Twenty-Seven, and an Engagement (1)
I got engaged.
My fiancée is the daughter of the president of one of our subcontractors. In this day and age, you hardly ever hear the word "engagement" in real life, but absurdly enough, I ended up being the one in that situation.
Dad made the decision on his own, and Mom went along with it. That alone was shocking enough, but what was even more ridiculous was that none of my brothers or my little sister took my side. It felt like they'd all decided everything among themselves, and I was just informed after the fact.
I'd always planned to keep my distance from women. It wasn't about liking or disliking them—it was just that I wanted to steer clear of dating or marriage. Building a family and sharing responsibilities didn't suit me; I preferred focusing solely on my work and living freely on my own. I believed that was enough, and honestly, more realistic. My brothers were all married anyway, so what did it matter if the third son like me stayed single? I'd never been that interested in women to begin with.
Ever since that day, my mood had been at rock bottom. An engagement to someone I'd never even met? No matter how I thought about it, it made no sense.
But refusing wasn't easy either. Dad was far more stubborn than I'd imagined, and this time, he wouldn't even hear my opinion. He just kept repeating that since she was Yoon Sajang's daughter, I should at least meet her first before deciding.
Pushed that hard, I had no choice but to agree to meet her. The timing couldn't have been worse, though. Dad had been openly pressuring me to take a position like my brothers'—some corporate executive role. Piling the engagement on top of that felt suffocating. I still had a long way to go compared to them.
Still, there was no way to turn the tables right now. In the end, just as Dad said, I'd meet her first and judge then.
If there was a silver lining in this misfortune, it was that Yoon Sajang had a reputation for being a genuinely good person. With his outstanding career and solid reputation, even Dad trusted him. So I figured his daughter would be innocent and quiet.
But when I actually met her, my expectations were completely off.
At first, I thought she must be some kind of model. She was strikingly beautiful, and—this might sound rude, but—her proportions were impressive too. I was honestly surprised.
The problem was that Yoon Sajang's daughter, Yoon Seoyeong, turned out to be pretty reckless and strong-willed. Like me, she had plenty of complaints about this sudden engagement, but unlike me, who grudgingly accepted it, she voiced her dissatisfaction openly. Right in front of me, without any hesitation.
I couldn't help but feel a bit offended. Still, I understood her feelings, so rather than getting angry, I thought, Well, she has a point. On top of that, I even started hoping this engagement might fall apart quicker than expected.
If neither I nor Seoyeong wanted it, there was no reason to keep it going, right?
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, but strangely, my mood wasn't that bad. Even when Yoon Sajang and his wife quietly scolded Seoyeong and brought up the engagement again, I felt the same.
I didn't like the situation much either, so if I could just get through today unscathed, things might work out—a strange premonition.
That's when I heard the door lock click open, and the front door swung wide.
The moment I turned toward the sound, I couldn't help but be stunned.
There stood a girl so cute, she seemed unreal—almost too adorable for this world. Beneath her neatly combed black hair, vivid red eyes gleamed. Her delicate features weren't just beautiful; they were utterly lovable. Above all, her snow-white skin glowed under the lights, breathtaking up close.
Is she an angel? I was so dazed I nearly thought that, but I quickly regained my composure.
I greeted her as naturally as possible, but that's when I noticed something odd. From what Yoon Sajang and his wife had told me, they had two daughters: the older one in university, and the younger a high schooler four years younger than her.
But the girl in front of me didn't look like a high schooler—not her face, not her height. Thinking back now, it was rude, but my first thought was that she must be in elementary school.
Only after noticing her school uniform did an old story come back to me. Their younger daughter had been in a major accident. Her red eyes were a side effect, and because her growth plates were badly damaged, it was like her growth had stopped—something Yoon Sajang had mentioned sadly many times.
Unlike Seoyeong, the little sister was incredibly polite and well-mannered. After greeting us, she slipped into the kitchen briefly and returned with a decent-sized plate.
On it were neatly peeled apple slices and hallabong oranges arranged beautifully. In the center, peeled hallabong segments were placed in neat rounds, surrounded by bite-sized apple pieces fanned out like petals. It was so pretty, it was a feast for the eyes.
I was grateful for the thoughtfulness, but her skill was impressive too. Really an angel?
And she had a quirky side I hadn't expected. As we chatted, no one touched the fruit, so I suggested we all have some. Then, leaving her own fork untouched, she suddenly snatched a piece of apple from my plate and ate it.
I froze for a second. Realizing what she'd done, her eyes went wide, and her face flushed bright red. On her already pale skin, it stood out even more.
That flustered, blushing look... it was, well... cute.
And when I was leaving, she even handed me a shoehorn at the entryway—as if she'd known. It was new shoes, tricky to put on without one, and I hadn't mentioned it. I was a little surprised. She's got sharp eyes.
It made me feel a bit guilty, but I couldn't help thinking, Why doesn't my family have someone like her?
By the time I left, my mood was worlds better than when I'd arrived.
After saying goodbye at the door, I headed to the underground parking lot. As I opened the car door to get in, I heard the little sister calling my name.
Turning around, I saw her running toward me, panting hard. I tensed up, thinking something big had happened.
But once she caught her breath and stopped in front of me, her request was far simpler than I'd imagined. She just wanted my phone number.
The fact that she'd come rushing out like that for just that? It was hilarious—in the cutest way. Not absurd, just endearing.
Yoon Sajang had my number anyway; she could've gotten it anytime. Running out like this? What a quirky kid.
Suppressing a laugh, I told her that, and her face turned scarlet as she bowed her head deeply. It was so adorable, I couldn't stop smiling.
She was cuter than my little sister had ever been as a kid. ...No, mine wasn't cute—she was a terror. Sure, she was adorable young, but once she hit middle school, she treated her brothers like total pushovers.
I gave her my number and drove off, catching sight of her waving in the rearview. Unconsciously, I waved back.
As I pulled out of the lot, a glance in the mirror showed her still waving enthusiastically.
...So cute. Like watching a small, fluffy animal. I almost envied Yoon Sajang for having a daughter like that. Most of his bragging was about his youngest anyway.
If I end up marrying Seoyeong... that kid would be my sister-in-law, right? Marriage was the last thing I wanted to imagine... but it didn't sound half bad. Even if not often, I'd probably have some fun times a few times a year.
Back home, I reported on the engagement meeting. When I said I'd meet her a few more times before deciding, the family reacted positively.
This should buy me some peace for a while.
Before dinner, I checked my phone and found a message. From the little sister.
Just a text, but it felt like hearing her voice directly. I grinned the whole time exchanging replies.
Even during dinner, chuckles kept slipping out, leading the family to assume things were going well with Seoyeong.
Then it hit me—something odd. I'd talked on the phone and messaged with the little sister before doing so with my actual fiancée, Seoyeong.
Come to think of it, I hadn't really had a proper conversation with Seoyeong at all. But with the little sister...
"I'm worrying about the dumbest things."
It had been ages since I'd muttered to myself like that. Totally pointless worry.
She was just the little sister, nothing more. No matter how cute, she was the complete opposite of my type. If I had to pick an ideal type, Seoyeong actually fit better—tall, beautiful, straightforward speech.
Yet, when I pictured them, the little sister stuck in my mind more clearly.
I'd always been a sucker for cute animals, so maybe I felt the same about her.
...I shouldn't. Thinking that way was pretty rude.
No more pointless thoughts. If things don't work out with Seoyeong, I probably won't see her again anyway. No point dwelling on it.