****
“That building is the dormitory.”
“Really?”
“Jae-hee unnie lived there for all four years.”
“Really? What’s the place like? Can outsiders go in?”
Even when she gave indifferent answers, the moment the name Jae-hee unnie came up, her attitude became exaggerated. Soo-jin looked at Jae-yeon suspiciously and asked.
“Are you really her little sister?”
“I told you I am.”
“...Your personalities are so different.”
“Jae-hee unnie’s personality is clearly different, right?”
Damn right. Soo-jin swallowed her words with a serious face and nodded. They looked somewhat similar. If Jae-hee had the sharp, beautiful vibe, Jae-yeon had the soft, beautiful vibe. If they were animals, Jae-hee would be a fox and Jae-yeon a dog? Their personalities also seemed completely different. Unlike the typical model student Jae-hee, Jae-yeon seemed like a troublemaker, but she probably had tons of popularity.
“My unnie is so perfect and cool, that’s probably why. Compared to her, I... have this unexpected kind of charm. I’m unpredictable, you know?”
“Wow~ Your self-esteem is on point. I have some self-esteem too, but I can't compare to yours.”
“Unnie was someone who knew how to do everything by herself and had great results. She was a shining presence even among people from great families. Compared to her, I was a tomboy, always causing trouble and not listening to my parents, a naughty little kid.”
“I kind of thought that would be your image.”
“Still, I was popular. If my unnie was someone who did everything well and became an object of envy, I was the case of being popular because of my bubbly charm?”
“Hey, are you listening to my story?”
“That perfect person left home nine years ago.”
“…”
“The reliable first daughter, the cool and admirable unnie, became someone we couldn’t find after that day…”
“Um…”
“For our family, nine years feels like time has stopped. In my memory, the last image of unnie from nine years ago is still vivid… and now, she’s unbelievably even more beautiful, and she married the woman who is the head of Korea’s richest chaebol. Can you believe it?”
“I’d like you to add the title ‘the most beautiful woman in Korea’ in front of ‘chaebol.’”
Soo-jin timidly expressed her opinion with the heart of a fan who serves Goddess Yoo-jin, but Jae-yeon ignored it and continued speaking.
“So, I’m just curious about everything regarding unnie. How she lived after coming to this land, whether she struggled in this unfamiliar place… everything. I want to get back those lost nine years.”
As the only daughter, Soo-jin couldn’t fully understand Jae-yeon’s feelings, but when she heard that there had been a break in the family, she felt sympathy. There was regret and longing in Jae-yeon’s tone, which made Soo-jin feel even more pity. Even though Jae-yeon was acting recklessly, she didn’t seem bad, so Soo-jin spoke her mind.
“I’ve spent four years with Jae-hee unnie, so I know. Unnie missed her family a lot. She was a person who really avoided talking about herself, so I didn’t know everything…”
Actually, Soo-jin thought that Jae-hee must have no family, since there was no contact. However, she didn’t show that to Jae-yeon. It was obvious that Jae-yeon would be greatly shocked if she found out. Though Soo-jin didn’t know why Jae-hee kept it hidden, there must have been her own reasons, so she decided not to speak about it. That was something for Jae-hee to handle on her own.
“She said they were faces she carved into her heart every day, her family.”
“Unnie said that…?”
Could it be that they could finally have a back-and-forth conversation? Soo-jin, who had felt like a reaction machine to Jae-yeon’s one-way speech, basked in the joy of having a real conversation and added, “Jae-hee unnie will tell you herself, but I’ll tell you a lot too. We have plenty of time, so there’s no need to rush.”
“…alright.”
At Soo-jin’s words, Jae-yeon smiled. That smile resembled Jae-hee’s, so Soo-jin smiled as well and said, “You look much prettier when you smile.”
“Did you fall for me?”
Ah, damn. I can’t even give a compliment. Feeling like she had met a strong opponent, Soo-jin couldn’t hide her frustration and changed the subject.
* * * *
“I didn’t get to greet you properly earlier because I was in a rush. I’m Ha Yoo-jin. Nice to meet you, Agassi*.”
*아가씨 - pronounced like "ah-gah-sshee”, means Miss or Young Lady. In family honorifics, it is used by the wife to address the husband’s unmarried younger sister.
“No, it’s fine. I’m Seon Jae-yeon, ‘Olke’.”
“...Ahem. So... Jae-yeon, where are you staying?”
“A hotel. I haven’t found a room yet.”
“A room?”
“I couldn’t say it earlier because the atmosphere was serious, but I’m working in Korea. To be precise, I’ve been assigned to the Korean branch.”
“What? When did you get a job... no, where are you working?”
Jae-hee’s restless appearance was like a child left by the shore. From Yoo-jin’s perspective, she couldn’t understand what worried her about her grown-up younger sister, but for Jae-hee, her family had been frozen in time for nine years. To her, Jae-yeon still looked like a child. Even though others saw her as overwhelmingly attractive and a capable adult who did her part, to Jae-hee, she was just a little child.
“BBA.”
“What? That job…”
Jae-yeon put her sunglasses on the collar of her shirt and grinned.
“Unnie, I’m a reporter.”
“A reporter?”
It wasn’t a job that Jae-hee and Yoo-jin were pleased with. From wedding preparations to life after the wedding, they had been constantly bothered by the press, so their expressions were not pleasant. Seeing this, Jae-yeon burst into laughter.
“Your reactions are so funny! I also read your articles with great interest.”
“Did you read them?!”
“The headline that impressed me the most… Ah. ‘Howon Family Princess Same-Sex Marriage, Princess Weds a Professor, Not a Prince.’”
Jae-hee and Yoo-jin unconsciously touched their foreheads. The headlines from back then still made them cringe. The two of them took the same posture, almost as if they had a silent agreement, which made Jae-yeon burst into laughter. Jae-hee’s face turned pale as she recalled the time when Soo-jin teased her about an article titled “Juliet or something”, feeling like this was deja vu.
Jae-yeon continued,
“I badly wanted to come to Korea, so I strongly requested it. That’s why I came straight to see you as soon as I arrived.”
“Then… Please come stay at our place. It’ll be more comfortable than staying in a hotel.”
“H-Honey.”
Jae-hee grabbed Yoo-jin's elbow at her words, but Yoo-jin shook her head. Yoo-jin, who is extremely reluctant to have anyone enter her personal space, said such words. However, since Jae-hee preferred Jae-yeon staying at the house rather than a hotel, there was no sincerity in her hand trying to stop Yoo-jin. Even so, the awkwardness was clearly visible.
“It would be rude to stay at a newlywed couple’s house. It’s fine, Olke.”
“That’s true, but… haven’t you wanted to spend time with your sister? It’s been so long…Agassi.”
“True, but…”
“Yoo-jin… No, honey, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“It's your younger sister, how can I not worry about it?”
At this point, Jae-hee wasn’t sure if those words were just out of courtesy or if they were genuine. She looked at Yoo-jin, her dry lips pressed together. To be honest, she wanted to believe it, and so Jae-hee made one last attempt to dissuade Yoo-jin.
“Don’t push yourself.”
“It’s fine, really.”
It was as if she had stamped her approval, and only then did Jae-hee turn her gaze to Jae-yeon, feeling reassured. Jae-yeon, who had been pretending to look at the books on the research room wall while occasionally glancing at the two of them, smiled softly.
"With you saying this much, I can't reject, Olke."
"Well then, it's settled. Agassi, would you mind waiting here for a bit? I have more to discuss with Jae-hee."
"Yes~"
Yoo-jin grabbed Jae-hee's wrist and headed outside the research room. As they walked toward the terrace at the end of the hallway, Jae-hee couldn't take her eyes off the hand Yoo-jin was leading her with. For someone like Jae-hee, who assigned meaning to every little thing, this gesture of being led by Yoo-jin's hand felt very special.
"I have to head into work now."
"Huh? Uh-huh..."
"I'll try to leave work quickly, but I'll be late. So..."
Yoo-jin took her wallet out of the handbag she was holding. The black leather wallet had the logo of the E brand, a symbol of luxury, stamped prominently on it. She pulled out a black card from the wallet and handed it over. Jae-hee, who received it absentmindedly, was slightly surprised by the texture. It was not like an ordinary plastic card. Is it metal? Can cards even be made of metal?
"You've had a lot of expenses this month. Use that to take Agassi on a date. Go somewhere nice, eat something delicious."
"... It's fine. I can handle it myself."
"It's my gesture. Isn't this something I can do for meeting Agassi for the first time?"
Jae-hee closed her mouth and alternated her gaze between Yoo-jin and the card. Since Jae-hee and Yoo-jin were in a 'contract marriage,' their incomes were managed separately. It was natural that Yoo-jin's income, being the CEO of a major department store chain, was dozens of times more than Jae-hee's, who had just been appointed as an assistant professor. Despite that, Jae-hee had always paid her share of the joint expenses without fail. Perhaps Yoo-jin's words, saying it wasn't necessary to push herself, scratched at Jae-hee's pride, and so she had diligently paid the money without ever being late. Jae-hee thought of the Korean saying, "A sparrow following a stork will tear its legs apart."* She had been spending money she had saved just to match Yoo-jin's level. Moreover, her professor position had too many unnecessary expenses.
*means that someone who tries to keep up or compete with someone much more powerful or capable than themselves will lead to trouble or failure.
This month alone, there had been significant expenses. Due to the wedding, Jae-hee had been invited to various gatherings multiple times, and she had to treat people to "wedding meals." She even bought meals for poor graduate students, despite not being able to take care of herself. For someone like Jae-hee, who was destined to eat cafeteria food until payday, she wasn't in a position to comfortably do anything for her younger sibling, whom she hadn't seen in a while. Of course, she could just use the money she had saved, but...
"...You know.”
"Mm."
"...Thank you, always."
Without saying much, Jae-hee conveyed her gratitude clearly and concisely. Yoo-jin gazed at Jae-hee for a moment before adding:
"...We're married."
"Mm."
"Don't thank me for things that are obvious."
How is it that even Yoo-jin's expressions of modesty feel like reproach? Jae-hee smiled with a slight squint and surveyed the surroundings. Jae-hee's office was on a high floor, and there was no one on the terrace at the end of the hallway.
"So, what if I want to express my gratitude when I feel like it?"
"Then...At that time..."
Yoo-jin, trailing off while thinking, was approached by Jae-hee, who playfully kissed her on the cheek. Surprised by the sudden kiss, Yoo-jin took a step back and stared at Jae-hee.
"I'll do it like this. Is that okay?"
"Ah, no, it's not okay!"
"Really?"
"Don't come any closer. I told you not to come. If you do, you'll die."
"Real~ly?"
Laughing as she saw Yoo-jin turn sharply to run away, Jae-hee chased after her, pulling her into a tight embrace, and whispered:
"Go work well, Honey."
****