Even though it wasn’t fun at all, Jeong Taeui couldn’t just ignore a guest coming to his house without inviting him to eat while he was hungry. He no longer had any appetite, but he still sat down in the chair across from his uncle at the dining table.

“This is called a frugal meal?”

Uncle laughed when he saw the dishes placed on the table, a bowl of rice, a bowl of seaweed soup and two or three side dishes.

“What do you expect from a poor, unemployed young man like that? Only in your army can there be great flavors.”

“Of course. If you practice hard and the food can’t satisfy you anymore, there will be internal riots. But that place is not the army either.”

“Yes, but I heard it’s no different from the army. It’s just that self-reliance is more autonomous than the army.”

“Even so, people who were anxious to get in there lined up all the way to the other side of the world. The name is also very good, United Nations Human Resources Training Organization – UNHRDO”

“You can’t remember such a long name.”

The uncle talked while eating.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a frugal meal like this, so it’s really delicious.”

Jeong Taeui sighed and picked up his spoon when he heard him both praise and complain in the same sentence. Even though Jeong Taeui didn’t feel like eating anymore, now he probably had to eat a few more bowls of rice before he could stop.

Jeong Taeui was eating soup when his eyes suddenly stopped at the pair of chopsticks moving in front of him. He’s thought about it for a long time but the way his uncle holds the chopsticks is very beautiful. Like his brother.

Jeong Taeui thought as he raised his eyes to look at his uncle. Polite and gentle appearance. Just like his brother.

Well, how can it not be the same? After all, genetically, this man is their father, even if he didn’t look like his uncle at all. 

“The third anniversary of his death is next month, right?”

Even though he didn’t say his name, Jeong Taeui soon realized who he was talking about.

“Yes, the 20th day of the lunar calendar. Are you coming?”

“It must be very difficult.”

Thinking back, the last time he saw his uncle was at his father’s funeral. After that, he never came on the death anniversary in the following years. But Jeong Taeui knows that he is a busy person, so he has no other choice.

Although he is an annoying guest to Jeong Taeui, the reality is that he is always sought after in any country.

“I don’t know when he’ll be home, but if he comes home, I’ll tell you to call him, okay?”

Even though he knew that if it was urgent, it would be easier for his uncle to find him directly, Jeong Taeui still opened his mouth. Of course, if anything were to harm his brother, his uncle would definitely never find Jaeui.

“No…. I don’t have that much time.”

He quickly finished a bowl of rice, muttering while wiping his mouth with his fingertips and staring at Jeong Taeui. At that moment, the bad premonition Taeui had forgotten resurfaced.

“Jeong Taeui…”

“Uncle… I don’t know what you intend to find him for, but anyway, you know he and I are very different, right? I’m the person that even if you brought the chemical formulas that Jaeui solved when he was 5 years old in front of me, I still wouldn’t understand it.”

Jeong Taeui quickly interrupted before Jeong Changin could say anything. His uncle’s eyes gently curved up again as if he felt something interesting.

“You and Jaeui, you originally knew that one of you was my child, right?”

Before those sudden words, even though they were unexpected words, Taeui never thought he would say them in a context like this. Jeong Taeui looked at him and sighed.

“Ah, not one of us, but both of us are my sons. Genetically. I know. But what about that?”

This is not a big secret. When he was young, he heard it directly from his father. He didn’t know if Dad thought about the fact that the two of them were old enough to understand those words or not, but Dad let the two of them sit down and slowly talk. Dad’s physical condition did not allow him to have children, so he asked for help from his uncle and got two brothers.

Nothing changed after that day. Dad is still my dad, uncle is still my uncle. However, at that time my father also warned the two brothers, “So, if one day your uncle says something strange, it is also true, please listen to him.”

Not necessarily because of his father’s words, but the two brothers listened to their uncle very much. Except for occasionally bringing trouble, uncle is still a kind and cheerful uncle. But my father is in heaven. Uncle said something strange not once or twice.

“No, not both, just one. Before you two were born, because your Dad knew you were twins, he said he would give me one of them. So at first, as soon as you two were born, they were supposed to be separated from each other and live like cousins… But as soon as you two were born, both were so attached to each other that I gave up separating both, so that you guys were able to escape the situation of separation”

Dad, look. Isn’t he still saying strange things now? When Jeong Taeui looked at his uncle blankly, his uncle immediately emphasized further.

“What I said was true.”

Even though he still looked suspicious, he was not someone who would lie. Furthermore, for some reason he had a feeling… What was it? Did Dad not want to tell his two children directly that he had offered to give one of them to his younger brother? That’s right, that strange word must be this word. Thinking back, at that time Dad was silent for a while and then quietly added “When the time comes, treat your uncle like a father and listen to him.”.

When is when? Was it when the uncle asked?

Jeong Taeui doesn’t know. However, if that was what Dad had told him, he had no intention of raising his voice against it. Even though his brother wasn’t here, he would probably come to the same conclusion as Jeong Taeui. Jeong Taeui’s personality is that he can quickly let go and adapt to a certain environment. In other words, adapt quickly to everything.

“Yes. Uncle… My brother is gone. When he gets home, I’ll tell you to call me, okay?”

When he heard what Jeong Taeui said, he burst out laughing. His smiling face was exactly like Taeui’s brother. Well, if these two people stood next to each other, people would definitely think they were father and son, and even their personalities were somewhat similar.

Anyway, this time when his brother returns, he will probably be very surprised because his father suddenly changed. No, maybe he wasn’t even surprised. Jeong Taeui didn’t remember ever seeing his brother surprised by something – or at least showing his surprise outwardly.

“I don’t have time to look for that kid in some unknown direction. Let’s go, Jeong Taeui. From today, you are my son. I’ll prepare my luggage. That place will provide all the basics so you only need to bring what is necessary.”

Changin rubbed Taeui’s chin and spoke comfortably. The voice was filled with laughter. The only person not happy here is Jeong Taeui. Such strange sounds are not interesting at all.

“Me?”

“That’s right. Jeong Taeui. My son.”

It looked like a heavy burden was about to fall on his shoulders. Jeong Taeui frowned and looked at his uncle with a serious expression.

The uncle appeared suddenly and suddenly claimed his fatherly rights, but why did his single uncle with no intention of getting married need a son?

“Is it okay if I don’t go?”

“Think of it as filial piety. Boy.”

“Dad. I don’t like it. Can I be an ungrateful child?

Changin laughed loudly. His dad and uncle have a huge age difference. The age gap between dad and uncle is only three years less than between uncle and Jeong Taeui.

So, instead of an uncle, he felt like Changin was more like an older brother. The uncle laughed loudly then stood up and approached Jeong Taeui. He looked suspiciously at his uncle who suddenly appeared in front of him.

*Pop* 

 Jeong Taeui clutched his head as he received a blow from his uncle.

 “This kid, I worked so hard for you to be discharged from the army, not even a single word of thanks, is that not filial enough? I have to fight more.”

 “Ouch! Ah! Wow! It hurts so much, uncle! It really hurts!”

Even this fighting style is similar to Jaeui. Indeed, it would be better for his brother to be the son of this uncle. It sounds like his brother is someone who has nothing to do with violence because of his indifferent personality, but when Jaeui’s hand pats his back as he sits still like losing consciousness or patting his cheek to wake him up is also like this.

The uncle knocked Jeong Taeui once, then calmly rubbed his hands and sat down as if nothing had happened. Jeong Taeui rubbed his head and muttered gruffly.

“I still have a long time to do my mandatory military service, but I thought I was discharged smoothly…. Was it you who helped me?”

“Yes. Jaeui told me. That his younger brother was covered in injuries, both physically and mentally tattered, and was crying in the army.”

“….That body and mind are in tatters…?”

He almost lost his life at the military hospital, his colleagues around him also caused trouble so he was also very tired… but until now… … he no longer wants to remember those things.

The problem started when he was assigned to the same unit as the people he had the worst relationship with when he was in the Military Academy. In the end, he actually almost killed someone, he almost lost his life himself, he was discharged from the army and now completely cut off relations with that person. Now he doesn’t want to think about it anymore and has nothing to think about.