My Younger Sister Was My First Love

24. My Little Sister’s a Girl.

At what age do people start acknowledging their first love?

There are various theories about this.

A child who promised to get married in kindergarten.

A child who always fought and played together in elementary school.

A child who secretly thought they were cool in middle school.

After high school, most people count their first love as a legitimate one, recognizing themselves as adults.

But for 21-year-old Park Min-ju, this was an old story.

A very long time ago.

I had a boy I liked, who was my first and last love.

His name was Lee Jun-ho.

He was a boy with a very common name who lived on the floor above our house.

I can confidently say that he was my first love even now.

If not, I wouldn’t be feeling this way now.

Looking back, I think I liked Jun-ho because he was unusually mature for his age.

He didn’t even care about his appearance. He wore high-degree glasses back then, and there were many kids who bullied him for it.

Because of that, I tried to fill the hole in my self-esteem by boasting about my grades to an embarrassing extent, and I even accepted other people’s jealousy with a smile. Of course, the others didn’t care and just ignored me.

When I think about it now, I realize I accepted a lot of malicious comments with a smile. To be exact, I don’t remember, but maybe I didn’t get bullied because I didn’t report it.

So I liked Junho.

So Junho was special.

But back then, I didn’t know how to express my liking properly.

It was all just awkward.

There was a time when I got scolded harshly for not studying.

I just wanted to help, but why did I act like that?

Maybe I thought Junho would always be by my side, so I acted that way.

So did I get punished?

My first love was brutally destroyed by a traffic accident involving a truck called “moving” in reality.

The local ties that bound us together were shattered in an instant due to the adults’ circumstances.

I didn’t even get to say “I like you” or “thank you” properly, and I left that neighborhood.

It would’ve been nice to have at least exchanged contact information.

I should’ve asked my mom to get Junho’s number.

My mom, who was serious about education, didn’t let me get a phone until I entered high school.

Of course, Junho’s number wasn’t in it.

So I forgot about him and focused on my studies for about 8 years.

Now, even his face has become blurry in my memory.

I unexpectedly reunited with my first love in a place I never expected.

He still wore those round glasses.

He still had that poker face most of the time.

If I had to pick one thing that had changed…… he had a younger sibling?

* * *

“Yes, I’m not going.”

The answer was already decided.

Why did I leave my decent home to come to Demun’s place and say things like that?

“No, it’s okay if you’re drunk! And why are you being so stubborn!”

“It’s a studio apartment, so there’s only one bed!”

“It’s still big enough to accommodate one guest! The floor is spacious for a one-room apartment!”

“Stop it. Both of us are being uncomfortable.”

At this point, it was like I was being forced to come to the studio apartment, but I strongly refused.

“…Cold young man.”

“If you’re drunk, it’s better to just go home quietly.”

As I was chatting with Demun, our classmates from the same year started pouring in.

“Hello!”

“Unnie!”

“Hello!”

There were people I had talked to a few times, and others who didn’t know me well.

“Alright, let’s start the OT!”

The freshmen and seniors sat together in a mixed group, facing each other.

The student council president, who came out to brief them, was a 3rd-year senior who had spent 6 years studying abroad in Canada.

It seemed that you needed to have a impressive spec like that to become the student council president at Korea University.

“What a luxurious spec!”

“Our English literature club reads one book per semester and has a discussion about its content! We’ll also have tips from professors on frequently tested areas. Hehehe.”

It seemed like it would be a very useful gathering.

I didn’t think it would be such a productive meeting.

“Today, as we discussed in the group chat, we’re going to have a get-together to get closer. Is there anyone who can’t make it among those who said they would come?”

Since they had already confirmed attendance through a vote, there were no absentees.

“Okay! Let’s meet at 5 pm in front of the cafeteria! Those who have something to do, do it! Those who don’t, just hang out here!”

I didn’t have anywhere to go, so I chose to stay in the club room.

“Junho hyung!”

“What’s up, Jihwan?”

Jihwan, a senior who was acquainted with me, sat down next to me with a bright smile, looking at his phone.

“Hyung, we have a meeting spot left in our department. Want to come?”

“A meeting?”

“Yeah. My friend set it up. It’s at Korea University’s nursing department. I saw the photos, and the visuals are pretty good too!”

A meeting… who would have thought I’d get an invitation like this…

Isn’t it true that meetings are usually for popular kids?

There were hardly any guys in our English department, and I never imagined they’d invite me as a member.

“When is it?”

“We’re going to finalize the members and set a date.”

“Joonho, are you going to the meeting?”

Minju, who was looking at her phone next to me, turned her head towards me.

“No, what’s it to you?”

“Nice! I’ll invite you then!”

It seemed like they really needed members.

As soon as I accepted, Jihwan’s face lit up with joy.

“Got it.”

I was about to continue the game I was playing, but Minju interrupted me.

“… Yeah.”

“What?”

“Weren’t you not interested in that kind of thing when you were younger?”

Minju asked with a surprisingly innocent expression.

“Are you talking about the meeting?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m curious because I’ve never done it before, and I want to try dating too.”

“… Really?”

“Why is it weird that I want to date?”

“No, it’s not that. You used to hate it when people would swarm around you and make a racket, didn’t you?”

“I still don’t like it.”

“Then don’t go, it’s fine.”

“But I can’t keep living like this forever.”

Jihee’s single word of rejection had made me, who only knew how to study, live for several years.

And finally, I had achieved my goal.

Now was the time to turn my attention to other things.

It was time to overcome my small fence and explore the world.

“Since we’re talking about this, do you have any tips for meeting people?”

I put down my phone and turned my body towards Minju.

It was clear that the guys who went out with her didn’t do it often.

Perhaps getting help from Minju, who was a woman and a senior, would be more beneficial in this aspect.

“Uh… I don’t know much since I haven’t gone out much…”

“Really?”

“Just be polite and nice? Ah, or someone who’s really funny or good-looking.”

“Thanks for the specific explanation.”

“No, you tell me!”

Minju’s reaction was frustrating.

Hmm… I wasn’t funny or good-looking, so I had a high chance of being a toxic partner.

But it wouldn’t hurt to try at least once for the experience.

“Thanks, I said.”

“You’re not thankful at all.”

“It didn’t help much, anyway.”

“Seriously? Can you at least teach me how to contact women?”

Minju’s pride seemed to be hurt as she puffed out her cheeks and leaned forward.

Contacting someone was just a matter of doing it.

Was there a special method to it?

“How do you do it?”

“I can’t explain it in words.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“No, you have to try it yourself to understand.”

“There’s no one to practice with, what am I supposed to do?”

Minju raised an eyebrow and pointed to her own face.

“Me? I’m not a woman?”

“Are you the same as the women you meet at meetings?”

“Why! We haven’t seen each other in a long time. Don’t you know me? We’ve never even had a proper conversation!”

The image of Jihee, who was stubborn and hard to deal with, flashed in my mind.

Were women like these kinds of beings?

“I’ll teach you how to have a good conversation. Honestly, if you don’t do weird things during contact, your success rate will increase by half, at least?”

Min-ju’s words felt like those of a street vendor trying to sell weird products in the subway, but I nodded my head anyway.

“Alright, let’s do it.”

“You want me to treat you like you’re interested in me, like in a real-life scenario?”

“That’s right, I want you to try to seduce me with a mindset of really being into me, like we’re in a role-play.”

“Yeah, that’s it!”

“Should we do it now?”

“No way! We’re right next to each other, what kind of seduction can we do?”

“Then let’s do it when we get home.”

He had a lot of demands, as if he was giving me instructions.

It’s been like this since old times, nothing’s changed.

I continued playing games on my phone for a while, and only got up from my seat when the department head’s order was given.

“Drinks, drinks, drinks~”

Min-ju hummed a tune as he drank, looking like he really enjoyed it.

“Do you drink often?”

“Uh, whenever I have the chance? With the student council people or with the department people.”

“You’re really popular, aren’t you?”

“I’ve put in some effort, in various ways.”

It seemed like it wasn’t just ordinary effort, judging from his style on campus.

It would take a celestial being like Cheonji to change that much.

-Wheee-

My phone vibrated in my pocket.

“Just a minute.”

When I saw the [Younger Sis♥] on the screen, my shoulders trembled.

I was nervous about a call from my younger sister.

I’m such a failure as an older brother.

[Hello?]

[Older brother.]

[Yeah.]

[What time will you come home?]

[I’ll start getting ready soon, but I’ll probably be home before 12 am.]

[…10 pm.]

[Do you have something to ask? If you’re tired, go to sleep first and we can talk tomorrow.]

[I don’t want to. I won’t sleep until you get home, older brother.]

This is what it’s like to be 10 or 20 years old.

[I won’t come home that late anyway.]

[10 pm.]

[Let’s make it 11 pm.]

[10:30 pm.]

[11 pm. I’ll subtract the time it takes to get home.]

I don’t know why we’re compromising like this, but I managed to secure an 11 pm curfew.

Letting out a deep sigh, I put away my phone, and Minju, who was walking beside me, looked up at me with a puzzled expression.

“Is it your mom?”

“No, my younger sibling.”

“Huh? You’re telling your younger sibling to go home early, but you’re doing the opposite?”

“Yes.”

Minju’s face showed clear confusion.

Why was I acting this way? Even I didn’t know.

If I were asked for a reason, I could only respond with “I don’t know.”

“Well, it’s good that you get along with your sibling. It’s better than being awkward, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

“You’re attending Korea University, so you must have a lot of pride! Having a good academic background is great, isn’t it?”

Minju spoke with a tone that was a bit too casual.

I thought it was better to have this conversation among ourselves, rather than with outsiders.

But it seemed necessary to correct the misunderstanding.

“I’m not your older brother.”

“Huh?”

“I’m not your older brother, okay?”

“Then what are you?”

“I’m your oppa.”

I calmly corrected the mistake.

“My younger sibling is a girl.”

Minju’s feet, which had been moving in a steady rhythm, came to an abrupt halt.

“So, you’re saying that you’re living with a 20-year-old girl, just the two of you?”