Chapter 52 — You Were Really Shocked, Weren't You, Oppa?
Chapter 52 — You Were Really Shocked, Weren't You, Oppa?
Translation: GodTL
"Unnie."
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry, but I'd prefer if you didn't visit like this anymore, and if we could keep contact to a minimum from now on."
It was something I'd known I'd have to say eventually.
But until now, the timing had never felt right, so I'd kept burying those words.
Now, it seemed the moment had finally come.
Yu-na blinked rapidly, startled by Min-jun's sudden bombshell as she stared at him in disbelief—as if she'd never imagined such words could come from his mouth.
"What... what are you talking about, Min-jun?"
"It's true we were close as siblings when we were kids. But that was ages ago. Besides, if I were single it might be different, but I have a girlfriend now. It's not exactly proper for a man with a girlfriend to be meeting another woman privately."
Moreover, though not as intensely as with Sia, Min-jun had sensed that Yu-na harbored romantic feelings for him and had been subtly pushing boundaries.
He couldn't afford to leave any more room for misunderstanding.
"I just wanted to—"
"I'm sorry. But this is how it has to be."
At Min-jun's cold response, tears began pooling in her eyes without her realizing.
Since childhood, she'd secretly nurtured affection for Min-jun.
Over time, those feelings had faded somewhat but never disappeared.
And though Min-jun himself might not know it, even after they lost contact, he'd left a profound impact on Yu-na.
Right after immigrating to the United States,
she'd convinced herself that someday—she didn't know when—she'd have the chance to meet Min-jun again. For that day, she resolved to become the perfect woman he'd fall for.
She vowed to transform into someone irresistibly captivating—flawless in looks, talent, and personality.
One could say her current self existed entirely because of that determination.
Hailed as a prodigy, she achieved A-rank Hunter status at a remarkably young age.
After retiring, she successfully ran multiple businesses, including that Chinese restaurant.
Even her joking remark to Min-jun about opening the restaurant because he'd loved jajangmyeon as a child—that hadn't been a lie either.
She'd started the business hoping that one day, Min-jun might taste the jajangmyeon she personally cooked for him.
Yu-na's feelings for Min-jun had always been genuine.
'I thought... when I finally met Min-jun as my perfect self, I'd confess properly.'
But Min-jun already having a girlfriend had prevented that confession.
If they couldn't be lovers, she'd been willing to settle for their old sibling-like bond.
It would hurt, but she believed she could hide her true feelings and be content with that.
Yet...
"...Why am I not allowed? Huh, Min-jun?"
Faced with his unyielding stance that showed no signs of relenting, her tears finally spilled over as she began pouring out her heart.
"Not even... as close siblings? I'm not even—I'm not asking you to date me. I just... genuinely like you as a person. I enjoy our time together, wanted to take care of you properly. I worked so hard to become a reliable unnie you could lean on..."
"......"
Min-jun seemed genuinely taken aback—he hadn't expected Yu-na to bare her soul like this.
Though her tears might have swayed him slightly,
he didn't reconsider his decision.
If anything, hearing her confession only solidified his resolve.
"I'm sorry, unnie."
"I... I was..."
I liked you first—before your girlfriend ever did.
I could have loved you more, given you more.
Those words stuck in her throat as she hung her head.
"...No, I'm sorry. I understand. I'll do as you say."
Pushing further would only make things worse, and she knew nothing could change Min-jun's mind now.
Resigned, she forced down her tears
and left Min-jun's apartment.
Swallowing the grief swelling in her chest, she returned alone to her empty home.
The entire way back, memories of Min-jun haunted her, deepening her sorrow.
And soon, that sorrow began twisting into something darker.
'If it weren't for that bitch—'
If Min-jun had never dated Sia, none of this would have happened.
With this warped conviction—that Sia's jealousy had caused everything—Yu-na's anger began targeting Sia.
How could she release this fury?
Her conclusion was simple:
'I'll challenge her to a spar.'
Though retired, she was a former A-rank Hunter, while Sia was 'officially' D-rank.
Unaware of the truth, Yu-na assumed Sia was just an ordinary D-rank—someone she could freely vent her anger on during a match, given their difference in strength.
As this plan crystallized, a vicious smile curled her lips.
Worried sick about Sia, I couldn't focus on anything all day.
I wasn't in any state to calmly research B-rank Gates, and when I contacted Rokan to ask about Sia's condition, he said there was nothing he could tell me right now.
Moreover, it was the first time Sia had shown me such a side of herself during our entire relationship, so it was only natural that I grew even more worried.
As a result, I spent the entire day agonizing over how I could lift Sia's gloomy mood.
It would've been nice if I knew why she felt that way, but since I didn't even have that much, I decided to do the best I could with what I did know.
I personally picked out clothes for Sia at a nearby department store, and feeling like that alone wasn't enough, I made a large batch of tteokbokki to give her, storing it in a big container.
Just as I was about to put the freshly made tteokbokki into the fridge, my eyes landed on the side dish containers Yu-na noona had left behind.
'It bothers me.'
For a brief moment, I wondered if I'd been unnecessarily cold to her, but for the sake of peace between me, Sia, and that noona, it had been an unavoidable choice.
Still, what should I do with these side dishes she left?
Some of them were even packed specifically for me to eat, so I was grateful, but the thought of actually eating them made me feel strangely uncomfortable.
Then again, throwing them away without touching them didn't sit right with me either.
I decided to shelve that dilemma for later—I had a more pressing concern to wrestle with.
If Sia and I managed to get in touch soon, should I tell her about what happened today?
Or, since her mood still hadn't settled, would it be better to wait until she seemed a little more stable before laying everything out?
Lost in these trivial worries, I ended up wasting the entire day.
Sia's call came the next morning, around ten o'clock.
Just as I was debating whether to contact Rokan again, a video call from Sia came through.
"Sia!"
Relief and joy made my voice louder than I intended.
[Oppa, I'm sorry. Yesterday, I wasn't in a position to call. Were you really worried?]
I studied her expression.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but the emotional turmoil from the other day must have taken its toll—there were faint dark circles under her eyes.
Other than that, she looked much like her usual self, but it was still too soon to feel relieved.
"No, it's fine. I'm just glad you look okay."
[I'm sorry for making you worry like this. You must've been really shocked, huh?]
"Not at all. Everyone has days like that sometimes, right? Some days you're overjoyed, and others, you feel so depressed you can barely handle it. But still, I'm just glad you seem alright."
Rather than asking what had happened, my priority was to say things that would comfort her first.
Instead of pressing her about yesterday, I decided to lighten the mood by sharing my own stories—starting with the more detailed account of my rank re-evaluation that I hadn't gotten to tell her before, then moving on to the little anecdotes from when I went shopping for the clothes I'd picked out as a gift for her. Small, lighthearted talk that she could listen to with a smile, no overthinking required.
Of course, I didn't mention anything about Yu-na noona.
That conversation was still a little too soon to have.
Sia responded cheerfully to my stories, just like she always did.
But.
Maybe because of what had happened the other day, her expression never fully brightened.
It still weighed on her, and it seemed like she was forcing herself to act fine, afraid I'd worry.
I wanted to ask what had happened, but now wasn't the time to push.
After chatting like this for over an hour—
[Oppa.]
Finally, as if she'd steeled herself, Sia met my gaze with a complicated look in her eyes.
[I guess when you gain something, you lose something too.]
Just like the last time we spoke, she began with a cryptic remark.
[It's like the world is dead set on tearing us apart. I felt it the other day, too.]
"What... happened?"
Perhaps the memory of that day resurfaced, because Sia paused briefly before answering with a bitter smile.
[I'm sorry. It's something I can't tell you about yet. Maybe someday you'll find out—but right now, it's too soon.]
Even though we were close enough to know each other's secrets, there were still things Sia had no choice but to hide from me.
Whatever it was, she must have had a reason for being so evasive the other day.
I couldn't even begin to guess what had happened, and my curiosity only grew.
[But Oppa, I can tell you this much.]
After taking a deep breath, Sia continued with a serious expression.
[Neither you nor I have ever done anything to deserve being hated. And yet, there are people who dislike us for no reason at all.]
I didn't know who those people were, but the mere thought of them seemed to make Sia's skin crawl—she clenched her eyes shut.
[Maybe... someone will go to any lengths to tear us apart. So...]
Sia couldn't bring herself to finish.
I didn't know exactly what she was thinking, but it seemed like she was imagining the worst possible outcome.
"Don't worry. If anyone tries to come between us, I'll grit my teeth and hold on. And I'll keep getting stronger so I can hold on."
Just like you did for me, Sia.
I was confident I could do anything.
I didn't know what was making her so anxious, but the best way to dispel that anxiety was to give her certainty.
Sia seemed to have more to say—her lips parted slightly—but then she covered her face with both hands, lowered her head, and began sobbing silently.
"I don't know what happened, but I won't let the things you're imagining come true. So don't keep it bottled up anymore."
Unfortunately, this was all I could say to comfort her right now.