Chapter 84
"Give me your son...!"
"Unnie, can't you just be our family's daughter?"
Baek Sia had completely turned into a Yoo Seol-ah fan. Thanks to all her efforts, Seol-ah's expression was worlds apart from earlier. She'd been practically frozen solid before, but now she looked almost back to her usual relaxed self. This was a result that would've been impossible without Sia's heroics, so I made a mental note to slip her some pocket money later.
But that was that, and no was still no. I answered firmly.
"No."
"Why are you answering, oppa? I didn't ask you."
Come to think of it, Sia was already getting plenty of allowance from our parents. I felt like an idiot for even considering it for a second. Still, there was a real reason Seol-ah couldn't become our family's daughter.
Seol-ah answered with a slight flush of embarrassment. "...It's not that I hate the idea... but no."
Seeing her cheeks turn pink, I could tell she was thinking the same thing I was.
"Why? Be my unnie..."
"W-Well... if you're my daughter, I can't marry him."
We hadn't told our parents directly about marriage yet, so Seol-ah whispered it as quietly as she could. These days, her cuteness was overflowing so much that it was getting hard to keep my smile in check.
"...Fine. Then I'll join your family as the daughter."
"Our parents would love that. They even talked about having three daughters."
"Right, you met unnie's real older sister last time, didn't you?"
"...How far have you two talked?"
"It's a secret."
In truth, they'd only met once in person, but they'd been texting nonstop and seemed way closer than before. Seol-ah had given Sia her number super easily last time, and now she was totally wrapped around my little sister's finger... She was my girlfriend, but genes are genes—you can't fight them. Given Seol-ah's thing for pretty girls, it was inevitable.
After some casual chit-chat, Sia lowered her voice a bit.
"So, how far are you telling them today?"
"...Honestly? As far as it'll go...?"
I already knew Seol-ah wanted to make things as official as possible today. I felt the same way, and our parents were unlikely to object anyway. Even if—hypothetically—they reacted badly, I'd turn it around somehow.
"Yeah? I actually wish you two would move in together ASAP."
I wasn't sure if she'd mentioned living together already, but since Sia knew about the marriage, she could probably guess.
"We could do it right now, actually."
"...For real?"
"Yeah. Just need permission."
Sia probably didn't know this, but Seol-ah had been saving diligently from her illustration gigs. Her parents covered tuition and living expenses, so almost all her earnings were intact. With her thick core fanbase, her Patreon-like page had a ridiculous number of subscribers. Bottom line: she could swing a modest apartment on a bank loan alone, no parental help needed.
And it wasn't just her—I had a decent chunk saved too, nothing like hers, but more than most twenty-year-olds could dream of. Neither of us were big spenders, so we'd pay off any loan fast. If she were just a regular college kid, she wouldn't even suggest moving in like this.
"...Unnie, you're amazing."
"W-What? Just a little...?"
She never hyped herself up unless she was fully comfortable, so it was clear Sia had won her over.
"Got it. I'll smooth things over, so don't worry."
"Thanks."
Her tone made it sound like she'd prepped a whole arsenal just for Seol-ah's sake. ...Guess a bright sister beats a stuffy brother every time.
We wrapped up the talk at a perfect moment—just then, Dad's voice called from the kitchen.
"Dinner's ready. Son, daughter, help set the table."
"Sure."
"Oh, I'll help too!"
"Thanks, but you're our guest today. We'll take the thought."
"Yeah, enjoy the VIP treatment while you're here."
Seol-ah hated sitting idle in situations like this, so I physically planted her on the sofa. She fidgeted anyway—too nice for her own good. She'd jump in to help even strangers. Made me worry how she'd survive the real world.
Sia and I ferried dishes from the kitchen. It was classic home cooking, but more like a full-on banquet. The side dishes alone were endless.
Last time, I'd asked Seol-ah what she wanted; her first answer? "Anything your parents make."
Mom was touched when I relayed it, but she insisted on something specific. Turns out it was "real home-cooked food." Living alone meant she couldn't go all-out on meals like this, so she must've been craving it. Even when her parents dropped off sides, it was just a couple at a time—and Seol-ah wasn't much of a cook anyway.
"Whoa, you made so much."
"Gotta break a leg for an important guest, right?"
"Galbi-jjim, japchae—this is like a month's worth. You guys don't cook much usually."
"Aigoo, why's my son so cute...?"
"Who'd I get it from? Not me."
"Not me either? You're all logic, no heart—just like you in college. How'd a dry guy like that become a hair designer...?"
Dad got smacked for switching targets. They were the same age, and this bickering was so routine it barely registered. Honestly, I'd never seen them fight for real—probably why I turned out relatively well-behaved.
"Alright, let's eat? Seol-ah, come join us."
"Y-Yes!"
Seol-ah's eyes went wide at the spread. Looked like heaven to her.
"...You must've worked so hard making all this..."
"We don't cook often, so I hope it tastes okay... Seeing you crave home food made me go all out again."
"Thank you... I'll dig in!"
Watching super-polite Seol-ah was oddly surreal. That upturned speech pattern screamed "presentation mode." It clashed hilariously with her usual "What're you staring at..." vibe.
"Hungry? Let's eat."
"Yes, thank you for the meal."
Our parents picked up their utensils first to put her at ease. Only then did Seol-ah start.
"...It's so good."
"Really? Glad to hear it..."
Both Mom and Dad were great cooks, so her wide-eyed reaction made sense. Skill like that didn't fade with disuse—cooking must be talent-heavy too.
"You've known Sion a while, right? Sia mentioned it."
"Yes, we've been friends for quite some time."
"Your dad and I go way back—practically childhood sweethearts."
"Really?"
"Yeah. He chased me till I said yes."
"Don't spread misunderstandings—she confessed first."
"...Dad, embarrassing..."
Sia timed her interruption perfectly. Dad's aggrieved "Why me...?" got ignored.
Our parents never changed around strangers, which made me wonder if Seol-ah would get overwhelmed. Nah, she'd be fine.
"Your silver hair suits you perfectly. I've dyed tons of celebs, but nobody pulls it off like this."
"Thank you... A friend recommended it, so I went for it!"
"Mind sharing the salon? Sorry to pry—occupational hazard."
"Oh, Own Yours in Gangnam."
Everyone but Seol-ah froze. She blinked in confusion, but we had our reasons.
"Su-kyung or Eun-byeol do it?"
"...Uh, Eun-byeol unnie... How'd you know?"
Seol-ah trailed off for the first time since arriving, totally flustered.
"That's my salon. I don't go in much anymore."
"Whoa... Seol-ah's got taste."
"...I'm shocked."
"I hustled there ten years ago, but life's busy now. Managers are pros anyway."
"In-ah Director-nim, let's do a special course sometime. Still don't get why I went with 'In-ah' over 'Eun-ah'—feels so retro."
Dad got shushed for yapping and focused on eating, looking a tad sulky. Nobody'd peg him for over forty.
"Our shop's pricey, huh...? I'll do it personally when I'm free."
"...Really? Thank you so much..."
"I'm the thankful one. You could rock any style. Too pretty."
"...Haha, nooo."
With the delicious food loosening things up, the mood turned warm and cozy—Seol-ah's tension all but gone.
"Ah, you're cousins with Eun-byeol?"
"Yes, older cousin—went last time."
"Ever thought of modeling for our salon? This hair as-is."
"Oh, I'd love to if you need me!"
Chat flowed through topics till dinner wrapped. We cleared the table quick, then resettled—all five of us.
Seol-ah still sat ramrod straight, but her natural smile said she was good now.
"Seol-ah, anything you want to say?"
"Ah, well..."
Our parents already knew we were serious. Now it was just how she'd phrase her intentions.
Seol-ah took a shallow breath and raised her voice a touch.
"P-Please... give me your son...!"
"...Pfft."
Sorry, Seol-ah. The earnest delivery clashed so hard with the words, I couldn't hold back the laugh.