Affectionate Antics
“Affection... antics?” The word that suddenly slipped from my niece’s mouth startled me into repeating it. She’s a sharp girl, after all. And she’ll be twenty next year. “I told you not to treat me like a child. I know plenty already. Or should I just say it outright instead of beating around the bush?”
“No... no, it’s fine. Of course.” Even though hoping she knew nothing at all was the stranger thing, I found myself making a foolish face at her words. My niece understood love between a man and a woman too. Someday she would be held in someone’s arms, whispering sweet nothings. What right do I have to stop that? I couldn’t possibly prevent her from getting a boyfriend, from leaving my embrace. All I could do was wish for her happiness. I had no business meddling without even knowing my place.
“I don’t care how you and Sungmo get along. But while I’m here, don’t do anything. If you do... I’ll be truly disappointed in you, Samchon.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t.”
“I’m allowed to ask for at least this much. I’ve been quietly putting up with Sungmo making your life miserable every day. If you really can’t stand it... you can wait until you kick me out and do whatever you want. I can’t stop you from that.”
“I already said I won’t. Stop pushing it.” When I caught her lips with my fingers, she puffed out her cheeks. Just how little did she think of her uncle? Did she really believe I couldn’t control myself that much with her around?
“What are you two doing in there all day? There can’t be that many dishes to wash.” The moment Choi Min-a stepped into the kitchen, I quickly pulled my hand away from my niece’s mouth. [......] The expression she had worn while looking at Yerin was still vivid in my mind. No matter how much I denied it, Min-a refused to listen, so the only option was to be careful not to give her any reason to misunderstand in the first place.
“Oppa, you’re being way too overprotective. Let the kid do what she can do on her own. Stop hovering and nagging. Right, Yerin?”
“I’m fine. It just means Samchon cares about me that much.” Yerin linked her arm through mine, pressing close on purpose and flashing a bright smile. In an instant, Min-a’s gaze sharpened.
This girl... It was an obvious provocation. I understood she wanted to tease her aunt, but she knew full well what kind of scene it would cause later. For her it would be over once Min-a left, but I had to face it at work every single day.
“Or maybe Sungmo thinks everything Samchon says is just nagging?”
“No... I don’t really... think that... I just worry it might bother you. You must be busy with studying.”
“How could I ever find it bothersome when you’re saying it for my sake?”
“Right. Our Yerin is... so sweet. Sungmo should learn from her.”
Thanks to them, I was the one caught in the middle, barely able to breathe. Why were they doing this? I didn’t even need them to get along—I just wanted to breathe in my own house.
“Anyway, I’ll head back to my room to study, Samchon. If Sungmo gives you a hard time, just tell me.”
“Yeah... study hard.”
Yerin walked into her room with light, satisfied steps, as if she had said everything she needed to. The moment the door closed, Min-a muttered under her breath, just loud enough to be heard.
“How amusing...”
She wasn’t actually laughing at my niece’s constant retorts. I tensed without realizing it, wondering what complaint would come flying at me next.
“Amusing, huh? Sure, it’s real amusing, Oppa’s niece. God, seriously. That little thing keeps talking back to adults.”
“What now?”
She had been singing about wanting to be called “unnie” not long ago, and now she was suddenly the adult again.
“Were you covering your ears, Oppa? You heard it too, didn’t you? She was picking a fight with me the whole time.”
As expected, Min-a was fuming. Our front door wasn’t that thick. She raised her voice on purpose, as if she wanted the niece who had just gone inside to hear every word—how angry she was because of that kid. Because of Kim Jiho’s niece. The one and only Choi Min-a, the princess who feared nothing under the sky.
“You’re the one who took it as a fight. She didn’t say anything wrong.”
“Nothing wrong? Please. You always take everyone else’s side. You did it at the company too. When I pointed out Deputy Choi’s mistake, you had to jump in and defend her.”
“Hey, why are you suddenly bringing up the past?”
“Because you keep doing this, so the old memories came back. Back then you didn’t even listen to what I was saying and just protected Deputy Choi.”
Memories Min-a had freely edited and stored away. No matter how she cut and pasted them in her head, her boyfriend had become the pathetic guy who always sided with other women at work. There was no point in explaining. Back then Min-a had been nitpicking her superior—who was also her sister-in-law—at the company over something trivial, and all I had done was step in with a few words because I couldn’t stand it anymore. Probably because Min-a was the chairman’s daughter. Because Deputy Choi hadn’t known about our relationship. And because she had dared to speak so casually to the chairman’s daughter’s boyfriend.
That damn jealousy of hers.
“Let’s just drop it. I’m tired.”
What part of me made her trust me so little? Did simply saying the word “love” make everything else irrelevant? Was she just complaining because she had it too good? If I were some poor nobody, I was supposed to be overwhelmed by Min-a’s obsession, overjoyed by her love, and never even think of it as a burden. If she hated the idea of a female coworker talking to me, then she should just lock me up. In a cage where only she could see me.
Maybe I’m already locked up.
Looking back, there was nowhere her breath didn’t reach. My workplace, even my own home. Everything was decorated to her taste, and even falling asleep required her permission. Was this really love? Would this lead to some fairy-tale happy ending? Would doing this complete our love...?
Lately, I’m not so sure.
Every time we fought. Every time we raised our voices at each other. Again and again.
“You think I want to say these things? It’s because you keep—”
Creak. The unpleasant sound of our old bedroom door. Both of us stopped talking and turned our heads. There stood Yerin, peeking out with her head tilted, watching the two of us.
“You’re still awake. It was so quiet I thought you’d already gone to bed.”
“I was still studying. Are you two... fighting?”
“Fighting? We’re just talking. Just talking.”
“Uh, yeah. Just a conversation.”
Neither Min-a nor I wanted to show our niece an ugly side, so we quickly changed the subject. It was too pathetic. Two grown adults using a few words from their niece as an excuse to snap at each other. It felt like couples only ever looked for things to argue about.
“If you’re not fighting, then fine... but even if Sungmo is in the wrong, you should just let it go, Samchon. She came all the way here; there’s no need to win every little argument.”
Whether on purpose or by coincidence, Yerin said this while yawning loudly. Her tone was strange. The meaning clearly sided with Min-a, yet she dragged out her words as if wondering why anyone would bother arguing with someone as annoying as her aunt.
“Ah... thank you. Yerin is even thinking about Sungmo.”
“Honestly, it’s late and your voices were about to carry outside. I was going to stay out of it, but I couldn’t help coming out. Sungmo, you’re saying this for Samchon’s sake, so just let it slide a little. Right?”
“...... Right. Oppa. Listen to Yerin. The kid needs to study, and she can’t focus because of us.”
Of course. She had heard everything. And now she was needling Min-a with words that sounded like nothing but provocation. Surely the great aunt wouldn’t get angry at a child for taking her side like this—especially when that child was saying it all for her sake, claiming her man shouldn’t side with others and making a scene loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear.
“Or we could just stop and go to bed. Min-a needs to study, so let’s leave her alone.”
“Already? You two looked like you had a lot more to say. Why, don’t you want to keep talking?”
“We can just... lie down and talk. Yerin, go finish studying. Unnie and Samchon will be quiet now.”
“...... Okay.”
The door closed again. As Min-a went inside, she shot a glare at her niece.
“Haa... ha. Hmm... hoo.”
“......”
Honestly, I was grateful to Yerin for getting one over on Min-a. But I stayed silent, afraid that opening my mouth would bring down another storm.
“That little thing is really... wow. Oppa, you said I take after my mother, right?”
“Y-yeah.”
“From what I see, your niece is the spitting image of her grandmother. Pretending to care while saying whatever she wants—it’s exactly the same. Yeah. She’s basically saying she stole her uncle from me. Hilarious. And who was the one who butted in without permission?”
Min-a grumbled as she unbuttoned her shirt, revealing a black bra underneath.
“Don’t just stand there. Get ready.”
“R-ready for what?”
“Can’t you tell? You think I’m going to spell it out at a time like this?”
“Are you crazy? Yerin’s right there in the other room.”
“She said she was going to sleep. Hurry up. If I don’t do it with you tonight, I’m not letting this go. Even if it’s because of her, I need to do it with you to feel better.”
“Choi Min-a. You’re really pushing it today. Let’s take it easy.”
“Does it look like I’m joking right now?”
Suddenly Min-a lunged forward and covered my mouth. When I turned my head to avoid the tongue pushing between my lips, she grabbed my head firmly and kissed me anyway.