Chapter 8.... Brother-zoned

It was the performance day and strangely I didn't feel nervous. Oh and also I didn't get any nightmare since I didn't think about my dad.

I was so excited to get to school because I get to perform in front of my mom, uncle Daesik and other people, so I woke up pretty early and by early, I mean 4 in the morning.

Opening my eyes, I sat up to see Yeol sleeping soundly and he was so cute. Honestly, I don't think I just have a crush on him. I think I like Yeol a lot more than I can explain.

I decided to place a light kiss on his forehead and as I did Yeol immediately opened his eyes making me shriek in fear. "Oh hey hyung"

"What are you doing?" He asked me.

What do I say? Should I lie? I'm literally smiling at Yeol while throwing a fit internally.

"I was... I was..." Curse my stuttering.

"Kissing my forehead?" Yeol questioned not smiling again.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered timidly. Why? I can't even imagine making Yeol angry "... don't be mad at me"

"Ha ha ha" Yeol laughed pulling me close by my waist "... why'd I be mad at you? It's totally normal for family to give forehead kisses"

I should be happy that he isn't mad but way to go Lee Hanyeol, breaking my heart by brother-zoning me. "Yeah... now let go of me"

"Answer this first...why are you up so early? Feeling jumpy about your performance?"

He was right. I'm super excited for my performance today. "Pretty much, yeah. Now let go of me, staying this way when we're not cuddling, is tiring"

"Then let's cuddle..." Before I could process anything happening we were cuddling. My head was on his chest and I wrapped my arms around him while his hands play with my hair. How in the world can he not feel anything after so much skinship? Yeol is as straight as a ruler or is he pretending?

You know how they say having a crush on a celebrity is the hardest because they don't know you exist, that's a lie. I have a crush on my brother which is uncanny, I stay in the same room with him watching him go shirtless without a care and to top it all, our level of skinship is too much. Oh I nearly forgot, he flirts without knowing it's flirting. This is the actual hardest.

"When was your first kiss?" This is random and it's coming out of Lee Hanyeol? I'm not gonna be surprised anymore.

"Yesterday" I replied.

"Yesterday? Did you and Yeonwoo kiss before breaking up?" That's it, I'm strangling this boy to death.

"Arrghh... how do you pass algebra, calculus, matrix, Pythagoras theorem and others if you're this dense. You kissed me, silly" I scolded Yeol, whispering the last sentence.

"If you don't accept it, let's not consider it a kiss. I don't want you to hate your first kiss because of me." Why is Hanyeol such a green flag?

"Is this how you win your challenge of making me have a crush on you? It ain't working." I know I'm lying but I want to feel more butterflies in my stomach.

"I have no words to say. Uhm...are you sure you can perform comfortably with Yeonwoo because it might be a problem"

"You're right, I'm still angry at him but I can be very professional and I plan not to show any sign of care to him"

Yeol was quiet, he kept scratching his head as if he was thinking about something "I believe in revenge outfitting and possibly I can help you with a revenge glow up"

"Glow up? I look great already" I defended making kissey faces to show I'm cute.

Yeol chuckled "I know, you look so cute that babies get jealous but you need to up your game and I will help you." He stood up and pulling me up right after then turned to enter his closet to pick out outfits. Yeol decided give me his clothes because the best place to get a bad boy glow up outfit is in a bad boy's closet.

"I'll pretend to trust you..." I said taking off my shirt. I feel like teasing Yeol right now but I can control myself. Who am I kidding? When my brain says go, I go. "...You know what?"

"What?" Yeol replied not looking at me.

"I feel like I'm winning something soon"

"Huh? Winning what?" He turned to me looking skeptical. "You lost your boyfriend yesterday, you're on the loosing side"

Of course he had to remind me of my pain. "I know but we made a challenge yesterday or...did you forget?"

"Wait, you think you're winning? I'm sorry "

"Sorry for what?" I retorted.

"The fact that I'll make you crush on me and then crush your heart to cute tiny pieces"

"What if you actually like me?"

"I won't and also brothers don't date.." Yeol walked up to me and smacked the back of my head. "ow...that hurts"

"It's supposed to, now go shower and put these on" He threw some clothes at me. I took of my shirt off, groaning. "... don't get mad" He said patting my hair

Yeol's words came as a soothing sensation to me. This made me ask the most uncanny question. "Can I kiss you?"

"No!" Yeol deadpanned.

"But you did it to me..."

"She was gonna come after you if there wasn't any proof that I'm taken.... Are you so naughty that you won't understand?"

"So technically....she stalks you and to her, we're dating" Finally a chance but now I feel guilty. Yeol wasn't wrong, he really is my brother since my mom and his dad are gonna get married but I can't help falling for him every minute. I need to really change my mindset of seeing him as a guy and agree he's my brother.

Consecutive heartbreak. I'm really cursed.

"Yes and no....Yes she's my stalker and No we're not dating even if it's fake. YOU'RE MY DAMN BROTHER!" These words hurt me like a stabbing knife but I didn't have time to react as I saw Uncle Daesik at the door looking at is in a strange way.

"Uncle?..." I called out making Yeol turn to his dad and I swear I saw fear in Hanyeol's eyes. This fear was beyond what I can explain because I've never seen him scared of anything. "F- father? What are you doing here dad?"

"What's all these talk about faggot dating" Uncle Daesik asked with furrowed brows.

"It's an assignment...we were just practicing lines." Yeol was literally shivering and I was standing there, shocked. Flabbergasted at why he was lying gave me many questions in my head. Why was he lying? Is he shivering out of fear? Why does Uncle Daesik look like he was about to kill someone?

I thought for some time and finally I realized, it was homophobia. My dad is an abuser and Yeol's dad is homophobic. Shit.

"Okay...You can get back to preparing for school... also I won't be present at the fundraiser. I have an emergency surgery in Japan. " With that, he left not caring if we wanted to reply. I see why Yeol was angry at his dad; he literally gives no chance for communication.

Yeol hurriedly locked the door and slumped on the bed. "Hyung....you okay?

"Yes..." I knew he wasn't saying the truth but I wasn't going to push it.

I stood up and walked to the bathroom but just as I was about opening the door, Yeol wrapped his hands around me from the back.

As much as I loved our current position, I wouldn't let myself get used to it. "what is it?"

"Don't leave me"