Word count: 1811
He doesn't know how, but it works.
For months, he had hidden his health condition from everyone, even his siblings. He didn't want them to worry since he had always been the one to protect them. If he fall now, who would give them the support he had always provide?
Thinking along those lines, Sung Jin-hyuk reminisces the time they were small. Since they were in their childhood, Sung Jin-woo, his older brother had always been kind and an easy target for peers his age, causing Jin-hyuk to grow up being his shield. They were only one year apart, but Jin-hyuk had a bigger build compared to his brother, even taller than most of his peers, so doing that was easy.
Though the bullies kept on picking a fight with the Sung siblings, they are easily overthrown by Jin-hyuk, who have a black belt in karate by the age of 16. They mocked Jin-woo for hiding behind his little brother, but they betray their own words when Jin-hyuk threaten them.
When Jin-woo decided to become a hunter right after their mother fell into eternal sleep, he followed his footsteps, knowing that his kind brother will face many more danger after that. Though, he didn't always had the chance to go to every gate he went to. He was devastated when the double dungeon incident occurred. So, he swore to always be by his side from then on.
Jin-ah never had to suffer because her oppas would never let her feel any hardships. Bullies? Do they think they can harm the sister of the notorious Jin-hyuk? She aimed to get scholarship in the future and work a job with a high pay.
They held on like that for years, supporting each other on every aspects they could think of. It has always been like that.
However, things change.
One day, he discovered that he was strucked by the same disease that took away their mom, leaving her an empty vessel on the hospital bed for years. Despite he himself being a hunter, he still got it, being one of the rare cases to happen. His sleeping patterns made a turn for the worse, yet he would always manage to give a blinding smile to the people he care for.
But he just can't let them know about it now, he had worked so hard to put on a front that stow away those pests from his beloved siblings. He just have to hold on a little longer.
He knows he can.
Right?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jin-woo played with his food, dwelling himself in his thoughts. He had change these past months, physically and personality. His kindness is still there, now only reserved for his close ones and those he can trust, other than that, he'll only let them see his aloof appearance. They would never see the warmth that was once emanated from his ebony coloured eyes ever since. Especially not after the C-rank gate incident. His menacing aura got thicker as time flew by.
His behavior didn't go unnoticed by the other male in the house since he was especially observant towards his siblings.
" What's up, hyung? You have been fidgeting with your food for a while now." Jin-hyuk finally voiced out.
Jin-woo flinched, surprised that he was discovered. He had never felt like this for a while now. The uneasiness spread through his entire being.
" ...It's nothing."
" Doesn't seem like nothing to me. Jin-ah isn't here, so you can tell me about it."
Yeah, that chatty mouth is busy with school right now. They are relaxing at their humble abode as they didn't have any work at the moment.
" . . . "
" You know you can trust me, right?"
" Yeah, I know... I just don't want you to worry about me."
" As if I'm someone who shouldn't worry about you. I'm your brother, I have always been worried about you since we were kids. Now, tell me about it. Who knows, maybe I could give you a helping hand."
" ...Fine. It's just that, lately, I felt like someone was watching me, a stalker maybe? But everytime I tried to look for them, they disappear, as if they weren't even there to begin with. I don't know if it's just a fleeting feeling or someone really did follow me around."
Jin-hyuk stayed silent, processing the things he just heard. Only after everything sink in does he talk again.
" Well, your intuition of danger had always been better than any of us, so you might need to be extra cautious of your surroundings. Just make sure you aren't alone, then. At least someone would be able to be a witness in case something were to happen to you."
" Yeah, you're right..."
" If you want, I can somewhat be your part-time bodyguard for the time being."
" I doubt that. You're already one without me paying."
Both of the males chuckled, making the mood lighter. They joked around some more before they retreated into their rooms, doing their own stuff. As Jin-hyuk reached the bed, his body finally collapse, free of the restraint of him trying to hold himself up in front of Jin-woo.
He grunted. Guess he reached his limit today. As he blinked, his eyelids drooped, getting heavier as the time pass by. A few hours pass by and his body took so much time to finally have the energy needed to stay awake again.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Seriously, Jin-hyuk have to say thank you to his friend who taught him hacking skills in the past. It's quite useful, no, very useful to find information and get evidence needed for anything. Why hadn't he discover this skill earlier?
Hacking into the cameras of public places that his brother had been, he kept an eye out for anything he could find. For the first few videos, nothing stood out until he realized that in every video he managed to collect, there is always the same face just around the corner.
And, she was no stranger to the public. She's an A-rank hunter from the Hunters Guild.
Cha Hae-in.
For what reason she followed him around was still unknown, but now he knows for sure that somebody is really tailing his hyung around.
Just then, his eyes suddenly blurred out, warning about something that isn't foreign to him anymore.
" Fuck... Guess I didn't have much time left..." he muttered to himself.
He managed to close his laptop before he sunk into endless darkness...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jin-woo walk around, feeling uneasy as his heart drums wildly in his chest, telling him something is wrong. But, like in those movies, he just couldn't figure out what. He figured it's just a normal nervous feeling as he wait to receive his rank re-evaluation result. Though, he knows that's not the case.
The normally calm ravenette couldn't sit still as he pace around the building, focusing on his surroundings better as the thought was kept at the very end of his mind.
Just as he went out of rooms he were guided in, his phone chimed, notifying him of the incoming message. Opening the chat between him and his little brother, he saw an attachment sent by Jin-hyuk. Seeing that it's a video, he played it loud enough for him to hear.
The video showed Jin-hyuk setting up his camera, positioning himself in the middle of the frame.
" Hey! Uh... Well, I decided to make a video due to my circumstances, which I'll tell you about it later. Uh... How should I start this... Oh! Remember how you once told me about you feel like someone is watching you? Well, I figured out who it is with my own ways and I'm gonna show you."
Just as he said that, he pulled out his laptop that he had used for years wether for school or work. Flicking through the image and videos showing Cha Hae-in around Jin-woo's vicinity at various places.
" So yeah, as you can see, the famous S-rank hunter, Cha Hae-in have been following you around for a while now. And I don't know the reason she was doing that. So, maybe you can be cautious of her from now on? I don't know. She doesn't seem to hold any malice in her expression from what I can see. Maybe she's curious about you?"
The younger male in the screen commented as he replays the recording of the blonde female. Suddenly he grins, turning his gaze to the camera again.
" Should I expect a sister-in-law in the future?" he joked, smirking inside the screen making it as if he interacted live with his hyung.
" Anyways," He put the laptop aside as his expression sullen.
" Like I said earlier, this is not the only thing I'm going to tell you."
Jin-hyuk visibly inhaled as he tries to calm himself. The usual shine of happiness in his eyes were drowned by the solemn expression on his face.
" Hyung, I... I-I actually.. got the eternal sleep disease... It was rare among normal people, let alone hunters... But, someway.. somehow.. I got it... And, when you were confiding me about the stalker matter, it has been a few months I caught it... It was only a matter of time until I.. collapse."
Jin-woo's hands tremble in shock, his mind was racing. Even Usain bolt would lose against his thoughts right now. Regardless, that was not the end of the video.
" I.. I'm sorry for not telling you guys.. I just want to see you guys smile if I were destined to collapse one day, so I hid it. When you were telling me your worries, I thought that I want to protect you one last time, just like the old days you know?"
Jin-hyuk could be seen smiling as he lost himself down the memory lane before snapping out of it again, letting out a satisfied chuckle.
" Hyung, as your bodyguard, did I do a good job?"
He smiled cheerily through the screen as he shone brightly in the dimly lit room.
" But then, my time was running short and that is why I had to make this video. It's harder to stay awake these days. Thanks for being my hyung all these years. I was quite the naughty kid and you always got caught up in the trouble I caused. I love you, idiot."
Jin-hyuk ended the video recording and the play button emerged again. Just as the video ends, his phone rang, showing Sung Jin-ah's name as the caller id. A foreboding feeling engulf his heart but he answered it nonetheless.
" *Sniff* Oppa! Jin-hyuk oppa suddenly collapsed!!! Come to the OO Hospital quick!!!"
Jin-woo's phone fell to the ground...
°~Thanks for reading~°