs, which were twitching just a minute ago, locked behind him.
Samuel's instincts told him to run. However, your pulsing insides suddenly squeezed him—worse, it felt like you were sucking him in.
Jake let out his usual belly laugh. "You're supposed to be the smartass here. A woman's ovulation period can last up to twenty-four hours max. Also, does she look tired to you?"
You threw your arms around Samuel's neck.
"Sammy~♪ "
Without your arm or hand covering your face, he could see your smitten, hungry eyes.
"You can't leave yet," you reminded him, "you promised to make me a mommy."
Jake pressed kisses on your bare back. "Don't you want to rest first, beautiful?"
"No, what if everything Sammy gave us leaks out?"
"You're right. I'm sorry, don't pout." Jake grabbed you by the chin and kissed your lips.
You giggled. "Sammy got hard just now."
"I told you," Jake said, massaging your breasts like it was the most natural thing in the world, "Sammy's the best."
Having just recovered from shock, Samuel tried to shove you off, but with Jake right behind you he lost balance and fell backwards.
You were straddling him now. "Don't worry, Sammy. I promise not to waste a single drop."
Series Title/AU: My Baby Brother is the Strongest Character
<<read the synopsis and content warnings first>>
Featuring: Samuel Seo, Jake Kim, Big Deal
"Yeonhui!"
"Unnie!"[1]
"You look so beautiful! Has it really been ten years?"
"That's my line, you're gorgeous! I hear you're a nurse now. I knew you were too smart to stay in the streets!"
"Please, my job's easy—you're a store owner now, aren't you? I could never do that."
Samuel watched you hold hands and giggle with the excitement only girls do.
He sighed, Why did even agree to come along?
But then, he saw your smile, brighter than the dawn, and Samuel found himself smiling too. The noona he knew was usually calm and mature, even when you teased him or got annoyed with something, there was always a level of composure. It was a breath of fresh air seeing you be a little childish.
"She's your fabled noona, huh," Jake said, appearing right beside him, rubbing his chin. "Gotta say, I always thought she was some delusion of yours, but I'm not too proud to admit when I'm wrong."
Samuel felt his lips curl downward.
"She's pretty."
Samuel raised his arm, the back of his hand blocking Jake's line of vision. "Stop staring at her."
"Yeesh, someone's protective. Jealous men are the worst."
"And exactly how many women have you been with?"
Jake crossed his arms over his chest like he was being violated. "Don't shame me just because I'm not a slut like you. Besides, mom's the one who told me that." He paused, and then reiterated, "No, actually, she used to say that 'lying, adulterous bastards are the worst,' but jealous ones are a close second."
"By the way, Yeonhui," you said, sitting with your old friend at the table where Samuel already ordered two servings of jjajangmyeon[2], "where's that brat, Sinu Han?"
The air turned stale and you blinked slowly. "What is it? Did I say something wrong?"
The other girls and members of Big Deal hung their heads while Yeonhui rubbed her elbow. "He's… on a little trip."
"Is that so," you hummed, wiping your hands with the wet tissues from your purse, "a business trip, I'm assuming?"
"Yeah, something like that."
You grabbed a boiled egg that was served with the rest of the side dishes. "I knew it. Sinu's a goofball but he loves this street more than anything, I'm sure whatever he's doing, it's for Big Deal."
Samuel closed his eyes. Jake clenched his fists.
"Er, sorry, I'm acting like I know everything when I haven't even talked to him in a decade."
"No," Yeonhui replied, smiling softly, "you're right. Sinu's protecting us right now."
You finished peeling the boiled egg and placed it on Yeonhui's plate. "Tell you what, when he comes back, let's go out for drinks."
Yeonhui stared at the egg, holding back her tears before smiling at you. "Sounds good."
Jake turned to Samuel. "Hey, about that favor you owe me."
Samuel watched you talk and laugh without a care in the world. "Fine. Let's go somewhere private."
***
Of course you knew Sinu Han wasn't here. He was still stuck somewhere doing God knows what for the Workers. If you were a good friend, hell, if you were a good person, you would have begged your brother to free him.
But you didn't know where to start, you don't even remember what the Workers are. You just knew they were bad news.
Deep in your heart, you knew that you should have done more, but you've reached a point in your life where it was easier to just go with the flow. Besides, considering how much of the original plot remained despite your minor interferences, Sinu Han was bound to be liberated.
"Noona?"
Samuel's voice pulled you out of your inner thoughts and you blinked. "Huh?"
"Your seatbelt."
"Oh, right." You buckled up. "Sorry."
"It's fine," he said, starting his car. "I guess you're still on cloud nine."
"Y-yeah, I guess."
He smiled and pulled into the main road.
"…hey, Sammy, you said that you never really kept in touch with everyone, right?"[3]
His fingers on the wheel seemed to jerk, but his expression was unreadable. "That's right."
"I see."
"What's bothering you?"
"I just…" You drew circles on the center console. "I'm worried about Sinu is all. Yeonhui said that he was on a trip, but I can tell something's wrong. Do you… really not know anything?"
"I'm afraid not," he answered, eyes on the road.
"Okay…"
He briefly glanced at you from the corner of his eyes.
When he stopped at a red light, Samuel put his hand over yours. "Don't worry too much."
You met his eyes and he smiled.
"When he comes back, drink to your heart's content."
***
Weeks later, Sinu Han returned to Big Deal and into Yeonhui's arms.
It was so touching you almost cried yourself—almost.
"You're not going to cry?" Jake Kim asked, standing beside you as you watched Yeonhui tearfully scold Sinu for taking so long to come home.
"I think everyone's doing enough of that," you mumbled, looking over at the sobbing men and women of Big Deal. "Besides I haven't kept in touch in years, I have no right to cry for them."
Jake coughed. "Samuel's not with you?"
"He said he had business to take care of." It was definitely gang-related. As usual, you looked the other way and didn't ask any more questions.
"Sounds about right."
The others proceeded to surround Sinu, taking turns to welcome him home. You decided to stay back and Jake saw an opportunity.
"You knew my dad, didn't you?"
"How do you—"
"You thought I was him when you got drunk."
"Oh." You and your damn mouth. "Listen, it's not what you think. I'm not your sister or anything. I was just some kid he sponsored."
"My dad funded a lot of schools and orphanages, he also had disciples, but I never heard of him sponsoring a single person like he did for you."
"Did Samuel tell you that?"
"Samuel told me to go fuc—ahem, to go ask someone else."
"So you did a background check on me, is that it?"
"It wasn't a background check."
The day before he started the operation to rescue Sinu, Jake went to visit Minseon Kang.
He drove all the way from Gangseo, but now that he was standing outside his mother's gate, he found himself frozen in place and unable to ring the doorbell. He had a lot of things in his mind. The most important matter was Sinu Han. But he couldn't even rest without recalling everything you subjected him to.
The gate opened and his mother, half-asleep and irritated, told him to come inside.
Minseon prepared a pot of herbal tea and the two of them sat in the living room.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, my dear gangster son?"
"Gangster son? Mom…"
"You do not know how proud I am as a mother to see the son I gave birth to and raised become a common thug. Like gangster father, like gangster son... I guess blood really is fucking thicker than water." [4]
"Why are you upset today?"
Exhausted, Minseon answered with a question, "So, what brings you here at this ungodly hour?"
"Well—"
"You rarely call and almost never visit, but now you do and it's what, two in the morning? Truly, such a filial son I have raised."
"…I'll apologize properly, mother."
"No need." She poured him a cup of tea. "Well, son, what's the matter?"
"…"
"What?"
"I'm afraid you'll cut me off and say something sarcastic again."
"I'm done venting so go ahead and explain why you're here. It must be important since you drove overnight and visited me at two-ten in the morning."
Jake cautiously waited for his mother to start sipping tea before he spoke again. "I met a woman the other day."
Minseon stopped drinking and he hurriedly added, "It's not what you think! She's the nurse who examined me before I left prison—things happened and she got drunk and mistook me for Gapryong Kim."
"…"
"…"
Minseon put down her cup and sighed. "Drinking with the nurse who helped you, huh. Guess you really are your father's son."
"I swear it's not like that!"
"I'm kidding."
Somehow he doubted that.
He leaned closer and explained, "She knew dad and she's only a few years older than me. She talked like she and dad were close, almost like she was his daughter—and I know that's impossible—"
"You're right, it's impossible. You don't have any sisters as far as I know—" Her eyes widened briefly as if realizing something.
"What is it?"
"It's nothing." She shook her head. "You don't have any sisters, but I know exactly who you're talking about. You say that she's a nurse who's only a little older than you, right?"
"Yeah."
"It's probably her." Minseon poured herself another cup. "It was a surprise, actually. Your father and I seldom talked and he was never home, but one night, he called me. He sounded like a child on his birthday. He said he wanted me to meet someone—a young stray he picked up from the streets."
Jake made a face and Minseon chuckled.
"I thought he was going to acknowledge one of his illegitimate and put her name in the registry, but no, she really was a Japanese stray—didn't even speak Korean all that well. She wasn't afraid of your dad, but she looked utterly terrified of me, or maybe intimidated is the more appropriate term. She was cute, like a little kitten or rabbit. Anyway, your dad proposed that we adopted her—"
"!?"
"—I was shocked, so shocked that I couldn't even be angry. I was just so... shocked."
"…"
"She was cute, polite and clever, so I probably would have agreed to it after tearing your father a new one, but she rejected the offer before I could even talk."
"She did?"
"Isn't that funny? Countless children dream of having the legendary Gapryong Kim for a father, yet this little stray, the one kid he actually wanted, outright refused his offer. Do you know what she told us?" Minseon grinned like was about to share the greatest joke in history. "She told us it wouldn't be fair to you, our son, and to the other bastards your father sired."
"What…" Between your rejection of Gapryong Kim's offer and the realization that he really did have half-siblings, Jake was too stunned to speak.
"You made the same face your father did." Minseon put down the tea and reached for a cigarette. "A nameless girl who could barely speak our language showed more maturity and empathy than your father—if we really did adopt her, I wonder if maybe he would have changed.
"She claimed that she didn't want any trouble; insisted that Gapryong's funding wasn't charity or affection but payment for saving one of his men's life. She promised me that once she graduated, we would never hear from her again. She was precocious and made her boundaries clear—heh, she reminded me of…" Minseon's eyes glazed over.
"Reminded you of what?"
"…it's nothing. Forget it." Minseon lit her cigarette.
"Mother, please, I'm… I'm tired of being in the dark. I just found out that dad wanted to adopt a complete stranger, and that you would have agreed to it too—then I find out that I'm not his only child." He even found out that Sinu was sold to the Workers too late. "It's frustrating to always be the last to find out."
Minseon blew out the smoke.
Mother and son sat in silence before she finally relented.
"Your father and I had an agreement to never tell you the truth. It was his idea, I guess for all his scumminess, he cared for you in his own way." She sucked on the cigarette again.
"What was his idea?"
"Jake, we were never supposed to get married, we only did because married politicians were looked on more favorably by the public and I… well, I had my reasons. It wasn't love though, not for him, anyway."
"Mom…"
"Your father already belonged to somebody else. When she died, she took half of his heart with her." Minseon looked at the window and at the moon hanging above. "She took a lot of hearts with her."
Jake couldn't get over that conversation with his mother. Growing up, he never once saw her cry, not when the maids whispered about her husband not coming home, not when her so-called friends with whom she played mahjong would bring up Gapryong Kim's infidelity; but while describing the woman who took Gapryong Kim's heart to the grave, she looked like she was about to break down, like her own heart was taken too.
Just who was that woman?
"Jake?" You waved your hand in front of him.
"It wasn't a background check," he repeated. "I just spoke with my mom."
"No need to get defensive. Come on." You walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. You patted the space next to you. "I hope Mrs. Kim is okay."
"She's doing fine."
"Well, you asked Sammy and you asked Mrs. Kim, what is it you want to ask me?"
"…Mom told me that that basta—that my dad wanted to adopt you."
"Yes, it's true."
"Why didn't you let him?"
"I don't like debts and I didn't want to owe Gapryong Kim anything. We had a business relationship as far as I'm concerned. Paying for my studies and keeping a roof over my head is a small price to pay for saving someone's life."
"But if you were adopted then you could've had more opportunities."
"Let me ask you this: you're his son but you don't use his name or his money, why is that?"
Jake looked up at the sky and breathed out. "Okay, I think I get you now."
"Is that all you wanted to ask me? It's not everyday I'm willing to sit down and be interviewed, you know."
He was hesitant as he began, "…the other night…when you got drunk…"
"What is it?"
Your drunken rambling replayed in his head: "…s-speaking of that bastard, tell your son to stop hovering over me, okay? Sure he’s hot, but he’s too fucking big! I couldn’t walk for days ‘cause of that assss…hole…"
Jake pondered over it. You seemed to be… acquainted with one of his half-brothers. "I don't know how to bring it up."
You caught the way his ears turned red and you felt your stomach hollow out. "I-I didn't say or do anything that offended you, did I?" You didn't grope him, did you? You really needed to cut down on the drinking.
Before Jake could answer, Sinu appeared before the two of you. "Holy shit, it really is you, noona!"
"Hi Sinu. Still lively as ever I see."
He winked before bending down and whisper to Jake, "Samuel's been pining over her for years. Don't tell him but I'm rooting for you—ow, ow, OW! Noona stop it!"
You were pressing on his left hip. "You dislocated it, didn't you?"
Yeonhui gasped from beside him, "What?!"
"I could tell the moment I saw you walking over here," you said. "We should bring him to the ER."
"I'm fine. Anyway, Jake—ow! Stop it!"
"I'm impressed. The acetabulofemoral joint is the most stable joint in the body, whoever did this must've been super strong."
"You're impressed? I take it back, Jake, stay away—this woman eats men's hearts for breakfast—OW!"
[1] Yeonhui (and Sinu Han) and Reader are close in age—closer than say, Samuel/Jake and Reader in age. I'm keeping their ages vague, but Yeonhui uses "unnie" because our noona just has that cool big sis vibe, you feel me?
Also, for those who are unfamiliar with Yeonhui and Sinu Han, here is what they look like:
[2] Jjajangmyeon. Korean. Black bean sauce over noodles.
[3] Some backstory here:
When Noona still lived next to Samuel's family, the two of them collected trash around Gangseo together. Big Deal Street was part of their route, but after Noona left (sponsored by Gap Kim), Samuel didn't return until he was a middle schooler.
He did officially join Big Deal with Jake Kim (as per canon), but eventually left.
Samuel never disclosed his history as an official gang member of Big Deal to Noona. He told her that he knows Jake "from school" lol and Noona being Noona, chose to believe him.
[4] Minseon really did say this in the comic, by the way. 😂 Oh, Mrs. Kim, you deserve more than that fucker who called himself your husband.
Series Title/AU: My Baby Brother is the Strongest Character
<<read the synopsis and content warnings first>>
Pairing/Relationships: Samuel Seo x Reader, isekaid!older sister!Reader x Gun Park
Content Warning: sexual themes
Before transferring to J High, you were a regular at this hole in the wall next to your old apartment. You much preferred drinking there than at the bar near the hospital.
The bartender greeted you as you stepped inside.
There was only one other patron here and he was seated in a booth.
“Is it just me or did you get bigger?”
Samuel regarded you with a smile. “That’s sexual harassment, noona.”
“Well, you seem even more buff than usual. You’re not doping, are you?”
“Very funny.”
You shimmied into the seat across from him. “I’m serious, Samuel, girls don’t like fake muscles. Plus, you’ll end up sterile.”
“You know that I don’t.” He motioned for the bartender, who then brought out two cocktails. “You sounded nasally over the phone so I got you a hot toddy.”
“Eager to get me drunk, I see.”
“I’m only being a gentleman.”
“You’re just trying to get into my pants.”
“Is it working?”
“Mm. 43 points. I’ve had better. You’re still too green for me, Sammy.”
“I swear, you’re the only woman who will ever say that to me. One night, just give me one night to prove you wrong.”
“I dunno about that.”
“Do you want me to beg harder?”
“Well, I do love pathetic men.”
There was a beat and you two burst out laughing. You met Samuel two years ago, when he punched out a guy who was too persistent for his own good. You’ve been drinking buddies ever since. Although this was the second time you two drank together since you moved. He was a very busy man. And you were too lazy and cheap to make the trip here every weekend.
“You’re wearing the tie I got you." You reached over the table to touch the silk fabric. It was last year’s birthday present. “I knew blue looked good on you.”
“I wish you’d let me buy you clothes.”
You pulled back before he could hold your hand. “You just want to take them off me.”
“Noona.”
“Sammy.”
“You never let me buy you anything, not even for your birthday.”
“You send me bouquets, that’s more than enough—and don’t argue with me, it’s been a long week.”
He shook his head. “All right, changing the subject now: how’s life as a school nurse?”
“It’s quite an experience.”
“Peaceful?”
“You know damn well it’s the opposite. Everyone keeps barging in whenever they like, and usually it’s to ask advice. I want to yell at them: ‘I’m a nurse, not the damn counselor!’ Especially not with my salary.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“It’s not as hectic as holding together other peoples’ organs, but I’d rather be yelling at young doctors than sit with teenagers all day. I need to watch what I say and take extra care of my expressions. They’re at that age where one wrong move and I become enemy number one.”
“So quit.”
“As tempting as it is to retire early and fulfill my dreams of becoming a wealthy spinster who has affairs with every bachelor in town, we both know I’m too poor for that.”
“If you’re willing to compromise, I can make the wealthy part come true, just say yes and we can file the marriage papers first thing tomorrow.”
“What, and break the hearts of your countless girlfriends? Thanks but I’d rather not risk getting stabbed on the walk down the aisle.”
“I don’t have girlfriends.”
“Sure, you don’t.” You finished off your toddy. “Anyway, I don’t hate my job. It pays better than what I made at the hospital and the kids are actually respectful.”
“You know what I think? I think you care about those kids.”
“Please.”
“You do, you can’t help it. You’re a real softie and I just know you love your job.”
“No one loves their job, Sammy. To work is to lose in life.”
“Then marry me. You don’t have to work or clean or cook, just sit at home and do whatever you want. I’ll make you the happiest woman alive.”
“If you want to make me happy, get me another toddy.”
The Samuel joking with you now was different from the character you read about. He was a bigger flirt than he ever was in the webcomic and he didn’t get angry when you interrupted him. For a character who became popular for being unhinged on top of being unbelievably hot, he was quite hinged. At least to you.
Time flew as you two laughed about the shared frustration with your respective jobs and the people at work.
You were too drunk and exhausted to argue with him over the bill, and next thing you knew, you were waking up in his passenger seat.
“Noona?" He tapped your shoulder. "We’re at your house.”
“Mm?” You yawned and looked outside. “That’s my house.”
He chuckled. “Yes, it is.”
“I’d invite you but I don’t think you’ll fit through the door.”
“Hilarious.”
You gave him a smile. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Anytime.”
“It was nice seeing you tonight, Sammy. It’s a shame we can’t do this every week like we used to.”
“I hear you.”
“Night.”
“Good night, noona.”
He waited until you were safely inside your little house before reclining in his seat. It’s too small, he thought. Everything in this whole neighborhood was too tiny and dirty. Someone like you should be living in a bigger, cleaner, safer place.
Samuel took off his glasses with a sigh. “Guess, she still doesn’t remember.”
“Samuel has no daddy! Samuel has no—”
Something small flew through the air, hitting the kid's head. Gray and dark yellow goo splattered over his face. Samuel knew it was a rotten egg just by the smell alone.
A girl, a whole foot taller than all of them, stood by the trashcans, holding a half-empty egg carton and sporting a mean look. The boys in his class were ruffians, but they were still just brats, so they were too chicken to fight back and cycled away.
Samuel wanted to say something. He knew he should have at least said thank you, but you were already turning around, leaving the expired eggs in the trash.
Later that night, he found out you were his new neighbor. Sort of. You lived with the sick granny that ran the fishcake stall outside his school, which surprised him. Everyone in the neighborhood knew that the granny had no children, let alone grandchildren, but Samuel didn’t care.
“Hi there.” Your smile was polite, almost mechanical. But to someone like him, it was warmer and brighter than the morning sun.
He stuttered out his school name and grade.
“I'm several grades above you. I guess that makes me your noona, huh?"
You motioned for him to hold out his hands.
Samuel obediently presented his palms, not sure what to expect.
You set down a tupperware full of fried chicken on his hands and then dropped several candies on the lid.
“T-thank you.”
You were already turning around, waving him off. “Don't forget to return the container tomorrow.”
The door closed with a click and Samuel, for the first time in his life, was happy to be living in their garbage dump of a home.
Samuel stopped asking about his dad. Sure, he wondered and hoped to see him again, even if only a photo, but his thoughts were now consumed with the nice girl next door.
He didn't mind getting cornered by his classmates for being “fatherless” as much as before. It was fine when they took his measly allowance, he can handle them throwing things at him. Once you appeared, everything else seemed so small. You shared your lunches with him (even giving him a bigger share!), bought him strawberry milk from the vending machine, and walked home with him. You didn't care that he was poor or had no dad.
Just having you in his life was enough.
Or so he thought.
***
“You're leaving? But—but why?”
“I told you, Sammy,” you said, folding your shirt over your lap. “I can’t stay here.”
“Is it because of those weird men in suits? Everyone’s been talking about them, I know that they were looking for someone like you. It’s because of them, right? You’re in danger because of them!”
“It’s…complicated, but they aren’t here to hurt me, so don’t worry.”
“Then, is it because of me?”
You looked at him like you were going to flick his forehead again. “Are you crazy? I told you to stop staying stuff like that.”
He ground his teeth until you squished his cheeks and tipped his head to meet your eyes.
“This isn't anybody's fault, dummy, especially not yours.”
You smiled, calming his heart.
“When will I see you again?”
“Hm, hard to say.”
“When we're older, will you come back and stay with me?”
You shrugged. “I don't like making empty promises.”
It was his turn to grab you. His skinny fingers dug into your arms. “I'll become stronger so you don't have to protect me anymore. I-I'll make so much money that you don’t ever have to buy me a drink again!”
“Sammy—”
“—and I'll find my dad so people won't make fun of you for hanging out with me. I'll make sure no one talks bad about you again!”
“Sammy.” The familiar, comforting weight of your hand over his head lulled his racing heart. “Thank you for thinking about me. But you know, you don’t have to do those things. I think you’re cool just the way you are. I just can’t stay because…well, like I said, it’s complicated.”
“... I understand.”
“Good.” You ruffled his head but before you could pull away, he grabbed your hand.
“You don’t have to come back for me, noona.” He squeezed you tightly. “When I grow up, I’ll find you.”
“Nn~ Samuel—ow!”
He smacked her thigh. “I told you not to talk.”
“I’m sorry! Ah~”
He closed his eyes.
He pretended that it was your fingers pulling on his hair, imagined it was your legs over his shoulders.
He didn’t lie. He didn’t have girlfriends, this was just another practice run so he wouldn’t disappoint the real thing.
a/n: He's so tall and handsome as hell~ so bad but he does it SO WELL~🎶I don't care if Samuel's a red flag, he's a mistake I'm willing to make
(oh and for those who are curious, this scenario is a little before Reader's reunion with Gun)
Disclaimer: The images used are screencaptures from Ep. 289, 312 and 407 of the Lookism manhwa.
The Way of the Househusband: Jake Kim and Samuel Seo hcs
Author's Note: I have been neglecting Jake Kim in MBBITSC AU, so to help me get out of my writing funk (I've been writing, deleting, staring and then rewriting the same scene since yesterday wtf send help), I decided to write about Jake as a husband. Lo and behold, it became another AU. 🤷♀️I blame Caleb's newest card (which I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN JEEZ)
UPDATE: I got Caleb's card ehehe
Jake Kim is such a sweet and chill guy. His jokes can be so cringy, but he pulls them off thanks to that aw-shucks, boyish smile of his. Whenever he talks, he just charms the pants off you (literally).
He’s also a broke boy so being a househusband is the perfect job for him.
You’re his first and only love. He’s carefree, but once he gives you his heart, that’s it. You’re it. He saw the kind of husband his father was[1] and aims to be his antithesis.
However, as much as he rebels against his dad, Jake is still Gapryong Kim’s son.
He can’t help but get involved with other people’s business. It’s not that he’s nosy—well, he’s definitely a gossip, but that’s a separate matter—rather, he has a hero complex. He has been late to almost every date because he can’t say no to those who need help; he was late to your first date because he chased down a thief to return a lady’s purse; he was late in picking you up from work because he gave an elderly couple a ride to their house; he was late to your anniversary dinner because he helped change a stranger’s tire.
He was late to your wedding because there was a fight between several thugs and he had to stop them from ruining a shop. He arrived at the venue with his hair ruined and his tux covered in blood (thankfully, not his). Samuel called him an idiot with a scoff. Sinu Han shook his head, but everyone knew he would’ve done the same. Jerry Kwon prostrated in front of you on behalf of Jake, begging you not to leave. The girls from Big Deal were a chorus of scolding.
But you just smiled and combed Jake’s hair back into place before asking the officiant (Sinu Han) to marry you.
It’s not that Jake doesn’t prioritize you, and it’s certainly not because he doesn’t love you enough. He is simply a man who can’t help but help. You know this, so you can’t get angry—or at least, you can’t stay angry with him.
Unlike many of the Lookism husbands, he’s unabashedly verbal with his affections. There is no shortage of “I love you’s” with this man. He says it when he greets you good morning while handing you a bowl of steamed rice; he says it when he’s dropping you off at work; he texts it at least once a day; and he says it before you go to bed.
Speaking of rice, he struggles with cooking. He’s good at cleaning and fixing stuff, but cooking is still a mountain climb. He’s not completely hopeless—he can cook eggs, fry them, boil them… He’s good with the basics of eggs. He can also cook rice and pasta—just add water. However, he has a hard time with more “complex” recipes like stew. Fortunately, he’s very charming. The housewives in the neighborhood see his cluelessness as an opportunity to be…friendly.
All too often, you’ve come home to see your husband outside your house, smiling but also discretely trying to avoid getting touched by several middle-aged wives. They’re not attempting to grope him, they just want to put a hand over his shoulder or back, but Jake doesn’t want to give you even one thing to worry about.
When he sees you approaching, his smile brightens several kilowatts more and he wastes no time sliding an arm around you. He likes to kiss you in front of the other wives because: 1) he loves kissing you, 2) it tells the world that you’re both happily married and therefore, off limits, and 3) see reason number 1.
The housewives swoon every time you and Jake “show off.” (A tiny part of them is also a bit jealous, maybe even resentful.)
Jake isn’t a jealous person. He’s confident in himself and in his relationship with you. That’s not to say that he doesn’t get wary of how some guys look at you with that look, the look every man has when he’s found someone he wants by his side. So what does he do? He’ll say something to make you laugh then pull you into a hug and kiss you for those guys to see.
He also writes you love notes (some are corny funny, few are funny funny, but a lot are spicy funny) on Post-Its and leaving them in random places: on your phone screen, on a pair of chopsticks, on the bathroom mirror, on your forehead, on his boxers. It’s a game you look forward to everyday.
It’s never a dull moment when you're by each other’s side. But you both agreed that you can’t be glued at the his all the time, so every third of the month, or when your respective friends ask you to hang out, you two spend time separately.
When Jake’s out with his friends, he resists the urge to pay for everyone’s meals, which he did a lot in the past, but it’s not just his bank account anymore. He’s learned to be very careful with money, so he doesn’t eat or drink as much as he used to (though to be honest, it’s also because he misses you and wants to go home as soon as he can).
It should go without saying that any and all seduction attempts simply do not work on him. Now that Jake himself is married, the distance between he and his father grows even bigger. He just doesn’t get his dad.
Jake already married the light of his life, his best friend, so how can he look at anyone else?
Friendship is one of the most important foundations of a relationship, and that holds the truest in your marriage with Samuel Seo. He doesn’t just love or trust anyone, but you’ve been with him through thick and thin, you’ve seen him at his worst, witnessed his most horrible decisions, and still loved him. You chose him, you continue to choose him, and he will never let you down.
Once he is yours, he is yours. He’s been with many girls in the past because of Gapryong Kim’s philosophy about how “real men love their ladies,” but when he realized his feelings for you, everybody else is a blur to him because you shine the brightest.
He has a lot of insecurities. He trusts you with his everything, but he’s suffered so many rejections in the past that it’s hard not to be doubtful of the future. Marrying you calms his fear of being abandoned and tempers his jealousy, but not by a lot.
He loves being your husband, but he struggles being a househusband.
Men who’ve amassed wealth have a hard time understanding the concept of being loved even without their many privileges. Their money plays a huge part in their sense of self. Even though you’ve literally been with him through his bad days, Samuel still can’t help but worry that you would leave him when he loses everything.
Due to his background, it’s going to take a lot of convincing for him to agree to be a househusband. It’s a little bit due to pride, as there is still a widespread belief that men should always be the main provider and he wants to be a good man for you, but it’s mostly because he’s already experienced poverty. He knows what it feels like to worry about when he’s going to eat again, knows what it’s like to go days without taking a bath because his mom couldn’t pay the water bill—and if life screws him over somehow, he can handle that hopelessness. But he never wants you to go through that.
Samuel would only be a househusband once he has saved enough (which would be a LOT, think of your parents’ life savings and multiply it by a billion crap loads), and even then, he still has multiple passive sources of income because he feels useless when he can't contribute financially. (And as much as he loves and trusts you, he hates being dependent on anyone, even you.)
Like many homemakers, he is the bookkeeper of the house. He is very responsible with money, not just with his, but your own savings as well (you both agreed to have separate accounts in addition to a joint account). He will sit you down and break down your monthly expenses for you and help you with taxes. It’s not him being condescending, it’s his way of taking care of you.
He’s no cheapskate though.
He’s not very vocal about his affections. Instead, he prefers showering you with presents, which is why it’s so important to him to have money of his own. You can use money from his personal account, his personal card, and he doesn’t care—just inform him so he can pay the bills.
In addition to bookkeeping, he is a pro in maintaining the house.
He took care of himself and his mother[2] alone, so taking care of you and the home you two share is a piece of cake. He loves it too, because it’s one of the ways he can express his love.
Also, once he settles as a househubby, he seldom leaves the house. He doesn’t have friends. (Well, he has Jake, but Sammy’s too tsundere to admit that.) He spends his days reading and working out, waiting for you to come home.
You worry about his mental health a lot so every now and then, you ask Jake to drag him out of the house. You don’t inform Samuel about the surprise dates, but you both know that he already knows that you’ve talked with Jake, but he’s secretly happy with the arrangement so he never brings it up.
As you can probably tell, Samuel tends to overcompensate in the marriage.
Even as a househusband who never asks you to lift a finger at home, he still insists on maintaining multiple sources of income (all of which you have legal rights to), buys you things all the while refusing to take money from your separate account.
Have you seen his narrow-minded pursuit for approval? Whether it be with Gun Park or Gapryong Kim, when Samuel puts his mind into something, he obsesses over it, he devotes everything he has into reaching his goal. That’s how he is in your marriage—always competing with an invisible foe. Always acting like he has to prove that you didn’t make the wrong choice saying ‘yes,' over and over and over.
You have to sit him down, hold his face between your hands and remind him that he doesn’t have to try so hard with you. Then he’ll melt into your arms all over again.
[1] “A real man loves his ladies.”— Gapryong “Cheating Pig” Kim to his kid son, Lookism Ep. 306. Listen, I have several relatives, who are generous with their money to their friends, but are lying, cheating, neglectful scumbags to their families so... Once again, just 'cuz someone is a “good guy” doesn't make him a good husband/father. Now you know why I hate Gap Kim so much 🤣
[2] In Lookism Ep. 307, one of the girls at Big Deal implies that Samuel takes care of his widowed mother (there is no further mention of her beyond this chapter though). When Samuel found out that Johan Seong was taking care of his own mother, this prompted the usually reserved Samuel to offer advice (isjdfhshdf my shayla)
a/n: Sammy out here reviving my “i can fix him” phase 🫦🙌😩 also, the 180 from Jake's blow-on-a-dandelion, goofy love to Samuel's borderline self-harming dedication, bruh. (they should marry each other)
Disclaimer: The images used do not belong to me. They are screencaptures from Ep. 416, 519, 512 &507 - Lookism, Webtoon.
Series Title/AU: My Baby Brother is the Strongest Character
<<read the synopsis and content warnings first>>
Featuring: Samuel Seo
Content/Trigger Warnings: mentions of Samuel's backstory so child neglect and bullying, mental health troubles, mild NSFW, MDNI, dubcon (drunk kissing)
Author's Note: see, this is why I'm not supposed to be online while studying. I spent the entire day writing...
Unedited, cause yeah lol
_ (:Ⅰ」∠)
Samuel’s mother spent her days and nights in bed. She couldn’t be bothered to even wash her face, let alone cook and clean, so he learned to raise himself. He did a better job taking care of himself than most adults did. He scraped food from the garbage. Everyday, he walked barefoot to the less poor neighborhoods, where the garbage cans would have half-eaten candy bars and bread with a bit of mold. When he was a little older, he learned to find more “useful” useless things like old slippers with missing straps, clothes and accessories that were out of fashion, glass jars and bottles—he would fix and sell every single thing to anyone who would buy.
It wasn’t as bad as one would think. For Samuel, who didn’t have many friends or anything to do at home, walking a few hours and dumpster diving was fun. And he could make a bit of money for him and his mom.
Once, he found a Hero Man[1] figurine. His right arm was missing, but otherwise, the toy was still good, so Samuel wiped him clean and glued several toothpicks together to give him a prosthetic. It was his very first toy. He treated it with more care than most kids did their pet dogs, and he was very excited to share it with his classmates, who always took pleasure in excluding him in everything.
The other children made fun of him for wearing clothes that were torn open and too big, for being barefoot—and when he did have shoes, they’d tease him because they were always too “dirty” and clearly too big to be a child’s pair. They even refused to let him join them at the playground because he didn’t have anything to play with. But then, Samuel finally had his own toy, and he thought that maybe this was his chance to get the other boys to like him.
“Guys, wait!” he called out, running towards them, careful not to trip from the adult slippers he got from the garbage. He waved the figurine in the air. “Look! My…my mom got me a new toy!”
But, as he found out, him having nothing was just an excuse. The others would never see him as anything more than trash.
“I don’t believe you. My mom says that your mom never leaves the house. How can someone without any money buy anything?”
“My mom said that it’s because she’s a whore.”
“A what?”
“I dunno, mom wouldn’t tell me what that means.”
One of the boys yelled out, “Hey, that’s mine!”
Samuel protested, but they snatched the Hero Man from his hands, shoving him to the ground with force.
The kid who made the claim checked the bottom of the figurine’s feet. “I knew it! Look at the soles. Those are my initials. Your mom stole it!”
“That’s not true! We didn’t steal anything, I found it in the garbage—!”
The boys looked at each other then sneered at Samuel. They looked like grinning demons.
“A whore and a thief!”
“No wonder your dad left you guys!”
“Maybe he stole those slippers too. Hold him down, guys—”
“Stop it!”
That night, he went home barefoot, his oversized t-shirt torn and his face covered in bruises. His mom was on her bed, leaning against the wall, when he arrived. She never welcomed him home or ever cared, so he didn’t know why he felt worse when she saw his purple face and said nothing.
They didn’t have separate bedrooms, so Samuel spent the rest of the night sobbing in the bathroom.
His mother, who definitely heard him, did nothing to comfort her crying son.
That day, he realized that he was truly alone, and that no matter how much he cried, nobody would care.
***
“Did those fu—did those bastards do this to you?” you asked Samuel as you dabbed a warm, wet towel over his face.
He said nothing.
“Let’s see, I already threw rotten eggs the other day, and yesterday, what was it?”
“...crab shells.”
“Right! Rotten crab shells. Next time, I’m throwing expired milk at them.”
“Don’t do that. They’ll start calling you names, too.”
“Sticks and stones, Sammy.”
“Noona…”
You gently applied betadine over the cuts on his temple. “Yes?”
“Why are you so nice to me?”
You chuckled. “No reason.”
“There must be a reason.”
You simply hummed and finished cleaning his wounds. “Okay, you’re good as new.”
“...thank you.”
You smiled and ruffled his hair.
When you turned around, he grabbed the top of his head, trying to remember when was the last time anyone else touched him without it hurting.
***
“A-are these new?” he asked, gawking at the box of new leather shoes you got him for the holidays.
“Yup! You’re growing pretty fast so they are two sizes bigger than your actual size, so don’t forget to wear socks.”
“Th-this looks expensive.”
“It’s the right price.”
“How much did you pay?”
You shrugged.
“Noona, take these back. I-I don’t need new shoes.”
“Too late,” you said, flicking his forehead softly. “I already swallowed the receipt.”
“Then I’ll sell them and you can get the money back!”
You frowned. “You’re going to sell my gift?”
“!!!”
You laughed at his reaction. “Sammy, chill out, will you? I had some spare cash lying around and I don’t need new shoes for school. Now, put the box away. Today, I’m teaching you how to properly fry a sunny side up egg.”
You always did this. Samuel’s family was the only one who was more miserable than yours. You were both far from rich so there was no such thing as “spare cash,” and yet you had money to buy him clothes, shoes and toys, while you never seemed to get new things for yourself.
“You don’t have to do this…I don’t need shoes or clothes, a-and I don’t need food from you…” He loved receiving gifts from you. He relished in the idea of you thinking of him, but there was a voice inside that told him that he shouldn’t accept these nice things. What if you got sick of him for leeching off you? “I don’t need anything, noona. I-I just want to stay by your side.”
You put down the egg carton and said, “You once asked me why I was so nice to you, do you remember?”
He nodded. “You’re always helping me out, even when I didn’t ask for it—!”
You pinched his cheeks. “Are you calling me meddlesome?”
“No…?”
You sighed and let him go. “Do I need a reason to want to help someone?” A somber look ghosted over your face and you confessed, “I guess it’s because you remind me of my brother.” Your smile was so sad that Samuel couldn’t bring himself to ask about it.
***
The day Samuel first understood what "despair" meant was the day he learned that you were going to leave with those strange men in black suits. He thought the worst, that you were going to get sold like those other girls from the neighborhood, but you reassured him that you would be fine.
“You don’t have to come back for me, noona.” He squeezed you tightly, desperate to engrave your warmth and softness into his memory. “When I grow up, I’ll find you.”
He beat up his bullies, ruled over the middle schools in Gangseo, learned everything he could at Big Deal, met Goo Kim and formed his own information network just so he could find you again.
It took some time and a lot of money, but when he finally found you, he had his people tail you a couple of times. It is said that people change, but you remained quite the loner even as an adult. You made a point to avoid drinking at the bar right next to the hospital, finding solace in a hole in the wall near your apartment. According to the bartender, you were careful, only drinking exactly one cocktail each time, and “too quiet, like a ghost, or someone in mourning.” Samuel understood exactly what he meant. His noona was a warm and gentle person most of the time. But he could remember one, maybe two or three times in the past when you reminded him of his mom: lethargic, exhausted, hollow. There were times when you didn’t even get out of bed, just like her. He was at a loss during those days, especially since he could see right through your forced smiles.
A ghost.
He was a stupid brat who could only watch the person he loved wither away, but he was a man now, and he could protect you.
He could finally become your knight in shining armor.
***
The people at your hospital were idiots. The best kind of doctors and nurses were aggressive, they are who you want to fight with you when death’s on the other side. You can handle arrogant jerks as long as they could put their money where their mouths were, but the staff at your ER were inexperienced, incompetent and insufferable. You nearly lost three patients today because the interns were fighting over the “better” cases. You liked one person there: the most senior nurse on the floor, and she had no interest in drinking until dawn or spending more time with her colleagues than necessary.
Bless her heart, because one of your biggest regrets in your first life was forcing yourself to attend after-work hangouts. But at least you knew better now.
You might not have billions in your savings and you still have your own bosses to deal with, but the beauty of having a regular job is that you could leave it once your shift is over.
“Welcome,” greeted the young bartender.
You nodded at him and gave a once-over at the bar. There was another guy here, he was seated at a booth. A black cap covered his face as he stared intensely at his beer bottle; his thumbs kept rubbing up and down the same area, so much so that the label had been peeled off. He looked troubled—nervous. If you were to compare him to something, he reminded you of a thief on his very first “gig.”
“What can I get you?” the bartender, not the least bit troubled, asked with a polite smile.
You sat by the counter. “I’ll have a hot toddy.”
You finished your hot toddy in less than ten minutes as you contemplated what to eat for dinner. It would’ve been nice to drink more, but ever since that night with a certain gangster, you have been extra careful with how much you drink.
As you reached into your purse for some cash, the bartender placed a Manhattan in front of you.
You gave him a confused look.
He tilted his head towards the side, gesturing at the shifty customer who had left his booth and was now taking a seat right next to you.
Upon closer inspection, this man seemed to be close to your age, cleanly shaven and he smelled like soap. He kept his eyes on his lap as he shakingly said, “Y-you’re very pretty.”
“Thank you.” You didn’t know how to feel. Annoyed? Flattered? He treated you to a drink and was clearly doing his best to flirt, but for some reason, rather than shyness, it seemed like he was forced to do this. A prank, perhaps? “But one drink’s my limit.”
“O-okay…”
Maybe he was just shy, but you couldn’t be too careful.
You left some bills on the counter and kept your hand on the pepper spray in your purse. “Bye.”
You approached the door and thankfully, you didn’t hear him shuffling to follow you.
There were still a lot of people out; they would be too drunk or too indifferent to help if anything happened, but having them around could stop most potential attackers from pulling anything. As you thought this, you heard rapid footsteps behind you.
“Wait, um, miss? Miss!”
You looked over your shoulder for a split second, and yes, it was the guy from the bar. “Sorry, I gotta go.”
“I-I would really like to have your number. You’re… you’re my type!”
“I have to go—my boyfriend’s waiting for me at home.”
“Please just give me a chance! I-I’ll give you my number, how about that?”
You weren’t about to waste any more oxygen on this—
“Don’t go!” he screamed when you began running, and you could hear him running as well.
You were shouting out all sorts of expletives in your mind.
The man was panting and he was getting closer.
In your heart, you were praying to God, Buddha, Satan, the Author of this world—anyone who would listen.
“I said stop!” he yelled, leaping over you. You didn’t expect this fucker to actually jump, but he did and it was your turn to scream as fell down. You instinctively pushed your hands forward to protect your face, but before the man’s whole weight could cover you, he was kicked to the side.
“Miss?” A young man in glasses looked down at you with worried eyes. “Are you all right?”
“...yeah…”
“You’re injured.”
“Huh? Oh, no, I-I’ll survive, I can clean them up. We need to report—” you turned but the man was gone.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take you to the police,” your savior said, kneeling beside you. “Your knees are bleeding.”
“They’re superficial. Um, thank you, sir.”
He offered you his jacket. “It’s Samuel Seo, and…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “My friends call me Sammy.”
Samuel…Samuel Seo?
“Oh. Thank you, Mr. Seo, I mean, Samuel.”
He blinked and pulled back like you just slapped him.
“You don’t…recognize me?”
He’s one of your favorite characters. He was a scumbag in the webtoon, but he was so beautiful that there was no other choice but to love him. But you didn’t know him.
“I’m sorry. Were you one of my patients?”
His brows furrowed. He didn’t scowl, he didn’t look angry or offended, but heartbroken. But that expression didn’t last for too long as he gave you a warm smile. “Let’s clean your wounds and then we can report to the police.”
“Thank you.”
Was this character always so altruistic?
***
You didn’t remember him. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. You’ve had memory issues in the past. Times when you’d get lost on the way home despite having lived in the area for months, moments where you’d space out and look confused, but forgetting Samuel?
Maybe he’s full of it. It has been almost a decade. But it was like your memories of Gangseo have been completely wiped. He was no better than a complete stranger.
“S-sir?” The young man in the black cap fiddled his fingers. He managed to escape into a nearby motel that Samuel booked in advance. It was only the two of them inside the dingy room.
Samuel dropped the duffel bag in front of him and the man quickly checked the contents.
“Fifteen million won, just like we agreed. I added another five million for you to get out of the city.”[2]
“Thank you! I don’t—”
“Save it,” Samuel cut him off coldly. “I thought I was clear that you only had to scare her.” He couldn’t forget the image of your bloodied palms and knees.
“I’m sorry, I-I didn’t expect her to run so fast.”
“Just get out.”
“Y-yes!” The man zipped up the bag, bowed one last time and reached for the doorknob—
“One more thing,” Samuel said, reaching for a cigarette, “I don’t have to remind you what will happen if you blab about tonight, do I?”
The man shook his head furiously and ran away, leaving him alone.
Samuel walked towards the windows and exhaled, watching the thin trail of smoke rise. The nicotine in his lungs calmed him down and he came to a conclusion: being forgotten might be a good thing.
Rather than the pathetic, useless thing that he was in the past, you can remember him as someone worthy.
Samuel was very good at being patient.
When he was a child, he asked you what kind of man you preferred. You smiled and told him that you liked “safe guys I can have fun with,” so he was going to be safe; he was going to be kind and reliable. Selfless. Harmless.
The type of man you would trust not to hurt you, especially when you were too drunk to take care of yourself.
“The people at work suck! I hate them all!” you shouted, rubbing your forehead on the bartop. “And this one surgeon? Total pig! But he does his job so well that we can’t afford to lose him…ugh… his ex-girlfriend attacked me, like, physically pulled on my hair from behind, thinking I’m his current mistress, BLEGH! And—and, you know, how…when someone is ugly inside, it reflects on the outside? He’s so slimy. His smile grosses me out! He’s so fugly, I dunno why so many women keep flocking towards him—hic—just, ew. Not even if he offered me ten billion won!”[3]
Samuel paid for the drinks and snuck his fingers under your forehead. “Noona, I know you already wiped this counter with wet wipes but it’s still gross. Come on, let’s get you home.”
You made a sound of protest but didn’t pull away as he wrapped your arm over his shoulder.
“Ow, careful, I need my arm!”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re too tall…”
“I know, I’m sorry, but I don’t want you to trip.”
“Mmm…” You leaned into his chest.
“Noona?”
“...zzz…”
Shaking his head, he scooped your legs up and carried you back to your building and into your unit.
Your survival instincts stressed him out greatly. You were often distant and distrustful of your own colleagues, but for whatever reason, you mellowed out quickly towards Samuel. Maybe you were desperate for a friend.
He could be that.
Anything for you.
“Noona?”
“...zzz…”
“We’re here, I need your key.”
“No, I don’t have a frisbee…”
“Pft.”
Every now and then, you could hold conversations even when you were unconscious. It was adorable.
When he finally found your key from your purse, he put you on the couch to remove your shoes, during which you kicked him.
“Wha—where am I?”
Rubbing his jaw, he was quick to reassure you, “You’re home.”
“What?”
“It’s okay, you’re fine. I was about to leave.”
“No, no, no, no, no…” You groggily sat up and grabbed his sleeves. You looked like you were about to cry at any moment. “Don’t go, don’t leave me. Please?”
Fuck.
“Sure, I can stay.”
You gave him a drunk smile and folded your legs close to your chest, making space for him.
He took that as a silent request to sit down. As soon as his butt hit the cushion, you were all over him like an affectionate cat. He could smell your shampoo as you snuggled against his neck.
“Hm…” you mumbled, eyes closed. “Everyone’s gone…don’t leave me…”
“I won’t. I’m right here, noona.”
You dipped your chin, leaning into his shoulder. “I left so many people behind…”
Were you talking about Gangseo? But aside from him and that old lady you lived with, you had nobody else. “Did you have a lot of friends back in Mexico?” He found out that you spent several months in Tijuana before working at your current hospital.
You shook your head, hair rustling with the movement. “...I’m alone…”
“You’re not alone.”
You breathed out before lifting your face. Your eyes were glazed over. “You’re really handsome, you know that?”
He chuckled.
“It’s not a joke. You’re very good-looking, like—” you cupped his face with both hands “—like, gorgeous.”
Dozens of girls have praised his looks, but this was the only time the words actually affected him.
“I’m glad you think so,” he whispered. He did his best to maintain his appearance. He covered up his tattoos carefully everyday, for his clients, but most especially for you. An ink-stained body wasn’t exactly the picture of a “safe man,” but you didn’t hate tattoos; once you fell for him, he knew you’d accept all of him.
You poked the side of his neck with your nose. “You smell nice, too…”
He cut back on the cigarettes when you two began drinking together.
“You smell really nice, Sammy.”
His breath hitched.
You were straddling his thigh now, your left knee brushed against his crotch. He instinctively put a hand on your back to keep you steady.
“I’m happy with my life, you know. I have my health, I have a stable job, a house—well, not a house, an apartment, but still—and I got food, that’s more than what many people have. They say that no man is an island, but I always saw myself as this…this peninsula who can take care of myself and not need anyone’s help. But sometimes—” you exhaled shakily “—sometimes I wish that I-I had someone, someone to do the dishes because I just… I’m so tired, and I—” you buried your face in the crook of his neck “—I can’t do it, I can’t. I wake up and I… do you know what I do? I cry. I cry and ask why the sun keeps rising because I just…I’m so tired and I have my job, my apartment, but I can’t do this anymore, I can’t—”
“Shh, shh, noona.” It was his turn to touch your face. “You’re not alone. You have me.”
“I do?”
“Yes.”
Your lashes trembled and then, you were kissing him. He’d fantasized this kiss for years, and no dream could compare to the real thing.
His hand slid over your back and up your nape as you both pressed into the kiss. He could hear his own heartbeat. This was it. You were here, you can finally be together.
He let out a groan as he felt you rub against his thigh. You were getting warmer—and wetter.
“Sammy,” you slurred. He froze.
He looked down and saw your glassy eyes, and it was like getting splashed with ice-water.
Gritting his teeth, he grabbed you by the shoulders and gently pulled you away.
“Sammy?”
“You should go to sleep.”
“No, no…I’m—” you yawned “—zzz…”
Your head lolled to the side and he caught you; carefully, he lifted you off his thigh and carried you to your bed. He took off your watch and ID and set them both on the nightstand, then he pulled the blanket up to your chest and turned on the AC.
He left the bedroom, making sure that the door was closed shut before he plopped down on the couch.
His abandoned erection throbbed but he didn’t care.
Was I really about to take advantage of a crying, drunk woman who can’t even stand?
He threw his head back. “Fuck."
He swallowed hard, pushing down his lust as he recalled your tears.
Samuel can be patient. If being your friend was what you needed to be happy, then so be it.
He waited ten years, he can wait ten more.
[1] In-universe, Hero Man is a fictional cartoon character. He's referenced in Vasco's backstory and birthday party.
[2]
15 million KRW = 598,809.29 PHP = 10,220.65 USD
5 million KRW = 199,603.10 PHP = 3,406.88 USD
