Yoo Gaeul END
As evening drew near, my sister began punching in the door code. Having unlocked it with practiced ease, she made no effort to hide her exhausted footsteps and shoved the door open roughly as she stepped inside.
"Sis is home," I said, greeting the family member who'd worked hard all day with genuine warmth.
"You're back?"
"Welcome home!"
"Hello, lawyer sis!"
"…."
Gahyeon took her bag and carefully set it down beside her vanity. Gaeul tasted the stew, then nodded as if to say it was fine. I placed the freshly cooked rolled omelet on a cutting board and sliced it neatly.
"Gaeul, I already set out the chopsticks and spoons. Is there anything else I can do?"
"Hmm… There are some cups chilling in the freezer along with some beer. Could you grab those?"
"Sure! On it."
With all three of us pitching in proactively, dinner preparations were finished in no time. After a quick wash-up and changing into comfortable clothes, my sister looked over the well-set table. The menu featured kimchi stew loaded with pork, seasoned seaweed, pickled cucumbers, and a savory rolled omelet.
Sitting at the head of the table, she scooped up some pork and kimchi with her spoon, along with broth, and took a bite.
"…It's good."
"Oh! I'm so glad it suits your taste. I was worried it might be a little too salty, but hearing that makes me really happy! Honestly, kimchi stew mostly depends on the kimchi itself, so I wasn't too concerned about the base flavor. But the seasoning and side ingredients can vary wildly, right? Some households use salted seafood for the taste, others season with soy sauce. There are so many variations. And some people can't stand the gamey smell and avoid pork altogether, so when it comes to taste…."
While Gaeul unleashed a storm of chatter, my sister took another spoonful of stew. When she nodded in satisfaction, Gahyeon began pouring beer into a chilled pewter cup. She'd apparently learned this somewhere, tilting the cup slightly to create the perfect balance of foam and liquid for the best pour.
Once Gahyeon set the filled glass down politely in front of her, my sister took a long, refreshing swig. The beer, properly super-chilled to the point it felt like it froze you to the bone, drew a satisfied "Kiya!" from her lips.
It was a successful reaction. We exchanged nods and began chatting casually about our day. My sister chimed in occasionally, naturally joining the conversation. The warm atmosphere continued until she suddenly spoke up.
"So why exactly are these two staying in my house?"
I answered as if it were no big deal. "Huh? Well, Gahyeon decided to live with us starting today. Since it's her first day, Gaeul wanted to check in, so I brought her along too."
My sister slammed her chopsticks down with a loud clack. "Who said you could decide that?"
…It seemed my attempt to casually brush it off had failed. I switched tactics, speaking sweetly like a flattering courtier.
"Who decided? I was thinking of our family's reliable pillar of support, Seon Dal-rae, who always has my back! It felt a bit empty after Gyeoul moved into the dorm, right? I know that feeling well, so I prepared a present."
I pointed at Gahyeon while making a "Ta-da!" sound effect with my mouth. Gahyeon bowed awkwardly in response.
"…Please take care of me."
"…."
My sister looked at me and nodded as if she'd realized something. "Right. Now I understand."
Oh, had she understood my intentions?
"That's right, sis! This was all for you…."
"It was a mistake not beating the crap out of you when Gyeoul moved in."
"…Huh?"
Emitting a heavy aura, my sister stood up and looked for her favorite weapon: the dining table. However, I'd anticipated this and prepared countermeasures. I'd put the table away in advance. In my humble opinion, it was a genius move that looked three steps ahead.
Thanks to that, my sister couldn't find the table in its usual spot. The twist came from there. After looking around, she grabbed the electronic piano I'd occasionally played, lifting it along with its stand.
…So that thing could be used as a blunt weapon.
I panicked and desperately tried to stop her, half-shouting in my attempt to persuade her.
"Sis, you've always wanted to raise a cat! This isn't any different! I'll pay for everything!"
"How is raising a person the same as raising a cat, you crazy bastard!"
"What does a cat have that Gahyeon doesn't?"
What was that lowly mammal that couldn't even walk on two legs thinking, trying to compete?
"Intelligence?"
A cat's intelligence, easily distracted by laser pointers, was nothing to laugh at in comparison. Gahyeon's victory was clear—she spoke Korean like a native and was currently studying middle school material.
"Combat ability?"
Even if five cats surrounded her and unleashed simultaneous cat punches, Gahyeon's soccer kick would send them flying. Gahyeon's victory, holder of a yellow belt in taekwondo.
"No matter how you look at it, Gahyeon is far superior!"
"What the hell is this nonsense about intelligence and combat ability? That's not what's important, is it?"
"Then what is?"
"A cat is cute. She's not."
"Gahyeon is cute too!"
I shouted while using all my strength to block the electronic piano my sister had lifted.
"Gahyeon! Now's the time to show your abilities! Prove you're better than a cat!"
"But how am I supposed to beat a cat in cuteness?"
"Humans have the weapon called aegyo! Try imitating a cat's meow at least!"
Gahyeon glanced around nervously, then squeezed her eyes shut, brought her hands together like paws, and said, "…Nyaang?"
"…."
An overwhelming silence fell. Within that silence, Gahyeon spoke in a tired voice like an old man worn down by the world's hardships.
"…Can I go commit suicide for a bit?"
"Wait, Gahyeon! Sis thought it was cute!"
Gaeul panicked and grabbed Gahyeon as she tried to bolt out the door. Gahyeon tried to shake off her hand.
"I'm sorry, sis. I don't have the confidence to keep living."
"Gahyeon—!"
My sister, watching this farce, muttered quietly.
"…She is kind of cute."
That worked?
During a short break after training, Gaeul shared her experience with Gyeoul.
"…I was physically blocking Gahyeon from running out when I turned around and saw the electronic piano falling! She must have strained her hand while trying to lift it from that precarious position. Team Leader Seon desperately threw the falling piano toward a corner of the house. It seemed like he couldn't stop it from falling completely, so he was trying to minimize the impact."
She enthusiastically continued the story, even imitating Seon Taeyang throwing the piano.
"There was a loud crash as the piano smashed to pieces, sending fragments flying everywhere. But that wasn't the end of it. I don't know if it was a battery issue or because it was an old apartment with worn-out outlets. Whatever the reason, the thrown piano caught fire! It went up with a whoosh, whoosh!"
"What happened next?"
"It was complete chaos, of course! I called the firefighters on my phone while Gahyeon ran to the bathroom to get water. Sis was trying to evacuate us, and Team Leader Seon somehow produced a fire extinguisher and quickly put it out. The way Taeyang oppa looked in that moment was really…."
Whatever she was imagining, Gaeul's face melted into a dreamy expression as she giggled "Hehe," before wiping her mouth and continuing.
"Ah… Ahem. I got a bit carried away there. It's fortunate it didn't turn into a major fire, but that doesn't mean the aftermath was small. Piano fragments were scattered everywhere, completely covered in a thick layer of extinguisher foam!"
Gaeul told her everything—from the reason Seon Taeyang had to be hospitalized to the commotion she'd experienced yesterday. Even the parts that could have been seen as embarrassing flaws. And she delivered these heavy stories in a playful, entertaining way, as if sharing fun anecdotes.
To Gyeoul, her attitude felt like truly delicate consideration. This wasn't something that had only happened in this one moment. Throughout training, during short breaks, when they met at work, or when an unfamiliar person appeared and Gyeoul found it hard to speak—Gaeul had been considerate in every instance, making sure Gyeoul felt comfortable.
Gyeoul liked her for that. That's why she hoped this story would end with Gaeul's complete integration into the group.
"Then, does that mean I can become an idol with Gaeul unnie now?"
"…Yes, that's right. All the issues that could cause problems have been resolved now. Even if something else comes up, I won't give up anymore. Never."
"That's wonderful! I'm so happy."
Gyeoul expressed her joy honestly. Gaeul looked at her with a strange expression. It was as if she didn't know what to do with the whirlwind of emotions inside herself.
Among Gaeul's complex feelings, the largest share belonged to guilt. Having realized this, she made up her mind and spoke.
"Gyeoul, do you remember the day we first met? Taeyang oppa got angry with us."
"Ah… I'm sorry. That time I reacted strangely and caused Teacher Taeyang to misunderstand. I'll make sure something like that never happens again…."
"No. It wasn't strange at all that you reacted that way. The strange one was me."
Gyeoul looked at Gaeul's face with confusion in her eyes.
"You, Gaeul unnie?"
Gaeul's face was stained with guilt. Yet there was also a determination there that she needed to speak.
"It was because I was jealous of you."
"Ah… You mean the clothes from back then? The yellow jersey you wore was cuter! So it's okay!"
Gaeul shook her head and said, "It wasn't about which clothes were better. The problem was that they were Taeyang oppa's clothes."
"…Why?"
"Because seeing you wearing them made me feel like you'd spent more time with him and built more trust than I had. …When I thought about that, I couldn't control my feelings."
"…."
Gyeoul was very aware that she was inexperienced in human relationships and quite lacking in perceptiveness. But even she couldn't miss this.
"…Do you like Teacher Taeyang, Gaeul unnie?"
Silence fell. A breeze carrying the sweet scent of acacia flowers blew in through the window. And Gaeul spoke words even sweeter than that elegant, flower-scented wind.
"Yes. It's surprising that I could harbor these feelings… and they grow deeper with every passing day."
It was so obvious. After all, whenever Gaeul spoke of Taeyang, anyone could see the expression of someone completely fallen in love on her face. Gyeoul's chest throbbed with a piercing ache. It hurt so much that it felt like it was carving into her very soul.