A Shopping Date with Min-hye
"Oppa, let's go quickly!" Seo Moon-min-hye's steps toward the department store were unusually brisk. Her energetic demeanor made it clear she was genuinely excited about going shopping with me. I simply smiled as she gripped my hand tightly and pulled me along. Cute.
I watched her with appreciation, noting how her flowing blue hair and the way her jeans hugged her curves made her figure look especially alluring.
"Whoa~ That girl is really pretty."
"The guy's handsome too. Damn. No wonder he has a girlfriend like that."
"Are they this year's new students?"
"They already look like a couple. Did they both get accepted at the same time?"
Seo Moon-min-hye wasn't an official student yet, but since she was only a year away from the minimum admission age, people often mistook her for one of the academy's incoming students. Because my black hair and eyes contrasted sharply with her blue hair and eyes, onlookers never saw us as siblings and instead assumed we were a couple.
"Oppa, everyone around us thinks we're a couple."
"Seems that way."
Seo Moon-min-hye laughed, clearly pleased. She suddenly looped her arm through mine and teased, "Do we look even more like a couple like this?"
"Haha, probably."
Just as I agreed, we arrived at the department store.
Hyun Segye Group's department store.
Hyun Segye Group, one of Korea's leading conglomerates, had long operated this store here. Their core businesses included automobiles, department stores, insurance, and heavy industry.
The seventh and eighth floors are facilities for mana awakeners. That explains why it's eight stories tall.
The original novel had briefly mentioned this Hyun Segye Department Store on Hero Island, but without much detail. Since I had never been interested enough to visit before, this was my first time here.
"Oppa, it's already past five. Should we eat dinner early?" Seo Moon-min-hye asked while checking the restaurant list on her phone.
"That works, but wouldn't six be better? If we eat now, we'll probably end up wanting a late-night snack."
"Then we can just have a late-night snack. We'll get hungry again quickly once we start training anyway."
Seo Moon-min-hye showed no concern about gaining weight. As a sword-wielding awakener, late-night snacks didn't affect her figure. Once someone awakened mana, their body tended to settle into an ideal shape, making it difficult to put on excess weight.
"Fine. Let's eat first, then."
"Okay! Oppa, let's go here."
Seo Moon-min-hye had already picked a place and pointed at the name on her phone. It was a Japanese restaurant.
"Sushi?"
"Yeah! You like sushi too, right? It's perfect for us to share."
"Sure, let's go there."
I placed my hand on her waist as we walked, drawing her closer against me.
"O-Oppa?"
"This way we'll look even more like a couple, don't you think?"
Seo Moon-min-hye seemed flustered at first, but she quickly smiled and leaned her head against me.
"Maybe this makes it even more obvious?"
Her sweet scent reached me more clearly now, and I could feel the soft press of her chest against my arm.
Being like lovers with Oppa… Hehe~ It's a bit embarrassing but I love it so much~
I could sense the genuine joy in her heart. She hadn't fully realized her own feelings yet, but the day would come soon when she did. Once that happened, Seo Moon-min-hye would stand beside me not just as my sister, but as my woman for the rest of our lives.
After finishing our meal at the Japanese restaurant, Seo Moon-min-hye and I wandered through the department store together. Dinner had only been the beginning; the real purpose of our visit was shopping.
"Oppa, how about this one?"
I watched as she tried on various outfits in real time.
"Looks great."
She wore a white spaghetti-strap dress and spun lightly in front of me. The sight was beautiful, and she was deliberately showing it only to me inside the fitting room. It felt like one of those classic romance-novel scenes where the heroine models clothes for the protagonist.
"What exactly do you like about it?" she asked expectantly.
I smiled and gave her the answer she wanted. "It gives off a pure and pretty vibe. It really suits your beautiful face and innocent atmosphere."
"Really? Hehe~ I'm so happy you said that! Oppa, I'll go change into the next one."
"Go ahead."
Seo Moon-min-hye casually slipped out of the dress, revealing her underwear. I felt my mouth go dry but didn't look away.
Her chest is on the modest side, but her overall figure is slender and healthy. Her hips are well-developed and firm—touching them is strangely addictive.
She had removed her clothes without hesitation, but then she suddenly paused and grew conscious of my gaze.
O-Oppa is watching. Ugh, why am I getting so nervous when it's just Oppa looking…?
The reason was obvious, but I didn't voice it. Not yet. I needed her to come to me on her own rather than me pushing her.
"Min-hye?"
I called her name as if nothing had happened. Startled, she hurriedly began putting on the next outfit.
"J-Just a second."
Now dressed in a golf outfit she had brought, with her hair tied back, she looked refreshingly different. The neat ponytail, white tennis skirt, sleeveless top, and golf cap gave her a sporty charm.
"H-How is it?"
Unlike before, she avoided my eyes, looking shy.
"You look really pretty. Your beautiful neckline shows nicely too."
"Eek!"
She let out a small gasp, her blue eyes visibly trembling.
"Min-hye?"
When I called her again, she smiled with flushed cheeks.
"Ah, hehe~ Sorry. It suddenly got a little warm… I'm really happy you complimented me like that."
I stepped closer and pulled her into a gentle embrace.
"Eek, O-Oppa?"
Her mind momentarily panicked. If I took her to bed right now, I was confident she would start begging me for a child by tomorrow. But that would derail my plans. So, as much as I wanted to, I needed to hold back and let her realize her feelings on her own timeline.
"Min-hye, will you be okay staying at the Seo family estate for now?"
"Huh? The family estate?"
She was still recovering from the panic, but my words snapped her back to attention. I released her slightly yet kept my hands on her shoulders, meeting her gaze from close range.
"After next week's entrance ceremony, Seo Moon-hyun and I will cross paths. You'll be there too, so the Seo family will learn about my existence and our relationship."
"…That's true."
Her voice had grown calmer.
"I'm going to take revenge on the Seo family that abandoned me. I won't kill them outright, but I'll make them regret it deeply. Still, because I'm the heir to Yucheon Group, they'll try to pull me back into the family no matter what."
"How shameless. After throwing you out like that…"
Even though it hadn't happened yet, Seo Moon-min-hye looked furious just imagining it. She could already picture exactly how the Seo family would behave.
"Yeah. So, Min-hye, I'll buy a house nearby. Would you like to live there starting next week?"
"A house?"
"Yeah. I'll get a place for myself close by too. We can meet up whenever we want."
Without hesitation, Seo Moon-min-hye nodded.
"Okay. When the time comes, I'll leave the Seo family too. Actually, should I start packing as soon as we get back today?"
She showed no reluctance whatsoever. She was ready to live with me and had zero attachment to the Seo family. We would live separately for now, but the distance would be short, making visits easy. Keeping separate residences was necessary for my plans, and I had a good excuse ready.
"Yeah, that works."
"But Oppa, couldn't I just live with you?"
"That might be… tricky. Once I start making friends and bringing them over, there'll probably be guys who target you."
"Ahaha~ What kind of reason is that! Oppa, you're too much~"
I laughed along with her as she clutched her stomach.
"Still, I'm serious. Min-hye, once the entrance ceremony ends next week, move in right away. I'll have my subordinates prepare everything, so don't worry about household stuff."
"Okay! I'll do that. I hope the entrance ceremony comes soon~"
Seeing how genuinely eager she was to leave the Seo family made her look incredibly adorable.
I can't wait to see the look on Seo Moon-hyun's face.
While I looked forward to his reaction at the ceremony, I decided to give her a gentle warning in case she caused too big a scene.
"Min-hye. First…"
"Yeah, yeah."
She nodded repeatedly as she listened. After we finished talking, we stepped back outside. I bought her several outfits along with the small cosmetics and accessories she wanted. Seo Moon-min-hye didn't ask for anything expensive; she simply enjoyed shopping together with me. What I truly wanted to give her wasn't these things.
A ring would be nice.
Before long, I would slide one onto the ring finger of her left hand.