To Meet, To Repay

"Whoa… I didn't know a place like this even existed."

I'd heard the name often enough. Honestly, not knowing it in Korea would practically get you branded a spy. And that still-uncool logo was part of the package, too.

"Heh. First time?"

"Yeah!"

I'd walked past it before, but I'd never actually gone inside. Phones I'd bought at carrier stores, and appliances ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'd just ordered online based on whichever ones had the most reviews.

"Ah… I see."

It was a bright, cheerful answer, but Oppa was looking at me with something almost solemn in his eyes.

"What, you buying me a phone?"

"Of course I am! Pick whatever our Jihye likes!"

"Unnie… you bought me clothes last time, too. I feel bad always just taking things…"

I'd carefully stacked up the receipts tucked into those clothes and come up with an unbelievable total of one hundred sixty. That was why, even when I made a show of refusing, I could never quite push her away completely.

Someone might say I'd been corrupted by capital — but that kind of money could be someone's entire monthly salary.

"It's fine!"

Unnie pulled a card from her phone case.

"This is Dad's card, anyway!"

"That makes it even worse!"

Why did the two sisters always come up with the exact same ideas?

"It's fine~ If Dad saw you, he'd think of course he should buy you one, right?"

Since when had cheerfully buying a phone for someone else's daughter become a matter of course? Come to think of it, Suhyeon unnie had only said she was jealous — she hadn't even asked about the price.

"Ugh… then just pick the cheapest one. You know, those flip ones grandpas use."

"Hmm… okay. A flip one, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Please."

Unnie and Oppa were both grinning in a way that looked deeply suspicious, but I decided to trust them for now. I didn't care much about electronics, and when it came to phones I was especially hopeless. Both of them were practically wrapped in gadgets, and Oppa had even gotten our family's carrier plan sorted at a discount, so I had reason to believe in them. They might look like they were joking around, but they were working adults who never played games when it really mattered.

"Here. How's this?"

"…It's kind of small… huh?"

The little square of a phone unfolded.

"The flip phone you wanted. What do you think?"

"Th-this looks expensive, though…?"

"But it folds, doesn't it?"

Even the space where buttons should have been was filled edge to edge with screen, and the wallpaper was even animated.

"Augh, I said no! This is insanely expensive!"

"But we already bought it, didn't we? It's the kind of phone grandpas love, right?"

"Jihye, this is my present… you're not going to take it…?"

"Augh… that's… this is…"

No matter how I looked at it, this was not the phone I had wanted. I had clearly been looking for something cheap and light that could make calls.

"…Thank you."

Once it was pressed into my hand before I knew what was happening, there wasn't much else I could say. A forced gift. It was a lot of pressure.

"I transferred all your data. Aside from getting used to it, there shouldn't be anything inconvenient."

"Yeah… thanks."

"So what about me…?"

What about you. What was that even supposed to mean. Was that a song — major key, minor key? …I already knew what he wanted.

…I already knew, and that was exactly why I didn't want to say it. Don't hit me with money.

"Fine! Thank you so, so much, you stupid Oppa!"

"Yes!"

It was the first time receiving a gift had made me angry. Would it have killed them to just give me something ordinary?

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Ah. Jihye. These are freebies. Take them and try them out."

"Huh… and what are these supposed to be…"

"A watch and earphones!"

"Ah…"

Something that looked that expensive ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was absolutely not a freebie.

"…Thank you. Un. Nie."

I packed every ounce of my situation into those words and delivered them.

"Hnn… this is too good. I wonder how she'd react if I bought her a house…"

"Eek…"

A little shiver ran through me. Don't throw money around like that.

"Thank you for today."

"Oh, stop~ If anything comes up next time, make sure you call Unnie. I'll wake Jihyeok right up and come running."

"Ugh. Even if you're just saying that, thank you."

"I'm not just saying it."

When Unnie looked at Oppa, he casually turned his head away. Keep getting bossed around, dear brother.

"Anyway… thank you so much, Unnie."

"Hnn… I'm the one who should be thanking you. Come here — one last hug."

"Okay, okay. As many as you want."

This time Unnie even took off her padding, like she wanted to feel it properly. I took mine off too, following her lead.

"Hnnn— to think I have a little sister like this… Lee Jihyeok, don't you dare bully your sister, got it?"

"Understood~ my lady."

"Don't call me 'my lady,' that's scary… ahh, this is too good…"

If I could repay her with hugs, I'd give her as many as she wanted.

(Thank you so much, Unnie.)

"Love me, please…!"

"Ahem. (I love you.)"

Unnie looked ready to die of happiness. Wearing the expression of someone who had just fulfilled every wish of a lifetime, she finally let me go.

"Thank you!"

"Thanks, Oppa. When I get married later, you won't even have to chip in."

"Uh… huh?"

"Anyway, thanks — I'm going!"

"Hey. Hey! What is that supposed to m—"

I shut the car door and practically fled up toward home.

"Haa… home really is the best."

I turned up the heat in the room, opened my phone, and checked the time.

Right before lunch.

"Heehee."

"Oppa~"

"Hehehe, I love you~"

Calling him toward the end of lunch always made my chest flutter. After getting up early in the morning to see Oppa off, I felt a small loneliness settle in. If I kept myself busy enough to forget it — to not even think about it — the work would be over before I knew it.

And that was lunchtime. The loneliest hour of all.

So lately I'd been calling him every day. Oppa had to eat too, so I timed it just right.

"Hey! That's not a good thing, is it!?"

"Ugh… Oppa, honestly…"

That short lunchtime call gave me the strength to last through the afternoon. Honestly, if he just touched me once at night, I could make it through the afternoon fine.

And that was all Oppa's fault. He got some relief, I got some relief — it was nothing but good. If anyone should have been left wanting, it ought to have been him, not me.

"Ahem. Oppa. I was thinking of packing you lunches, partly to save money… what do you think?"

"It's fine. Just imagining you eating it makes it even better."

Saving money while also boosting Oppa's stamina so he'd jump me — this was the only way. I'd put in some eel… though too much might make him suspicious. Eel was so loaded with old wives' tales that pork would probably do the job. And if I made sure he got his vitamins, too…

"Eheheheh."

"Ah."

I'd forgotten about the phone.

"O-Oppa, what do you usually eat for lunch?"

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"Ugh… is that so?"

Plan ruined. Should I grind up some magnesium or zinc and sprinkle it on a pork cutlet?

Then couldn't he at least give me a morning kiss or something?

"Okay…"

"You too, Oppa."

No progress whatsoever. Two weeks of sleeping together, and still nothing. Just holding each other, a little peck that barely counted as a kiss.

The end.

We weren't actually kids, were we? What was this, high school… no, wait, no. High schoolers already did everything there was to do.

Was it my looks? Should I have pressed my chest against him more when we slept?

No. I was pretty enough. My chest was big enough that if something fell on it, it would bounce right off.

"Haa…"

There was no way I lacked appeal. Surely I wasn't the kind of woman who only charmed other women.

I'd even considered whether Oppa might have a problem down there.

"Hnn…"

It was enormous.

I'd woken once in the night to something pressing against me from below and nearly screamed, thinking it was a snake. He was more than capable of a man's role.

I'd felt every vein. A strangely indecent scent had drawn me in, and before I knew it I was bringing my face right up to it. Almost the same size as my own face.

"Wow…"

Even with my fingers spread, it was bigger. I'd held it against myself from below, but I still couldn't begin to guess the full size. On a small phone screen, hidden behind pants, it was even harder to imagine.

If we didn't use a condom, I'd definitely get pregnant on the first try.

"Idiot. Impotent. Can't even take what's handed to you…"

With something that impressive, what was he so scared of that he wouldn't even come near me? Surely if he was a man, he was taking care of it somehow.

"Ugh. Look at the time already."

What was the point of thinking about things that couldn't happen? I hadn't even done the laundry.

I stuffed the clothes I'd laid out back in and got to work.

"…Haa."

These deep sighs were going to be a regular feature of my life for a while.

"So she's your girlfriend now?"

"……"

"Finally came around, huh."

"Girlfriend… yes…"

Once again, I had nothing left to say. I'd denied it so stubbornly, and now I'd finally accepted it.

"Got a picture?"

"…Uh."

"Aww. That's cold~"

"What, you hiding your girlfriend?"

"Ah… I really don't have one."

I needed to make getting to know Jihye my goal. Using work as an excuse, telling myself that just being together in the moment was enough. We hadn't celebrated a birthday, hadn't taken a single photo worth keeping, hadn't gone anywhere together.

"Sheesh… take some leave already. You've got to go on a trip somewhere before a girlfriend turns into a wife."

"……Yeah. You're right."

She already seemed to be throwing everything she had into trying to touch me, as if broadcasting how badly she wanted to become my wife…

But they weren't wrong. It had been a long time since I'd taken any leave, and in the meantime I'd started dating Jihye — so spending time with her had become every bit as important as working with the team.

"When you take leave soon, give me a heads-up first~"

"Will do."

For some reason, it felt like I was constantly being put through relationship counseling about my own love life.

"Hoo…"

Jihye was the most precious person in the world to me. Somehow, in such a short time, I had fallen for her completely.

Someone named Jiu had given me hope, and Jihye — who was now my girlfriend — had given me happiness.

I had never felt anything like this before.

But the present, so full of sweetness it was like chocolate, felt as though it might melt away and vanish, and that terrified me. It felt as fragile as a candle flame that could go out at any moment, and that frightened me.

I never wanted to forget this happiness I was feeling for the first time.

You give back what you receive. It might sound like a frightening thing to say, but the only thing I had to give Jihye in return was love.

Love was all I had ever been given.