My Younger Sister Was My First Love

15. I’ll wait for you!

“Do you know him?”

As Ji-hee asked, I started to introduce them as a mediator.

“Ah, nice to meet you! This is my friend Gun-woo. We went to the same school. We’re alumni.”

“Ah.”

Ji-hee, who let out a short sigh, seemed to have grasped the situation and subtly moved to stand beside me.

“Nice to meet you.”

Ji-hee’s greeting was tinged with the awkwardness of a first meeting.

“Ah, I… will go first and wait for the others! Have fun, Jun-ho! And you too, Ji-hee!”

Gun-woo, who was clearly flustered, returned to his original seat.

I let out a sigh and picked up the pickle dish, returning to the table.

Cold sweat was dripping down my back.

“Are you close to that person?”

“Just a friend. Not extremely close, though.”

“Then you can just talk to them later.”

Explaining to Jihee that we’re family after not contacting each other for a year and suddenly meeting up was a bit awkward.

If I didn’t explain, rumors would spread among high school students that Jihee and I are dating.

Gunwoo, on the other hand, still keeps in touch with his high school friends frequently.

“I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like we’ll meet again anyway.”

“Then just say it.”

“Do your friends know that you and I are family?”

I only had two friends who knew about my mom’s remarriage.

They were all friends I’d known since middle school.

I didn’t think it was something to brag about, and even if I did, I didn’t have many friends to brag to.

It was strange that I had so few people to share such serious family business with, even after the big event of the college entrance exam was over and I was stuck at home.

“Hmm… a few people know.”

“Yeah? How did they react when you told them?”

“Was there even a reaction? When I said my brother’s name, nobody knew who he was, and they just went ‘Oh, that’s right…’ and that was it.”

“Yeah.”

Unlike Jihee, who drew attention just by walking down the hallway, I was just a normal high school student back then.

It was unlikely that my juniors would know me.

“Do they know about your brother?”

“Yeah, a few close friends.”

“What’s with that?”

As I recalled the memory of the day I met those friends, a sigh escaped my lips.

“Just say we get along well, okay?”

But that wasn’t true.

They knew I had confessed to Jihee.

Of course, when I brought up this story, I got mercilessly teased to the point where my soul was about to leave my body.

[This guy confessed to his sister’s friend!]

…Honestly, if I were them, I would have teased me a lot too.

If it weren’t my business, I would have just laughed it off.

Even though we’d become family a while ago, I sometimes wondered if the world was playing a prank on me.

“Introduce me to your friends later, oppa.”

Jihee gulped down her cola with a loud slurping sound.

“Why bother?”

“We’re family, aren’t we? A family’s best friend is like an emergency contact. Don’t you know? If something urgent happens, you need someone to call.”

When I thought about it, it seemed normal for siblings to know each other’s closest friends’ names.

It was clear that we needed someone to contact in case of an emergency or crisis.

“When I get the chance.”

“What’s with that? Are you embarrassed or something?”

Jihee pouted, looking hurt.

“No? My friends already know you.”

“Huh? Why?”

“There aren’t many guys from the same high school who don’t know you.”

“What? So, all your friends are from our school?”

“That’s right. Whatever.”

“It’s better that way. No need to explain further.”

As I was snacking on fried potatoes, I realized it was my turn to ask Jihee a question.

“Will you introduce me to your friends, Jihee?”

“Hmm… when I have time. But I’m not really free, you know. I’m a student.”

“I see what you mean. Then let’s put off introducing my friends until next year.”

“No way! We can meet on Sunday and make it happen!”

“There’s only one day a week to rest, and you want to meet my annoying friends?”

“I think it’ll be fun. I might even get to hear some of your dark past.”

Jihee likes to tease me by grabbing onto my weaknesses. To me, Jihee’s existence itself was the biggest dark past of all.

The biggest mistake of my life is right here, so what story am I going to hear elsewhere?

“Forget it. I don’t have any of that.”

“That’s something you have to hear directly from them.”

“Ahh, really? But why do you make time to meet my friends and not introduce yours?”

“Are my friends that curious? They don’t say anything.”

Jihee fiddled with their phone and handed me a mysterious group chat screen.

“If you want, I can call them right now. Choose a few. If I call them out, I can get at least three of them to come tomorrow.”

Wow, Jihee was being this proactive.

If I actually met Jihee’s friends, I would probably turn into a rock.

Just looking at their profile pictures, I could tell.

These weren’t ordinary girls with a strong sense of self.

Especially the friend who used a photo of a soju bottle as their profile picture looked really intimidating.

“…Forget it. It was just a joke.”

“If you want to meet them, just let me know anytime. I’m okay with it.”

“What’s good about that?”

“Hmm…”

Jihee’s fingers playfully touched my wrist.

“Are you curious about me?”

* * *

New semester. New semester. New semester.

Maybe it’s because I’m too used to the phrase “new semester.”

The phrase “new semester” didn’t quite roll off the tongue.

March 2nd.

The morning of the new semester finally arrived.

Half excitement, half anxiety.

I, who rarely woke up earlier than my alarm, got up with the thought of washing up first.

“Hmm~ hmm~”

-Zzzt

The faint sound of sizzling oil in the frying pan mixed with the humming noise.

I opened the door and was about to head to the bathroom, but I changed direction and headed to the kitchen instead.

“……what’s going on?”

“Oh! Oh, oppa’s awake?”

Jihee, wearing a bright yellow apron over her pajamas, looked full of energy despite the early hour.

Her bright, sparkling eyes seemed to have been awake for a while.

“Are you cooking? I’m already starving, so that’s why?”

“No? Today’s the first day of school, oppa!”

“But?”

“But, doesn’t a younger sibling have to cook a meal for their older sibling and get praised for it first?”

Jihee seemed dissatisfied with my reaction, blowing air into her cheeks like a balloon and then popping it repeatedly.

“I appreciate it, but you didn’t have to do it.”

“If it were mom, she would’ve definitely made a meal for today, wouldn’t she?”

Jihee’s words were true.

Mom was the type of person who liked to add meaning to small, ordinary days.

But that was mom.

Why was my little sibling, who was usually a student, cooking a meal on my first day of school?

As someone who knew Jihee was a heavy sleeper, her actions were surprising to me.

“Ta-da!”

The fragrant steam was rising from the pot.

The savory-looking doenjang jjigae (fermented soybean paste stew) was emitting a tantalizing aroma.

Sitting down in our usual spot, facing each other, I was about to try Jihee’s cooking for the first time.

“This is the skill of a N-year-old abandoned youth!”

Although her words were a bit sarcastic, I smiled and picked up my spoon.

“I’ll eat well.”

As I took a big spoonful of the stew Jihee had made, I let out an involuntary cry of delight at the unexpectedly great taste.

“Wow.”

“Is it delicious? I didn’t do it because I couldn’t, you know?”

Her proud expression was quite cute.

As I looked at her sparkling eyes, which seemed to be asking for more praise, I started to think of a suitable compliment.

“It’s better than mine. No, it’s better than some restaurants.”

“Really? Then maybe I can prepare meals sometimes? Oppa, it’s hard to cook every day, right?”

“It’s okay. You should use that time to solve one more problem instead. Don’t cook for me unless it’s a holiday.”

“You’re so stubborn.”

“I’m stubborn, so I got into college.”

The college entrance exam is a competition to see who’s more stubborn.

Who’s more intelligent is a separate issue.

“So, what time do you get back today?”

Jihee was giving off a motherly vibe today.

“The lesson itself will end early.”

“Are there any meetings or welcoming parties?”

“I heard there’s a welcoming party, but I’m not sure if I’ll go.”

“Why?”

“Well……”

Was I worried about Jihee?

Leaving me alone at home was also a bit much, and I still thought it was my job to cook meals.

“I’ll just go see how the kids are doing.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. The kids at Korea University are notorious for being boring. They don’t seem to have fun, so there’s no need to force myself to stay.”

“Yeah. Everyone studies so hard, and if they also have fun, that’s just unfair.”

Jihee seemed to have spoken carelessly, but I couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy inside.

It was because I was the one who had been struggling to study, without any fun or talent, and had been buried in books.

“Even if you’re doing it because of me, don’t hesitate and go. I’m not a kid, and I’m fine taking care of the house alone.”

“Okay.”

“If you drink too much and can’t find your way home, call me and I’ll come pick you up in a taxi.”

“I won’t do that.”

“You’ve just moved in, and your homing instinct might lead you back to your old house without you realizing it. If that happens, the owner of that house will be really troubled.”

“That won’t happen, so don’t worry about it.”

I had decided to do the breakfast dishes.

“The one who doesn’t cook does the dishes.”

That was our unwritten rule.

After neatly cleaning and arranging the dishes, I went back to my room and opened my closet.

Today was a big day.

First impressions are always important.

My outfit was also crucial.

I took out the clothes Jihee and I had picked out together and started trying on my favorite pair.

This feeling was like I wasn’t myself.

It was uncomfortable because the colors weren’t too flashy.

…It felt awkward.

But I still put on my bag and left my room, heading towards the living room.

“Oh, I wore the outfit you picked out?”

“Isn’t it time for you to start studying?”

The clock had already passed 8:30, the time for my first class.

“It’s okay today. It’s the day you’re seeing me off.”

Who decided it was okay?

Jihee was issuing her own pardon.

“Now that I’ve done it, go in. I’ll record this and add it to our study time on Sunday.”

“It doesn’t matter. So, look this way for a bit.”

Jihee kept holding onto me, trying to stop me from leaving, and turned me around this way and that.

“Okay! If you just wear sneakers, it’ll be fine.”

“I was just going to wear athletic shoes, though.”

“You want to dress up nicely, and I know that. So, wouldn’t it be better to listen to me?”

The way she spoke, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking, made me reluctantly open my shoe rack.

Anyway, she really was quick-witted.

“It’s still cold. Put on a coat and go.”

“Why are you acting like my mom? You’re not my mom.”

“I’m sorry, but this isn’t like a mom; it’s like a family member, okay?”

Jihee eventually stopped me from leaving and zipped up my coat herself.

After pulling the zipper all the way up, Jihee finally smiled brightly.

Her face, which looked like it was filled with pride, made me scratch my nose awkwardly.

The food had been ready for a while, but why was she still wearing an apron?

“I’ll wait for you!”

Jihee, still wearing the apron, waved her hand at me.

No matter how I looked at it, the scene felt like something out of a manga, with us acting like newlyweds.

“……I’ll be back soon.”

As I closed the door and took the elevator down, the gentle spring weather was waiting for me.

The air was crisp, making my nose slightly numb.

The sunlight was so bright it was almost overwhelming.

It was truly a day fit for the new semester.

“What’s with the welcoming party?”

Was it because there was someone waiting for me at home that I felt this way?

Or was it because the person waiting for me was Jihee that I felt this way?

Whatever the reason, I only thought about quickly finishing my task and coming back.