Translator: Miri

— h.e.l.lo Brother —
(안녕하세요, 만나야할 그대.)

"BlueDiver"

Chapter 1

"Hyung-nim 1 , is this the right way?"

Even though a voice filled with complaints was ceaselessly bothering him at his back, Daehan firmly ignored all those words directed at him and diligently moved his legs towards the front.

"Hyung-niiim—!"

Maybe he got tired of complaining, the figure behind his back now even started whining which did not suit him at all. Daehan opened his mouth and coldly blurted out.

"Since when have I become your hyung-nim?
You can’t call me by the proper t.i.tle?"

"I mean, Daehan-sunbae 2 !
I’m asking if this is really the way going to the workshop!"

Wandering around the windingly ongoing unfamiliar alley for quite a while, the figure who came up to here while chasing after Daehan’s back, all of sudden was overcome by an ominous feeling.
Could it possibly be that this person in front of his eyes was following this street for the mere reason that it was spread out in front of him……

"Well, I told you it’s the right way. I’m sure.
I’ve looked at the rough map enough times for me to memorize it, so it’s clearly engraved in my head."

Listening to his voice br.i.m.m.i.n.g with confidence and lacking even the slightest hesitation, the other person could no longer say anything.
But even though they had already been wandering around this alley for more than 30 minutes, the other party did not show any signs of hardship and continued moving with composure which made him quietly express his dissatisfaction to his heart’s content towards his back.

"I said to take a taxi as soon as we got off the train…"

When he had first mentioned a taxi as they stepped out of the station,

"Young people, ignoring the fact that they have st.u.r.dy legs and wanting to take a taxi. What taxi! Looking at the map, it doesn’t seem to be very far, so just walk!"

was what he said to him in an old man’s way of talking to put him to silence. Furthermore…

"Still, it’s so hot outside……"

When the figure voiced his objections with lingering regrets…

And just then, the figure unconciously uttered out of reflex and without an ounce of sincerity

"Of course, hyung-nim. My arms and legs are perfectly fine, so why should I take a taxi!
Yes, I’ll just walk, I’ll walk. If hyung-nim walks, I should walk even if I melt in the heat."

The more exhausted he became, the more he got worked up. Even if the other built up resentment that resulted in him being hit by the other’s naraechagi 3 until he was satisfied, they should still have taken a taxi.
This thought sank deep into the figure’s heart.

And like that, they briskly walked for more than another 10 minutes and reached the place where the alley ended. At that moment, the figure’s endurance finally wore thin and he exploded.

"Hyung-nim—!"

Towards the figure who was pointing at the wall fully blocking everything in front with a trembling finger and couldn’t seem to find any words other than "Hyung-nim" to express himself, Daehan simply replied in a languid voice.

"Seems like it wasn’t this way."

Listening to Daehan’s flat response that seemed like taken right out of an old advertis.e.m.e.nt, the figure could neither cry nor laugh and proceeded to absent-mindedly stand on one spot without moving.
Daehan who had started walking back the way they came from as if nothing had happened furtively turned around and began to talk very seriously.

"If you don’t follow me quickly, I’m gonna leave you behind alone?"

As he was looking at Daehan’s appearance from behind whose rhythmical footsteps were growing fainter and fainter, inwardly, the figure was earnestly wishing for exactly that.

Although the very person who tagged along against the other’s will was the figure himself.

Kim Daehan, he really was a person who could not be stopped.

How bad must it be that back then, completely unable to read the situation, he set foot onto the remarkable scene of 16 guys fighting, on his own accord?

Come to think of it, it was the same when those sixteen cowardly guys were surrounding him, and Daehan first met eyes with him who was collapsed on the floor in a b.l.o.o.d.y state……
He had muttered in the same manner with that lingering expression of his.

[ Oh? Seems like it’s not this way. ]

As memories of those young and immature days during his prime came up, the figure unkowingly broke into a smile.

"Hey, Jo Joohyuk! If you keep waddling like that I’m seriously gonna abandon you and leave?!
How about it, do you wanna try wandering around by yourself to your heart’s content?!"

Daehan who had briefly stopped walking out of consideration gave the figure who was immersed in his memories a warning and once again picked up his pace.
The figure quickly chased after his back and yelled.

"Just a moment! Please wait a moment, hyung-nim!"

Even though in his mind he was, of course, mumbling words like "Oh well, we’ve already been wandering around without any plans since way before anyway…"
while experiencing feelings of despair.

TN:

 1 - “Hyung” basically means “brother” and is used amongst men to address someone older than themselves and who they are close to, no matter if blood-related or not. The “-nim” is just a suffix expressing respect.

 2 - “Sunbae” translates to “senior” and is used to address someone in a higher grade at school or someone who started working earlier at the same workplace.

 3 - “Naraechagi” is a taekwondo technique. If you’re curious how it looks, skip to about 0:35 on this video:  4 - I didn’t get this sentence at first but I guess it’s because Daehan’s bad with directions, so the coach wants to make sure he doesn’t get lost and makes this guy accompany him. I could be wrong though.

You guys seemed to like ‘Picked Up In Winter’ so I thought, why not post another novel and torture you some more.