Picked Up In Winter Chapter 6

Translator: Ranka

Editor/TLC: Miri

Picked Up In Winter – <6>

I did not even think about it.
I mean, that…… that someone from his family would hate me. That there would be someone who was not pleased about me invading his own s.p.a.ce.
I obviously should have thought about that, but I did not. Being absorbed in the harmonious family atmosphere, I could not even think about it.
I absent-mindedly sat on the stairs. Into my sight came Min Hyung who was violently knocking on the door and crying and the wildly barking Patrasche. It was noisy. It was so noisy that my ears were hurting but there was no response from the inside. Cruel silence that gave me gooseb.u.mps. Suddenly, I came to my senses. It was too cold outside, and Min Hyung was a young child whose immunity was endlessly declining.

"Happyyy…… what to do."

When I got up and came closer to him, Min Hyung who heard me raised his face and spoke. His face was stained with tears. The child with fiery sense of duty had already been long gone. In his place was a child who was at a loss what to do about this matter beyond his control. Not knowing what to do, only a small kid waiting until somebody reaches to him and helps him.
I wanted to let out a sigh. I lowered myself to match his eye level.

"Do you not get along with your small hyung?"

Instead of replying, the kid shook his head.

"So you normally get along?"
"Yup. Good, we get along really well."

The child nodded so furiously, it made me wonder if his head would not fall off, and said.

"I like small hyung the most……. I like small hyung as much as mom. He plays with me the most, spends time with me the most…… Although he's really scary when mad, but still, I like him the most…… What should I do, Happy? It seems like small hyung is mad. What should I do…… Happyyyy……"

The child, whose face was rapidly contorting, burst into tears again. And it was unbearable torture to me who was weak to noise. Feeling an incoming headache, I slightly frowned. The sharp voice of the child piercing into my ears felt unbearable. Trying to calm down Min Hyung first, I agonized over what should I do now.
It was clear to me that I was the cause if they normally had a good relations.h.i.+p. But even so, throwing your younger brother just like that…… I thought it was incredibly cruel. Did  he not care if his brother catched cold in this cold weather? Did he hate me so much that he would even abandon his own brother in order to keep me from coming inside?
…… That's impossible.
In other words, it was something that was done without thinking. Not thinking about what would happen to his younger brother, he just acted on impulse and put his momentary dislike towards me into action. I say, in that case, at least look outside just once. Don’t you see that your younger brother is crying like this. I thought while staring at the quiet house.
Nevertheless, it was still scarily quiet inside, and only the tightly shut door seemed to be silently watching us.

"Achoo! Achoo!!"

Eventually, the crying Min Hyung started to cough violently. I also got chills all over my body. It was fairly cold outside even after the snow fell. The cold had been difficult to withstand since yesterday and to us who had come outside without even one piece of outer clothing, the time in which we could manage to put up with it was extremely limited.
I took one deep breath and shouted at the inside.

"Hey, at least let your brother inside!! What kind of person are you, letting a 6-year-old stand in such cold weather!!"

"Can't you hear?!! Your younger brother, looks like he's going to catch cold right now!! Hey, Jo Dae Hyung!!!"

No answer. I even loudly shouted his name on purpose but still got no response from inside.
I let out a cough that sounded like my throat was getting sc.r.a.ped. I had not used such a loud voice in a long time, so I must have hurt my throat shouting in this dusty winter. Cough cough, I let out a series of coughs. The inside of my throat was stinging so much I had tears in my eyes. Ha-ha- as I was gasping for breath, Min Hyung already stopped crying and approached me. But again, he wore a worried look that did not suit a child. Haha. I laughed weakly with my sore throat.

"Happy, does it hurt…?"
"Cough! No……"

d.a.m.n. I coughed before I could reply. Because of that, the concern on Min Hyung's face deepened even more. I tried to suppress my embarra.s.sing coughs, but as they continued to escape, it did not look like temporary phenomenon. It felt like my whole throat was getting scratched. Maybe because it was inflamed, the inside of my throat was burning up.

"Happy, should we go to the lady next door? Does it hurt a lot?? Yes??"

The lady next door?
Ah, now that I think about it….. When n.o.body is at home, Min Hyung is left next door.
I thought back while my head was ringing due to intense coughing. Then I remembered the words of his older sister. Her words vividly appeared in my blank head. I brushed off the snow from my body and rose up. Then I smiled at Min Hyung who was looking at me with a worried face, and wanted to tell him to go to his neighbor.
But right then. With a creak, the silent door opened.

"Small hyung!!!"

As soon as the door opened, Min Hyung leaped at him in a scary manner. However, Min Hyung, who had just been about to pounce into his arms, suddenly remembered the memory of being shaken off before and his body immediately stiffened. Just like earlier, there stood a guy whose eyes were too cold to be called a middle-schooler’s.

"……."
"…… Cough."

In the middle of silence, a really inevitable cough came out of my lungs. I tried to suppress my cough with the utmost effort and faced him. The boy who stared at me silently with a cold gaze, soon began speaking in a subdued voice.

"Come in, Min Hyung and Patrasche."

─It was excessively childlike cruelty.
As if he was judging in court, or as if he was the king of the underworld determining who would go to Heaven and who would fall into h.e.l.l, he spat out a few words and once again closed his mouth. And he stared at me once more. , his eyes said. Not really having anything to say, I remained still. However, the ticklish feeling deep in my throat caused me to cough endlessly, making me unable to stay silent. With a tearstained face, Min Hyung looked at me and his hyung alternatively. Dae Hyung stood in the doorway, holding onto the doork.n.o.b tightly as if after confirming that his younger brother came inside, he will close the door again.

"Small hyung, what about Happy? Happy can't come inside?"
"Can't."

Despite his younger brother's pleading voice, what reached my ears was his firm reply.
Min Hyung's face became even more distorted. He looked at me. I let out a cough. His face was full of sympathy. I suddenly found it ridiculous. Getting sympathy from 6-year-old…….
To be honest, it was not that hard to get inside if I put my mind on it. No matter how much he tried, he was still a middle-schooler 4 years younger than me, he could not win me with his strength. However, the reason why I was being so obedient, was because of my position as an outsider. If he was rejecting me, it meant I was an outsider to him. I did not have the slightest intention of stubbornly forcing my way into his s.p.a.ce.
If there was someone refusing me, I did not intend to purposely stay here. I thought while facing Dae Hyung's icy eyes. I did not want to use strength to dominate him right now and stayed still, but when Jun Hyung would come in a while and I could go inside, let's leave this house. And let's go visit the sea like I planned yesterday. It'll work out somehow. Who knows? Maybe there were more people like Jun Hyung in this world. And maybe I would meet such a guy there.
If that happened…… It would be nice if that guy lived alone.
Like that, I vaguely hoped. But in that moment, I suddenly felt a warm body heat on my left lower leg.

Unfamiliar warmth. Yes, just like the warmth that touched my head in the morning. When I remembered this warmth, I somehow thought that it would be disappointing to leave this house……. What a foolish thought. I lowered my head to see the source of the warmth. It was Min Hyung. Min Hyung who had come to my side before I realized it, tightly held onto my leg. His two eyes, to my surprise, were staring at Dae Hyung in defiance.

"Why is Happy not allowed?!"

Min Hyung asked in a slightly sharp voice. Dae Hyung had no idea Min Hyung would disobey him, he was looking at him with a slightly fl.u.s.tered expression.

"That person isn't part of our family, Min Hyung."

Soon enough, he recovered his composure and replied in cool-headed voice.

"Why? Why isn't Happy part of our family?? Mom said yesterday that he could live with us, right?"
"Even if mom allowed it, I didn't. You'll only listen to mom but not me?"
"Ah……"
"Leave that person alone and come inside, Min Hyung. That person isn't like Patrasche……."
"Ah…… Ah?"

The child who felt the confusion of values started looking at Dae Hyung and me in turns. Then he lifted his head to look at me with those big eyes, as if he was longing for my answer. But I did not have anything to say in particular……. The child's tight hold onto my leg was pretty strong, so it felt a little uncomfortable.

"Cough…. Cold."

Feeling like I had to say something in this mood, I opened my mouth, but what came out were those kind of words. Although Min Hyung wore a worried expression, Dae Hyung’s eyes flashed angrily with disbelief.

"Happy, col……"
"You're really mentally ill?!"

He shouted loudly in an agitated manner and stepped out of the entrance to push me. I was blankly standing on the stairs and therefore unable to respond to his unexpected attack. With a thud, I fell heavily on my bottom. When I looked up at him, totally at a loss for words, I found him sulkily glaring at me. The snow touching my bottom felt cold. Thus, I frowned a little.

"You crazy insane punk! Don't think about mooching off from other's houses and go to a mental hospital!!"
"……."

I admit that my personality is a little unsociable but I am not mentally ill. And compared to your hyung, I’m rather sane…….
I even had thoughts like these due to the false accusation but just at the right moment, I could hear the sound of the gate being opened from behind. Then Dae Hyung's body stiffened with surprise. I was a little surprised because he looked completely different compared to his confident demeanour until now. When I slowly turned my face towards the oddity and looked back, a dark blue school uniform and a purple necktie – a familiar school uniform came into sight. It was Jun Hyung.
With eyes slightly widened in surprise, Jun Hyung stood there looking this way.

"Happy……?"

His timing was really awesome.
I thought while sitting on the floor and staring blankly at him.