Unlike Kang-woo, who was worried, Jung-yeon’s eyes sparkled. Being looked at with such shining anticipation, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
“I’m not really sure about hyung’s taste… but I’ll take a look anyway.”
“Good, good. Come sit closer.”
With an excited expression, Jung-yeon pulled Kang-woo right beside her. Then she began taking items out of the shopping bag one by one, lining them up on the table while explaining each.
The gifts she had prepared were extremely varied—everything from expensive brand-name clothes to shoes, bags, and watches. Kang-woo discreetly glanced at one of the price tags and nearly gasped to himself. How many zeros are even on this? If Seok-ho receives gifts like these in piles… what on earth is he supposed to give him?
While he was browsing with a complicated feeling in his chest, he heard movement coming from the hallway connected to the front entrance.
Don’t tell me another guest came this time too.
Even one person was already overwhelming enough. Having more show up here was something he really wanted to avoid.
Kang-woo tensed slightly as he listened to the approaching footsteps drawing closer to the living room. Fortunately, however, the face that appeared was a familiar one.
“Hyung.”
Kang-woo greeted Seok-ho warmly.
On the other hand, Seok-ho’s brow faintly furrowed. His gaze fixed sharply on one spot.
“Kwon Jung-yeon.”
He called her name in a low, stiff voice.
“You’re here? You got off work earlier than I expected today.”
Despite the cold reception, Jung-yeon replied as if nothing was wrong.
“Ah, while you were gone, Kang-woo-ssi and I got really close. Right, Kang-woo-ssi?”
Seeking his agreement, Jung-yeon curled the corners of her lips in a teasing smile. Meanwhile, Seok-ho’s mouth pressed into an even tighter line.
Didn’t they say they were family? Why was the atmosphere like this?
Caught awkwardly between the two of them, Kang-woo glanced back and forth, unable to do anything but read the room.
After staring at the two sitting side by side for a long moment, Seok-ho signaled to Jung-yeon with his eyes.
“Follow me. Let’s talk in the room.”
***
“What kind of manners are those—showing up at someone else’s house out of the blue without even contacting them?”
The moment the door closed, Seok-ho demanded.
Jung-yeon folded her arms and snorted.
“That’s funny. Get your facts straight. Are we strangers or something?”
“Of course we’re strangers. What else would we be?”
“We’re family. Even if it’s only half, family is still family. Seriously, you need to fix that awful way you talk. Do you really have to say things like that every time and hurt your noona?”
Jung-yeon grumbled at Seok-ho’s attitude as he drew a firm line.
“What noona?”
Seok-ho replied coldly.
She was only born one month earlier, yet she flaunted it endlessly. He couldn’t understand what kind of strange mentality made someone force a same-aged man to call her noona.
“We’re not twins and we’re not friends, so that makes me your noona.”
“Cut the nonsense.”
“What? Nonsense?”
Jung-yeon’s voice rose sharply at the end of her sentence. Seok-ho remained unmoved, maintaining only a cold stare.
The two stood off against each other for a while before a temporary truce came when Jung-yeon changed the subject.
“Anyway, what’s with the guy outside?”
“None of your business.”
That truce didn’t last long. As expected, Jung-yeon immediately bristled.
“How am I supposed not to care when there’s some guy I’ve never seen living in my brother’s house? And he says he’s nineteen.”
“Don’t you have work? Do you really have time to sit around here chatting like this?”
“Aren’t you the one who should be busy with work? I came when you weren’t here because I knew we’d end up like this if we ran into each other, so why are you suddenly home early causing a scene?”
Seok-ho stared at Jung-yeon, who argued shamelessly, with a look of disbelief. Then he spoke, emphasizing every word.
“Get out of my house. Right now.”
Jung-yeon ground her teeth.
Fine. So you’re going to keep acting like this?
She didn’t want to stoop so low, but seeing him stubbornly refuse to budge made a prickly thought rise in her mind.
“Should I tell Cheol-ho oppa about this?”
In the end, she pulled out her trump card. Nothing worked as effectively as this.
Seok-ho stared silently at Jung-yeon. His gaze, far sharper than before, cut toward her without restraint.
A chill ran down Jung-yeon’s spine and her shoulders flinched slightly, but she refused to back down and met his gaze boldly.
“If word gets to oppa, the one who’ll have a headache is you.”
Fortunately, the threat seemed to work to some degree.
Seok-ho stopped drawing such a hard line. After briefly pressing his brows together, he finally spoke in a firm voice.
“There’s a situation. I’m just letting him use a spare room.”
“What kind of situation? Do you know how shocked I was? I came here and suddenly this puppy-looking kid comes running out like—”
Jung-yeon, who had been firing off words nonstop, glanced toward the door and lowered her voice.
“Be honest. You picked him up somewhere, didn’t you?”
Seok-ho let out an incredulous laugh.
Did that even make sense? Picking someone up like that? She really thought in ways that were just like herself—completely irrational.
Though he silently conveyed his criticism, Jung-yeon continued with a serious expression.
“Of all things to pick up, you picked up a person? What if he’s a runaway minor? You realize this could easily turn into a crime, right?”
“I’ll handle it myself.”
His clipped tone was like a finely sharpened blade.
Jung-yeon bit down on her lip. But Seok-ho didn’t stop there—he drove the point home.
“Stop interfering in my life.”
This is our line. Cross it any further, and I won’t tolerate it.
Hearing the warning only made Jung-yeon want to interfere even more. But she turned away, forcing herself to calm down.
Jung-yeon had watched Seok-ho long enough to know his stubborn personality well. No matter what she said, persuasion wouldn’t work. If anything, it would only make the situation worse.
She didn’t want to start a pointless argument. Their relationship wasn’t exactly what you’d call close to begin with, and if she pushed any further, it might break entirely.
In the end, the only option was for the softer-hearted one—herself—to endure it.
Holding her throbbing temple, Jung-yeon let out a long sigh before looking back at Seok-ho.
“It’s your birthday, so I brought a few presents. The receipts are in the shopping bags, so if there’s anything you don’t like, just go to the department store and exchange it yourself.”
Her tone had softened considerably. Seok-ho immediately frowned.
“I don’t need them. Take them all back.”
“If you don’t need them, throw them away or whatever. Handle it yourself. Do you even know how much trouble it was for me just bringing all that here?”
After shooting Seok-ho an annoyed glare, she answered curtly and turned her back.
***
Kang-woo stared blankly at the closed door the two had entered together. Their conversation was taking longer than expected.
Was me living in this house really that serious of a matter for them?
He let out a deep sigh. For some reason, nothing seemed to go the way he wanted today.
Is today some kind of day or something? Ah, right. It’s Seok-ho hyung’s birthday.
Now that he thought about it, his plan to buy a surprise birthday gift for Seok-ho had completely fallen apart because of Seok-ho’s sudden appearance. He had wanted to surprise him with it.
What a shame.
But now wasn’t the time to be peacefully thinking about things like that. He had no idea what kind of situation might unfold next.
Kang-woo pushed away the stray thoughts and strained his ears toward the door. He could faintly hear the murmur of their conversation, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying.
The longer their discussion dragged on, the more anxious he became.
What if Seok-ho had been put in an awkward position because of him?
If he caused Seok-ho any trouble… even imagining it made Kang-woo’s chest tighten with guilt.
He sat on the sofa, nervously bouncing his feet as he stared at the door.
Finally, it opened. Kang-woo shot to his feet without realizing it.
The two people who came out of the room fixed their gazes on him.
“…What the heck, he’s totally like a puppy.”
Jung-yeon whispered quietly enough that only Seok-ho could hear.
Naturally, Kang-woo didn’t hear it. He merely blinked his eyes nervously. The sight of the two whispering to each other seemed deeply unsettling to Kang-woo, whose mind was filled with the fear that he might be kicked out of the house.
“Stop talking nonsense and just go home.”
Even though she had asked for agreement, Seok-ho replied coldly.
“Ugh, seriously. I can’t say anything around you.”
“Go.”
“Ah, I’m going! Stop pushing me.”
Having practically issued an order to drive her out—and even physically shoving her toward the door—Seok-ho pushed at her back. Jung-yeon narrowed her eyes at him before approaching Kang-woo.
The glare she had been giving Seok-ho changed into a smile.
“Take care, Kang-woo-ssi. I’ll come visit again next time. Let’s hang out together then too.”
Her cat-like eyes, with their slightly upturned ends, curved gently as she offered a friendly farewell.
“Ah, yes. Goodbye.”
Still tense, Kang-woo instinctively bowed deeply when Jung-yeon said her goodbye.
Without another word, she walked toward the front door.
Did their conversation end well?
With that question lingering in his mind, Kang-woo followed Seok-ho as he went to see her out.
“Ah.”
Suddenly, Jung-yeon let out a small sound and stopped in place.
“Can you give me your number?”
Her gaze landed on Kang-woo. Seok-ho immediately frowned and stepped between them.
“Kwon Jung-yeon.”
“I’m not going to eat him, so relax.”
Jung-yeon pouted slightly and held out her phone toward Kang-woo. Caught between the two, Kang-woo awkwardly glanced back and forth.
Is it okay if I give it to her?
He looked at Seok-ho with eyes asking for permission. Seok-ho didn’t stop him this time—though the displeased look on his face remained.
Kang-woo took the phone Jung-yeon held out. After carefully entering his eleven-digit number, he handed it back to her.
Jung-yeon immediately pressed the call button.
A plain default ringtone briefly rang out from the direction of the living room before stopping.
“The number that just called you is mine, so save it. If I get bored later, I’ll contact you.”
Kang-woo glanced toward where the sound had come from, then nodded without complaint.
“Yes. Understood.”
“Alright then. I’ll get going now. See you next time, Kwon Seok-ho.”
Standing in front of the shoe cabinet as she slipped on her heels, Jung-yeon met Seok-ho’s gaze.
“Oh, and how about showing your face to Madam Baekyeon sometime? She keeps asking how you’ve been lately. Of course, I know you don’t really like visiting people in the hospital, but just think of it as the last time and do her a favor. You know there really isn’t much time left now.”
What does that mean? Who is this “Madam Baekyeon,” and what does she mean by there isn’t much time left? Is someone they know sick?
With question marks filling his mind, Kang-woo looked toward Seok-ho.
Without answering, Seok-ho simply waved his hand at Jung-yeon—like he was telling her to get lost.
Jung-yeon shrugged and flashed Kang-woo a bright smile.
“Well then, really—goodbye.”
Leaving behind a breezy farewell, Jung-yeon exited.
Bang. The door shut with a heavy sound. It felt like a massive storm had just passed through.
Kang-woo hurried after Seok-ho, who was already turning back toward the living room.
