After finishing the ad broadcast and turning off the computer, the intercom rang.
Now that I had become somewhat accustomed to it, I made my way to the living room, vaguely guessing who it might be. As expected, the face of Older Sister Seo-ha was displayed on the screen.
“Honestly, you could just enter by typing the password, you know,” I said.
Even though I had already told her the home password, she shook her head as if saying that couldn’t happen.
“But it’s Uju’s house. That would be inconsiderate. I’ll do it next time if something urgent comes up.”
“Come on…”
I appreciated her thoughtfulness, but at the same time, it felt awkward to meet her gaze, so I turned my head with a sigh.
Each time I felt the depth of her concern for me, a strange embarrassment swelled within me.
“By the way, how did the ad broadcast go? I couldn’t see it since I was outside…”
“It seemed fine. After it ended, someone from your side contacted me, saying everyone was really satisfied.”
“That’s a relief.”
I reassured her, who was expressing concern, whether it was as a manager or a fan, as we went inside the house together.
I was curious about what my older sister had talked about, so I was looking for a moment to ask when, as if reading my mind, she opened her mouth first.
“Uju’s older sister is really nice. She speaks in a fun way that I lost track of time.”
“Did she say anything unnecessary?”
“Of course not. Well, there were some stories you might get mad about if you heard, though.”
“…You did, didn’t you?”
It was that kind of person who bravely revealed embarrassing stories in front of the person involved. I couldn’t fathom how she rambled on when the person was gone.
As I already felt a throbbing headache and shook my head, Older Sister Seo-ha let out her characteristic soft giggle and sat next to me.
“We actually planned to go shopping together next time. I’m not very good at picking out clothes, so I was worried, but Yeon-joo said she’d help.”
“Well… my sister knows her stuff about clothes. Up until high school, about 90% of the clothes in my closet were basically picked out by her.”
It wasn’t just because of her modeling; she had a keen interest in fashion early on. Since middle school, she would rush out on weekends with her allowance and come back with armfuls of clothes, often getting scolded by Mom for spending so much money so quickly.
She didn’t spend that much usually, but she never compromised on clothes. In that sense, it felt like being a model was truly her calling.
“She must have taken good care of you since you were little.”
“That’s because our parents worked. They would both be out late, so naturally, it fell to my sister to take care of me. Thinking back, I feel sorry about that.”
Even as an adult, I found it a bit embarrassing to cling to my sister whenever I got the chance, but I didn’t dislike her. In fact, I liked her a lot.
However, having some inkling of why she had become so overprotective made me feel guilty, and I thought if I were a little less weak, there wouldn’t have been as much reason for her to be concerned about me, which also brought a touch of regret.
So perhaps it was hard to genuinely face her kindness without reservation.
“Well, Uju.”
“Yes? …Ow!”
Just as I was mindlessly lost in thought, Sister Seo-ha suddenly grabbed my cheeks and turned my head towards her. The strength behind it was enough for a pained gasp to escape me.
Was this the same person who had recently struggled to open a can and asked for my help? What was with this strength?
“When that happens, you should say ‘thank you,’ instead of ‘I’m sorry.’ Has Yeon-joo ever complained about it being a hassle to take care of you?”
“Uh, no! Of course not…”
I couldn’t muster the courage to say, “How could I say something like that in front of her?” so I shut my mouth.
It wasn’t that my words felt lacking; it was just that I could sense that my sister would never think that way, even if I tried to imagine her feelings back then.
Yeah, she’s not that kind of person. If I had said the same in front of her, she would have said the exact same thing as Sister Seo-ha. Instead of being sorry, she’d want me to express a word of gratitude.
Thinking that way made me feel quite foolish, and a wry smile naturally appeared on my face.
“…I’m sorry. I’ll replace it with a ‘thank you’ from now on.”
“Good job, that’s exactly it. Well done, our Uju.”
Her satisfaction was evident as her eyes transformed into crescent moons, and she affectionately patted my head.
When I thought about it, this was something my sister often did every time she treated me like a child, but I felt an entirely different level of embarrassment this time. I wondered why.
“By the way, Uju. Do you know?”
“What is it?”
As I continued pondering, she clapped her hands and tilted her head to one side, asking.
Shouldn’t there at least be a hint if you’re going to quiz me?
“Actually, today, Yeon-joo asked me. If I wasn’t curious about something that happened with you back then.”
“…….”
In that moment, as I entertained such a frivolous thought, I was stunned to find unexpected content following.
It wasn’t shocking in itself. Well, it was shocking, but somewhere in my mind, I had prepared to accept that this could happen.
What left me speechless was the anxiety about what might follow.
I worried about whether she had gone into detail about that incident, and if she did, how Sister Seo-ha would react.
“Oh, please don’t misunderstand. I was the one to ask first. I knew it was rude to you, but I couldn’t help my curiosity…”
I could quickly pierce through the lie in that statement.
In the first place, Sister Seo-ha was not someone who would pry into someone else’s secrets in their absence. She clearly shouldering the responsibility for my potential reprimand was obvious.
I felt it was just so typical of her.
“Anyway, to cut to the chase… I didn’t hear anything about your past. So you can rest assured on that.”
“Can I ask why?”
Even though I had an inkling, the moment those words escaped my mouth, curiosity got the better of me.
Sister Seo-ha hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand over mine, which was resting on her thigh, and continued.
“When I first came to your house, I was just curious. Why someone so charming, caring, and without flaws would belittle himself so much… I wanted to know the reason and embrace you.”
That sounded like something you would hear in a romantic relationship, but I didn’t feel the familiar flush of embarrassment.
Perhaps it was because I had focused too intently on Sister Seo-ha’s words to notice those trivial feelings.
“But after hearing that today, my thoughts changed. I realized what I truly wanted wasn’t to hear about your past.”
“Then what is it?”
She stared at me for a long while before finally entwining her fingers with mine.
The sensation of her hand weaving between my fingers filled the empty crack in my heart.
“I simply wanted to be that person for you. The kind of person with whom you could reveal all your vulnerabilities.”
“…….”
And at that moment, I finally felt like I was staring right at Sister Seo-ha.
Perhaps it was a reality that I had been desperately trying to ignore—something I understood in my head but had denied in my heart.
“Uju.”
The warmth of our clasped hands felt hotter than ever today.
Her voice calling me resonated deeply, as if it were being etched into my heart.
“Though I don’t know when it will be…”
With a nostalgic look in her eyes, as if recalling a long-held dream, Sister Seo-ha shyly presented her pinky finger and spoke.
“I’d love to hear that from you in person. Can you promise me that?”
I now knew that what she wanted to hear wasn’t just about my past.
It felt as if the genuine feelings of Sister Seo-ha, which I had tried to dismiss as mere fan affection, were strongly conveyed through our intertwined fingers.
Ah, I see.
Nodding to myself, I muttered that one phrase in my mind, laden with all the emotions of epiphany.
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