"Haneul hyung!"
Haneul jumps, startled, his hand automatically pressing on his chest. He turns, his pulse quickening in annoyance, only to find Hanbin standing by the kitchen counter, grinning like he's just caught Haneul in some amusing trap. Hanbin's casual, confident smirk makes Haneul bristle almost immediately.
"You startled me," Haneul says curtly, gathering his composure. "And I told you not to call me that. Hanbin-ssi."
Hanbin's face shifts into a mock frown, a look of exaggerated disappointment. "Aw, come on. Jihoon gets to call you 'hyung.' Why can't I?"
Haneul crosses his arms, his brows knitting together. "Jihoon is my student," he replies coolly, "and you're—" He stops himself, biting back the rest of the sentence, realizing he's on the verge of engaging in yet another pointless argument with Hanbin. Why am I even debating this with him? Hanbin has an uncanny knack for drawing him into these exchanges, and Haneul feels that familiar frustration bubbling up.
Hanbin chuckles, clearly sensing Haneul's irritation but unfazed by it. He watches as Haneul makes a swift, deliberate move toward the bathroom, seemingly dismissing Hanbin's presence. Yet Haneul can feel Hanbin's gaze trailing after him, lingering in an infuriating way.
As he reaches the bathroom, Haneul lets out a quiet sigh, splashing water over his face and mentally reminding himself why he's here. This is just work. He's just Jihoon's brother. But Hanbin's casual confidence, his teasing remarks, and that maddening grin keep surfacing in his thoughts, pushing the boundaries of Haneul's patience. Taking a deep breath, he shakes his head and returns to the hallway, prepared to finish his session with Jihoon, ignoring Hanbin as much as he can.
But as he passes the kitchen again, he's greeted by an unexpected sight: Hanbin, standing at the counter, slicing a bowl of fruit with surprising precision.
"Haneul hyung," Hanbin calls out again, his voice bright, flashing that too-familiar grin. "I was just cutting some fruit for you and Jihoon."
Haneul feels an immediate urge to roll his eyes at the use of "hyung" again, but he lets it slide this time, opting to focus on the strange sight of Hanbin preparing food.
"I didn't take you for the type to be cutting fruit for your family," Haneul says, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm. There goes his plan of ignoring Hanbin.
Hanbin shrugs, not missing a beat. "Don't judge a book by its cover," he replies smoothly, picking up a slice of apple and taking a bite, his eyes meeting Haneul's with that same teasing gleam.
Haneul narrows his eyes, folding his arms as he looks at Hanbin. He tries to edge away, hoping to get back to Jihoon's room without being sidetracked further, but Hanbin speaks up again before he can take another step.
"So," Hanbin says, his voice dropping to a playful tone, "I guess I'm fit to be a husband, then, don't you think?" He smirks, raising an eyebrow. "Can I get your number now?"
Haneul feels his patience wearing thin. He's still on this? He mutters a quick, firm "no" and turns away, heading back down the hall before Hanbin can toss out another line. He can still feel Hanbin's amused gaze on his back, but he brushes it off, determined not to let him get under his skin.
As Haneul re-enters Jihoon's room, he takes a calming breath, steadying himself. Jihoon is scribbling away in his notebook, completely focused on the task Haneul assigned him. For a moment, Haneul is grateful for the sense of normalcy. Focus on the work, he reminds himself. Not on the irritating older brother in the other room.
He approaches Jihoon's desk, glancing over his shoulder to check his progress. "You're doing well," he says, offering a small, encouraging smile. "Just remember to double-check your steps. It's easy to overlook the smaller details."
Jihoon beams up at him, nodding eagerly. "Thanks, hyung!"
Haneul nods, his attention shifting back to the problem in front of them. He begins explaining the next part, feeling the tension from his brief exchange with Hanbin slowly fading away as he focuses on the material. For a while, it's just him and Jihoon, the steady rhythm of tutoring setting a calming pace.
But then there's a light knock at the door, and Haneul feels his patience fray once more as he glances up to see Hanbin standing there, holding a plate of neatly arranged fruit. Hanbin's face is bright, his usual smirk replaced by a cheerful, almost boyish grin as he steps into the room. For a fleeting moment, Haneul's thoughts betray him—He looks kinda cute like this—no! Bad Haneul! He straightens in his seat, forcing his focus back onto Jihoon's work and banishing the unwelcome thought as quickly as it came.
"Hey, Hoon!" Hanbin says, ruffling his younger brother's hair affectionately as he sets the plate on the desk. "Brought you some fruit." His tone is casual, but Haneul can see the glint of amusement in his eyes as he deliberately ignores Haneul's presence.
Jihoon smiles back at him, clearly delighted. "Thanks, hyung!" He immediately grabs a slice of apple, munching happily as he glances between Hanbin and Haneul, oblivious to the tension simmering between them.
Haneul's gaze flickers from Hanbin to the plate of fruit. Hanbin arranged the apples in the shape of a duck and the melons in god knows what shape that is. How childish, Haneul thinks, his mouth pressing into a tight line. He knows Hanbin is playing some kind of game, and it irks him to no end that Hanbin would interrupt their session like this. But he holds his tongue, unwilling to give Hanbin the satisfaction of a reaction.
As if sensing his irritation, Hanbin turns to leave, his expression all too smug. But just as he reaches the door, he glances over his shoulder, flashing Haneul a knowing look.
"Have some fruit, Haneul-ssi," Hanbin says, his voice dripping with mock politeness as he deliberately emphasizes "Haneul-ssi," drawing out the honorific with a teasing smirk.
Haneul feels his jaw tighten, the irritation bubbling to the surface as he watches Hanbin stroll out of the room, looking every bit as pleased with himself as always. It takes all of Haneul's self-control to keep his expression neutral, forcing himself to refocus on Jihoon, who's happily munching away on a piece of melon, entirely unaware of the silent exchange that just took place.
Focus, Haneul, he tells himself, mentally shoving thoughts of Hanbin to the side. He's here to tutor Jihoon, to help him with his studies—not to get wrapped up in whatever strange thing Hanbin is doing. But even as he settles back into his explanation, he can't shake the echo of Hanbin's words or that infuriating smirk.
Jihoon, seemingly oblivious to Haneul's mounting frustration, looks up at him, beaming as he pushes his notebook toward Haneul. "I think I got it this time, hyung! Can you check?"
Haneul clears his throat, nodding as he glances over Jihoon's work. His hands feel unsteady as he holds the notebook. "Good," he says, managing a small smile despite the irritation simmering just below the surface. He sets the notebook down carefully, hoping Jihoon doesn't notice the faint tremor in his fingers. "See? You're getting the hang of it. Just remember to carry that factor over to the next step, and you're set."
Jihoon's eyes light up, and he eagerly grabs his pencil, nodding along as Haneul explains the finer points. For a few blessed moments, the session resumes its usual calm rhythm, with Haneul guiding Jihoon through each problem, his focus fully on his student. But every so often, his thoughts stray back to Hanbin, and his stupidly handsome face. Someone as annoying as him shouldn't have those pretty eyes or the cat dimples, it's way too adorable and doesn't match Hanbin at all.
Why does he insist on calling me "hyung"? Haneul wonders, annoyed. It's like he's doing it just to get a reaction. He's had students' siblings be friendly with him before, but no one's ever been this persistently... personal. Most people understand boundaries, but Hanbin seems to treat boundaries like suggestions, ones he can ignore whenever he pleases. The exact type of people he disgusts. Haneul is a firm believer of "No means no".
But it's more than just the lack of manners or the honorific; it's the way Hanbin talks to him, the casual, almost lazy confidence with which he insists on working his way into Haneul's space, into his thoughts, with a relentless persistence that Haneul can't decide is more irritating or... compelling.
Haneul pushes the thought aside, refocusing on Jihoon's worksheet. "Alright, this is good, let's try the next one," he says, sliding the paper back across the desk. "Remember what I said about distributing the terms evenly."
Jihoon nods, his focus unwavering, and Haneul feels a sense of calm settle back over him. For the next few minutes, the room is quiet except for the scratch of Jihoon's pencil against the paper, and Haneul finally feels himself relaxing, the tension from Hanbin's earlier interruption beginning to ebb away. That's ofcourse, the calm before the storm.