Our Past (2)
One morning, us three siblings became orphans without parents, but our bond remained as tight as ever. Even now, we'd only fought for real exactly once—on the day I turned fifteen.
"Forget it, don't try to stop me. I'm starting a part-time job too. You started yours right at my age, didn't you?"
"Haa, Son Seohyun. You really need a proper scolding from your sister today? I'll handle the money, so you just focus on your studies. Why would a top student fool around with a job? Actually, screw the studies a bit. If you hate it, just hang out with your friends! Guys don't do part-time jobs—what the hell? You're asking for it."
"Then what about you, sis? What are you gonna do?"
"I'm an adult now, and you're still in middle school. Don't worry about me—"
"Do you think you're the only one who worries about me? You think you're the only one who loves us? Have you ever thought about how grateful we've been, how much we've worried about you? I'm starting a job too, so cut back on your two gigs. From today, I won't take a single penny from you. I'll handle Chaeah's allowance from now on."
"Seohyun, that's not what this is about... Why is a smart kid like you being so stubborn? You know going to a top university would help me way more."
"If I go to a top school—or hell, even med school if I'm lucky—what then? You gonna keep cleaning up after me and Chaeah for another ten years? Sis, you know you won't get exempted from service; you'll end up doing public duty. After ten years supporting us and two in service, you'll be thirty-five. When do you plan to get married, and to who? You want me to suck you dry until you're forty? I could never do that."
"Haa, fine. Say we let you start a job. You think you can work safely out there with that face? You know how many crazy bitches are in this world. You've made it this far without issues because you're at an all-boys middle school. Step out without the uniform, and the world's full of wolfish women."
The sister who always yielded to me stood her ground that day, not backing down an inch as we argued. Looking back closely, we were both just saying things for each other's sake, but Chaeah said the vibe was so tense she thought we were getting divorced like our parents.
But that's funny no matter how I think about it. How do siblings divorce? Still, in what seemed like an endless fight, she yielded first in the end.
"That damn top university... What does a guy even need with a top university? Just don't be a total idiot, be good at housework, have a handsome face, nice body—that's plenty!"
"You... where the hell did you hear that crap? Whoever fed you that bullshit, I'll kill them—"
"Why? Did I say something wrong? If a guy who looks just like me proposed, could you turn him down?"
"...Huh? W-what do you mean... Seohyun, that's—"
"I'm not getting married until you do. If you stay single till forty, I'll stay single till thirty, never properly dating a girl. That's fine with you, right? And if I end up unable to marry, you'll take responsibility and keep me forever?"
"S-stop... Fine, I get it..."
"Stop what? Until you say yes—"
"I said fine! I'll tell you about the decent places I worked at. That work?"
"Huh? Oh... yeah!"
Looking back, that argument ended way faster than I'd thought.
I'd prepared dozens of reasons to beat down my stubborn sister, but she surrendered first over marriage talk...
I'd brought up part-time work, but my real priority was becoming a trainee. Girls had been lurking around my middle school, handing me business cards. Holding my sister's hand tight, dreaming of a rosy future, we toured entertainment agencies, but things didn't go as planned.
The big agencies fretted over my family situation—no parents, and my bio mom still in prison. They said they could take me as a trainee but couldn't offer much financial support. Plenty flat-out said debut wasn't guaranteed...
After checking out a few big ones, I realized I wasn't that exceptionally handsome. Mixed-blood trainees like me were everywhere, and I even bumped into a top-tier idol's visual rep in the hall.
"Sis, be honest. This is serious."
"Huh? What's up suddenly?"
"Is that guy more handsome, or am I?"
"In my eyes, you're the handsomest in the world. Not even comparable."
"No, sis, answer seriously. This is a big deal for us."
"I am being dead serious."
"Really...? To me, he looked a bit better... Ah! In your eyes? So objectively, he's better?"
"Uh, huh? Why does that—"
"Got it. Dance is godawful, vocals meh, face about average for a top idol... No wonder the big agencies were lukewarm."
"No, it's a mistake. You're way—"
Sis said that, but objectively, that was about my level. Better than debut trainees at big agencies who hadn't had proper surgery or mastered makeup yet, but not quite matching peak top idols.
After realizing that, I focused on mid-to-small agencies that had given me cards.
Most were straight-up thugs...
No wonder they didn't care about my family. Nearly all shoved garbage contracts at me—scams obvious even to a first-timer like middle-school me.
My sister, who'd dealt with unfair contracts since then, got so furious she nearly decked them; I'd frantically hold her back each time.
We shopped around, but only two small agencies treated us orphans seriously. Their contracts were decent enough, but gathering a debut group would take at least 3-4 years.
Debuting at twenty from a small agency? Might as well snag a pretty, rich girl and marry her then...
I didn't tell sis, but that's all I could think. I wasn't dead set on being an idol...
I'd aimed to debut around seventeen and grind 7-8 years, not slave like an ox at a small agency into my mid-thirties.
In the end, part-time was the only option. Yesterday, big agencies coveted me, small ones drooled; overnight, I was a wage slave...
I couldn't hide my disappointment, but sis was thrilled.
"Sis really doesn't know 'enough'... How can you spend this much—"
"If I won't spend on your safety, why bother earning?"
"Still, there's a limit..."
She bought me a multimillion-won black women's wig and hooked me up at her old cafe. Wig maintenance is a nightmare... I don't even care for my own hair this much.
With wig, mask, and staff cap, I looked straight-up like a girl.
I'm not that short... 173cm in the morning? On my best day... That's barely average.
Sticking to coffee-making behind the counter—not facing customers—meant in three years, awkward moments were rare: a new hire jumping at my voice, or a construction auntie gushing over my fingers and begging a handshake...
Creepiest part? Later, the sisters I'd worked with long-term all knew I was a guy... They each clocked it at different moments but kept it secret till the end. Makes this world worth living.
Gotta buy them a meal sometime.
Explaining why I skipped the CSAT took this long... But honestly, I didn't flop. Missed Hanguk University, but Setbyeol University is plenty prestigious—around fifth in Korea? Always lumped with my past life's school.
Plus, Setbyeol Economics gives full scholarships to regular admission acceptees. Considering this is my second school life, the score's no improvement, but it hit my minimum line.
I had no big study goals this life, so I picked Economics—my past major—and scored just enough for a scholarship-heavy school.
Sweet... Major's cram-friendly; should ace A's easy. Keep GPA over 3.5 for scholarship, so skip gen-eds.
Sis clapping in the living room now would blow up if she heard... But what can you do? More help watching cooking survival shows than grinding top school and GPA.
I'll just be extra good to sis instead of school. She's got her first office job now—swamped.