89 - Ties of Fate
"Sis, you used my bathroom again! I told you not to come in!"
I Ha-ru shouted upon returning from a brief errand to find the bathroom floor flooded like a swimming pool. Her older sister always snuck in to bathe whenever Ha-ru was out, just because the tub in Ha-ru's room was a tad bigger.
"It's not that much different from yours! And if you're gonna use it, at least clean up after yourself—what the hell is this...!"
"Your mom."
"Ugh...! I hate you so much!"
Ha-ru shot her a murderous glare. How was anyone supposed to respond when their own sister threw out a mom insult like that? Even though she felt utterly wronged, Ha-ru couldn't stand up to her seven-years-older sister, Lee Bo-reum. It wasn't just the age gap; the moment her sister brought up their mother, it turned into a battle Ha-ru could never win.
Since their mother's passing, describing their family as teetering on the edge of a cliff felt most apt. Their father was buried in work, rarely seen at home, while Bo-reum squandered money hanging out with her shady friends. Ha-ru disapproved of her sister intensely, but she resented their father even more for never stepping in.
Mom...
Even burying her face in her pillow and whispering the cherished name brought only the hollow roar of city noise in response. Ha-ru always remembered her mother as kind and warm. Frail by nature, her mom spent more time in hospitals than at home, but whenever they met, she was the only one who listened patiently to Ha-ru's every word.
This isn't the time. I need to get ready quick.
There was no need to tell her dad she'd be sleeping over at a friend's. Lately, with no contact from him, she vaguely guessed he was off on another overseas business trip.
"Miss, are you really taking all that?"
Park Shil-jang, who served as Ha-ru's bodyguard, attendant, and now even driver, asked awkwardly, eyeing the massive suitcase that matched her small frame in size.
"I've already packed light...?"
"Understood. Let's load it up then."
Once in the car, Ha-ru stared blankly at the blurring scenery rushing by. Her world was painted in shades of gray. She hadn't been fully colorblind from the start. It was a chronic condition that flared up whenever stress hit hard—like when her dad broke his promise to take her to an amusement park, or while prepping for the academy entrance exam. And after witnessing her mother's final moments, she'd thought she'd never see color again until meeting NoName.
Her mother's death had crushed Ha-ru's memories into oblivion. All she could faintly recall was clinging to her mother's hand and sobbing all day at the hospital. Doctors found nothing wrong with her cone cells and deemed it untreatable anyway—not true colorblindness, but a brain issue.
"I can't wait to see her..."
"That excited, huh?"
"Ah...! Y-yeah..."
Ha-ru flushed, nodding as her accidental murmur slipped out. Originally, NoName had planned this as a chance for her to make up with Yuna, but Ha-ru valued it more for the weekend time with NoName. Being near her infused the world with vitality, letting Ha-ru savor the beautiful auras emanating from objects and living things. She urged her attendant to hurry.
* * *
"Hi, mister!"
"You must be Yuna! Just like Nami said, you've got such pretty hair color!"
"Aw, thanks! But did Nami really say that?"
"Yuna, hop in quick so I can too. Car behind us."
"Okay, okay!"
I shoved the dawdling Yuna into the back seat and slid in beside her. Today's Yuna was bursting with energy, barely keeping her butt planted on the cushion. She kept poking her head between the front seats, bombarding Professor Cheon with questions.
"Where's Nami's house? Far from here?"
"Not too far. Ten minutes by car."
"Is Nami's room big? Does it have a huge bathroom?"
"You'll see when we get there, haha. Sounds like you're really curious about the house, Yuna."
"Buckle up already, Seo Yu-na."
"Eek!"
I yanked her sleeve to force her into proper position. She was fascinated by Professor Cheon's car, twisting her head around and perking up at the navigation and autonomous driving AI's voice.
"Nami, Nami."
Yuna poked my thigh and whispered, like she had something private to say. I leaned in slightly, and she brushed back my hair, cupping her left hand to my ear.
"Is Nami's house, like, super rich?"
"Kinda?"
Owning a 40-pyeong apartment smack in the middle of Gangnam practically screamed wealth.
"I wish our house had tons of money. What's the fastest way to get rich?"
"Why's a kid like you obsessing over money already."
"But with loads of cash, you can do anything...! Enough to never lick yogurt lids clean."
"Is that a big dream or a small one?"
I got Yuna's money-worship vibe. Having endured every hardship from poverty since childhood, it made sense.
"If you made a ton of money, Yuna, what'd you do first?"
"Buy four houses!"
"Four? Why?"
"One for Mom, Maru oppa, Noeul oppa, and me."
"Then you'd all live separately?"
"Hmm... I'd still wanna live with Mom... So three should be enough! Oh, and an iPhone, the best capsule too."
She fixated on money but hadn't thought through specifics. Typical kid logic.
"The easiest, fastest way is probably marriage."
"Marriage?"
"Yeah, marry rich."
Marriage was a high-stakes social act and path to upward mobility, indispensable in human history. In my past life, sending wedding invites to total stranger high nobles was routine—to solidify alliances, open trade routes, revive failing houses. Modern and medieval values clashed inside me, causing some confusion, but even today, plenty packaged capital and status lust as "love." Human nature hadn't changed much.
"You marry someone you love...!"
"Live together long enough, and love might grow. That's people for you."
In high society, noblewomen could brainwash themselves into truly loving their spouses, absent major flaws. As someone with lingering male self-awareness, I'd never fully get that mindset.
"Not for me. If I had to, I'd wanna live with Nami."
"Huh?"
"'Cause Nami's rich but doesn't show off like other kids. She's kind, quiet, smart—like a fairy-tale prince."
Such a flag should've gone to Yoon Si-hu instead. Then he could've cashed it in later in middle or high school as a "childhood promise."
"I might not be as great as you think? What if I sleep all weekend, refuse rice without meat, whine about shopping, and my hobbies are drinking and gaming?"
Not that I'd ever actually drunk once.
"Ugh... Lemme think about that...!"
Yeah. Childhood promises like that shouldn't be tossed around lightly. Yuna could succeed in any field without marriage anyway. How many elementary kids planned their lives so meticulously? Give her a stable study environment free of worries, and she'd grow up perfectly straight.
"Hey, Yuna, mind if I ask something I'm curious about?"
"Sure! What?"
"Last time, you printed out that drawing your oppa made at school and showed me, right? Remember?"
"Yeah, Maru oppa's amazing, huh?"
"Wasn't that computer-drawn? It was moving and stuff."
"Probably. Heard he made it for high school performance eval."
I'd imagined oil on canvas since he dreamed of being an artist, but it was a misunderstanding from Yuna's limited vocab. The digital paper she showed me as Seo Maru's work featured pro-level animated splash art—like a game character come alive.
"Hey, would it be rude to ask your oppa if he'd consider another gig?"
"Another gig? Like what?"
"VTube editor."
"Editor? Oh... But we don't have a computer at home."
"Buy one for him."
"Editors get that bought for them?"
"Yeah."
Not for just anyone. But I'd totally get one for him. Starting streaming properly? Snagging a VTube editor early would be ideal. Plus, I already knew Seo Maru a bit, so no awkwardness. Selfish on my part, sure, but a solid offer for him too.
"Okay! I'll ask."
Destination Reached
Chatting with Yuna had flown by—we were already home. In the elevator, she freaked out realizing I lived on the 39th floor, panicking about earthquake evacuations. Adorable.
"Welcome to my house."
The first day of the party was just getting started.