Wouldn’t it be great if I could turn back time just 30 minutes?
No matter how much I regret it, there was no way to gather the spilled water back.
“Alright, I’ve ordered coffee, so please sit down quickly.”
“E-excuse me.”
Suddenly sitting next to Mr. Uju and facing Yeon-joo, my hand trembled on my thigh.
I wasn’t particularly nervous when I first entered the board meeting, but today I felt ten times more anxious than meeting any big shot. In some ways, this might be more nerve-wracking than my first meeting with Mr. Uju.
“By the way, you’re really pretty. My little brother kept praising Ms. Seo-ha for being so beautiful, so I was curious about how beautiful you really were.”
While my heart was pounding in anxiety, Yeon-joo, who had been gazing at me, dropped a comment that made my eyes light up and I instinctively glanced at Mr. Uju.
Then, Mr. Uju, with his cheeks fully flushed, shook his head and took a step back.
“N-noona, when did I ever say that…?”
“Why? I didn’t say anything wrong, did I? You said she’s the prettiest person among everyone you’ve met, and that excludes me!”
“That’s strange in itself since you shouldn’t even be counted in that.”
Seeing Mr. Uju reply as if he were in disbelief made my heart skip a beat.
So, it means he has said something like that. Just that thought sent my feelings soaring.
“W-well, Uju’s sister is very pretty, too. When I saw you outside, I was really surprised….”
Only then did I find my voice again and compliment Yeon-joo’s beauty in a tiny whisper.
I couldn’t bring myself to say, “I felt extremely jealous since I didn’t know you were his sister.”
“How about that? Did you see it? Uju! Despite appearances, this noona has quite a catching visual out there!”
“Who doesn’t know that? She’s a current model after all….”
Mr. Uju muttered under his breath, which boosted Yeon-joo’s pride. But among the words mixed in, there was something strange.
A model? Now that I think about it, I feel like I’ve seen her face somewhere before.
“Um, are you the person who participated in last year’s Charlotte Fashion Show in Paris?”
“Oh my, that’s right! How did you know?”
Recalling the fashion show that I had attended just once for sponsorship, Yeon-joo looked genuinely surprised.
Isn’t it strange not to know? There are only three exclusive models among Korean women. I remember she was pretty famous, even being chosen as a worldwide exclusive target at last year’s Charlotte.
It means she definitely ranks in the top five among Korean models.
“I read a lot of articles. I heard it was the first time an exclusive model from Korea was picked at Charlotte…”
Since I couldn’t say the exact course of how I found out, I threw in a lame excuse, and to my surprise, Mr. Uju looked shocked.
“What? Noona, you were that amazing?”
“Hmm, you get it now, little brother? This noona is somewhat renowned outside.”
…No, she’s not just somewhat renowned. She’s a top-tier individual who ordinary celebrities couldn’t even compare to.
“Uju didn’t know?”
“Well, I mean… honestly, I haven’t been interested in that field and thought she would manage well on her own, so I never really asked her about it.”
“…”
They say the closer you are, the more you tend to overlook things, but isn’t this a bit too much?
Seeing Mr. Uju replying casually like, “I thought she was just in magazines,” made me feel like my common sense was shattering.
What an incredible sibling dynamic they have in many ways.
‘Somehow, I feel like I understand why Mr. Uju is not very confident about his looks.’
On the other hand, it gave me a hint about why Mr. Uju was so eager to belittle his appearance on broadcasts.
It’s probably because, with a sister as stunning as that by his side, it’s only natural he’d struggle with self-esteem.
Of course, it doesn’t mean Mr. Uju’s looks are lacking. It’s just a matter of relativity. More than anything, while Yeon-joo embodies the peak of glamour, Mr. Uju exudes a simple yet neat aura.
Anyway, it’s obvious that when these two walk down the street, all eyes will be on them.
“By the way, how old are you, Ms. Seo-ha?”
While I was calming my mind by taking a sip of the warm cappuccino that had just arrived, Yeon-joo continued her questioning.
“I’m twenty-four this year. It’s a two-year age gap with Mr. Uju.”
“I see! I’m twenty-five. Since the age gap is small, should we just keep things casual?”
“U-uh, is that okay?”
Honestly, I have trouble being informal with someone I just met, but thinking of her as my future sister-in-law motivated me to invest in our relationship.
Yes, let’s build some closeness and score early points!
“To be honest, I’ve always wanted a pretty little sister. Of course, a younger brother is good too, but he’s been growing further away from me love-wise. Back in the day, he just stayed still when I hugged him….”
With a frown on her face, Yeon-joo complained while glancing at Mr. Uju. Somehow, that image made me smile involuntarily.
Mr. Uju has a surprisingly prickly character in front of family, huh? This might reveal a side of him we haven’t seen before.
“Mr. Uju is probably just shy about it. Deep down, he might miss you.”
“Oh really? My little brother?”
“Don’t come over there. We can see you, too, so what are you trying to do?”
While defending Mr. Uju, Yeon-joo’s attitude changed instantly, and she sprang from her seat to hug her brother passionately.
Despite it being hard to believe they were siblings, Mr. Uju, like training a dog, calmly raised his palm, signaling her to ‘stop.’
And with a slightly embarrassed look, he kept glancing this way. It all seemed so cute.
Somehow, I feel like I understand why Yeon-joo cares for him so much.
“Anyway, could you call me ‘noona’ casually? If that’s okay, I’ll drop the honorifics too.”
“Ah… Okay, I’ll call you Yeon-joo noona.”
“Good, please take care of me, Seo-ha.”
Before long, we wrapped up our title changes and continued our conversation in a much lighter atmosphere than before.
The content wasn’t anything special. Just stories about Mr. Uju’s cute black history that he’d never told, memories of him clinging onto his noona’s hand when he was young, and how the house went haywire when he started living alone.
Looking back on it, those were pretty special and valuable anecdotes. I wanted to hear even more.
“…Ah, I have to go now.”
Just as we were almost in a private chat, Mr. Uju checked the time on his phone and let out a sigh.
“What? You’re trying to leave already after finally meeting noona? Just push it back a bit.”
“I have an advertisement broadcast today, so I can’t defer. At the very least, make a call before you leave…”
While I spoke brusquely, I could tell he felt bad for not spending more time with his noona as he kept glancing our way.
Observing this, I smiled and gestured him to go quickly.
“I still have some time, so I’ll stay longer. Don’t worry and go, Uju.”
“Are you sure? Noona was probably on her way home too…”
“Of course, I’m fine. I have nothing to do at home anyway.”
Actually, I have a huge duty to watch Mr. Uju’s live broadcast, but I’ve decided to give some more time here. The editor is watching the live show as well, so it’s okay if I step out for a bit.
“Then I apologize, but please take care of my noona.”
“Sure, take care, Uju.”
“Please be careful getting home, too, noona.”
As he always shows a calming smile that lifts people’s spirits, Uju took off first, not forgetting to leave a nagging reminder to Yeon-joo to ‘not make a fuss and stay quietly.’
“Hey, unexpectedly chatty, right?”
“Huh? Ah, no. I wasn’t thinking that at all.”
As soon as Mr. Uju left, Yeon-joo, with a playful grin as if trying to gossip, opened her mouth.
Startled, I hurriedly shook my hands, indicating that I didn’t mean it that way, but she waved her hand as if I didn’t need to be polite and continued.
“Oh, it’s fine. In reality, he often hears that he is quiet outside. But before me, he talks a lot.”
“Maybe that means he relies on you a lot?”
Usually, when someone speaks more in front of a specific person, it indicates they are fond of them, much like how I tend to be more talkative in front of Mr. Uju.
“Yeah, probably. Since there’s hardly anyone he could lean on since he was little.”
“…Huh?”
It was just a light-hearted comment, but somehow her response felt heavy, causing me to momentarily stagger in bewilderment.
Yeon-joo gazed outside, sipping her coffee, her expression quite subdued.
The lively image of her just moments ago was gone, replaced by the demeanor of an adult that seemed to say this was her true self, and I found myself at a loss for words.
“Seo-ha.”
“What is it, noona?”
With an expression that suggested she had much to say, she looked deeply into my eyes again, making me straighten my posture and answer calmly.
“Do you like Uju?”
“…Yes.”
And without hesitation, I answered the forthcoming question.
Her satisfaction with my response was evident as Yeon-joo faintly smiled, downing the last sip of her coffee before speaking.
“Have you ever thought Uju is different from others?”
“I have. It’s like he evaluates himself too harshly…”
“You’ve really seen him well. Thank you for that.”
Well, how could I not see? After all, he was the one who taught me what love truly is in my life.
“Don’t you want to hear it?”
“…Huh?”
“How he came to have such thoughts, being someone who lacks nothing.”
To me, Yeon-joo offered to share what might be the biggest secret that Ryu Seo-ha was most curious about.
With a gaze as calm as a reed field without a breeze, urging me to speak my true feelings, I hesitated for a moment before boldly parting my lips.
The sunset slowly began to fade outside, feeling especially red today.
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