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Park Yerim had a few questions, if she was going to be completely honest. She had both serious and nonserious questions that always swam around in her mind. She tried to hold back and not mention them too often because, in the end, she knew she was loved.
Who cared if she didn’t know a lot about her guardian’s background? (She cared. She cared deeply, seeking knowledge about them to gain a deeper understanding. How was she supposed to show the love and support back in a way that showed care and personalization if she didn’t know anything about her family?)
But tonight, she accidentally stumbled upon a great time to ask a question. She was never particularly trying to aim questions at Han Yoojin or her somewhat adoptive brother. She just…
She wanted to understand those who cared for her. They knew a lot about her, as they had to help her pursue her hunter career without her family holding her reins. They knew a great deal about her, but she knew very little about them.
Yoo Myungwoo was nowhere in sight—he was in his forge, though he did stumble out every now and then. He would find the time to make dinner even though Han Yoojin would say he didn’t need to. Park Yerim always cheered for it, happy to eat something that she could appreciate openly.
They were eating dinner around the table. Han Yoohyun was quiet, almost pensive, which struck her as odd. Meanwhile, Han Yoojin was a bit louder than usual, rambling on about his visit to the breeding center.
“The kids are always so energetic.” He laughed a bit, but anyone could see that he was tired. Staying awake to take care of the nocturnal familiars was taking its toll. “Reminds me of Yoohyun-ie as a kid, to be honest.”
Dinner had been cooked by Han Yoohyun. It was good, though Park Yerim did not want to tell him that.
His food was almost always good. It was annoying, just as much as it was annoying that he had a cute face when he wasn’t being murderous. She had even come across an edit of him, so demure. Park Yerim wanted to send the earth into another ice age.
“He was an excitable kid?” she found herself asking.
She glanced at Han Yoohyun, who was eating lethargically. Was he ill? She wanted to ask him about it bluntly, unsure of what all needed to happen for him to return to his normal self.
He noticed her staring, and looked at her in return. And then he released a small huff—or was it a sigh? Did Han Yoohyun just sigh at the sight of her!?
She straightened her shoulders, sitting up as she prepared to go on the attack. How dare he sigh after looking at her!? She was a great person, a cutie who had won the hearts of thousands.
Yet Han Yoohyun had sighed, and then pretended that nothing had happened. He continued to eat, but each bite was taken slowly. It was off-putting. It was causing her appetite to dwindle. The vibes were too harsh and distracting.
She bit her lip, turning her focus back to her plate. So what if Han Yoohyun sighed? He was just like that. She couldn’t change him, not even ahjussi could, after all. If Han Yoojin couldn’t, then they were all doomed from the beginning.
Han Yoojin replied, “He was quiet compared to others.” His soft, nostalgic smile made Park Yerim’s heart clench in her chest. He looked at his kid, at Yoohyun-ie, with such love and fondness.
Han Yoohyun only sighed harder. At least she now knew the sigh wasn’t aimed directly at her. He made a slight, unkempt sound, like annoyance, but Park Yerim now recognized it as embarrassment. “Hyung…”
“Our Yoohyun-ie was always trying out new games,” Han Yoojin continued. “Hide-and-seek, hopscotch, tic-tac-toe… He only ever stopped to help me with chores and errands. And schoolwork, of course. He was a smart kid.”
“This guy willing did his school work?” asked Park Yerim, eyeing up Han Yoohyun with disbelief in her gaze.
Han Yoohyun bit back at her, cheeks pink, “I was a good student.”
“Yoohyun-ie was on the path to going to med school before he awakened,” Han Yoojin added casually, as if he didn’t shatter Park Yerim’s little mind.
“A– Are you serious?” Park Yerim openly gaped at Han Yoohyun, who turned away from her, focusing on the floor instead.
She shivered at the thought of Han Yoohyun being her doctor. He was so cold at times! He would not be a comforting presence at all… Though that wasn’t needed to do a job well.
Han Yoojin missed the fact that Han Yoohyun was embarrassed to be exposed, or was purposefully ignorant of it. He continued, “I saved up some money to help him pay for tuition, but it wasn’t needed in the end. Yoohyun-ie found a different career path.”
“Being a hunter has made me very financially secure,” supposed Han Yoohyun, now looking down at his plate, avoiding meeting either her or his hyung’s eyes.
Park Yerim hummed, knowing that it was true. Han Yoohyun ran one of the top guilds in Korea. S-rankers had a good time due to their power, though of course, downsides existed no matter what. She sighed, thinking back to the debt she owed Yoo Myungwoo for her weapon.
Park Yerim’s eye twitched when she remembered the law they had to follow as hunters, too. All of the rules she was supposed to follow or else get in trouble with the Hunters Association. It meant that Song Taewon would come to the guild for a visit and awkwardly flirt with her ahjussi before reprimanding her for threatening to kill people again in public.
“It’s so annoying,” she murmured. Ahjussi was hers to protect in all ways, including from interesting parties. At least Chief Song didn’t call him Honey like Liette or the overseas hunters did.
“Yes,” Han Yoohyun concurred, though not at the thing Park Yerim was referring to. “Hyung, you don’t have to bring up the past. We’re much better now, aren’t we?”
Han Yoojin chuckled lightly and said, “But Yoohyun-ah’s too cute. Am I not supposed to talk about all the fond memories we shared?”
Han Yoohyun was a pushover, or at least, he was easily broken when Han Yoojin was the one to talk to him. He gave in, pursing his lips instead of interrupting ahjussi.
“Yerim-ah,” he called out to her, gaining her attention. “He truly was a sweet kid. He was even obsessed with a game that was automatically downloaded on his phone when I got it for him.”
“I was not obsessed.” Han Yoohyun voiced his rebuttal.
“Nah-uh.” Han Yoojin held up a finger. “I remember you being super obsessed with it. Was it cause the duck looked so cute, jumping up and down?”
“... It flew up and down,” he corrected, sounding mushy and small.
Park Yerim held back her laughter. She didn’t want to ruin the mood, or cause Han Yoohyun to clamp up. Han Yoojin was a harder nut to crack than his dongsaeng, but both of them were awful. They didn’t often discuss their past, and when they did, it was usually about their late teenage years, not their childhood.
“Yes! That.” Han Yoojin was grinning like a fool. “Yoohyun-ie loved it so much. I remember there was a time when you couldn’t pass a certain point, and made me help you with it… Though I was even more terrible than you could have ever imagined.”
“Ahjussi wasn’t made for mobile games,” guessed Park Yerim, feeling all too amused at the situation.
“I was not,” agreed Han Yoojin, voice warm.
With mirth, Han Yoohyun grumbled, “He was good at it, but he never focused. He had other things to do.”
“Ah!” Park Yerim’s eyes widened from the new perspective. “So then you think ahjussi should start gaming now that he has more time.”
“More time?” Han Yoojin repeated it with a lilt. “Yeah, right.”
It was true that he was terribly busy with the center, taking care of them, and being a general menace to hunter society, but he deserved to relax!
Han Yoohyun thought over the words, not directly telling her that it wasn’t possible just yet.
“Ahjussi, we should play some games!” She clapped her hands together, thinking about all of the varieties they had! The consoles and systems, along with the different versions they could choose from. It would be interesting to see what Han Yoojin excelled at.
“Oh?” Han Yoojin lifted his eyebrows up. “If we do, why not do things we love. What’s your favorite game?”
“My favorite?” She blinked at the sudden question. “I– I guess there are a lot of options. I haven’t played many, but Just Dance was fun!”
“Just Dance…?” murmured Han Yoojin, confusion filling his eyes, his voice a wispy trail.
Han Yoohyun spoke up, sparkles in his eyes from understanding something Park Yerim referenced for once, “I’ve seen people play it at play dates. They were very competitive.”
Park Yerim nodded her head. “Kids were so rude about it! But the songs were catchy and the dances were fun, even if I wasn’t good at following the instructions.” She chuckled lowly as she remembered how she used to play it. “My cousin kept it in his room, so I could only play if I had earned the privilege.”
“We’re getting this dance immediately,” declared Han Yoojin, his eyes fierce. He had no idea what it was.
Han Yoohyun added, “You will play it with her…?” His eyes were filled with stars.
Park Yerim wasn’t much better. The idea of ahjussi playing the game, trying to score good points, made her want to both cry and laugh. She felt a cackle in her throat. Han Yoojin had no idea what it was, did he? That’s the only feasible reason he would agree to it.
“Of course.” Han Yoojin didn’t bat an eye at the promise. He then shifted in his chair, and gave his kids a stern look. “You’ll both participate as well, and get along. No fierce competitiveness to get in the way of having a good time.”
“... Competition makes the game more fun,” said Han Yoohyun, looking like an angel and not the demonic beast he was while inside dungeons, turning everything to ash.
Yet, she agreed. Park Yerim smiled, already envisioning beating Han Yoohyun. “We’ll have more fun if we’re allowed to trash-talk each other.”
Han Yoojin shoved more food in his mouth. He murmured to himself, “Kids these days… they’re terrifying.”
Park Yerim shook her head, picking up her glass to drink from. As she sipped, she could only think that ahjussi was a kid too, at least around the time when Han Yoohyun was also aware of Just Dance. He should have enjoyed this game as well!
He would enjoy it, she determined. She then glanced over to Han Yoohyun, who was already ordering the needed system and game, putting them in his cart before sending to Suk Simyung to confirm that it was the best on the current market.
She huffed, all fondness. These brothers were so strange. It was nice to know more about them, though, even if it all rounded back to what she favored the most.
She set down her cup, and asked, “What is your favorite game, ahjussi?”
Off-handedly, Han Yoojin said, “Hide-and-seek.”
Park Yerim echoed the words. She was confused, alright? She never met someone who adored playing hide-and-seek. It was never the chosen game at a party or school, because there were better things to do.
Han Yoohyun explained as he set his phone face down on the table, “Our parents would tell us to hide, and we would hide together while they tried to find us. It usually took them hours, even though we always hid in the closet, and played board games to pass the time.”
Park Yerim felt that she shouldn’t touch that situation with a 10-foot pole.
She smiled tightly, accepting it all as dinner continued. She now knew Han Yoohyun used to be addicted to a mobile game, and Han Yoojin probably only liked hide-and-seek because it was the only thing played with someone before growing up too fast.
And now they had Just Dance battles to look forward to in the future. Maybe she’d invite Hyuna-unnie over to expand upon the fun.