My Younger Sister Was My First Love

14. Why Must It Be

“Let’s just go around like this today.”

Jihee stuck close to me even after we left the store, holding onto my arm.

According to him, it was to ward off strangers who kept coming up to talk, but I wondered if it was really necessary to do it like this.

Don’t people usually not bother you if you’re with a group?

I didn’t have any experience with hunting or getting someone’s number, but it seemed like common sense that it would be like that.

“…Can’t you just stand next to me and that’s it?”

“If an ajumma were here, she would’ve just ignored it and naturally stuck with us, right?”

The harsh ridicule continued.

You’re bringing up my mom?

I thought it was ridiculous, but I didn’t shake off Jihee.

On the opposite arm of my younger sibling, who was clinging to me, was a shopping bag.

As expected, Jihee, a fashion expert, picked out clothes that would fit me perfectly, one by one.

“I’m hungry.”

“Do you want to eat?”

“Don’t you have some leftover money, Oppa?”

“Hmm…”

It would be great to buy just one more set of clothes.

Buying two sets of clothes for the semester was a bit too much.

“I want to buy a few more.”

“Then let’s eat and take a second round. I’ll pick out some clothes for you too!”

“Was that a serious offer?”

“What, are you going to wear my clothes and not let me pick out yours?”

“You’re better at picking out clothes than me, so that’s why.”

If there were rankings in fashion, Jihee would be first class, and I would be seventh class.

My picking out clothes for Jihee would be like a seventh-class student trying to solve a problem in front of a first-class student.

It was truly a shameful play.

“I don’t like it. I want to wear the clothes you pick out too.”

“Don’t say anything if I pick out weird clothes for you?”

“I have a good sense of proportion, so even if you pick out weird clothes, I’ll wear them well?”

It was an incredibly ridiculous thing to say, but somehow it felt realistic, and my mood became strange.

The place we decided to eat was a burger joint that Jihee knew.

Just looking at it, it was crowded with couples.

We were lucky to grab the last empty seat.

“I’ll have the original set. What about you?”

“Don’t say that, let’s eat this.”

Jihee’s index finger pointed to a couple’s set with a large, bright pink heart painted on it.

“This includes the original burger too. It’s 1,000 won cheaper, but who cares about that.”

“Whatever.”

“Here you go!”

Although the day wasn’t over yet, I looked back on today with a sense of satisfaction.

We picked out clothes for each other.

We walked around the streets with our arms around each other.

We came to a famous restaurant and ordered a couple’s set.

No matter how you looked at it, it was a date.

This could only be explained as a date.

If I asked guys with younger or older sisters if they could do this with their siblings, they wouldn’t even know what to say with their mouths full of foam.

There were guys who wouldn’t do this even if you paid them, and they were a dime a dozen.

But I didn’t feel any rejection….

“Oppa, do you have a Star account?”

Ji-hui’s sparkling eyes turned to the eye-catching poster on the wall.

“Star, I only have an ID and haven’t uploaded anything.”

“What’s your ID?”

“Just a minute, let me check.”

Except for the automatically added friends, he wasn’t following anyone.

He had only downloaded the app and never opened it.

Paying attention to how others lived their lives didn’t help with his studies at all.

Especially, watching how well others ate and played was pointless.

“junho208912.”

“Ugh!”

“I just did it because the app recommended it.”

“Change it! Change it right now! I’ll help you think of a new one!”

“Okay.”

“Oppa, as a newcomer, are you going to act like an old man like this?”

The word “old man” got to me.

Old man? I haven’t even done my military service yet! What’s with the old man?!

“I think it’s narrow-minded to judge someone as an old man or not based on that.”

“Do you think my trendy friends would think the same? They’re all the same age as me, anyway.”

Ji-hui had definitely hit the mark.

She was a very talented friend.

“Okay, then make it sense-fully good.”

“Okay, wait. Let’s post this food picture first when it comes out.”

Before long, a hamburger with juices flowing down arrived at the table, and Ji-hui started taking food pictures like a professional, holding my hand back.

“Oppa, let’s do a mutual follow first. I’ve sent you a follow request.”

“Is this how you do it on your account?”

“Yeah, it’s done.”

Even after we started eating, Ji-hui was still absorbed in her phone.

“Why don’t you put that away and eat first?”

“I’ve almost finished. Ta-da!”

Ji-hui suddenly pushed her phone in front of me.

Under the delicious-looking hamburger picture were a bunch of blue hashtags.

#Date spot #Hamburger spot #London Street Burger #Event participation #Etc.

“Don’t you think writing ‘date’ will make others misunderstand?”

“Everyone does it. Look, it’s even written on the sample.”

“Don’t I have to do it too?”

“Do you want to get a discount or something, Oppa?”

Honestly, uploading this kind of content made me a bit uncomfortable.

“But it seems like you have a girlfriend.”

At the mention of a girlfriend, Jihee raised one eyebrow as if it didn’t sit well with her.

“Do you dislike the idea of having a girlfriend?”

“It’s not that I dislike it, but pretending to have one when you don’t is just pitiful.”

“Then why don’t you just say you went with your younger sister?”

“Wouldn’t that be even more suspicious?”

Every time I brought up the topic of a girlfriend, Jihee’s reaction was far from pleasant.

“Are you still hung up on some non-existent crush?”

It wasn’t entirely wrong, so I casually picked up a fried potato stick and put it in my mouth.

“I don’t know. Do you?”

I had thought about it before, but making Jihee think I had a girlfriend seemed like the best way to stop her from seeing me as a woman.

If I were lucky enough to get a girlfriend, it wouldn’t be bad to occasionally hang out with Jihee and the three of us together.

No way.

Even if I got a girlfriend, I wouldn’t be able to hang out with Jihee like that.

As we were out having fun, I suddenly forgot that Jihee was a student.

“Oppa, I need to focus on my studies for the next year.”

“What kind of studies?”

“Love Theory 101.”

“Have you ever dated before?”

At least, I didn’t remember her having a boyfriend when she was in school.

“Not really?”

Jihee nonchalantly wiped her mouth with a tissue, as if it was no big deal.

“But didn’t you receive a lot of confessions in school?”

“I got a lot. Even from you, oppa.”

The unexpected blow made my heart skip a beat.

“That’s a different story. But why didn’t you date anyone?”

She made excuses about being too busy studying, but Jihee’s grades were abysmal.

It didn’t seem like she had any dreams or aspirations outside of academics.

If she had spent her school days playing around, wouldn’t it be natural to have at least one boyfriend?

If the criteria for dating were based on looks, Jihee would have a free pass.

No joke, if she just put her mind to it, she could date someone with idol trainee-level looks.

“There’s no one I like.”

“Do you mean there’s no one who meets your standards?”

“Yeah. I don’t see the need to force myself into a relationship if there’s no one I like.”

If that was true, the question naturally shifted to this side.

“Do you have a clear ideal type, Ji!hee?”

At the mention of an ideal type, Jihee rolled her eyes and gazed up at the ceiling.

“…Is there one?”

“What kind of guy is it?”

My curiosity was piqued.

What kind of person would it take to satisfy Jihee?

Do I want a guy with a face like a real statue? Or maybe a billionaire?

“Uh… someone who’s always by my side?”

The response that came out was more absurd than I had imagined.

What is this? This is the kind of answer you’d hear in a drama.

“Does ‘by my side’ mean emotional distance or literally being physically close?”

“Both.”

“But that’s impossible in a normal relationship, unless you’re living together from the start. Emotionally, it might be possible, but physically, it’s difficult, right?”

My logical thinking was flawless.

It’s only possible with someone like a spouse.

“Still, I want someone who’s always by my side.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“Yeah! That’s why you still don’t have a boyfriend! Hehe.”

“It’s not like family, so how can that be possible?”

“Your words are right, but I won’t deny it. Not me.”

Jihee laughed brightly, nodding in agreement with my words.

A person who’s always by your side, outside of family, is rare.

Sometimes, even family can’t be by your side.

So, I thought it was a huge deal to form a bond with someone you didn’t know and become a family.

It’s a process where someone becomes not a stranger anymore.

I thought that process required a lot of courage and love.

“If that’s true, then I don’t have to worry about you not studying because you’re out having fun with guys. Yeah.”

As I joked, Jihee’s expression changed again.

“Yeah. At least I won’t be out having fun with guys other than you, so don’t worry.”

“Will you end up single for life like that?”

“That’s too much to say, I’m still 20 years old. Who knows? Maybe the guy who fits my heart will appear someday?”

If my standards don’t change, it seems like I’ll be single for life.

“Do you want to eat more pickles?”

“Then I’ll eat more too if you do.”

We had been snacking on fried potatoes and pickles since earlier, and it was incredibly addictive.

They say famous restaurants are different from the start, and famous hamburger joints are different from the pickles.

From the second time on, I took a self-serve plate and passed by the counter.

“…Lee Junho?”

A low, male voice came from behind.

“Hm?”

I turned around, and my eyes widened in surprise.

“Hey! Long time no see!”

“Yeah, long time no see?”

Who would have thought I’d run into an old acquaintance in the middle of the city?

The one who approached me was Gun-woo, who was in the same class as me for two years in high school.

Although we weren’t extremely close, we often ate lunch together.

Of course, I hadn’t had any personal contact with him since we started preparing for the college entrance exam.

“Did you finish the exam?”

“Yeah, it ended in February.”

“What’s with you guys? There are plenty of people who take the exam multiple times around us.”

As Gun-woo said, our neighborhood was filled with people who were re-taking the exam, making it a common phenomenon.

“I got into Korea University.”

“Wow, crazy! You did well even back in high school, so congratulations! Yeah!”

“Thanks.”

“But who did you come with? What’s going on? Did you get accepted and come on a date?”

I started to feel awkward.

Why did it have to be Gun-woo, of all people, from my alma mater?

There was no problem with Gun-woo himself.

The problem was that Gun-woo had been part of the fan group that idolized Ji-hee in the past.

I wasn’t sure about his romantic feelings, but at least I was certain that he had a strong fan-like sentiment towards her.

“Not? I just… what.”

“Ahh, I got a feeling! Just tell me. Did you come with a girl? Or not?”

“I’ll… explain later…”

“Oppa, what’s taking so long?”

Time seemed to have passed too slowly, and Ji-hee had already reached where we were having our conversation.

“Do you know each other?”

Ji-hee’s gaze seemed to be asking for an explanation.

Gun-woo was the first to speak up, even before I could.

“…The person I came with was Ji-hee?”

Ah, really.

And the timing was…