My Younger Sister Was My First Love

52. [To Oppa]

“……Have you seen it all?”

“I told you I saw it that day, didn’t I?”

“Uh… I don’t remember you mentioning what Jihee was wearing that day.”

“Didn’t you deliberately not bring it up, rather than not having seen it?”

Unlike Minju, who seemed calm, cold sweat began to trickle down my back.

What could I say to clear up the misunderstanding?

The rift between Minju and me, as Jihee had warned, didn’t seem shallow at all.

And I wondered if calling it a misunderstanding at this point was an appropriate expression.

If Minju wanted to say that Jihee and I weren’t on normal terms, I had nothing to say.

It was the truth, after all.

“Lee Junho.”

Minju’s hand gently grasped my wrist.

“Let me ask you again. Do you want to drink with me or not?”

My heart grew weaker.

Since things had come this far, would it be okay to be honest with Minju?

My younger sister actually had that kind of taste.

I had been swayed by her tricks all along.

If I were to confess honestly, relying on the power of alcohol…

“Minju.”

After some deliberation, I showed my intention to refuse, and Minju pushed me even harder.

“You’re not going to say anything to me, even after I’ve come this far?”

“Let’s not talk about this here and go somewhere else.”

It didn’t seem like we could have this conversation on the street.

“Then let’s go get what you want to eat.”

I didn’t resist Minju’s urging.

“Then let’s go get some spicy stir-fried noodles.”

“Okay.”

So, we entered a Chinese restaurant.

It was a famous chain store with many branches scattered around.

After ordering two servings of jjamppong, I crunched on some kimchi to make a loud noise.

“…You know, Jihee.”

I was the first to speak up from my side.

“Yes.”

“I think it’s true that you like me, just like you said.”

I couldn’t reveal all the reasons behind my sister’s every move, but I thought I could at least say this much.

“…It seems that way.”

Minju, who had somewhat expected this, nodded her head while holding her water cup.

“It’s obvious that its not a normal sibling relationship.”

“To be honest, I wasn’t convinced until the day we drank together, but recently, something specific happened.”

“What is it?”

“That’s hard to say.”

“Is it something sexual?”

“It’s not that. Just….”

The folders stacked up in the tablet came to mind.

No matter how twisted Jihee’s tastes were, I didn’t think it was right to expose them to the world.

We’re family, no matter what.

Revealing family secrets to others wasn’t polite.

“So, what are you going to do about it?”

Minju demanded an alternative from me.

“That’s right.”

“Are you just going to leave it like this and do nothing? You need to say something properly.”

Minju had already thought a lot about this matter and spoke freely.

“Get your head straight, Ijunho. No matter how much you liked her before, she’s your family. That can’t happen, right? Right?”

That was correct.

It was all correct.

I crunched on some kimchi again, responding to Jihee’s straightforward argument.

“But…there’s only the two of us at home.”

“So what?”

“If our relationship gets ruined, a lot of things will fall apart.”

“What things?”

“For one, our parents. If our mom finds out about the trouble between us, she’ll never let it slide.”

“Yeah, our mom would definitely do that.”

“Secondly, it’s about our studies. Jihee is currently retaking her exams. If I mess with her mental state, her study pattern will be ruined, and she’ll fail her exams.”

I didn’t have the confidence to push Jihee away, but the worst-case scenarios that could happen if I did were catastrophic.

Would Jihee still study hard even if I drew a clear line?

Maybe Jihee had been studying hard just to gain my approval.

If I were to crush her dreams, all her study-related activities might come to a halt.

I didn’t want that to happen.

I thought Ji-hui’s current lifestyle was desirable.

If I thought she was someone who wouldn’t come out of her room, or would go out every day without contacting me, I’d already……

“Hmm……”

Min-ju’s eyebrows drew an 8 as she listened to my worried murmurs.

“When I hear you talk, it seems like it’s better to have a good year for now. We can deal with it later.”

“Yeah. That was one of the conditions when Mom went abroad. To get along with Ji-hui and take good care of her.”

“Is it a problem because you’re taking too good care of her?”

“That’s about it.”

As soon as the staff brought out the jjamppong in front of us, I took a deep scoop and savored the spicy broth.

Even talking to Min-ju made me feel a little more at ease.

Nothing was resolved, but just sharing my thoughts made my heart feel lighter.

“Then… maybe it’s better to keep some distance.”

Min-ju, who had been deep in thought, came to the same conclusion I had been thinking for a few days.

“Yeah. But can I really do that? Ji-hui has a lot of initiative, so…”

Like when she barges into a meeting with Oppa, or gets moved to tears and kisses me when I suggest a trip together.

Ji-hui always exceeds the boundaries of what I can imagine and pierces my heart.

“Let’s try to reduce our time together.”

I had pretended to be sick and fled halfway, but…

“But when we’re together, it’s only during meals and studying on weekdays. Ji-hui’s free time starts at 9 pm. We’re not stuck together 24/7, you know?”

It’s just like how other families spend their time, but a lot of things happened in between.

Anyway, what about summer break……?

For college students, summer break usually starts around mid-June.

I’ll have to stay at home for about two and a half months without being able to do anything.

Of course, I could go to a private academy or get a part-time job, but……

It’s inevitable that our time together will increase significantly compared to when I was in school.

“Then shouldn’t you study with someone else? To reduce our time together.”

“Are you telling me to go to a private academy? No way.”

“No, no. You’re already doing that. You’re teaching me things I don’t know, and explaining things that are hard to understand.”

“Tutor? But do I really need a tutor? I’ve got you, so what’s the point?”

Ji-hui’s current study level was something I could easily cover.

Ji-hui was a complete beginner.

There were many areas where she was learning from scratch or building her foundation.

Unless it’s an extremely difficult series targeting top students, there was no need to hire a separate teacher at her current level.

It’s a clear waste of money. That’s it.

“If you want, I can do it for you.”

“You?”

“Yeah, I’ll do it.”

Min-ju’s tone, mixed with determination, made me scratch my cheek.

“……How much?”

“Huh. You said you’d do it for free?”

“Hmm?”

There was an awkward silence.

The sound of someone slurping noodles from the next table was unusually loud.

“So, you’re saying you’ll come to our house every night and teach Ji-hui without getting paid?”

“Not every day, but two or three times a week? But it has to be late at night?”

“That’s not it… why on earth would you do that?”

I had known since I was young that Min-ju was a great student.

She had taken all the elite courses and always ranked first without even studying hard, and got into Korea University.

I didn’t know her college entrance exam scores, but they wouldn’t be lower than mine.

If she put her mind to it, she could get a decent amount of money from tutoring.

But she was saying she’d come to our house for free and teach my sister.

It was a thought process I couldn’t understand.

“Ah, Ji-hui seems to like me, and I feel bad about what happened last time…”

“That’s not enough to just buy you a meal? You’re going to come to our house every week and struggle.”

“And it looks like you’re having a hard time, Jun-ho.”

Min-ju calmly put down her chopsticks.

“It looks like you’re having trouble solving the problem on your own, so I’m offering to help.”

She was saying she’d tutor Ji-hui to reduce the time Ji-hui and I spent together.

“Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“If you’re going to do it, I’d be grateful, but wouldn’t it be polite to at least get some tuition?”

“If you’re worried about not getting paid, then when we hang out, you can pay for everything.”

“Yeah, what’s the big deal about paying for something every now and then?”

“Hmm, this is just an excuse to call me out all the time, isn’t it?”

A sweet, captivating smile spread across Min-ju’s face.

“For now… I think it’s a good idea, but I’ll ask Ji-hui about it.”

“Yes, go ask her.”

“If Ji-hui says no, we can’t force her.”

“Or should I talk to Ji-hui separately?”

“Why?”

“It’s just that you two are too close right now. It might be better if I, as a third party, ask her calmly.”

After hesitating for a moment, I nodded.

“Yeah, that might be better.”

I was having a normal conversation with Min-ju right now.

But when I got home, who knew what kind of situation I’d be facing?

My sister might not be wearing any clothes.

She might not be wearing any pants.

It was better for Min-ju to send a personal message, rather than discussing tutoring with my sister in front of me.

“Thanks.”

I saw Minju again.

In the past, she was so hard to deal with.

But today, she felt like a reliable ally.

Is this the kind of expression people use when they’re deeply moved?

It was a touching moment.

“If you’re grateful, you should buy me lunch, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll buy it.”

“Lee Junho.”

“Why?”

Minju’s lips still seemed to have more to say.

“You told me before that you wanted to try dating me.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“No matter who the other person is, I just want you to have a healthy relationship.”

In other words, it was a warning not to get involved with Jihee.

“I know.”

“I’m worried, so I’m saying this. Jihee is really pretty, and you liked her before, didn’t you? Even if you said no to me, you must have had some feelings for her.”

Having a friend who only speaks the truth next to me was like being stabbed in the heart.

“I know what you’re saying. I’m fully aware of it.”

“Don’t try to brush it off.”

Minju cut me off and whispered in a small voice.

Anyone would think Jihee was like Satan or a demon.

“Don’t try to brush it off.”

“It’s hard to believe you when your actions are so untrustworthy.”

It was like a man who had committed infidelity multiple times getting lectured by his wife.

I, the untrustworthy one, wiped my lips with a tissue for no reason.

“Let’s get up once we’re done eating.”

“Yeah.”

Minju and I left the restaurant and headed to the bus stop together.

I felt like checking my phone, but I didn’t bother.

If Minju saw the messages from Jihee, I’d get another earful.

“Minju, I really appreciate it today.”

Having a trustworthy friend is this empowering.

I never imagined that we, who had reunited after years, would become close again like this.

“If anything happens in the future, tell me. I’ll be your counselor.”

“Yeah.”

Minju extended her hand, and I didn’t reject it.

“……Fighting.”

And so, I watched Minju leave and gained a bit of courage to return home.

[To Oppa]

On my desk, there was a letter envelope with a familiar handwriting, neatly placed.