I wanted to ask if he regretted offending the princess, but my nose felt sore, and I couldn’t say a word.
“There might be trouble ahead. Be careful,” he turned sideways, leaving me with a slender back.
I moved closer and hugged his waist. His body stiffened for a moment.
“I’m not afraid of her,” I looked at his thin white undergarment, lost in thought. “Do you—like her?”
He turned over, pulling me into his embrace, and after a long while said, “Silly monster.”
I somehow felt reassured, my eyelids beginning to droop. An Jin’s hand gently patted my back.
That night, I slept extremely well. I vaguely remember dreaming of a sunny day, returning to the summer when I was five, when An Jin and I went to catch frogs by the small stream in the forest. The weather was unbearably hot. Excited, I took off my little jacket and jumped in. The water was refreshingly cool. While playing, I called for An Jin to come in.
An Jin hesitated but was tempted by the water and slowly undressed and entered. We caught small fish and splashed water at each other. I deliberately played with him and secretly pulled down his pants underwater. Just as I was about to clap and mock him, I accidentally looked down and was heartbroken.
An Jin panicked, asking what was wrong.
I cried, “Brother Jin, you have a meat worm on you.”
An Jin blushed, hurriedly pulling up his pants, stammering to explain it wasn’t a worm.
Since I hadn’t bathed with my older brother since I could remember, this was my first time seeing such a “thing”. Although An Jin comforted me for a long time, I stubbornly believed he was seriously ill and might not live long.
Finally, An Jin held my hand, promised he would be fine, and bought me several sugar cakes with different fillings, making me laugh through my tears.
This dream was long and complete. When I woke up, I found myself smiling, my mouth moist, as if something had passed over it.
An Jin had probably been awake for a while, his face dark red, looking somewhat embarrassed.
I cleared my throat, casually wiping my lips, trying to appear nonchalant: “Did I talk in my sleep?”
He shook his head.
“Did I steal the blanket?”
He shook his head again.
