A Handsome Kinky Gangster Reporter - Chapter 2

The strange visitor was a man with attractive blue eyes and black hair as he smiled politely. When I checked his appearance again, I almost cried out of happiness.

What happened in the meantime? My younger brother, Claude, had grown into a very warm young man, standing over 190 cm tall with a pair of broad shoulders. The image of a handsome boy, who used to be like an angel, had disappeared.

“Cla…ude? Are you Claude?”

“Yes, Noona. I missed you.”

I hugged Claude without minding my friends as they watched from behind. I was so happy to see my brother after so long. He’d grown up so finely that his chest was firm enough I felt my cheeks ache against it.

“How have you been? Do you know how bewildered I was when you suddenly left without saying anything?”

There were so many things I wanted to say and hear from Claude.

“I’ll tell you everything. Calm down, noona.”

“Oh, I understand. Hurry up and go inside. I’ll make you a drink that you liked when you were young. Just a moment.”

As Claude walked into the house and appeared, Gloria’s cheeks flushed when she saw his face. Her eyelashes fluttered as she lowered them.

At this moment, I wondered if the female lead also manifested.

The scent of wood mixed with the fragrant aroma of flowers spread into the house through the front door through the refreshing spring breeze. In the distance, poplar branches rustled and fluttered, as if celebrating this encounter.

I imagined if this scene were in a novel or movie. It was clear that a full shot of them would be shown as lovers falling in love at first sight with sweet background music. Of course, if not for me, who was like an uninvited guest between them.

Looking at Gloria’s embarrassed expression, I tried to suppress a strange feeling that I couldn’t understand. I couldn’t understand why my friend got embarrassed by the sight of my brother.

‘Why is she like this again? What’s wrong with her?’

Did Gloria fall in love with Claude at first sight?

I looked at Gloria, who was embarrassed and Claude’s face, who just smiled at me, alternately. I couldn’t figure out what I thought about the expression of the brother whom I just met after a long time.

It was Charon who broke the warm and awkward atmosphere. Charon stood up and invited Claude to shake hands whilst saying, “It’s nice to meet you.” The height difference between the two was considerable.

“Hey, you’re getting more fabulous! Back then, you were weak and small.”

“You grew up the same way.”

“Wow, do you remember when we were young, I knocked down all the bullies that harassed you?”

Claude laughed awkwardly at Charon’s words. The two men held each other’s hands tightly. Because of how hard they shook hands, blue veins even appeared on Charon’s arms. I had to stop Charon who didn’t realize it.

“Hey, if you want to spout nonsense, just go home. Don’t disturb the sibling reunion for no apparent reason.”

I grabbed Claude’s hand and pulled him near the table to sit down.

“How have you been, have you met your family?”

“Yes, I found my biological father and have been living in the local housing. Wow! It’s still the same as here. I broke the door over there. I didn’t know that the door was still there.”

As if Claude missed this place, he looked around the house teary-eyed. Charon didn’t even return home and pouted at him.

“Hey, I think you’ve gotten a little better with your life. The clothes you’re wearing now also look very expensive.”

At the same time as Charon said that, Gloria’s eyes shone brightly. I rubbed my eyes for a moment and wondered if I was looking at her wrong. She pushed her long silver hair behind her ears and spoke to my brother in a sweet voice.

“Claude. Do you remember me? The person who lives next door.”

“Oh… yes.”

Charon interrupted them again.

“Of course you do! Gloria is the prettiest girl in town! Even so, I clearly still prefer Haley.”

I looked sullenly at the winking Charon, I thought about throwing the hot pot in my hand for a mere second. He didn’t give up even though I built such an iron wall. He was very cheerful and positive.

Gloria covered her mouth with one hand and looked down slowly.

“No, Haley is prettier than me. I look dull and uninteresting, I only have a pair of big chests. Hey, Claude. If you have time today, will you have dinner with me? I can’t do anything else, but I surely can cook. Can I make you something delicious to celebrate your return?”

It was true that Gloria was good at cooking. Charon and I often went to Gloria’s house to eat her food.

However, Claude, who couldn’t possibly know this fact, refused with a flat face.

“I’m sorry, but I want to be alone with noona today. Can you all leave?”

Claude that I met again was a tall and unique person, perhaps that was the reason she felt an unknown intimidation from each of his tone and demeanor. more so because he was wearing an all black outfit today.

‘The little boy is growing up very well. It’s good to see him like this.’

Charon and Gloria got up from their seats with awkward smiles.

“I’ll see you later. Then, please rest well today.”

“I’ll make a delicious meal tomorrow and come visit you. Let’s eat delicious food and play by the river like we did when we were kids.”

Hmm? When I recall, I don’t think Gloria and Claude ever played together just on their own. I don’t know because it happened when they were young. I couldn’t remember every detail of what happened seven years ago.

My friends left, and eventually, it was just me and my younger brother. I was proud of Claude for growing up so well.

“Where did you live all this time?”

“I only lived on my father’s land in the west. My father brought me to the capital after rumors about the princess holding an engagement ceremony circulated.”

The engagement of the Imperial Princess and his father’s estate. Judging from that, this man must have come from a great noble family. I tried to hide my bewildered expression.

“R-Really? Hahaha. That must be nice, right? In the meantime.”

Should I have used honorifics? It took a while for a commoner to be able speaking casually to a noble. Should I speak in a formal way to him now?

Her eyes stared fixedly as I thought of small things.

“No, noona. I don’t feel particularly good at the moment.”

“Why? Is your stepmother bothering you or something?”

I already knew that he lost his mother in a train accident. There was no nobleman who could not remarry after losing his wife. I assumed, obviously, he had a stepmother. I wondered if his stepmother had been harassing Claude.

He looked at me with a sharp gaze.

“No. It’s difficult because noona is not by my side. I kept thinking about you. I miss you, that’s all.”

“Eh…?”

I didn’t know what to say about that. My cheeks felt warm for no reason. I didn’t react that way when I was young whenever he said something like that with such a beautifully angelic face. As expected, someone’s gut and mood change, they probably misunderstood it in a different way for nothing.

My younger brother must have said that without any particular intention.

I tried to pretend nothing had happened, and the words slipped out of my mouth.

“In that case, you must be a noble now. What should I call you from now on?”

Should I really change my speech to honorifics now?

“Just call me as when we were young. You can call me Claude.”

“No, I don’t mean that. Hm… What’s your father’s name?”

“Gateron Lischer.”

My hand became powerless after I heard my brother’s words, the teacup I had been holding fell on its own. When the teacup fell to the floor, it broke into pieces.

The tea was spilled on the floor as well as the shatters of the teacup. My mood became even more complicated.

My brother, he was a high nobleman.

“Noona, are you alright?”

Claude took out a handkerchief and wiped my tea-stained hands and skirt. I mumbled helplessly.

“You’re a new duke of the Lischer Family?”

My brother was the son of the Duke of Gateron Lischer. The Lischer Family was one of the three supporting families of the Morris Empire. This family held authority after the emperor and even ran a famous hotel chain within the empire. This family was a definition of family with wealth and power. Even the Duke of Gateron was related by blood to the emperor as his brother, so he would be on the fourth place in the line of succession to the throne. The child of that massive family was Claude.

‘What, did Mother know all this but hid it from me?’

I felt betrayed for a moment. Of course, when I asked my mother where Claude went, she said that he went to the west. I should have asked more. I couldn’t believe that this person was the child of such a great family.

“Excuse me, Claude. I’m sorry for only giving you peppers or broccoli when we were young. N-no. I mean, I apologi…ze.”

[note: She forgot to use honorifics in the first sentence so she changed it and begged for forgiveness at the same time.]

I added with an awkward respectful remark. Then, he burst out laughing.

“Hahaha. What? Why are you suddenly using such a weird greeting? That is so funny. You’re still the same person as back then, aren’t you?”

Claude looked at me as he said so. His blue eyes were filled with intensity. My cheeks felt hot. I asked him whilst fanning my hot face.

“Then, you must be living in your family’s mansion in the capital, right?”

“I must. Noona, can I stay here for a while? I would like to. It reminds me of when I was young. Please?”

I mumbled with a stunned look when I heard my brother’s words.

“Mother isn’t home today, so I think it will be a bit difficult to be alone with a man…. It doesn’t matter even though we once grew up together like proper siblings.”

“Are you going to refuse the request of your brother whom you just met after a long time? I want to be with you because I like looking at your face.”

Claude tilted his head slightly and opened his eyes wide, showing the pure appearance of an angelic child. Yes, I would consider his request. I replied as if bewitched by his good-looking appearance.

“All right. Just make yourself at home for a while.”

“By the way, noona. That Charon from earlier …. Does he come here often?”

“Yes. He comes every day and attaches his face here. It annoys the hell out of me.”

“Hmm. I see. Noona’s boyfriend must despises him.”

“Boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Claude smiled brightly as if he had been waiting for my words. His smile got me carried away for a moment.

“Really?”

Sharp nose, manly face and thick eyebrows. Since when did he grow up so finely? When I smiled at his good-looking appearance, I felt something tighten in my chest.

“What about you? Did you meet a nice girl there? If you were your age now, you would’ve had a proper fiancée. I heard that nobles get engaged from a young age.”

Claude frowned as if he didn’t like what I said.

“Who said so?”

“Huh? I didn’t. Is that not how it’s supposed to be? The princess hasn’t grown up yet, but it’s said that she’s going to get engaged…”

“I’m not. I’m going to marry someone I love, not someone my family will decide for me.”

“Yes, of course.”

I was a little puzzled to see Claude get angry at such a trivial question. I don’t know who my brother would marry in the future, but seeing him acting so immature and frivolous, I think his partner would have a hard time.

Did he happen to know? What if the person Claude took to his father would be someone whom he liked but had a low status? If that were to happen, the ducal family would strongly object. Could an ordinary woman overcome such bitter refusal? she wondered how cunning the nobles were. Going through such a process, even a thousand-year love might be reduced by that.

Whatever it was, that was none of my business. I lost track of time having chats with my brother whom I met after a long time. Without having any expectation about what the female lead would experience today.