The Illusion of Solace and the Core of Longing

“Hey. If a day ever comes where I end up falling into a remarkably long slumber.”

“What kind of absolute nonsense are you uttering?”

“Just open your ears and listen, you moron.”

“Exactly what are you talking about, you complete idiot?”

“Ah, I am telling you to listen, Jung Eun-soo, you rainbow-colored-crap-idiot.”

“Yes, yes. I am listening intently, my lord Jung Eun-ho, the unbelievable, miraculous, single greatest moron in the entire universe.”

“Forget it. At any rate, refrain from crying and maintain your absolute composure. You king-god-general-emperor-majesty-gorgeous moron.”

Back during that historical juncture, Jung Eun-soo had simply concluded that Jung Eun-ho was uttering absolute nonsense. For what explicit reason would Jung Eun-soo ever shed tears merely because Jung Eun-ho fell into a protracted sleep? In all probability, he would simply snicker and mock the fellow upon witnessing him running laps around the school playground after oversleeping and arriving late for class.

He possessed zero realization that reality would culminate in this specific disaster.

Had he possessed prior awareness, he would have extracted significantly more detailed parameters regarding the situation. He would have verified whether that state truly constituted a mundane sleep, and whether an absolute awakening was even structurally possible…

“Did he announce that the fellow is currently sleeping well?”

Kallios refrained from delivering a single verbal response. For what specific reason was the entity suddenly inquiring about ‘Eun-ho’s’ current status? Operating under the assumption that the query required zero formal feedback from Kallios’s identity, Jung Eun-soo instantly delivered his subsequent commentary.

“The specific information your consciousness is craving is an asset that the fellow likely possesses.”

It appeared as though Jung Eun-ho had possessed a precise, historical awareness regarding the reality that Kallios would ultimately seize his physical vessel. It was exclusively due to that baseline understanding that he had articulated a commentary regarding his impending, long-term absence.

Because his eyes had been locked onto the fluorescent ceiling lights for an immense duration, a sharp, brilliant white glow remained entirely visible beneath his eyelids even when he closed them. Glaring directly at the lingering visual artifact behind his closed eyelids, Jung Eun-soo let out a low noise before parting his lips.

“An alternative individual exists who likely possesses absolute comprehension of the situation.”

“Identify the coordinate.”

“Who can truly say…”

Displaying a thoroughly mischievous smile, Jung Eun-soo forced his physical frame into an upright, seated posture. His foot happened to strike a heavily crumpled academic workbook rolling around the corner of the floorboards, prompting him to lift the item to deposit it flatly over the table before retrieving a pen that had drifted onto the ground.

“Will we not naturally acquire absolute clarity once the appropriate timeline manifests?”

Kallios knit his brows into a sharp scowl. He thoroughly disliked the deeply ambiguous, vague nature of the delivery. However, Jung Eun-soo refrained from providing a single additional syllable, lowering the absolute tip of his pen to rest over an empty segment of the notebook. Kallios tracked Jung Eun-soo’s physical movements for a brief interval before forcefully dragging the open workbook toward his own coordinate to review the contents, delivering a cold evaluation.

“This structural calculation is entirely incorrect.”

“What did you say?”

Grasping his mobile device, Kallios rose entirely from his seated position.

“Hey, exactly which item number is incorrect?”

Refraining from supplying the precise answer as he exited the room was a small, intentional manifestation of petty spite.

Throughout the subsequent timeline, Kallios and Jung Eun-soo routinely engaged in structured dialogue—and physical altercations.

Jung Eun-soo revealed that the exact phase where his consciousness ‘recalled’ the historical memories belonging to ‘Kallios’ occurred around the timeline of his enrollment into elementary school. Diverging significantly from Kallios, who had forcefully commandeered Jung Eun-ho’s physical vessel midway through his life cycle, Jung Eun-soo had physically emerged into this world as the legitimate biological sibling of ‘Jung Eun-chan’ from the absolute commencement of his existence, prompting him to append the commentary that his psychological matrix aligned far more securely with the identity of ‘Jung Eun-soo’ rather than ‘Kallios.’ While Kallios maintained an absolute lack of concern regarding Jung Eun-soo’s personal circumstances, the reality that the fellow had coexisted alongside ‘Jung Eun-chan’ from his biological birth onward generated a minor shred of friction within his mind. This was a consequence of the baseline truth that Kallios had never personally witnessed Kaian’s childhood, nor had he observed Jung Eun-chan’s youth.

Naturally, the historical archive archived within ‘Jung Eun-ho’s’ consciousness contained sporadic, fragmented images of a youthful Jung Eun-chan, and a physical photograph album documenting those eras undeniably existed… yet those assets felt entirely insufficient to satisfy his internal requirements. Kallios intensely desired to acquire a far deeper, comprehensive comprehension regarding Kaian.

However, he refrained from consistently weaponizing his demeanor whenever the fellow flashed a lazy smile to deliver a mocking commentary like, “Back when our older brother was a youth.” This restraint stemmed from the realization that because Jung Eun-soo had successfully transitioned into the elder’s flawless ‘younger brother,’ it was a structural impossibility for his existence to ever crave a position ‘beyond that of a sibling.’

Possessing an intimate, first-hand comprehension regarding the absolute intensity of the emotions ‘Kallios’ had historically harbored toward Kaian, Kallios viewed Jung Eun-soo’s absolute complacency within that familial baseline as a display of profound idiocy and immense foolishness.

While it was an undeniable reality that Kaian’s psychological baseline rendered him defenseless against vulnerable entities, he strictly refrained from surrendering anything beyond that localized affection.

Absolutely never.

Kallios harbored an intense, absolute revulsion toward executing the role of a ‘younger brother’ any further.

While Jung Eun-soo appeared entirely validated and fulfilled by an existence spent operating as the elder’s sibling, Kallios, having endured a decade trapped within a similar structural dynamic, possessed the absolute realization that his profound thirst could never be quenched by occupying such a position. Rather than entering Kaian’s protective sanctuary under the guise of an ‘older brother’s sibling,’ Kallios preferred to transition into a complete outsider.

Even if Kaian had lacked a structural familial connection to his existence, Kallios would have naturally fallen in love with his soul.

Operating under that baseline, how would Kaian perceive the situation?

The historical memories belonging to ‘Kallios Capre Rotenmeyer’ were… thoroughly useless assets within this paradigm. From the absolute flash of their initial encounter, the elder had consistently looked at ‘Kallios’ while visualizing Kallios’s core self. While Kaian undeniably harbored an immense volume of baseline responsibility and profound compassion, had ‘Kallios’ manifested utilizing a completely alternative physical exterior and a distinct name, the elder would have never selected the structural trajectory of surrendering his personal life force simply out of anxiety that Kallios would remain abandoned within a dream universe.

The reality that Jung Eun-soo had chosen to permanently anchor his existence within the safe parameters of brotherhood was not without structural logic. If an entity possessed the capacity to achieve absolute fulfillment merely through spatial proximity, zero methodologies existed that offered greater security than operating as Kaian’s younger brother. He had functioned as an intensely devoted, deeply affectionate older sibling even to Kallios, who entered the household through formal adoption. His devotion toward Jung Eun-ho and Jung Eun-soo, individuals who shared his genuine biological lineage, required zero verbal elaboration.

Yet, Kallios explicitly refused to exist as his younger brother.

Because he desired to acquire the absolute entirety of the elder’s existence, and he yearned to surrender the absolute entirety of his personal soul to his keeping.

“Older brother, exactly what action are you executing?”

“Eh?”

Resting flat over the living room floor boards while lazily operating his mobile device, Jung Eun-chan merely tilted his neck upward to respond. Kallios dropped his frame into a seated posture directly before him. Smoothly flipping his smartphone face down to conceal the screen from view, Jung Eun-chan rolled his upper anatomy over to assume a supine position.

“It is an absolute secret.”

“Does a structural secret genuinely exist within the parameters of our relationship?”

“Naturally it does.”

Buzz. Resting flat against the floorboards, the concealed mobile device emitted a brief vibration. It was the specific audio marker indicating the arrival of a text message. Jung Eun-chan immediately retrieved the device to inspect the interface. Sliding a brief glance across the tilted display screen to catalog a chat log heavily saturated with digital emoticons, Kallios opened his mouth to inquire.

“Identify the transmitting entity.”

“The newly hired individual from the adjacent corporate team.”

“Does she possess an attractive exterior?”

Shifting his focus away from the chat interface, which was currently receiving a continuous stream of brief text messages, Jung Eun-chan directed his gaze toward Kallios. While the lazy smile resting across his facial features was thoroughly enchanting as always,

“Yes.”

The verbal response he supplied failed to mirror that pleasant quality. Kallios maintained a completely static, unmoving glare directed at Jung Eun-chan, who had instantly re-immersed his cognitive focus into exchanging digital messages with ‘the new hire from the adjacent team.’

The physical presentation defining Jung Eun-chan’s facial features diverged significantly from Kaian’s historical appearance. Due to the reality that he had endured chronic illness for his entire existence, Kaian had been remarkably emaciated, and his countenance was consistently locked within an ash-white pallor, rendering his demeanor profoundly fragile and intensely sensitive. Conversely, Jung Eun-chan possessed a perfectly healthy volume of flesh and a vibrant, robust complexion. Utilizing that healthy physical canvas, Jung Eun-chan routinely engineered a magnificent variety of diverse facial expressions that Kallios had never once witnessed surfacing across Kaian’s features.

Extending his fingers to trace the contours of Jung Eun-chan’s supple cheek, Kallios executed a minor, gentle pinch. Continuing to type rapidly across the digital keyboard interface, Jung Eun-chan delivered a completely half-hearted query: “For what reason are you executing this?” Because the newly arrived text message explicitly pleased his sensibilities, Jung Eun-chan pulled the corners of his lips upward to form a smile, causing the flesh caught beneath Kallios’s fingers to briefly tighten before transitioning back into a soft, supple texture.

“Are you experiencing a state of deep infatuation?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Your external demeanor suggests an immense volume of satisfaction.”

“The situation does not conform to that specific interpretation.”

“Identify her chronological age.”

“Twenty-one winters.”

“Do you intend to establish a formal romantic relationship?”

“Exactly what reason would prompt me to initiate a romantic relationship?”

“Under those parameters, execute a formal introduction to facilitate my own acquaintance with her.”

“What absolute nonsense are you uttering.”

Executing a sweeping movement with his arm as if swatting away an irritating insect, Jung Eun-chan deflected Kallios’s hand away from his cheek. Kallios immediately snatched the mobile device out of Jung Eun-chan’s grip to review the active chat interface.

[ Lee Ju-yeon: Assistant Manager, let us explicitly consume our midday meal together tomorrow! ] [ Lee Ju-yeon: (Bear emoticon radiating digital hearts) ]

“Lee Ju-yeon?”

Tapping the profile imagery to maximize the scale, he cataloged the photograph of an individual flashing a wide, radiant smile while seated before a coffee cup at a local café; her exterior attributes were undeniably attractive. Jung Eun-chan instantly extended his arm to forcefully reclaim ownership of the smartphone.

“Hey, your older brother is currently executing…”

“She possesses an attractive aesthetic. Do you intend to consume your midday meal alongside her?”

“Executing that action is a structural impossibility. I am mandated to conduct external corporate field assignments tomorrow.”

Executing a half-turn to roll back into a prone posture, Jung Eun-chan transmitted a formal rejection message to ‘Lee Ju-yeon’ before completely relaxing his anatomy across the floorboards.

“My personal academic schedule features exclusively morning sessions tomorrow.”

“Therefore, what conclusion am I supposed to draw? Are you announcing an intention to personally consume a midday meal alongside Ju-yeon?”

Narrowing his eyelids into a thin slit, Jung Eun-chan locked a sharp glare onto Kallios’s form. Staring directly at Jung Eun-chan’s thoroughly sullen, pouty facial features, Kallios let out a low, quiet chuckle.

Jung Eun-chan operated exclusively as the older brother belonging to Jung Eun-ho; he was structurally not Kallios’s Kaian.

He possessed absolute cognitive clarity regarding this truth, yet maintaining a rigid demarcation between the two personas was an incredibly arduous task.

This difficulty stemmed from the reality that the absolute core essence defining the Kaian Kallios loved and the persona of Jung Eun-chan was entirely identical. The fellow was profoundly righteous, and he consistently conducted his existence as though executing the ‘role of an older brother’ constituted the single, solitary mandate governing his entire life cycle. He executed acts of self-sacrifice, surrendered his personal desires, and volunteered to endure grueling hardships with absolute nonchalance.

“A romantic relationship.”

You possess absolute permission to execute one, Kallios initially intended to articulate the phrase, before intentionally restructuring his verbal choice.

“Do you genuinely desire to pursue one?”

While Jung Eun-chan was explicitly not Kaian, Kallios simultaneously lacked the capacity to tolerate a scenario where Jung Eun-chan achieved absolute happiness alongside an alternative individual completely separate from his own existence. Naturally, even if Kallios delivered a formal declaration stating, ‘You possess absolute permission to pursue romance,’ Jung Eun-chan would refrain from consuming a meal or establishing a romantic bond with Lee Ju-yeon.

“Not particularly.”

“For what explicit reason?”

Jung Eun-chan delivered his response utilizing a thoroughly detached, flat vocal cadence.

“Are you genuinely inquiring while lacking absolute awareness regarding exactly how many consecutive days your older brother has executed mandatory overtime shifts?”

“A duration spanning two weeks?”

“The precise metric is three weeks.”

Emitting a low, groaning noise past his teeth as he executed a massive physical stretch, Jung Eun-chan shivered violently as if the simple concept of his corporate office generated an intense psychological revulsion.

“Forget the absolute concept of romance, my single desire is to execute a prompt departure from the office the exact second my shift concludes!”

Buzz. This time, Jung Eun-chan’s mobile device emitted a prolonged, heavy vibration sequence. Lifting the hardware to inspect the interface, he knit his brows into a sharp scowl upon cataloging the contact name ‘Manager Park’ displaying across the screen.

Letting out a silent, muffled chuckle, Kallios abandoned Jung Eun-chan as the fellow initiated a formal telephonic interaction with his corporate superior, migrating directly into the kitchen sector.

Had he lacked the structural status of a younger brother within this domain, his positioning inside the elder’s hierarchy of priorities would have naturally suffered an immense demotion. A distinct possibility existed that, mirroring the circumstances defining Lee Ju-yeon, he would have been completely denied an absolute opportunity to manifest his accumulated affection. Yet, despite that reality, Kallios intensely preferred to operate as an outsider rather than a sibling. Kallios craved to assume absolute responsibility for every single burden Kaian was currently forced to navigate. Rather than existing as a localized weight pressing down upon his shoulders, he yearned to operate as the explicit entity who lifted and distributed those heavy burdens alongside him.

Executing that final outcome was a structural impossibility so long as he remained anchored within the role of a ‘younger brother.’

Kallios missed Kaian with profound intensity.

If he could merely behold the structural sight of the elder executing a single breath once more, if his personal existence could simply be captured within those crimson eyes, he felt an unyielding certainty that he could execute absolutely any action—and that historical reality had already been proven. Within a universe where every macro-level element had ground to an absolute halt, Kallios had navigated a long, condensed vigil focused exclusively on Kaian’s completely motionless facial features. Zero instances of mundane boredom had surfaced. The elements that defined his reality were exclusively an absolute, terrifying volume of isolation, profound despair, and immense terror…

Evaluating his current circumstances against that historical matrix, navigating the parameters of this dream universe was remarkably simple. While every single instance of looking at Jung Eun-chan or receiving his deeply attentive, protective care caused a sharp, physical ache to radiate across his chest and generated a stinging heat behind his eyes, compared to the frozen ‘reality’ of his original universe, this domain constituted an absolute paradise. Observing the safe, unfolding trajectory of a healthy Kaian—no, an alternative version named Jung Eun-chan—inside a profoundly peaceful world.

Yet, Kallios missed Kaian with unyielding intensity.

Because Jung Eun-chan did not constitute Kallios’s true Kaian.

While Jung Eun-chan displayed an identical strand of tenderness and deep compassion mirroring ‘Kaian,’ and routinely generated the exact, flawless smile ‘Kaian’ had historically unveiled for Kallios’s keeping, he remained structurally distinct from the elder.

Jung Eun-chan appeared entirely devoid of an absolute immunity against psychological trauma.

While the unexpected demise of a cherished individual undeniably constituted an immensely agonizing, thoroughly torturous incident, had Jung Eun-chan operated as Kallios’s authentic Kaian, he would have strictly refrained from displaying his raw, unrefined emotional turbulence in such an unrestricted fashion.

Kallios’s true Kaian was an individual who had converted the act of absolute endurance into the baseline routine of his daily existence.

Because he had been structurally mandated to navigate his entire life cycle practicing absolute suppression.

Was this structural divergence a consequence of the total absence of the Dragon’s Blood within this domain? Or was the reality altered because his physical vessel had inherited a perfectly healthy, robust baseline?

While Kallios experienced a deep wave of profound affection toward Jung Eun-chan precisely because the fellow unveiled his psychological wounds with absolute vulnerability, he simultaneously possessed an intuitive, razor-sharp realization that the current version of Jung Eun-chan lacked the structural capacity to ever satisfy his internal void. The individual who possessed exactly half of Kallios’s heart, and the entity destined to claim the absolute entirety of his existence, was explicitly not this man.

‘Not at this current juncture.’

The absolute emptiness lingering within his chest cavity generated a sharp, physical ache. Milling his clenched fist against his chest to alleviate the discomfort, Kallios let out a heavy sigh.

Everything was perfectly fine.

The bow had explicitly communicated that he possessed the capacity to encounter the elder within this specific domain. It had announced that the moment he achieved a formal encounter, he would naturally acquire absolute clarity regarding the tasks he was mandated to execute. It had stated that once he finalized his objectives within this localized universe, the frozen macro-level world would resume its forward momentum, and the elder’s arrested respiration would instantly return to his lungs.

Enduring a protracted vigil was a structural task that generated zero difficulty for his consciousness. Kallios had previously expended an entire lifetime anchored inside a completely silent, frozen universe, clinging entirely to a single, solitary handful of the elder’s remaining physical warmth.

Provided an absolute encounter was guaranteed, provided he could ultimately secure a shared existence alongside the elder, he possessed the capacity to wait for an infinite duration. While a minor trace of anxiety surfaced regarding the reality that his deep familiarity with endless, indefinite vigils might cause his senses to accidentally overlook the elder if he materialized right before his eyes… everything was perfectly fine. Even in a scenario where Kallios’s perception failed to instantly decode his identity, the elder would undeniably recognize Kallios’s form. He would absolutely never turn his back on a Kallios who had transversed the structural boundaries of dimensions simply to locate his soul.

Therefore, Kallios was merely required to remain absolutely devoted to the current parameters of the life assigned to his keeping until the exact moment he encountered the elder. To ensure that regardless of the timeline or the specific environmental conditions governing their ultimate reunion, his existence would remain entirely free of a single shred of shame.