Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Brother the Man (3)
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Rui stuck out its tongue long and snatched the apple slice right from her hand.
Crunch crunch.
It chewed it a couple of times before gulping it straight down its throat.
Amazed by the sight.
"Ooh...!"
She let out an exclamation of wonder and started handing apple slices one by one to Rui.
Rui accepted them with clear satisfaction.
Her expression was brighter than when she was just watching the customer eat.
It snuck slices right out of her hand one after another until all the pre-sliced apples had vanished into Rui's belly.
Satisfied, it let out a hearty belch.
By the time the sunglasses customer finished emptying his bowl, he seemed to notice something too.
The place was far too quiet for a restaurant. The only outsiders were the customer and Rui.
- Just to check, is this break time right now?
"It's break time, but don't worry about it. I brought you into the restaurant, after all."
- Oh no, I'm so sorry.
"It's fine. Our little one seems really into Rui anyway."
Yoon-seule turned at my words with a "Hm?" glanced back at me briefly, then focused on Rui again.
Now she was gently touching the soft pad on Rui's front paw—the part they call the jelly.
The patient large dog didn't mind the handling at all, just flicking its nose now and then.
- Thank you.
"No problem."
The customer bowed his head toward me once more.
I nodded back in kind.
After finishing his bibim guksu, he handed me the empty bowl. He braced himself on the table and carefully stood, at which Rui wagged its tail and lifted its head.
"I'll handle the checkout for you."
Hearing that, the customer headed over to the counter.
Just as we'd settled the bill and he was about to leave.
Yoon-seule called out to him.
"Uncle coming again?"
- Huh? Again?
"Yoon-seul wants to play with Rui more. So come again, okay?"
- Truth is, I don't eat out much, so it might be hard to come often.
"Hing..."
- But your Oppa's cooking is amazing, right? So I'll definitely come back when I have time. With Rui next time too.
"Come with Rui! Oppa food no good nowhere else. Bestest ever."
- Got it. I'll come back with Rui for sure. Promise.
The customer held out his pinky to Yoon-seule.
She nodded at the sight and hooked her pinky tight around his.
- Now that we've promised, breaking it means big trouble.
"Hm? Big trouble?"
- You bet! Break a promise and a dog way bigger than Rui shows up and eats you.
"Gasp...!"
How big would it have to be to top Rui?!
The 5-year-old clutched her head with that exact expression.
He really had a knack for handling kids, having Kwon Su-young as a little sister.
After their pinky promise, the customer started to leave.
Right then, Rui excitedly pawed at the ground, bouncing in place.
Woof! Woof!
- What's up with Rui?
The customer couldn't see outside the glass door directly, so he couldn't make sense of Rui's behavior.
But my sister and I could see the woman's face standing out there.
- Oppa?
It was Kwon Su-young. Casual clothes since it was the weekend.
Just like always, barging in during break time without warning.
She clearly hadn't expected to find her own flesh and blood here—her face was frozen solid.
**
"Rui, we're destined! Let's play more with Yoon-seul."
Woof?
Yoon-seule approached Rui, who had settled back in a corner of the shop, and hugged its scruff.
The vibe over there was heartwarming, but at the table with Kwon Su-young, Song Joo-hyun, and Kwon Su-an.
The atmosphere was a bit heavy.
Why's Oppa here?
He said he'd go walk Rui with me.
He didn't get into any trouble again, did he?
Really? Good thing. Thanks, Joo-hyun Oppa. For helping my Oppa.
What about the bill?
You paid? I see.
In that short time, Kwon Su-young rattled off lines like those, her voice trembling.
Song Joo-hyun saw it as overprotectiveness, like doting parents with a child.
And it was a far cry from how Kwon Su-young had always acted at Onui Restaurant.
Still, parts of her attitude made sense.
The reason Kwon Su-an had come to the shop was because kids had swarmed him on the street.
He probably just had a gentle personality that couldn't say no to that sort of thing.
She was showing this aggressive side out of worry for her brother.
That was Song Joo-hyun's conclusion.
"Sorry, Joo-hyun Oppa. I think I got a little worked up."
"Nah, it's okay. Happens."
Kwon Su-young sat right next to her real Oppa, Kwon Su-an, gripping his hand tight.
She was way calmer than with Song Ji-ah or Kim Mi-jeong.
"Su-young-ah, eat before you go. Bibim guksu was super tasty today. Right, Su-an-ssi?"
"Yeah, it was incredible. Didn't know this was the place you come to all the time. No wonder you're a regular."
Even hearing that, Kwon Su-young kept up an awkward silence.
Normally,
She'd fire back with "Joo-hyun Oppa, you can't resist food!"
Or "Can't come all this way and leave without eating, right?"
Something bold like that.
No lively response came from her, leaving Song Joo-hyun quietly disappointed.
"Oppa just ate, remember? So what're you gonna do while I'm here?"
"Chat with Rui and Yoon-seule and wait."
"Hm? Uncle Yoon-seul's subordinate too?"
"Not exactly."
Kwon Su-an quickly drew a line with Yoon-seule.
The 5-year-old stomped her foot in disappointment.
"No, I'm not that hungry anyway. Let's go."
Stubbornness beyond mere will radiated from her.
Kwon Su-an couldn't refuse, and Song Joo-hyun didn't push it.
No matter how close a friend, Kwon Su-young was a customer, and forcing her to stay when she didn't want to eat would overstep.
In the end, the Kwon siblings left the shop.
Yoon-seule had reunited with Rui less than 10 minutes ago and now had to part again, so she was bummed.
Smack smack.
She smacked her lips.
"Oppa, Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"That uncle who came back in just now, promise done, right? He and Rui coming again, right?"
"Yeah. He said my food's great like a bunch of times. He'll come back for sure."
"Yeah! For real. Oppa and Yoon-seul gave Rui apples too, so Rui wanna come back here too."
Song Joo-hyun hoped so too.
The sticky tension between the Kwon siblings stuck in his mind.
On the way home.
Rui walked silently along the street.
Then the Kwon siblings.
No conversation between the two, until Kwon Su-an finally spoke up, unable to ignore it.
"Su-young-ah, you don't need to worry about me so much."
"...."
"Rui's super reliable like this, and today's walk had no issues. Just some kids who wanted to play with Rui, that's all. So."
"Oppa, you forget what happened last time? Bumped into someone on the street and got cursed out. And once Rui almost got bit by another dog."
"Yeah, that happened."
"I'm not doing this to mess with you, Oppa. I'm worried. So just listen to me once. I..."
I'll protect you, Oppa.
The words felt too embarrassing.
Or maybe she thought they overstepped.
They wouldn't leave her mouth.
When they were much younger, they'd made promises like that.
But when and why had Kwon Su-an lost his sight in the first place? Kwon Su-young still didn't know.
He'd been that way since she was pretty young.
Parents wouldn't tell, neither would Oppa. And it wasn't something you could just casually ask.
"Anyway, tell me when you walk Rui. And anything you need, me or Mom or Dad can grab it on the way home from school."
"Got it, Su-young-ah. Thanks."
Living without sight comes with all sorts of daily hassles. Even if you're used to it, it's hard to live like everyone else.
Kwon Su-young, having such a brother, knew that better than anyone.
Especially unbearable were the stares.
Early this semester.
Evening alley, walking Rui with Kwon Su-an.
Ran into classmates.
No conversation followed.
They just averted their eyes like they'd seen something they shouldn't, and left.
Even kids who'd greet her warmly to hang out.
None of that mattered.
What's wrong, Su-young-ah?
She'd brushed off Kwon Su-an's question, pretending it was fine. But it was just pretending.
Why her new classmates wore those faces? The reason was obvious.
From birth until now—
Her brother, always together,
Almost became someone she
'Hated.'
**
After Su-young-i's real Oppa, Kwon Su-an-ssi, visited our shop that day, neither showed up for a while.
Not just him as second priority—even Su-young-i.
"Feels like something bad happened, right?"
From how Su-young-i talked, that much was clear.
But what? No clue.
Just from that glimpse, the Kwon siblings didn't seem on bad terms. If anything, way closer than average siblings (though not quite Yoon-seul-i and me level).
"Hm? Oppa."
"What's up, missy."
"Why face so serious?"
"My face is serious?!"
My sister was already roasting my looks?
"Hm... hm... no. Expression serious."
"Oh, my expression."
My sister had unique tastes and mature views for her age, but if her language turned violent too, it'd be tragic.
"Got reason to be. Might lose a customer."
"Huh? Earlier lunch rush tons of customers. Oppa super busy. Chop chop."
"True, but."
She mimicked my cooking with "chop chop." Spot on. Lunch was hectic today.
Sales beat average too.
Still, a corner of my heart felt off.
Almost a week since Su-young-i stopped by. New record. She used to come that often.
And Ji-ah tagging along less too.
This is a crisis.
[Onui Tycoon!]
[J High School Sophomore Kwon Su-young]
[Overall Satisfaction: 82%]
[J High School Sophomore Song Ji-ah]
[Overall Satisfaction: 70%]
These two had the highest satisfaction among our customers and came the most.
Losing them hurts the shop long-term. Plus, we'd gotten close—feels personal.
All around, major worries.
"So how Oppa smile then?"
Yoon-seule tilted her head, peering at my face.
That question alone made me grin.
"Whoa! Smiled! Oppa smiling already."
"With our Yoon-seule just by my side, Oppa's always smiling."
"Hm? Yoon-seul amazing?"
"Super amazing."
"Hee-heeeng-"
I could laugh now, but Yoon-seule griped about the Kwon siblings not returning too.
She'd gotten close with Su-young-i, and without her No.2 subordinate Rui, organization ops stalled.
Yoon-seule wanted to play with Rui.
Hence the reinforcements request.
"About time for her."
I glanced at the door, and sure enough, she arrived. The PE teacher in her usual gray tracksuit, right on cue.