Unrequited Love Thresher-Chapter 52: Relative Deprivation

Ten minutes after Ha Giyeon arrived at the café, Son Suhyeon showed up.

Ha Giyeon wanted to talk to him, even for a moment, but just as Son Suhyeon stepped out of the locker room, a wave of customers rushed in, leaving no chance for conversation. Distracted by his attention on Suhyeon, Ha Giyeon ended up making a mistake.

The drink was supposed to be served hot, but he’d mistakenly handed it out cold. Ha Giyeon bowed his head and apologized multiple times, but the customer’s anger didn’t subside.

Even though he quickly remade the drink and handed it over, the customer didn’t leave—instead, he began swearing at him. By this point, it was clear the man was just using the mistake as an excuse to pick a fight and vent his frustrations. But since the customer kept raising his voice, Giyeon had no choice but to continue apologizing in order to avoid making a scene.

That was when Son Suhyeon stepped in.

The customer flinched at the sight of Suhyeon, who was much larger than Ha Giyeon, but when Suhyeon also apologized, the man raised his voice again.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Ugh, hiring kids like this for part-time work. Don’t disgrace your parents—use that time to study instead.”

He roughly grabbed the drink and stormed out. Giyeon glanced up at Son Suhyeon, whose head was lowered. He’d heard far worse things himself and didn’t think much of it, but he was genuinely worried that Suhyeon might have been hurt by it.

Especially since he’d already seemed upset from what had happened earlier at school.

Son Suhyeon turned away and went back to work, and Ha Giyeon didn’t get a look at his face. Thinking he now had one more thing to apologize for, Giyeon pushed down his guilt and rising anxiety, and focused on his tasks.

***

“Fucking psycho.”

Thwack. With a loud smack, Kwon Jongseok’s head snapped to the side as his body staggered and hit the wall. He leaned against it and let out a hollow laugh. When Ha Dohoon interpreted it as mockery, he grabbed Jongseok by the collar and slammed him back against the wall.

“Must’ve been real fun, huh? Beating the shit out of Giyeon and pretending like you didn’t know anything?”

“Well, I think this is even more fun.”

Jongseok grinned, lips split and bleeding, looking every bit the lunatic.

“It’s funny, really. You used to mock and scold Giyeon, and now you’re clinging to him and losing your shit over him. How could I not enjoy the show?”

Maybe it was because he saw this as entertainment—the way Dohoon had once scorned Ha Giyeon, and now was pouring his emotions into him.

Apparently deciding he wanted nothing to do with such a lunatic, Ha Dohoon let go of Jongseok’s collar like he was throwing it away.

“Stay the hell away from Giyeon. Don’t come to our house. Don’t look for him again.”

“Aren’t you curious why I hit him? Then again, you’ve always laughed off the pranks I pulled.”

They hadn’t been pinching ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) or slapping kind of pranks, but the kind of teasing that sometimes startled Giyeon enough to fall over and bruise himself. Dohoon had usually laughed it off or ignored it. But this time was different.

Because Giyeon had changed. And because he hadn’t said a word about the injury—even though he was clearly hurt.

“But this time it wasn’t a joke. Giyeon crossed a line.”

“What... did he cuss you out or something?”

“If he had, I wouldn’t care. Honestly, it might’ve been refreshing.”

“You’re seriously fucked...”

Choi Mujin shook his head in disbelief. He was just as convinced as Dohoon—this guy was completely out of his mind.

“So I can’t stay away from Giyeon. He’s injured now, so I should keep an eye on him. It’s my wound, after all.”

“Giyeon said he doesn’t want to be around us. You think he’s going to be grateful for your attention?”

“You seriously believe he’s changed just from a few months of distance?”

Giyeon had spent years by their side. And Kwon Jongseok was certain—people don’t change that easily. Especially someone who’d always been starved for affection, someone who clung to others, leaned on them. Unless you die and are reborn, people don’t change. That was a fact.

So how could they believe Giyeon was suddenly different, just after a few months?

Kwon Jongseok believed it. Even if Giyeon said he didn’t like them now, those feelings wouldn’t disappear so quickly. He would feel the void of their absence in the life ahead. And when that happened—he’d come back. That’s all there was to it.

You just had to wait. Let him realize his place. Make him feel, down to the bone, that he couldn’t live without them.

“You really think Giyeon can live without us? Without Ha Dohoon?”

“...”

“He’s going to need us—again and again. Just like he always has.”

That much was hard to refute. Ha Giyeon had barely been able to do anything on his own.

“So what’s your point?” Choi Mujin asked irritably.

“Just leave him alone for now.”

“What?”

“Let him figure it out on his own.”

And if he doesn’t? Then they could use a more forceful method to make him come back.

Kwon Jongseok grinned viciously, the image of Son Suhyeon standing beside Ha Giyeon flashing in his mind.

***

"Ha Giyeon is Ha Dohoon's younger brother..."

When Son Suhyeon heard those words, the world seemed to stop.

He vaguely remembered Ha Giyeon mentioning once that he had a brother, but since he didn’t seem to like talking about family, Suhyeon hadn’t asked further. He’d never imagined that brother would be that Ha Dohoon.

He’d heard rumors that Ha Dohoon’s younger brother had enrolled at school, but paid no attention. It had nothing to do with him. Even if the names were similar, he’d never once thought they could be related. He hadn’t even imagined it.

The two didn’t look alike. Didn’t act alike. Nothing about them matched.

Suhyeon had never spoken directly to Ha Dohoon, but he knew what kind of person he was. He didn’t judge people by appearances, but watching Dohoon’s behavior made it impossible not to think of him as a thug.

Dohoon didn’t personally lead the bullying or do the dirty work, but his friends tormented people openly. Even when he saw it happen right in front of him, he didn’t interfere. He’d just sit there, bored, scrolling through his phone—utterly uninterested, even if someone screamed in pain just a few feet away.

The one person that kid feared most was Ha Dohoon.

Suhyeon hated people like that. Those with power who looked down on others and trampled them.

He didn’t expect them to be kind—but as someone strong, at the very least, they shouldn’t bully the weak. Instead, they treated others like insects, held their noses like they stank. Having always been on the receiving end of such treatment, Suhyeon deeply despised Ha Dohoon.

And now... it turned out Ha Giyeon was his brother. Of all people.

He didn’t want to believe it. And the first thing he felt—absurdly—was shame.

I didn’t even know...

He’d jumped to conclusions, thinking Giyeon had been kicked out of his home. He’d brought him to his run-down house, eaten tteokbokki and convenience store food together, tried to comfort him and worried he might get hurt. None of which Giyeon had needed.

All that unnecessary concern and meddling—maybe it had given him a false sense of superiority. Compared to his own situation, perhaps he’d felt a little proud. And now, that realization filled Suhyeon with embarrassment and shame.

How ridiculous must he have looked to Giyeon?

Like a kid scurrying around, trying to help someone he thought was worse off than himself. Hovering, worrying about someone who didn’t need any of it.

“Uh... Sunbae?”

Ha Giyeon’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. At some point, he’d come over, looking at Suhyeon with a worried expression. Suhyeon avoided his eyes.

“You don’t look so good... Are you okay?”

“Ah... yeah, I’m fine.”

“If your head hurts, I’ve got some painkillers...”

“Ha Giyeon.”

At the low voice calling his name, Ha Giyeon flinched, startled, and looked at Suhyeon with a confused expression. Seeing that look, Suhyeon hesitated, then continued.

“It’s nothing. I’m just tired.”

“Oh... I’m sorry.”

Ha Giyeon murmured as he stepped back and turned away. Suhyeon, watching his dejected figure, clenched his fist tightly. His nails dug into his palm until it bled. Looking at the blood welling up, he let out a slow breath.

He didn’t even know what he was feeling toward Ha Giyeon anymore. He couldn’t explain why he felt betrayed. Giyeon wasn’t obligated to tell him who his brother was. So why did it hurt? Why was it suddenly so hard to face him?

Was it because he was being forced to compare their circumstances?

Earlier, when that asshole customer had cursed at Giyeon and dragged his parents into it—words that Suhyeon usually wouldn’t have blinked at—those same words kept echoing in his head.

He didn’t have parents to disgrace. But Giyeon did. And not just any parents—rich ones. Then why was someone like that slaving away at a café, taking verbal abuse from customers?

Suhyeon had told himself he’d at least act normally around Giyeon, even if not the same as before. But what he didn’t realize...

Was how much his emotions were already overflowing inside.