"Hyunie~, look! I brought your favorite food, tteoppoki!" shouted the handsome and charming young man, who was his beloved older brother.
The boy, Ryu Hyun, who was leaning on the bed, looked away from his window and looked at his brother with enthusiasm, but he was not allowed to get out of his bed because of his weak body, so he could only respond with a smile.
His brother, Ryu Seungjun, placed the boxes of food he brought on the table, then hugged his beloved little brother. Ryu Seungjun is a severe brocon.
"It's warm~, Hyunie needs to eat more, okay?" Seungjun coaxed while stroking Hyun's smooth brown hair.
"Hyung, it's stuffy, let go!" Hyun complained while pushing his brother away. He was a little pouting after hearing his brother's coaxing.
"No, don't be like that. Okay, Hyunie doesn't need to eat a lot, don't be mad at me, okay?" Seungjun, who was very afraid of being hated by his little brother, compromised so that Hyun would not pout anymore.
"Huum," Hyun pretended to be still angry, but actually happy.
The age between them was ten years, with Seungjun, who is currently a college student and also works part-time in his spare time to pay for his tuition and his little brother's medical expenses.
For some reason, Hyun always wonders what his older brother's job is, but his older brother will always answer that he works part-time and is paid well enough to meet their needs.
True, there were only the two of them, their parents had died in an accident when Hyun was five years old. Since then, Seungjun has taken care of him with love and even almost his entire life, he has devoted himself to his little brother..
"Here, open your mouth~," Seungjun teased while taking the tteoppoki and feeding Hyun.
Hyun obeyed him, not continuing his failed pretense. He couldn't be angry with his older brother.
"Good job, Hyunie is getting smarter now. Well, since this is New Year's Eve, how about we go for a walk for a while? I think the doctor will allow it," Seungjun suggested with concern interspersed.
Outside, thin flakes of snow colored the surrounding world white and cold, Hyun often saw this view without being able to go out or his illness would get worse.
But his older brother suddenly suggested something he really wanted, even though his older brother himself was most opposed if he got sicker.
"Is this okay?" Hyun asked while implying that he might relapse outside.
"Yes, this time it will definitely be okay," Seungjun answered with a strange tone of voice, as if he was really sure he could protect his Hyunie.
°°~°
Hyun, who was small and petite according to Seungjun, was not allowed to walk on his own, so Hyun was carried by his older brother who kept asking if he felt cold or not.
'If he's this worried, why did he take me out?' Hyun muttered when they finally arrived at the place Seungjun wanted to show him, the bustling town square.
Hyun was wrapped in thick and heavy clothing for him, but in order to keep his condition, Seungjun was quite firm in making him wear cold-resistant clothing.
The town square was so crowded, occasionally snow would fall, but not too heavy, so it was not bad to walk around. Maybe because they were conspicuous or because his older brother's appearance resembled an idol, Hyun felt many glances from around him. There were also some girls who secretly looked at his older brother with a mesmerized face.
He was a little annoyed, so he hugged his older brother tighter. He didn't want to be left by his older brother, it was something he was very afraid of. Therefore, he always considered his older brother's attention only his.
"What's wrong, Hyunie?" Seungjun, who was puzzled by his younger brother's behavior, asked softly.
Hyunie's reluctant to explain so he could only guess for himself. Seungjun glanced around sharply, to find out what or who caused his Hyunie like this...
He understood his Hyunie who was quite mature, although he should still be young, he would rather his Hyunie be more clingy, but his behavior just now as if he was afraid of something.
Seungjun then found the cause, it turns out he forgot to wear a mask as usual. Drawing too much attention due to his face was inconvenient. He was too busy dressing up his Hyunie that he forgot about his own appearance. Too bad.
"Sorry, Hyunie, I forgot to wear a mask. Hnmm, there's a nearby store, let's buy it first," he said while turning at a corner and entering a shopping area.
After buying a mask and some snacks, the problem was solved, his Hyunie no longer looked afraid and returned to being cheerful. Seungjun felt relieved.
They walked around looking at the view until the New Year's Eve fireworks were lit. It was very beautiful and full of memories. Seungjun's brown eyes strangely looked gloomy when the time showing midnight was almost there.
People around celebrated, but only Hyun and Seungjun remained silent. The first one felt his older brother's mood drop, the latter was thinking about something that made him unhappy.
"Hyunie," Seungjun called suddenly.
"Yes?" Hyun looked at his older brother, whose expression looked sad, with confusion.
"I broke the agreement," Seungjun said, saying something that couldn't be understood.
"?!"
"So, my time is limited. Hyunie will be fine for a while, but still wait for me, I will come back," Seungjun whispered while planting a small kiss on Hyun's cheek.
At that time, Hyun felt that time stopped. The world around him became quiet. Before he processed his older brother's words, his vision turned dark and his consciousness fell.
°°~°
A nurse brought a food cart to Hyun's ward, the nurse tried to comfort him with concern, "The doctor has tried to contact your older brother. Don't stress, your older brother won't leave you, he cares for you very much."
It has been a week since New Year's Eve, since then Hyun woke up the next day and no longer saw his older brother by his side. His older brother's existence seemed to disappear overnight.
Hyun ignored the nurse and continued to look out the window. Today, snow was falling, the cold air blew in until his room was also threatened to become cold.
The beautiful nurse understood his attitude while arranging his food and room temperature to stay controlled.
"Hyun has to eat, your older brother will be more worried if you don't eat properly," the beautiful nurse pleaded.
Hyun's response was still the same, in the end the nurse gave up and chose to leave his room.
Hyun felt his eyes were very heavy, he didn't know why he fell into a dream suddenly. He rarely dreamed, so this dream was so special.
~°~°
In the dark, unconscious ocean, Hyun saw a beautiful girl in a kimono and umbrella approaching him.
"Hello, my name is Lucia, I am your guide. Are you ready to participate in this predetermined game?" The girl extended her hand to Hyun.
"A game?" Hyun began to realize that this was a dream world. Lucid Dream?
However, why was there a strange girl he had never met before?
"Yes, a game of death. My lord invites you to join. You are surely looking for your brother's whereabouts, right? My lord can help you find him," Lucia explained hypnotically.
Initially, Hyun planned to reject all the girl's offers, but the mention of his brother could not be ignored.
Hyun was indeed more mature, but he was still an easily misled child. He grabbed the devil's outstretched hand. Starting his journey in an unlimited escape world.
***