Chapter Text
Kim Solhwa, who was already 14, was still facing the same problem she had when she was 5.
Back when she was younger, she always thought it was strange that people seemed way too interested in her brother beyond a friendly perspective. At that time, weren't they freaked out over crushing on a boy who hadn't even hit puberty?
Kim Solhwa had seen way too many girls at daycare and kindergarten blushing and stealing glances at her brother whenever he walked past them.
Baek Sahyeon was someone who drew attention so naturally as if it were breathing. Kim Solhwa couldn't really blame them for looking his way.
I mean, her brother was literally the spitting image of their mother. The epitome of beauty and grace. It becomes even more obvious whenever her brother smiles.
And mind you, her brother smiles all the time.
Her brother had been stealing hearts left and right since the day he was born, which she knew was unintentional.
It wasn't her brother's fault that he was too pretty for a boy. Kim Solhwa wasn't even surprised to see some boys blushing at her brother, too.
She totally understands, you know?
It was just…
There was a slight problem.
A problem so small that it was easy to dismiss it without a second thought.
Which was exactly what Kim Solhwa had been doing for the past few years.
But now, pretending it wasn't there has come to bite her in the butt, grabbing her ankles and dragging her feet, forcing her to take a closer look and finally acknowledge what that 'slight problem' was.
It really was a slight problem. Really.
But because she had been ignoring it and dismissing it as nothing, it piled up over time until it became a very, very, very big problem.
Her brother is dense.
Her brother, the cuter and softer version of their mother, the epitome of delicate beauty, the embodiment of gentleness, the brother that she loved dearly, is as dense as an entire brick wall.
He had no awareness of those who had been crushing over him. He didn't know that so many girls had fainted over his smile.
Heck, he didn't even know that the guy he had a fight with in his childhood was one of those admirers…!!
Her brother has a slight defect. But because Kim Solhwa had ignored it all this time, that defect became her problem.
Great. Just great.
She wanted none of this!
Now that she was 14, smarter than before, more sensitive than in the past, she could now see too clearly the way flowers seemed to bloom around her brother, garnering attention like he usually would.
Behind him, no, all around him were longing stares waiting to be noticed while her brother…
"Sol-ah, Eomma said we should go home together today."
Her brother was only looking at her, smiling like he was the happiest person in the world.
The reason? Obviously, because he was mentioning their mother.
Kim Solhwa kept a blank stare.
"…Okay."
'…I hope I won't get jumped tomorrow after being seen walking with him.'
…Kim Solhwa could only hope for the best.
Of course, that hope never came true.
As soon as she entered the classroom and sat in her chair, she was immediately surrounded by her classmates.
"So who's that cute guy who came to see you after class?"
For Kim Solhwa's peace of mind, she kept her relation with her brother a secret until now.
The reason? Because her brother was insanely popular at school for reasons she would rather not elaborate on and would rather not get entangled with.
But now, all that secrecy has shattered and crumbled to dust in just one day.
Kim Solhwa was barely suppressing a sigh.
"…My brother."
Of course, the expected response came.
"Oh, wow! You two don't look alike!"
Of course they don't. She was the spitting image of their father, while her brother looked exactly like their mother. This sort of reaction wasn't new to her.
Still, a part of her hoped that that question wouldn't come.
But of course, the world loves making her life miserable. What she often desperately wished for would always, without fail, never come true.
"Could you possibly introduce us to him? We just want to get to know him better."
Kim Solhwa dropped her textbooks onto her table louder than intended. But that seemed to make her silent point across.
The girls around her flinched and backed off by one step.
Kim Solhwa smiled. A rather forced one. But of course, it looked naturally scary to the rest of them.
"My brother isn't interested in people around my age."
That was a lie. Baek Sahyeon wasn't interested in anyone, regardless of age.
That dense brother of hers was never interested. Even that time in his childhood when he dated a girl for two days was only a sham.
Actually, isn't it funny that his first time dating was when he was 5?
Kim Solhwa still cackles every time she remembers that, only to fall into despair right after.
Thinking back, that sham relationship was definitely the start of all this predicament she was having.
Because after that pretentious relationship, her brother began to show zero interest in anyone and only listened to their mother.
There wasn't a problem in not being interested. Kim Solhwa respected her brother a lot to accept that.
The problem was that her brother kept attracting attention, and because he was so dense, they couldn't seem to get their point across with him, so these people thought they would have a better shot at pestering her.
Actually, are they out of their minds? How in god's time was pestering her a logical solution?
If her brother didn't respond to their interest, they should have left it at that! Why bother her instead?! It's not like her brother's heart would change just because she introduced a person or two!
Rather, how about they ask their mother instead? That lovely brother of hers was the biggest mama's boy known to mankind! It should have already been obvious from miles away!
Unfortunately, it seemed there really was something wrong with the people around her.
At lunch time, Kim Solhwa's friends were the next to bombard her with questions.
"I saw your brother talking to a girl earlier. Was that his girlfriend?"
"No."
Her response came curtly than intended. But her friends didn't mind, so Kim Solhwa continued eating her popsicle.
"He'll only consider dating if our mom introduces someone."
Kim Solhwa's friends were the biggest bashers of a mama's boy, claiming that their cursed existence would only bring heartaches and misfortune.
Pointing out that her brother was a certified mama's boy would get them to drop this conversation, right?
No. It did not.
"Wow! Really? Should we introduce ourselves to your mother then?"
Oh, how Solhwa hated the giggles that followed.
"My mother has unreasonable standards."
That was true. But they didn't need to know all the demands her mother had made of her father. It wasn't a family secret. Rather, it was something Kim Solhwa considers a family embarrassment.
But that still didn't discourage them.
"Your mom's a real challenge, huh? But I wasn't raised a quitter!"
"Hey! I thought we were going to win him over fairly?"
"No way, you can't take him for yourself! I've had my eyes on him first!"
"…I would appreciate it if you would stop talking about my brother like this in my presence."
Kim Solhwa sighed after saying that. She couldn't enjoy her popsicle anymore. It began to taste bland, and her tongue tasted sour. This conversation was making her bitter.
Her friends weren't immune to her brother's charms, huh? Not that she could blame them. But still.
She had hoped that there was at least a sane person out there who wasn't trying to date her brother.
As much as she loved her brother, she hated being put in this situation.
Kim Solhwa was started when a hand reached over behind her and grabbed her popsicle.
"Sol-ah, didn't Eomma tell you that you should eat properly instead of just eating popsicles at lunch?"
A frown instantly formed on Kim Solhwa's face for two reasons. One, she could see her friends staring awestruck at her brother, and two, she didn't expect to be caught.
"I did eat lunch. This is dessert."
Despite her words, her brother had confiscated the popsicle from her hand.
Kim Solhwa could only watch as her dear popsicle was separated from her.
She turned around and looked at her brother sadly. The kind of stare that gets him every time.
"How mean. If you're going to take away my popsicle, you should at least buy me cake after class."
Baek Sahyeon arched an eyebrow before laughing lightly while pinching her cheek.
"In that case, Eomma will scold you and me for eating sweets behind their backs."
It wasn't the first time they would do something behind their parents' backs, anyway. One of those times, the two snuck to play in a PC shop for two hours after class. Another was secretly stalking their father to work (which they were eventually caught, then turned their father into an accomplice so that their mother would only scold him), and another—Well, you already get it.
They've done one too many mischief that it would be strange if their mother didn't nag them at all.
"If you don't want to, then give me back my popsicle."
"Eh~"
Kim Solhwa tried to reach for the popsicle, but her brother was quick to raise his hand. Because her brother was taller than her, she couldn't reach it even when she tried to jump.
Her efforts only made him laugh.
But that laughter was short-lived.
"Eek!"
Baek Sahyeon was startled when the melted popsicle's sticky cream began dripping onto his hand. He speed-walked to the nearest trash bin, threw it away, and shook his hand with a slight pout.
Now it was Kim Solhwa's turn to laugh.
"Pwahahahaha! You dummy! You fell for my trick again! Pwahahahaha!"
Right. Kim Solhwa wasn't interested in that popsicle anymore. She was just tricking her brother into holding it longer until it melted enough and turned his hand into a sticky cream.
Baek Sahyeon looked at her, his pout deepening. It could even rival their mother's pout.
"You're such a meanie, Sol-ah."
Kim Solhwa grinned.
"Oh my… Really…."
"…So cute…."
"Seriously… How can someone be that cute?"
Gah!
Kim Solhwa forgot that her friends were still here and ended up seeing the whole thing.
"Solhwa-yah, could you… Uhm…."
Kim Solhwa pretended not to hear that and hurriedly ran to her brother, grabbed his arm, then bolted away.
"Let's wash your hands quickly!!"
"Whoa— Sol-ah, slow down—!"
'No way, no way! I'm not letting my friends get their hands on you!!!'
What happened to the 'Mama's boys will only break your heart' slogan? They should just stick to that narrative instead! They should have gotten the hint when her brother only paid attention to her!!
Alas, her friends were a lost cause, too.
Thankfully, they got away fast before her friends could chase after them.
It was a narrow escape, but a successful escape nonetheless.
Kim Solhwa tried her best to hide from her friends for the rest of the day.
Unfortunately, that was just one of Kim Solhwa's day-to-day life events. Even after numerous discouragements that her brother was certainly off-limits because he was dense and uninterested, but it didn't actually discourage them.
So Kim Solhwa had no choice but to suck it up and hope for the better.
No. Scratch that. Why does she even have to endure this? Let's run away!
Kim Solhwa began limiting her interaction with her friends. She barely joined in the conversation in their group chat, and even slowly ate lunch separately.
In fact, as soon as the lunch bell came, Kim Solhwa would bolt out of the classroom and hide on the rooftop.
She still cared for her friends. But gods! Leave her brother alone for everyone's peace of mind!
It wasn't enough that her classmates still hadn't given up on asking her about her brother, now even her friends are pestering her!
If only she had at least one person, one person, who didn't talk to her, trying to get to her brother's heart, Kim Solhwa would appreciate it, really!
"You've been stealing my spot frequently these days."
Kim Solhwa nearly jumped out of her skin, but thankfully, she inherited her father's ultra mega powerful poker face, so Kim Solhwa was able to keep her expression from changing.
She looked up and saw a boy looking over her from above. She couldn't see his face because the sun was directly behind him, but she had to guess, he must be frowning.
Kim Solhwa raised an eyebrow.
"I don't see your name written here."
"Ha!"
The boy shifted around so he was standing next to her instead, but his face still wasn't visible.
"You two don't look alike, but you sure have similar attitudes."
"…?"
Is this guy spouting some alien language? What is he even talking about?
Kim Solhwa decided to ignore him and simply hugged her knees.
She could feel the boy's stare on her, but she didn't pay attention to him. She was busy trying to distract herself from hunger since she didn't want to go to the cafeteria, where people would definitely bombard her with questions again.
Seriously. Do they never get tired? It's been 2 weeks already!
Suddenly…
'Huh?'
Kim Solhwa was taken aback when the boy suddenly slid a wrapped bun to her.
She stared at it with confusion.
"I'm not hungry. You should eat it instead."
The boy spoke while facing ahead. Kim Solhwa could only make out half of his face, but that still didn't help with her confusion.
"…And you think I'd accept a food from a stranger?"
Does this boy think she's stupid? Her father had reminded her time and time again of the dangers of accepting food from people she didn't know. Even her mother would recite it every morning before sending them off to school.
Her parents' reminders were practically engraved into her mind that she could recite them even while dreaming.
She heard the guy scoff.
"It's a bun from the cafeteria. Have you not seen it before?"
Wow. What a sarcastic little bastard.
"Are we friends? How dare you talk to me like that?"
The guy moved his head slightly so he was looking at her again. Once again, the sun was right behind him, which made his face difficult to see, but Solhwa swore that guy was definitely looking at her with an eyebrow raised.
"Who wants to be your friend?"
Wow! How rude! Does he know that so many people are looking for her because they want to be her friend? Though that was with ulterior motives since they were befriending her to get close to her brother, but still!
Argh!
The boy suddenly dropped the wrapped bun in front of her. Kim Solhwa barely caught it to stop it from bouncing off her.
"If you don't want it, then throw it away."
Kim Solhwa had the urge to cuss him out, but the boy had already turned to leave.
'What's his problem?! Seriously!'
"…."
Kim Solhwa checked the bun and saw that it was indeed still wrapped with no signs of being tampered with. Just in case, she also checked the expiration date, and it was safe for consumption.
Kim Solhwa had seen this bun from the cafeteria before. Her friends often bought it after eating a hearty meal, saying that a bun was the cherry on top to have a fulfilling day.
"…."
Thinking about her friends only made her mood drop, and now she was hungrier than ever.
With a sigh, Kim Solhwa tore off the packaging and slowly ate the bun.
It was as delicious as her friends said it was. But each bite made her heart feel heavy.
She… was starting to miss her friends.
A day after that, she came across that boy again. This time, he didn't offer his bun and was eating quietly while standing next to the sitting Solhwa.
Not that she wanted a bun, anyway. Kim Solhwa had her packed lunch, something her mother had prepared before sending her off. Her brother had ratted her out and said that she had been eating popsicles for lunch last week.
Her mother, displeased by the news, decided that they would be eating packed lunch from now on.
Of course, the person happiest about this change was her brother, who loved their mother's cooking the most in the world.
Still, seeing her brother's bright smile early morning before going to school wasn't too bad, so she forgave him for ratting her out.
Even though the boy standing next to her was a literal stranger, the silence between them was oddly comforting. Maybe because both of them had no expectations towards each other.
Or perhaps they simply weren't interested in the other's presence, so much so that they were pretending as if nothing was unusual.
After the boy finished his bun, he turned around and left, while Kim Solhwa took her time enjoying her lunch.
Her mother's cooking was truly the best. If she had to choose between eating in a fancy restaurant and eating her mother's cooking, she would propose that the fancy restaurant should hire her mother as a cook instead.
It truly was the best.
The day after that, once again, the boy was standing next to her and eating yet another bun. Though this time, he was eating two.
Kim Solhwa decided not to pay attention to him.
The next day, three buns were being chomped down.
…Kim Solhwa was mildly concerned.
Then the next day—
"…Do you have nothing else to eat?"
Four buns. Four freaking buns.
What is wrong with this person? He has a serious concerning diet. If you can even call that a diet.
Wow. He has a more terrible eating habit than Solhwa and her father combined. How did this boy live this long?
The boy just shrugged his shoulders and continued eating.
Kim Solhwa was in disbelief.
The next day, Kim Solhwa took out two lunch boxes and offered one to the boy before he could even unwrap the bun.
The boy stared at it for a long time.
"Debt."
Kim Solhwa gestured for the boy to take it because her arm was getting sore from holding it out for too long.
"You gave me your bun before, so take this. I don't like owning people anything."
Well, that was the kind of attitude she had seen from her mother. It was inevitable that she would adapt to that as well.
The boy stared at it without saying anything. This made Kim Solhwa feel annoyed.
"My arm is getting sore, you know? Just take it. If not, I'll steal those five buns you're carrying."
Damn it. Why did those buns have to smell really good on top of being tasty? After eating it once and smelling it for the past few days, Kim Solhwa was seriously craving that bun.
She wasn't joking when she said she would steal them. If this boy annoys her, she would seriously steal them all.
The boy slowly sat down next to her, while still maintaining their personal spaces, then wordlessly took the lunchbox.
Kim Solhwa was satisfied, but then frowned because this meant she couldn't steal his buns.
What a bummer.
The boy placed the plastic on the space between them and gestured at the buns inside.
"One bun isn't enough payment for a lunchbox. You can take two."
"Sure."
Kim Solhwa happily took two buns from the plastic bag and kept them close to her heart while eating her lunch.
It was the start of their new routine.
Kim Solhwa would bring two lunchboxes, and the boy would bring five buns. Two of them would be hers.
This exchange between them has been going on for two weeks now.
Strangely enough, the boy never asked for her name. Of course, she didn't ask for his name, either. Despite their arrangement, they remained strangers.
Kim Solhwa thought they would stay that way.
Well.
Until this moment, at least.
"Pass it here!"
"Nice one!"
"Good job, Sahyeonie!"
"That was great!"
Kim Solhwa could hear her brother's laughter coming from the field as he was showered by praises and hugs from his classmates. She always knew her brother liked hugs, which was why he was endlessly tolerant of those he was close with, because they would always hug him after teasing him for hours.
What Kim Solhwa did not expect, though, was the boy next to her staring in her brother's direction with a longing vivid in his eyes.
Suddenly, she remembered the day they first met. At that time, he said something which she didn't understand.
'You two don't look alike, but you sure have similar attitudes.'
Kim Solhwa's face scrunched.
"Did you know that I'm his sister?"
"…What?"
That question seemed to wake him up from his daze as he turned to look at her.
Kim Solhwa did not ask that question because she wanted to know the truth.
She asked that question because she already knew the truth.
But somehow, that only made her feel even worse.
"So did you befriend me to get close to him, too?"
She ran away from her classmates because she didn't want to be used just so they could win her brother over. She had also been avoiding her friends because she didn't like that every conversation always involved her brother.
And god, how much she missed her friends, and it took everything in her not to talk to them again, even though she had heard them call for her, seen the way they looked at her, and yet she was busy running away from them.
Only for her to end up spending her lonely lunch with a guy who was also interested in her brother.
Kim Solhwa was sick and tired of people who liked her brother and couldn't leave him alone, and instead chose to bother her.
She was so, so, so sick and tired of this.
But the boy looked at her like she was being ridiculous.
"Did I say I want to get close to him?"
Kim Solhwa frowned.
"Isn't it obvious? You're looking at him like…. Like how everyone else looks at him."
The boy's eyes widened momentarily, faltering back.
"Is it obvious…?"
Wow. Why was he acting like this was the first time he had heard of it?
Kim Solhwa looked at him like he was the strange one.
"Are you seriously blushing?"
"…!!?"
Oh. He turned even redder.
Was this seriously the first time someone ever told him that he looks at Baek Sahyeon like a yearning ex?
Wait.
Kim Solhwa's pupils trembled as she jumped back and pointed an accusing finger at him.
"No way, it's you?!"
"?????"
Now it was the boy who was looking at her with confusion.
But Kim Solhwa was so shocked and dumbfounded that it took her this long to finally recognize who this boy was.
"The guy who fought with my brother in kindergarten!"
"….!!!!"
Right. It was such a long time ago that it was hard to recognize him, but there was certainly resemblances now that Kim Solhwa finally realized who he was.
In Kim Solhwa's defense, she had only glanced at him once when her father brought her along to her brother's kindergarten after the whole fight thing.
She didn't pay any attention to him any further and only ever registered him as 'the guy who fought with my brother' in her brain and moved on with her life.
In Kim Solhwa's defense part two, she was only 3 years old when she glanced at him! It was a literal miracle that she even recognized him now!
But wow. To think that this guy still made that yearning face while looking at her brother until now.
He… was strangely consistent.
"Pfft—"
The boy, Hyesook, glared at her. But even that glare made Kim Solhwa want to laugh even more.
"Pfft—!!!"
"Stop that."
"Pfft— Pwahahahahaha!!!"
Hyesook couldn't do anything about her laughing, so he only glared at her harder. As if that would actually deal some sort of damage.
Kim Solhwa was wheezing so hard that she had to hold onto her knees for support.
"Are you done laughing?"
"PWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Hyesook, "…."
Hyesook turned around.
"I'm leaving."
"Wait."
Kim Solhwa grabbed his arm before he could begin to walk away, trying to hold in the rest of her laugh.
But it was inevitable. This situation was just so funny!
"Ahaha- pfft— hehe—!"
"If you're just going to laugh at me, then forget it. I won't ever talk to you again."
Wow. This was the first time someone wasn't trying to exploit her connection with her brother, or trying to ask her to introduce him, or sucking up to her in hopes it would make her brother's heart race.
How strange indeed.
Earlier, she was about to feel offended, thinking that this boy was trying to use her, too.
But it turned out to be a misunderstanding.
Hyesook did not get close to her to get closer to her brother.
Hyesook didn't even want to get close to her brother.
Did Hyesook even consider getting close to her?
Probably not.
He was probably just sticking around, hoping that Solhwa would finally leave this part of the rooftop so he could take "his spot" back.
Based on this reaction right now, he was definitely set on ignoring her from now on.
Something about this made Kim Solhwa grin.
"It's not that you didn't want to get close to my brother."
She tugged on Hyesook's arm until Hyesook was facing her again.
Solhwa's grin widened.
"It's that you couldn't."
Her brother certainly had no interest in getting close to the guy he had fought with in the past. Kim Solhwa was certain of that.
But ah, Hyesook's reaction is just so funny!
He scrunched his nose as if accusing her of being a wicked witch, poking fun at his wounded heart.
Kim Solhwa couldn't help but burst out laughing again.
Hyesook looked like he was seriously considering leaving now without looking back, but Kim Solhwa was still holding his arm.
Mind you, it was a tight grip that would be hard to shake off. He couldn't help but wonder where this girl got all that strength from.
Kim Solhwa let out all her laughter before wiping a stray tear away and straightening her posture.
Ah. That was a good laugh. The first laugh she had since she started avoiding her friends.
"Okay, I've decided."
Hyesook looked unimpressed.
"Can you let go of me now?"
Kim Solhwa didn't. She had no intention of listening to his request.
Instead, she grinned.
"I'll help you out."
Hyesook looked taken aback by her words.
"…What?"
See? His reaction is so funny. It was almost as if the thought of getting close to Baek Sahyeon never crossed his mind.
He looked bewildered. Confused. Until his gaze shifted and looked at Kim Solhwa as if she were the one with some strange ulterior motive.
That reaction made her laugh lightly.
Kim Solhwa didn't like people coming to her in hopes that she would help them out. That still didn't change.
But Hyesook didn't deliberately approach her with that kind of ulterior motive.
He simply stuck around because he claims this area of the rooftop as his.
And somehow, that strange sincerity convinced her of one thing.
It would be fine to help him get close to her brother.
Because maybe, just maybe, Hyesook has been wanting to ask for forgiveness, too.
Maybe it wasn't just jumping at the opportunity of dating Baek Sahyeon.
Kim Solhwa released her hold of his arm only to extend her hand for a handshake.
Kim Solhwa grinned.
"Let's work together from now on!"
And thus began their alliance.
Of course, that was a one-sided alliance.
"Oppa likes sweets! He especially likes the sweets our mom makes! But if you're looking for an alternative, you can get the butter croissants from 000 bakery!"
"I have no plans of giving him gifts."
Kim Solhwa ignored his statement and continued following him from behind. Was he trying to walk faster? That won't do. Kim Solhwa hastened her steps.
"He also likes hugs! If you want to get close to him slowly, I highly suggest offering a hug! If you tease him and hug him right after, he'll even start to tolerate you for a bit!"
"Not interested."
"Oppa is a nerd! He especially likes talking about dissection and taxidermy and uh… biology!"
"Dissection? What a strange hobby. No, I'm still not interested."
Wow. A reaction!
Kim Solhwa continued following him.
"Do you play games? Oppa tends to get competitive. If you want his attention, you can't just let him win a game! You have to give it your best shot!"
She heard Hyesook scoff.
"I already knew that anyway."
Wow! He even knew such a thing about her brother!
He must be really interested!
"Oh, and he hates lemons! Suggesting putting honey in lemon will piss him off!"
"Whatever. It's not an information I need."
"Oppa likes cucumbers, but don't even mention sea cucumbers! He'll ignore you for ten business days!"
"Now you're just projecting on me."
"How'd you know?"
She got ignored again.
Kim Solhwa quickened her pace when Hyesook started taking long strides.
"Oppa is—!!"
While that was ongoing, unbeknownst to her…
"Sahyeonie, isn't that your sister?"
"Huh?"
Baek Sahyeon perked up at the mention of his sister and looked in the direction where his friend was pointing. Seeing his sister made him beam.
But then he saw who was with him. To be exact, who she was walking after.
"…."
Baek Sahyeon's expression instantly twisted.
Drrrgggg!
"Huh? Sahyeonie, where are you going?"
Baek Sahyeon did not respond. His gaze was only focused on their moving figures. Expression grim and unreadable.
He didn't even care that the chair he had sat on a moment ago made a loud scraping sound when he pushed it back.
There was a lot that Baek Sahyeon could let pass. There was a lot that he could ignore and be fine with.
But he certainly will not tolerate a scum near his sister.
Not after everything that scum had said before.
He saw them going to the convenience store right across the school.
Chng!
Kim Solhwa had been yapping nonstop that Hyesook finally had enough. He stopped and turned abruptly with the intention of ending this ridiculous farce.
"Listen—!"
Only for Hyesook to falter when he saw who was behind her.
"Well?" Kim Solhwa, still unaware, tapped her foot impatiently with her hands on her hips. "I don't have all day! Make up your mind and—"
"Kim Solhwa."
"Eek?!"
'W, What's that scary sound?!'
Before her brain could even register that it was her name being called by such a cold voice, Solhwa was startled when a very familiar back was suddenly standing in front of her.
As if shielding her away from Hyesook.
"Huh—?!" Kim Solhwa's eyes widened when her brother suddenly grabbed Hyesook's collar and pulled him down. "Oppa!!!!"
"What do you think you're doing?"
Baek Sahyeon snarled. He looked like an offended dog whose tail had been stepped on. An offended feral dog ready to bite off the offender's limbs at a heartbeat.
Kim Solhwa had never seen her brother look this mad. She was desperately clutching on his back, trying to get him to let go of Hyesook.
"Disrespecting my mother wasn't enough, and now you're even hanging around my sister?"
Baek Sahyeon sneered when Hyesook couldn't even look at him. Seeing Hyesook avert his gaze only made Sahyeon tighten his grip on Hyesook's collar like he was minutes away from completely strangling him.
"Oppa!! Stop that!!!"
Solhwa was ignored.
"If you wanted to have another go, you should have gone to me directly."
A first reaction. Hyesook frowned after hearing Sahyeon's words.
But that only made Solhwa even more anxious. She pulled on her brother's back harder, but Baek Sahyeon barely budged.
"I'm saying that if you wanted another fight, I won't back down."
"It's a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!! Oppa, just stop it already!!!!"
But Baek Sahyeon was too focused on staring coldly at Hyesook to even notice what Kim Solhwa had been screaming.
Meanwhile, Kim Solhwa was practically dying of embarrassment here! People around them were starting to look in their direction!
Someone! Anyone! Just help her pull her brother off instead of watching from the side, damn it!!!
Curse that bystander effect!!!!
Baek Sahyeon raised his chin and looked at Hyesook, dead on.
"I'm not going to lose this time."
"Hic."
"!!!!"
Oh how fast Baek Sahyeon's demeanor changed. He immediately released his hold of Hyesook's collar and whipped his head to Kim Solhwa's direction.
"Sol-ah…!"
Kim Solhwa held the hem of her coat tightly, her lips pressed together, as more and more tears fell from her eyes.
Baek Sahyeon's heart broke at the sight. He turned to her completely, cupping her face. His thumb wiped her stubborn tears that continued falling.
"Sol-ah…."
Kim Solhwa was sniffling pitifully, the sound turning his heart into complete mush. Baek Sahyeon looked like he was close to crying himself, but then—
Kim Solhwa glared at him coldly.
"You're embarrassing me."
Baek Sahyeon faltered.
"Uh… Huh….?"
Kim Solhwa did not stop looking at him coldly, even though her tears were still streaming down her face.
"You're such an embarrassment."
Baek Sahyeon was both confused and flustered.
"W, What do you mean…? I was just… I was just…."
"Look around you and see for yourself what kind of an embarrassing situation you've put me through."
"…."
They were receiving curious glances and became the reason for those whispers around them.
Baek Sahyeon felt like this was unfair.
"I was just trying to protect you!"
"Protect me from who?" Kim Solhwa snarled before swatting her brother's hands off her face, earning herself a yelp.
But she did not bat an eye. Instead, she raised her chin and stared down her brother, who was now slightly trembling under her gaze.
"Hyesook hyung didn't do anything to me. I'm the one who followed him around. I'm the one who wanted to befriend him. I already said that, but you weren't listening!!"
Baek Sahyeon was shocked when Kim Solhwa suddenly raised her voice.
No… Does this make sense??? First, his sister shouted at him, and she's even defending that guy????
"S, Sol-ah… You.. You might not remember since you were so young when it happened, but that guy… That guy said really bad things about Eomma, and…"
This only made Solhwa scrunch her face.
"He was a kid!!!!"
Baek Sahyeon trembled even more like a poor trembling house cat.
Somehow…. Somehow…. Isn't his sister really scary right now???
Seeing her brother tremble under her gaze, still not understanding this situation, only made Solhwa even more frustrated.
Once again, it was obvious that he was only focused on her without caring about what others thought or felt for him.
Even at this very moment, he was still dense.
"He—!!"
"That's enough."
Hyesook raised his hand to cover Kim Solhwa's mouth without actually touching her, so it was only hovering in the air near her face.
Hyesook let out a sigh.
"Are you seriously going to fight your brother over this?"
"Ha?!"
Hyesook stared sternly at Kim Solhwa when she turned her head and looked at him like he was spouting nonsense.
He looked at her as if he wanted to say, 'I don't want you to fight your brother just because of me.'
And somehow, that rendered her silent.
If there was something Hyesook wanted to tell Baek Sahyeon, he probably would have wanted to say it himself, right?
But Baek Sahyeon was here now. Hyesook has the chance to say everything he wanted to say.
So why wasn't he saying anything?
Why on earth was he choosing to keep the peace instead of saying anything?
Kim Solhwa was going absolutely crazy with frustration. Both her brother and Hyesook are frustrating!
What a perfect match!
Kim Solhwa huffed loudly and stomped her foot.
"Whatever! I'm telling this to Appa!"
She stormed off on her own.
"Huh? Sol-ah— Wait!"
Of course, Baek Sahyeon ran after her without sparing Hyesook another glance.
Not that he expected a glance, anyway. He already knew that Baek Sahyeon still harbored hatred for him.
He… never hoped for anything.
It was just Solhwa getting ahead of herself, thinking that whatever they had was repairable.
Hyesook knew it wasn't.
It was better that way, anyway.
Hyesook glanced at the honey butter chips he wanted to buy that stared back at him innocently.
"…."
"…."
Forget it. Not like Baek Sahyeon would accept food from him, anyway.
It was just Kim Solhwa feeding his head with useless information about Baek Sahyeon liking sweets and butter croissants and honey and—
Hyesook left the convenience store without buying anything.