My Boyfriend vs. My Little Brother (Intro)
I remember reading somewhere—in a comic book or a novel, maybe—that when you fall in love, when you start dating, the world looks beautiful. And it was true. Even those Monday mornings that used to make me sigh as soon as I opened my eyes, even the boring school classes—they were all so much fun now.
"Hey, who's that person you took a pic with for your profile?"
"My girlfriend."
"Quit bullshitting."
"……."
Even though I told them the truth, my mosquito-like classmates wouldn't believe me, buzzing around one by one now and then. But they couldn't dampen my happiness, which was bubbling over to the point of bursting. A few guys speculated she might be a relative, but I had no desire to correct them one by one and brag about it. Bragging to Seobin's crew was plenty.
As for the others? Whatever. If they knew, fine; if not, oh well. There was no reason or need to sweat the small stuff.
Because my mind, basking in that floating-on-clouds feeling that started from the moment I woke up in the morning, was dominated by just one thought.
Ah. I want to see Harang noona.
From Monday to Wednesday. I couldn't go see noona.
To be honest, I had plenty of free time since I wasn't doing late-night self-study or academy classes. But noona was a college student—she didn't.
I didn't know the details, but she had lectures, assignments, steady studying for exams, and on top of that, her tutoring part-time gig. The college stuff was just her daily routine, like going to school for me. The tutoring was a job Yeoreum noona had hooked her up with over the summer—teaching math and English to a middle school girl, from what I heard.
I worried noona might come off too curt with someone she wasn't close to, but the parents apparently loved that side of her.
Anyway, the tutoring was on Monday-Tuesday or Tuesday-Wednesday. That made it super awkward for me to drop by. And it wasn't like that was her only commitment—she had a ton of things going on.
Even though she told me to come whenever I wanted, showing up too late at night felt iffy.
In the end, all I could do was endure it with nightly phone calls. But even that was plenty joyful.
Knowing we were already dating filled my heart with ecstasy and a sense of stability.
"Whoa, so you got a bonus?"
─Yeah.
"I know you teach well, noona, but... damn, that's awesome."
─Want anything?
"Nah, and even if I did, I wouldn't ask you to buy it for me."
─Why not.
"Why? Well, I've been thinking about it, and until you accept a gift from me first, I'm not taking anything from you, no matter what."
─I hate that.
"Yeah, me too~ I'm not asking for anything. And from now on, I'm turning down meals from you too."
─…….
This was the method I'd come up with after much deliberation to fend off noona's gift bombardment.
Before we started dating, I'd been content in the cute little-brother role, scarfing down meals without a second thought. I'd given her small gifts now and then too.
But now, as her boyfriend, I wanted to cut back on the freeloading and her blind generosity. So my idea was simple: we exchange gifts one-for-one.
I knew dating wasn't about tallying scores like that—you give more when you love more. But without putting the brakes on somehow, I'd end up receiving ten gifts for every one I gave.
She just loved buying me stuff so much. My allowance had limits, but she had tutoring money on top of a generous one from home—I couldn't keep up with her spending otherwise.
Unless I forced this exchange dynamic, like I was saying.
─I'll buy it anyway.
"I'm not taking it."
─Still gonna give it.
Her stubbornness, insisting on doing things for me, made me happy, though. I grinned like an idiot, carrying on our loving little squabble.
"If you wanna give, take my gift too. Ah, I'll get you something next time we meet! Since you bought last meal."
─No. Save your money.
"If you don't take it, I won't either~"
─…….
"So you'll do it my way?"
─Fine.
"Okay."
Honestly, I thought my way was best, but I waited for her response anyway. Maybe she'd have a better idea, or some compromise.
And her proposal, which I'd awaited with bated breath?
─Instead of a gift...
"Instead of a gift?"
─I'll give you a kiss.
"……."
─That's what I'll take. Nothing else.
Ha. What was I supposed to do with how adorable my Harang noona was? I was losing my mind.
I couldn't reply right away to her suggestion, squirming from the weird, ticklish joy surging from my scalp to my toes.
Once I'd pulled myself together, I counterattacked.
"Kh... no can do. Kissing you is a gift for me too."
─…….
This time, noona went silent at my turnaround. Though she couldn't see, I smugly declared,
"I win, right?"
─...I'll buy it anyway.
"Told you, not taking it."
─Still gonna.
But from there, her stubborn nagging kicked in, and in the end, my idea didn't stick.
Not that I was accepting her blind gifts either—it just fizzled out vaguely.
I hadn't expected to convince her right then anyway. We'd had similar talks before, and I'd never succeeded once.
This time, I planned to stick to it more tenaciously.
Anyway, we tabled that and chatted about tomorrow's meetup.
"You'll meet Yeoreum noona first tomorrow, right?"
─Yeah. I'll be at the cafe. Got stuff to talk about.
"The usual spot? Cool, I just gotta change quick and head over."
─Be careful. Lots of cars around.
It'd only been three days without seeing noona's face. Just three days, but I missed her so much. Last week, I'd somehow waited a whole week—wild.
Her voice rose in tone over the call, mine buzzing with excitement in response.
Imagining how pretty Harang noona would be tomorrow had me smiling already.
Yeoreum noona would be there, so no intense skinship like when it was just us, but as long as I could see her face, it was fine.
I really missed that faint smile peeking through her stoic expression.
"Yeah. Time to sleep. You too, right, noona?"
─Guess so.
Every night at hang-up time, the reluctance was the same, but I'd gotten a bit used to it. We weren't dragging out silences as much anymore, too wistful to hang up first.
And before ending,
"Noona."
─Yeah.
"I love you."
─Love you too.
"Okay, hanging up for real! See you tomorrow!"
─Sleep well.
It'd been three days since we'd upgraded from "love ya" to "I love you." "Love ya" felt too light for goodnight.
Moved by her "love you" echoing mine, I lay in bed.
Tomorrow: shop for clothes, then enjoy noona's cosplay event. Summer break was right around the corner too.
Her schedule would free up big time then, and we'd hit the beach as lovers—not the trio we'd always been, except last year.
I couldn't wait. For all the joyful days ahead.
Thursday, 4 p.m. Cafe MELLA
Kang Yeoreum—Kang Gyeol's older sister and Yoo Harang's best friend—sat across from her closest confidante at their usual corner table in the cafe they frequented, deep in serious talk.
"Yoo Harang. I'm fine with you matching couple looks with Gyeol. But our trio outfits come first."
"Got it."
"And no skinship in front of me... ugh... forget it. You're dating, so okay. Just no kissing."
"Yeah. I'll hold back."
"If I see you two ditching me to hang alone, I'm out. Remember that."
"Won't happen."
Todayshopping must-dos.
"Jeong-ah's tutoring ends in July, so from second semester, I'll tutor Gyeol."
"Tutoring? Or just pouncing on my brother?"
"……."
"Shut your trap right now? Wanna die?"
"I'll behave."
"Can't trust you."
"Won't take pay."
"Take the pay, but hands off Gyeol till he's twenty."
"……."
"Answer me."
"Fine…."
Warnings to the vixen who might pounce on her brother anytime.
"Yeoreum."
"What."
"Can we go camping with Gyeol later?"
"Just you two? Crazy?! No. I'm coming."
"We wanna go alone. He's my boyfriend now."
"He's my little brother too? Absolutely not!"
"Hear me out."
"Nothing to hear! No!"
"Not now—end of summer break."
"Whenever, no."
"Beach as a trio first. We skipped last year 'cause we were busy."
"…Beach?"
"Hang out three-way, then a quick one-nighter after."
"……."
"I'll keep your rules. Gyeol seems down too."
"Ugh... Camping after beach. We'll talk then."
Torn between their absurd solo-camping plan and the sweet trio outing beforehand.
"Gyeol's... more manly than I thought."
"……."
"He wasn't like this—on dates, he grabs my hand first, leads..."
"………."
"Skinship too, super active."
"…………."
"Last week, hugged me from behind while cooking, kissed too..."
"Shut up already."
"Don't be jealous."
"Why rehash what I already heard? You call every time something happens, spilling every detail."
"You told me to tell you everything."
"Facts only, not bragging."
"He's so good to me, I love it."
"Pisses me off... Gyeol needed to see you blabbing like a lovesick fool."
"Don't tell him. I'll get mad."
Her constant salting irritated, but relief at her happy face.
And so she—Kang Yeoreum—blessed the union of her lifelong trailing friend and little brother.
Unlike her own constant nagging at him, their easy intimacy sparked jealousy.
Their alone time stretching, leaving her sidelined? Terrifying thought.
Still.
"When's Gyeol getting here...."
Gazing wistfully out the window at her yet-to-arrive brother, her friend's expression was truly beautiful.
Worthy of entrusting him to... no, maybe a tad regrettable.
Her brother was too precious to her too, after all.
