Time to Switch Tactics

It's time to change the atmosphere. In this world, it's only natural for an older brother to take his younger brother's things and use them. It's equally natural for the younger brother to borrow his older brother's things.

"Oppa, why didn't you tell me you were the vice president?"

"You never asked."

Jeong Sua—one of the things I wanted to steal from my little brother—burst into my house and immediately started complaining. This isn't my house? What's yours is mine, and what's mine is obviously mine too. Besides, as the eldest son, this house is naturally mine.

Her hair was messily scattered in all directions, suggesting she'd rushed over in a hurry. She must've been pretty shocked to find out I'm the vice president.

I handed her a glass of cold water I'd prepared in advance, signaling for her to calm down.

"Ah, thank you."

"Drink slowly. You'll choke."

After emptying the glass cleanly, she shoved the empty cup back at me and shouted.

"You should've told me that without being asked! It's not like we're strangers."

"Give me your bag. We're playing Mario Party today, right? I already set it up in the living room."

"Wow, really? …Wait, no, Oppa, that's not the point—why didn't you say anything…"

"More importantly, where'd Kang Suho go? He always comes with you."

"He stopped by the convenience store to grab some snacks… But Oppa!"

Jeong Sua chattered as she followed me toward the living room. She was unusually persistent today. Normally she'd have dropped it by now.

"Agh, fine, I'm sorry! Happy?"

"Since you apologized, I'll let it slide this time. But next time something like this happens, you have to tell me in advance. You startled me."

The moment she heard my apology, Jeong Sua smiled and casually sat on the sofa, fiddling with her phone. She seemed to be texting her newly exchanged numbers with friends.

"You'd forgive me that easily?"

"I'm a little disappointed, but you did apologize. And it's already in the past."

In the end, all Jeong Sua had wanted was to hear me say sorry. We've gotten pretty close, haven't we? Enough to chat alone like this without Kang Suho around.

Now might be a good time to try again. With Kang Suho gone, this was the perfect opportunity.

Scratching the back of my head, I carefully broached the subject.

"Hey, kid."

"I'm not a kid. It's. Jeong. Sua."

Jeong Sua enunciated each syllable clearly. Maybe because I'd called her that since we were kids, the name still didn't roll off her tongue easily.

"Anyway, date me. I'll take good care of you."

"Pfft. Oppa, isn't it time you gave up?"

My serious confession. Jeong Sua just laughed and responded playfully. She'd heard so many confessions that the act itself had become mundane to her—enough to treat even a sincere one like a joke.

"So what's your answer?"

"I'm sorry, Oppa."

Jeong Sua bowed her head and apologized politely. Another rejection, as expected. Then she went right back to messaging her friends, unfazed. At first, she'd looked guilty every time she rejected me. Now there was no trace of that.

So my confessions have become nothing more than a game to you now.

But Sua, you know that's not true, right? I've always been sincere with you.

"I see… Haah… Guess there's no helping ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it. Have fun ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with Suho."

I stood up and started walking like I was about to leave the house right then.

"O-Oppa…? Where are you going? We were supposed to play games together…"

"I'm done with that."

"…What?"

Jeong Sua's already large eyes widened even more. She couldn't speak for a moment, then grew serious as she saw my solemn expression.

"Just like you said, I'm giving up. Go do well with Suho."

"N-No, Oppa, why are you acting like this…? Like we'll never see each other again…"

So you've realized it too—that I'm not joking around like usual. Sua, you can feel that something's wrong, can't you? You're not stupid. Would I really keep confessing to you behind Suho's back and playing with you after school if I had time to spare? I'd rather hang out with friends or drag some random slut from a club and fuck her brains out. You're smart. You're not some brainless bitch who only has looks. Why would I waste my time playing with you two? It's because of you. You can figure that much out.

"So you'd rather play with the guy you rejected? That's harsh… Are you just toying with people's feelings?"

"N-No… That's not it… Even after rejecting you, we stayed close like nothing happened… I thought it was all just a joke…"

"What? A joke? Whatever, forget it."

Frowning, I walked past Jeong Sua. She quickly followed after me.

"O-Oppa, I misspoke because I was surprised. I never thought it was a joke… I'm sorry… Can't you stay and play with us?"

I stopped in my tracks and turned back to look at her. In the past, I would've granted any of Jeong Sua's requests without question. But now that she and Kang Suho were adults and the story was about to properly begin, I had to change my approach. I needed the narrative to flow in my favor, not the protagonist's. If I kept going like this, I'd never make her mine.

"No, this is the right way, kid."

"What?"

"I should've distanced myself from you the moment you rejected my first confession… I only kept clinging to you because I couldn't give you up."

"Oppa…"

"But I'm done now. I'm tired. Go to school with them. And that promise to buy Suho a gift this weekend? Go alone."

"Oppa… Ijin Oppa!"

I heard Jeong Sua's urgent voice behind me, but I ignored it and walked out. Thankfully, she didn't follow me all the way outside. I'd been worried she might.

"Hyung? What are you doing out here instead of coming inside?"

I immediately ran into Kang Suho on his way home, both hands holding black plastic bags. He'd probably bought a ton of snacks for the three of us. Too bad. You two will have to eat all that yourselves.

"I'm going to meet some friends. I'll be back late."

"Huh? Weren't we supposed to play Mario Party together today?"

"You two play without me. Good luck."

With a casual wave, I walked past Kang Suho without even looking at him. The moment I turned the corner, I leaned against the wall to observe the situation. I saw Kang Suho heading inside.

"Phew. Thank god."

Once I confirmed neither of them was following me, I finally let out a sigh of relief. Jeong Sua? Of course I can't give up on her. Lately, she tends to brush off everything I say as a joke. Because I've confessed so many times that even my serious words get dismissed as playful.

This was the drastic measure I'd come up with for her.

I've only been giving her carrots, spoiling her too much. Carrot time's over, kid.

And I'd been doing it for seven whole years. How ridiculous must I have looked, confessing again and again even after being rejected? She probably saw me as some frivolous guy who treated confessions like a game. Now it was time to change that attitude. Of course, this too was part of a plan I'd thought of long ago.

Now it's time for the stick, Sua.

And honestly, the stick suits me better than ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the carrot anyway. What I want is an onahole of a woman who squeezes when I tell her to squeeze and shakes her ass and tits when I tell her to shake. I have no interest in gently petting an onahole.

If the kind older brother who'd always been good to her suddenly starts keeping his distance, the good-hearted Jeong Sua would definitely be bothered. Plus, there's the karma of rejecting my confessions all this time. She'd feel immense guilt about me cutting ties. That's exactly why I'd kept confessing nonstop.

"But where am I supposed to kill time now?"

Going straight back home right after leaving would be awkward. I thought about calling Ha Seongjin, but he was probably having a group dinner with the new Ijin-hoe recruits today. I didn't want to get dragged into that and deal with the hassle.

"What kind of name is Ijin-hoe anyway? It's already annoying enough that my name's Ijin."

Anyone could see they'd named it that because you're destined to be used as an Ijin character and thrown in prison.

"Ah, shit."

Just thinking about it pissed me off and made me crave a drink. I decided to just buy some alcohol and waste time at the park.

Jeong Sua stared blankly at the TV screen. Three people were supposed to play together, but now there were only two.

"Sua?"

"……"

"Sua!"

"Huh…? Why are you yelling all of a sudden, Suho?"

Kang Suho looked at her incredulous yet worried expression and asked.

"You were spacing out even when I called you… Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong…"

"Doesn't seem like 'nothing' when you've lost every single game so far…"

"You must just be good at games."

"Is it… because of Hyung?"

Had it been that obvious on her face? Kang Suho caught on immediately.

What can I do if that Oppa wants to distance himself from me?

Jeong Sua forced a smile and pressed the game start button on her own.

"Let's just play another round. I can't end on a loss."

The game started again. At the same time, Jeong Sua's thoughts drifted back to Oppa.

Ijin Oppa was the embodiment of everything she hated. The way he spoke and acted was crude, and he looked at women with lecherous eyes. He wasn't her type at all, and she had no desire to get close to someone like him.

But when had that changed? When had she started thinking that even those flaws were acceptable if it was Ijin Oppa?

It was probably around then. Sixth grade. When Ijin Oppa had frantically rushed to the elementary school for Suho's sake. It was the first time she'd seen someone she'd only thought of as a lowlife delinquent look so anxious. The expression on his face as he worried about Suho and held her tightly while running—she still couldn't forget it.

Even when she saw Oppa hitting someone, though she thought it was excessive, she also felt a sense of satisfaction. It was the one case where Jeong Sua, who despised delinquents and bad behavior, had made an exception and viewed it positively.

Honestly… lately, she'd started thinking Ijin Oppa was kind of cool.

He's someone with a lot to learn from…

She often heard from Suho that he was working hard at both studying and exercising. Though his words and actions were rough, she could tell from his gradually changing appearance that he was constantly putting in effort behind the scenes. She didn't know how well he did academically since they were in different grades and schools, but becoming vice president meant he had the students' trust. His broad shoulders and solid muscles… honestly, as a woman, they were pleasing to look at. The girls in her class who'd recently become friends with her also said the vice president was witty and handsome.

Hearing that made Jeong Sua feel an inexplicable sense of pride. Why? Because she was the one who received confessions from that Oppa whenever he had the chance.

Objectively speaking, Ijin Oppa is the type of guy who'd be popular with women…

Just like his younger brother, Ijin Oppa was handsome. But the impression they gave was completely different. If Suho was a gentle, pretty boy, then Ijin Oppa was a wild beast-like handsome man. His blond hair, short cut, and distinct facial features—identical to Suho's—surprisingly suited him well. His height and masculine physique, which made it hard to believe they were only a year apart, along with the intimidating presence of being vice president, matched that face perfectly.

Without realizing it, Jeong Sua glanced at Kang Suho, who was focused on the game beside her.

"If you do it like this… Nice! Sua, focus. At this rate, I'm gonna win again."

Kang Suho—the childhood friend she'd had a crush on since they were kids. He was still the most handsome in her eyes, and she always wanted to look pretty in front of him. But why… after seeing Ijin Oppa become vice president, looking at Suho now made her feel like… compared to Ijin Oppa, Suho seemed too young…

Huh! What am I thinking right now?

Jeong Sua shook her head, trying to dispel the wicked thought. This was just a momentary lapse, nothing more, nothing less. Honestly, compared to Ijin Oppa, any guy would fall short.

My friends said guys like Ijin Oppa are called alpha males…?

While she'd been spacing out thinking about Ijin Oppa, the game had ended.

"Yes! I won again. Sua, I must've gotten a lot better. I've never beaten you in a row before."

"Ah… I guess so. Congrats, Suho."

Kang Suho celebrated like a child after winning. Jeong Sua clapped for him.

I wonder how Ijin Oppa would've reacted if he'd won.

He'd probably say something like "Step it up, kid" while lightly tapping her head.

"Sua? Why aren't you reacting? You don't seem interested. Should we just stop playing?"

"Yeah. Honestly, I got bored halfway through. Let's do something else instead."

"What do you want to do?"

As Jeong Sua pondered, she suddenly felt curious about Ijin Oppa's middle school days. Since they went to different middle schools, she rarely saw him. She saw him when visiting Suho's house, but she'd never seen Ijin Oppa in his school uniform. She wondered how he spent his time at school.

"I just thought of something good."

"What is it?"

"Doesn't Oppa have a graduation album in his room? Want to take a look while he's not here?"

"We absolutely can't do that. If he finds out we went into his room without permission, he'll be really mad…"

Kang Suho was right. Going into someone's room without the owner present was wrong. Jeong Sua knew that too, but she was confident that after all the time they'd spent together, he'd forgive her for something like this.

Ijin Oppa might be strict with others, but he's soft on me.

She knew it was because Ijin Oppa liked her. But what if Oppa really left her side? He'd probably just been a little angry about the rejection. After a day, we'll go back to how we were before… It had to be that way. She absolutely didn't want things to end like this.

"It's just looking at a graduation album. Besides, didn't he say he'd be back late?"

"Yeah. He did."

"If we put it back where it was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after looking, he won't know. Even if he finds out, I'll take responsibility. Suho, please~?"

At Jeong Sua's pleading, Kang Suho's resolve weakened. To him, Sua wasn't just an ordinary childhood friend. She was the one he'd secretly had a crush on, so there was no way he could refuse her request.

"Alright. Honestly, I've wanted to take a look at least once too."

"Yay! I'll go grab it quickly."

"Actually, I should be the one to get it…"

"I suggested it, so I should do it. You just sit nicely on the sofa and rest."

Kang Suho thought Sua running excitedly toward his brother's room like a child was cute, but at the same time, he felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort. However, not knowing the reason for that discomfort, he simply let it pass.