Aunt Oh Miyoung's Humiliation
The chat window, watching the sibling showdown, was flooded with laughter. Everyone knew Shin Jaewoo's excuse wasn't the truth.
"No, but come on, how can you do it like this?!"
"…Yeah. The game crashed, so it was a shame, but a loss is a loss, so I'll give you your star balloons as promised."
Shin Jaewoo offered a compromise. He admitted the defeat. But he insisted that losing didn't mean he was worse than Kim Minseo(?). The only reason was the game crashing—that was his claim. Of course, no one believed it.
Still, it was a clean wrap-up.
"You're really giving them, right?"
"Yeah."
"…Just give me a little. You don't have to push yourself with 10,000, oppa. Like… a hundred is fine, I'll accept that."
Star balloons worth 10,000—not 10,000 won. Kim Minseo said even that would be okay. She didn't really want to burden Shin Jaewoo. She still thought he was jobless and scraping by.
But this oppa's spending habits have gotten way too flashy lately… Did he really win the lottery or something?
Shin Jaewoo denied it. And he'd said he'd come home tomorrow, so he'd explain then. For now, Kim Minseo had to say something.
"Oh, right. Mom!"
Kim Minseo suddenly yelled for her mom and left the stream room.
The chat, suddenly abandoned by both cousins who were the hosts, filled with complaints.
Shin Jaewoo watched it all, chuckling to himself.
This kid could use a bit more thinking ahead…
He inwardly critiqued Kim Minseo's attitude. Of all games, he'd lost to her at a strategy game.
I guess I'm worse at games than I thought.
Honestly, he hadn't expected to suck this much. She wasn't dumb(?). Just slow on the controls. That's why he did well at simpler games. He especially remembered enjoying Three Kingdoms games.
But they always crumbled against the pay-to-win wall.
His favorite Three Kingdoms games. Memories of never beating heavy spenders flooded back.
Right at that thought.
"Pay-to-win, huh…"
Pay-to-win. He'd hated it before. Couldn't afford it, or only did small spends.
Now, it might actually work in my favor?
A game where a few clicks of spending could leapfrog others. Harmful to most, but useful for him. And then the idea hit.
Could I just buy the game company?
Acquire it and make one pay-to-win game he liked…
Bzzz.
His smartphone vibrated, cutting off his thoughts. A KakaoTalk message.
Kim Minseo had called her mom and left the stream, apparently telling her already.
Short reply. Aunt Oh Miyoung replied briefly too. But it came a bit late. Like she'd typed and erased, pondered, then sent the plain response.
"…She's probably worried."
Kim Minseo always seemed bright, but her mom was the opposite. The worrying type. And unlike Minseo who blurted everything, her aunt held back. She might be fretting why he was coming suddenly. But Shin Jaewoo didn't worry much.
"…Minseo will spill all the details anyway."
That he was doing well. Or maybe that he'd been hooked on streams, tossing star balloons around.
If that's the case, I might get smacked the second I walk in.
Oh Miyoung stared at her nephew's reply with a troubled look.
If he's coming suddenly, he must have something to say.
He probably wouldn't say what until he arrived.
"Hoo."
She sighed after reading it. Her nephew, the painful reminder left by her sister and brother-in-law. An elementary school kid when his parents died together—that shock, plus recent events.
"Minseo, you haven't heard anything?"
She asked her daughter like she was probing. The cousins were close. He'd notified through her first, so maybe Minseo knew.
"…Heard? About what?"
Her daughter, feet up on the living room sofa, eating ice cream while bingeing Netflix on the TV. Innocent face, oblivious to her worries. Sometimes Oh Miyoung felt annoyed yet sorry seeing that face. Always bright and pure. But Minseo's life hadn't been all good.
"Your oppa. He says he's coming suddenly—must be something up."
"Oh, Jaewoo oppa? He's…"
Kim Minseo recalled meeting Shin Jaewoo at the party.
That noona next to him was pretty.
He seemed to be making good money lately. Didn't say the source, but boasted he had plenty. Though with a woman there, it might've been bravado.
"…Seemed like something was up."
She had to answer her mom's question like that.
"What?!"
Oh Miyoung's voice rose. Her heart pounded at Minseo's words. Then Kim Minseo dropped a bombshell on her shocked face.
"Oppa seems to be seeing a girl."
Mentioning what she'd seen. Oh Miyoung's expression changed.
"…Wasn't that breakup with his ex recent?"
"Mm. Doesn't seem official yet, like… a flirt? Something like that?"
If Shin Jaewoo had been dumped, Oh Miyoung had divorced. Reason: her ex cheating. Similar. But neither she nor Minseo had seen Kim Hyeju cheating.
Not him cheating instead of Hyeju, right?
If so, even her beloved nephew deserved a smack on the head. But from Minseo's words, it wasn't.
"…Maybe not? That noona seemed to like oppa more."
Kim Minseo mumbled thoughtfully. Oh Miyoung quietly sat beside her.
"…What happened? Tell me in detail."
Nephew's love life. Just days after being dumped. Oh Miyoung was a regular Korean ajumma at heart. Gossip tickled her ears, especially a close one's fresh after a breakup.
"So like."
Kim Minseo started spilling. Met Shin Jaewoo by chance Saturday. Pretty noona with him.
"…Who was she?"
"Works at Panta Bank. Don't know details. Said she met oppa for work—does his job involve banking?"
"Oh my. Really?"
Oh Miyoung's eyes sparkled. Bank employee. Solid background.
Way better than that gold-digger from before.
Kim Hyeju, once adorable in memory, now twisted ugly post-breakup. Every action reeked of freeloader to her. Especially since she hated cheaters most.
"Anything else? Nothing more?"
"Dunno details. Ask oppa when he comes."
"Right. Maybe that's why he's coming?"
At Oh Miyoung's question, Kim Minseo racked her brain. Then realized her slip.
Oh no, mom's getting her hopes up too much…
Bad feeling. Lee Sooyoung had clearly said not lovers yet(?).
"Just flirting, I said. Don't know if oppa feels the same…"
"And her? She into him?"
"Seemed like it? Oppa isn't bad-looking anyway."
Kim Minseo gestured at her face. Her way of saying his face was fine. She'd never seen him romantically, but heard it often.
You're Jaewoo's little sis?
Can you pass this to Jaewoo?
Minseo got lots of love from noonas before.
Most turned cold when oppa dated someone.
Hurt her back then. Noonas she thought liked her ghosted. The temperature drop stung. But she learned: objectively, her cousin was handsome.
"Our family all has good faces."
Oh Miyoung nodded, stroking Minseo's hair.
"Our girl’s pretty too."
Kim Minseo's lips twitched up, then down.
"But Mom."
"Hm?"
"Why do the women in our house have okay faces but tiny lips?"
"What?"
Kim Minseo fondled her chest with a sigh. Glanced at Oh Miyoung's, sighed again.
"Haa."
Smack!
"Ow! Ah, why hit meee!"
"Is that what you say to your own mom?!"
"Waaah! Dunno! I'm gonna find a second dad. Gonna go to my in-law!"
Smack! Crack!
"Aish, this brat says everything!"
The childish daughter fled to her room. Oh Miyoung didn't chase.
"Hoo."
She sighed in relief instead. From what she heard, his news wasn't bad.
Then Kim Minseo cracked the door, peeking out.
"Oh, and Mom."
"What."
"Oppa got money lately, I think."
"…What?"
Sudden bombshell. As Oh Miyoung leaned in, Minseo preempted.
"Oppa said he's got cash now. Spending like crazy? Job seems sorted at least."
Relief hit. Her brows lifted slightly. Glad, but odd phrasing.
"…Spending like crazy?"
"Yeah! Came to my stream, tossed star balloons. Not just to me, I think?"
Without hesitation, Kim Minseo ratted out everything she knew to Oh Miyoung.