"??"
He put down the phone with a perplexed expression.
"What the-"
"Jina noona never left a piece to fall on the ground. Always sharing every little, trivial thing to mom."
Newmoon grumbled into his own space, wrinkling and pouting too.
Jina has always been like that ever since she was small. As mentioned earlier, the phrase 'my mother is my everything, she is my world' kind of come to play real in her case. The fact she never left anything to hide sometimes annoyed people like how Newmoon was grumpy all over with the recent news.
Deep down he wanted to let mom know by himself and tried to surprise her but who would've known the plan would be dismissed already.
"Nothing stays secret with her when it comes to mother"
Newmoon mumbled down.
For some unknown reason, his eyes got dropped again. However, this time it was instead some sort of bittersweet feeling.
"…"
He just entirely stared blank at the patched floor. The bare grass grew on the shadow side of the bench. He slowly crippled the small thread of grass as he unconsciously recalled some of his buried memories.
As if it was nothing but some sort of nerve-wracking memories he turned his head down directly looking right through the green mosses that he already killed its roots upside down.
"haa!"
He let a long sigh of heaviness in his throat.
" To think of it more deeply than that's good too!! Being able to share things with your dear and loved ones without fear must feel happy too!"
"Now that I think about it I feel despised. How long has it been since i-"
He squeezed his eyes as though he wanted to stop it.
"SHH!"
He shushed the voices or the reel of the flashback of the movie.
"Let's stop!"
~~~
"Good afternoon mom and Mrs. Song!!"
Once Newmoon returned home, he immediately shows his warm consideration by bowing.
"Oh, Newmoon…Drop the formality. Didn't I tell you so? We're a family! You're like a son to us."
That sweet voice was non-other than the Mrs. song.
Upon realizing it, Newmoon bites his lips secretly, "Um-
"-Any way you came right in time. We're just about to go to our old friend's house for a get-together party and were just waiting for you!"
Hearing the last sentences, He paused and a question was raised in his mind, "Eh? What? Did I hear it real? They- Waiting for me?"
But from judging their body language and the honest expression it was the truth.
Mrs.song added with a smirk on her old face, "You could say like sightseeing too!"
"So, we might be late tonight! Don't wait for us and have your meal okay?"
Agreeing with her, Mrs. song commented, "As for us, we will eat outside!"
And who would be newmoon to interpret them?
He nodded and reflect his charms like an arrow in the air, "Rest assured. Hope you two would enjoy the evening to the fullest!"
If his confidence wasn't so low, he might have a great career in any field.
Both of them got mesmerized by his sweetness.
"Okay honey, we'll see you later-!"
"- Oh right listen honey?"
Newmoon, "?"
Mrs. Song's tone got serious suddenly: "Your brother might come late at night. If he asks about us, tell him about our whereabouts!"
Newmoon, "…"
"- Our phone will be off all time!"
"wait-!"
His thoughts began to wander around Mrs. Song's words as he helps them to get into a car.
"Why would I be telling him instead of them? Can't they say it by themselves or…? His phone ran out of reach?"
A doubt reached his mind but soon ceased into vapor once he saw the gift packets lying on the table nearby the bed.
"Oh my oh my!"
As soon as his gaze fall on the table he instantly sprinted fast towards it at a wind-like speed. All of his sluggish postures were straight and rose by the enthusiasm. He wasn't the type to be swayed by such materialistic products but for some unknown reasons, it was different this time. Maybe he missed his noona must during those particular moments?
He excitedly ripped off the cover of the packet! Before he could dive more deeply into it, something caught his eye.
"?"
The name 'Kim Newmoon' was written in a big alphabet all over the outer cover both horizontally and vertically. Earlier he just saw the few big letters but because his attention was on somewhere else he let it go. Who would have known it was his name letters at the end.
"What's up with all this? Is it necessary to do so? Is this how one would send the parcel from foreign lands or what?"
There he went with his doubt and possible reasons.
Come to think of it, His noona 'Jina' was one of the strange people. Or should the term 'Unique' sound more fitting? Well, it all depends upon a person's perspective.
Was she being overprotective of her belongings or a fool? Nobody knows.
"Sigh! You know what noona, you're something! Being a family member for an entire half a life.., and yet you always surprise me-!"
After going through several layers of packing, he halted when his hands touched the cover of the rectangular gift.
A gorgeous latest 'White Rolex' luxury watch!!
That hit him hard to the point his jaw dropped right on the floor.
Instantly the brightness of the watch made him almost lose his eyes in an instant. The name itself has the power to make people go blind and now it was in his hands of course his hands became shaky and a sweat sparkled on his forehead. The watch which he has been heard about only in the ad and saw only on social media was clearly in front of his eyes!
No wonder, Jina's security was such a high top-notch.
"WOAH"
His heart swelled up in excitement. Normally, He had no interest in such luxury items but from morning his tastes began to shake.
"Have I been living under the aged stone? Or what? I am seriously starting to develop a weird hobby. I'm afraid I would become addicted to it."
"Hmm..!"
He swirls the watch and closely examined it before he reached out his hands for a phone.
He began to type as he mumbled to himself, " So, does it mean the fact I hadn't a hope of seeing such items in my present life did it make me a non-materialistic person? Or what? Like as people say ' Wishful thinking' Did I get attached to it too much?"
He seriously was having the biggest values crisis of his whole life. Began to doubt his belief system.
*Ding*
Knowing the consequences of the conversation back then, newmoon knowingly decided to send her a message instead of a messenger call!
"Noona, I received the gift! Btw is that 'white Rolex watch real?"
The truth he never had seen such a profound gift made him swim into the pool of suspicion. Off course, Jina noona wouldn't bother to send it if it was fake still somehow newmoon couldn't accept the changes that suddenly.
*Ding*
"Oh, then that's good!"
"Wait, what? Yaa, are you seriously doubting me?"
Newmoon flinched.
If jina noona says so, it's true. She never lies.
A butterfly fluttered in his stomach. A various sense of foreign emotions roared inside his heart. It's been a long while since he had felt such heating feelings inside his body. At that moment he figured out his innermost feelings that,
"It wasn't like he was a non-materialistic person by nature but by money!"
He replied, "You have no idea how deeply I am touched right now. Thankyou noona. I will cherish it well!"
Instantly without bothering to try once in his hands, he blow the cover and wiped the outer touched area, and carefully kept it back in its original place in its cover. Underneath it, there seemed to have a warranty card of it shining like gold, but before he could have a chance of it to look at it, Jina noona's messages popped out which made Jenna's expression falter all at once.
"Wait newmoon, That's not for you!"
"It's John's who requested me to send it!"
"…"
"Open the other packages as well. Yours one is green colored!"
He lowered his eyes swiftly in a huge cloud of disappointment.
He opened his packet and another thing shocked him.
"Did you see it?"
Jina noona was keep on sending messages.
"???"
"I assume you like it. How is it?"
It was several designs of colorful brands of underwear!!
Yeah! You saw it right! All of it was undergarments.
Newmoon had never been shocked like that way in his entire life.
For the first time, he was speechless for a long while. His younger brother john received such an expensive luxury lifetime 'Rolex' watch and he got what? Underwear!!!
Nobody in his shoes would accept such treatment as well.
"I indeed asked you before what you need but you never utter a word of it so I asked mom and her response you have old, expired underwear that's why she recommends it!"
Yeah! Newmoon was a minimalistic person. Doesn't care much about the world. But who would have known that…such gifts are acceptable as well?? To an extent, he had hoped for some new branded outfits the fact he had never seen a Jina millionaire even if she had married and become one! In his eyes, she was the same, average girl.
So, every time he let it slide thinking it wasn't worth for and never bother her.
For some reason, still as if turning deaf ear to him, Jina noona still sends some gift to every individual. So, newmoon was at least expecting outfits as well but what lay in front of him made his soul fly away.
"Check out the size and tell me if it's fit or not! I'm worried about it though. I knew your size but mom kept on arguing how your 'lower boy' had grown ever since and asked me to buy a bigger size.!"
Immediately afterward he heard the 'lower boy' word, and he flushed.
He yelled in embarrassment and typed instantly, "Noona, come on..! How can you say such a thing like it's nothing? Have some conscious-
*Ding*
"yaa, What's there to be ashamed of and embarrassed off? Until a few years ago, I washed you off with my own two hands both you and your brother john. Don't act like you are humiliated by it!"
"Noona, after marriage your way of speaking has worsened. You have become way more shameless and pervert!"
There goes his doubt.
"What? No, you're mistaken. I never changed in the first place. I was born this way. And what about marriage? You two will become perverts and shameless way more than me once you get married too! Don't act like you're innocent! It's just that you haven't gotten to taste that's it. Once you have, you will become more unstoppable!!!"
Reading it, newmoon closed his eyes several times due to embarrassment. It wasn't like his first time hearing her speaking such slang and dirty words, his mother does way more than her too.. but he couldn't help himself but feel shy every time the topic falls upon such subjects. To be honest, the fact their mother was open-minded, all of her children seemed to grow up being open as well. Mom, Jina, and even john were free-spirited people. Only dad and Newmoon happened to be cold as stone in terms of sharing.
Being the head of the family, of course, dad should appear strict, reserved one to hold the family rules grounded..so it was understandable. But What about Newmoon?
…. Once he was like them too.. but nobody knows where the past himself went to!
*Ding*
"Try it fast!"
Jina noona's messages pop out.
"And you better not touch mom and dad's gift too, there are some precious items so it might get broken and so is john too! Dad ordered to let you bring unpacked. So!"
His countenance got slightly dark,
"Hmph, I don't even want to!"
Then he began to pack john's gifts in his respective packets.
*Ding*
"??"
Seeing it, newmoon gets irritated, "Now what? I have already put everything back carefully.!"
"WTF? I said to check if your underwear fits you or not?"
"What--?"
Newmoon thought she was just joking for a time being but what's this?
"?" "Yaa, you're seriously trying me huh? I haven't got an all day so do fast!"
"…???"
What the hell did he get himself up to? Now he regrets his decision of reaching out to her first? And as by knowing her, she wasn't a type to simply slide it down. She would finish what she had started! So better to do it quickly and inform her than brag down unnecessarily.
Letting out a long sigh, he unbuckled the belts of his pants.
And slowly and swiftly, taking his time he undressed. Fully!! The fact he was still in the same dress as his university, he decided to change his clothes as well. That's why he took out his upper shirts too!
One by one he started to check all of it. Originally if it was him back then he would surely put on one underwear and would lie about its outcome based upon only one. But now as if he had learned some life lessons while being in another house gradually, he listened to her. Some of them were tight as hell and some big. Only a few of them suit him just as she predicted. He informed her in the message box.
And before he could take off his boxer, suddenly a bell rang.
*DING*DONG*
Newmoon, "??"
Newmoon's lungs almost came to his mouth in shock! He jumped instantly.
"Wait- Is that grandma- Mom and Mrs. Song? Didn't they say they were-
And not only twice but it rang constantly.
"Wait- no. They know their house passcode. It must be somebody else. But who?"
He began to shake his legs in panic.
His body froze when he recalled something. His eyes widened and a few strands of hair got straight too.
"I know I know who is that! I know!"
*DING* DONG*
The bell was ringing simultaneously and so was the newmoon heartbeat too!
The situation he was in made him in trouble. Before rushing out he put all of the fragmented underwear onto the packet rashly.
He whispered to himself as he tried to get rid of every trace of it, "If he saw it, then he will think that I am some sort of pervert and weird."
"Haa! I don't want to spoil the first impression like that and act like-
He paused as he kept the gift under the table, "That we've never received such gifts from others..especially from higher ones!"
He ran out daily while wearing a simple white vest and trousers on the way.
With 'huff, huff' he controlled his breath by inhaling and exhaling a long breath before he could land his hands on the doorknob and open it.
"Good evening!"
As morning, he welcomed me with a warm smile and affection.
"??"
A tall height and pale skin was the first thing a newmoon noticed in that person. He wore simple casual clothes like him. But what stands out much was his coffee color sunglasses. At a first glance, he seemed to be a foreign guy. It wasn't on his dress sense but in his aura just like how elegant air was a present on Mrs. Kwon and Mrs. Song.
"What are you doing here?"
"Eh?"
Newmoon thoughts as if he misheard him.
"Pardon?"
"Isn't you that guy.., from-
As if that foreign guy realized something, he paused.
Raising his eyebrows he asked in a perplexed tone, "Why are you here?"
Newmoon, "??"
He could just stared at them with a dumb look. It hasn't even been a few minutes and then there was this tall, foreign guy who was already saying 'what he was doing there? And why he was there?'
He replied in a surprised tone, "I..um..this..Mrs.Kwon's daughter-in-law's brother..Kim Newmoon!"
A long 'AHHH~' level of understanding could be heard in the room.
As if he realized it too, only then did he speak out in a great deal of foresight, "Ohh, you're jina noona's younger brother?"
He entered as he said while taking off his sunglasses!
A dumbstruck, he hesitantly nodded his head, "y..es!"
He stretched his arms, "btw I am Song Aiden"
"Grandson of Mrs. song!"
As expected of him. However, he look nothing like newmoon had predicted. He assumed maybe he would be a blue-colored boy and blonde like a typical western boy. But no-
Instead, he looks like a typical eastern boy. Maybe because of genes? Taking out stereotypes, his visual, as well as his body, was no joke at all. Although his face was eastern his aura was on a whole different level. A hot one, which was a head turner for girls.
Maybe these days, newmoon has been finding himself more in a popular handsome group of people, and his standards of beauty rose higher.
Not him, but others.
A definite jawline, single eyelid, dark eyelids, and most importantly a high nose bridge and height…okay~
He was hot as hell.
Knowing how he was staring right to his face, Aiden couldn't help himself but comment on it,
"Haha, Do I look weird to be call foreigners?"
*Gasps*
He hit nail on the head!
Newmoon flushed out, "No..No..You's stunning!"
As he waved his hands in panic, A long sweat drooled down from his forehead and eventually landed on his neckline.
Seeing it through, he asked with a smirk,
"Anyway, you seemed to be drenched in sweat! Were you doing something dark and dirty behind the rooms huh?"
"__"
This time no matter how he listen he didn't get it.
Aiden walks ahead and sat on the couch and continued with a chuckle,
"I don't think I am that hot enough to melt certain somebody in this temperature!"
Of course in ac house, how could anybody sweat?
Newmoon was at a loss for words, "No. I was..s-
"See? You are wearing the shirt opposite.
Newmoon, "?"
It was the truth. Earlier he hurried himself to a point where he couldn't figure out the tshirt whether it was the opposite or not.
"And on top of it, you were shortness of breath and all flushed out.._!"
"No No No!!"
This time he figured out what exactly he was trying to point out.
"Not that! You misunderstood it."
"I was just-