Severance (3)
Choi Gahee's house was always ridiculously spacious, no matter how many times I saw it. Well, her family never really belonged in a humble neighborhood like this to begin with. Her parents were amazing for going this far just because she asked them to move here. Not that I knew if it was some lazy game developer's setting or whatever—either way, this was reality now.
"Woof! Pant pant pant!"
Before I could even ring the doorbell, a Golden Retriever came bounding over, barking excitedly. Its tail wagged furiously, tongue lolling out—no hint of aggression at all. Come to think of it, I'd noticed the first time we met: this dog really took to people.
"Hey there."
"Woof!"
I crouched down for a moment to pet Willy.
"Willy~ Time for food!"
"Woof! Woof!!"
Gahee unnie soon appeared, and Willy bolted straight to her.
"Okay, okay. I'll fill your bowl properly, so calm down first."
"Hey, Gahee unnie."
"Oh, Taeyang! You're here!"
She opened the gate with an even brighter smile than when she'd come out, telling me to wait just a sec. She must've been in a rush because the fresh bag of kibble had burst open, spilling all over the floor.
"Ah! W-Wait, Willy, don't eat it. What do I do now?"
"Here."
I handed her the broom and dustpan from nearby. It was a shame, but we'd save enough for his bowl and clean up the rest.
"Oh, thanks."
I helped her tidy up quickly.
"Phew~ Thanks so much."
"No big deal. Least I can do since you're tutoring me."
"I'll make sure you grasp everything from the basics, step by step."
The moment we stepped inside, she suggested heading to her room. Hmm... that felt dangerous. Besides, I wasn't planning to stick around long. I had a different purpose for coming here.
"We could just do it in the living room."
"You think?"
Luckily, she agreed. She said she'd get ready and told me to hang tight.
"You got here early, huh?"
"Yeah, just kinda happened."
"Hehe, did you miss unnie that much?"
"...Not really."
"O-Oh?"
She pouted a little but brushed it off with a smile. Despite being older, that sulky expression was kinda cute. Damn it, no—focus. I quickly changed the subject.
"...So, where are your parents?"
I'd suggested the living room partly because family around would complicate things. But the mansion was empty except for her.
"Unnie's parents work pretty far away."
Oh, right. They'd bought this place because she wanted to live here, but they were busy with business and only came home every two weeks or so. For their only daughter, they sure raised her independently.
"Hmm... so you're mostly here alone, then."
I muttered it without thinking.
"Yeah. It's pretty lonely, so come visit often, Taeyang."
...Shouldn't have said that. She hid her fleeting loneliness behind a bright smile and headed to the kitchen. The oven timer had gone off.
"Perfect timing—the cookies are done. Start studying; I'll be right back."
Still, wasn't it risky for a young girl to live alone? Nah, don't overthink it. With their money, the security had to be top-notch, better than ours. And this neighborhood was safe anyway.
What I needed to worry about right now... Hoo. Just thinking about saying it out loud made my chest tighten. The moment I'd been dreading arrived as she brought out the snacks.
"Taeyang, try one of these?"
"..."
"Taeyang?"
I popped the canelé or whatever it was into my mouth. Honestly, it tasted like super-compressed red bean pastry with custard—sweet cream lingering on my tongue.
"Good?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm... not really?"
"Huh?"
Oh, my face must've shown it. I forced a smile and shook my head.
"No, it's good."
"Really? I made a ton, so take some home for Hayan."
I had no idea what expression to make.
"Try this one too."
"Unnie, I came to study."
"Oh? Ah... haha, sorry. Almost got carried away feeding you again."
I stopped her from grabbing another treat, steadied my shaking hands, and pulled out the entrance exam workbook from my bag.
"Past papers first. Yeah, start with those..."
Not Pulkkot High School's, but Elmae High School's.
Gahee unnie froze for a second before speaking.
"Oh dear, Taeyang. Wrong workbook?"
"No, this is right. I'm going here."
"...Not coming to Pulkkot High?"
Silence stretched on. Her face gradually darkened as she waited for my answer.
I gave a curt "Yeah."
"Why?"
"Just... wanted to go somewhere farther away."
It'd be better for everyone—especially keeping distance from unnies and Yuyeong. I kept that thought inside and tried moving on, but she blurted desperately.
"Still!! We could look out for each other if we go to the same school, right?"
Her voice trembled, words stumbling in panic. She was trying hard to convince me.
"Can't rely on you all the way through high school. Plus, you're seniors now—super busy."
"Not true! If we're together..."
"Together how?"
"........."
She clamped her mouth shut, hurt by my harsh words. She bit her lip, desperate to say something but couldn't find the words. If it were Iri unnie or someone else, she might've brushed it off like, "What nonsense? Wherever's the same, so just go to the close one quietly." But with Gahee unnie, I felt this compulsion to respect her wishes gently. She couldn't push back strongly.
Finally, she offered a compromise.
"Even if you go to Elmae... yeah, it won't change much from now, right?"
We went to different schools already; it'd be the same next year. She clung to that hope. Time to reveal why I came.
"Um, Gahee unnie. Truth is... I didn't come just to study."
"Huh? Taeyang, why so serious?"
She forced a smile, as if begging me not to shatter her fragile hope. But her eyes were already glistening. Even then, I couldn't help thinking, please don't let those eyes cloud over until I'm done.
Hoo~ Let's just get it over with. This was getting too awkward. Everything felt wrong.
"What do you think of me, Gahee unnie?"
"What? W-Well..."
She trailed off. If she just saw me as a nice little bro, no hesitation needed.
"If it's hard, you don't have to say. I kinda guessed already."
"...You knew?"
"Yeah. And I pretended not to."
This was my fault. I bowed my head in apology. "I'm really sorry."
"You don't need to apologize, Taeyang!"
"No, I do. And... sorry, but stop liking me."
"........."
She froze like I'd smacked her head.
"Getting involved with me will just make you miserable. I can't return your feelings, so you'll just suffer."
Tears traced down her cheeks.
"...That's not true."
Exactly the situation I dreaded most. I grabbed my bag.
"Thanks for everything."
I couldn't stay anymore. Time to run.
"Taeyang! Wait! Hear unnie out!"
"I said I don't like you!!!!"
"........."
"I don't like you, Gahee unnie!! So let me go!! It's all too much!!!"
In this shaking world, I bid the possibly final farewell to Choi Gahee—the worst possible goodbye—and stormed out.
She'd hate me now. Resent me for sure. Even if she cursed me, I had no defense.
I kept walking after leaving her house, then stopped dead on some roadside. I leaned against the wall, gasping for air. The nausea wouldn't settle.
"Urk—"
The sweet custard stench rose with bile. That first canelé threatened to come back up. The street blurred with hot tears.
Vomiting, crying... what the hell had I been doing all this time?
"Hoo... at least it's cleared up."
Never again. No more of this crap.
Crunch crunch—
Crunch crunch—
Crunch crunch—
The living room echoed only with the sound of munching cookies. No one around to stop her, the pre-baked batch was already gone. Still unsatisfied, the blonde girl scanned around, tears streaming, until her eyes landed on chocolate. She reached out but hesitated.
"No, no, no."
Shaking her head furiously, Choi Gahee decided to think rationally. Pigging out like this solved nothing—just regret and weight gain later. At least she still had that much sense left... though her eyes were already noticeably clouded.
"Taeyang must have a reason."
Things had been fine; he wouldn't flip overnight. She had one suspicion...
"That bastard Seonwoo!"
Yeah, something happened with Seonwoo, and Taeyang changed after. Seonwoo had tainted their cute, sweet, adorable Taeyang. Cast a shadow over that pure kid's face. He'd dropped out already, and she didn't know what went down with Juyeon or Hayan since they weren't talking, but Seonwoo must've said something during a fight.
"Hoo~ Calm down."
Seonwoo was gone anyway—no point dwelling or getting revenge.
"First, stop Taeyang."
Different school? Unacceptable. She'd been dreaming of attending with him, even remastering reference books in case he bombed the exam. She couldn't give up now.
Too selfish? No. This was for him. Stopping a little brother from going astray was a big sister's duty.
"Yeah, no way he hates unnie."
When he'd run off yelling he hated her, Taeyang had been crying. Looked utterly heartbroken. Right—he didn't mean it. Had to be.
Regaining her senses (or so she thought), Gahee gnawed her nails, muttering nonstop.
"I have to... get Taeyang... back to normal. No matter what."