Ahh... So Happy...
“All done eating!”
Only empty plates remained scattered across the dining table. The mala spicy rice cakes and mixed fritters I'd made had vanished in an instant. It was hard to believe these were the same girl group members who'd been talking about dieting.
“Ahh... So happy... I could just float away... Eun-seong's cooking is the best...”
Eun-jin unnie gazed at me with half-lidded eyes. But I wasn't about to indulge her.
“Can you skip the weird parts? Ah-hyun's right here?”
“Ah-hyun knows everything already, doesn't she? I'm gonna crash for a bit.”
Eun-jin unnie patted her belly and flopped back onto the sofa.
“Oppa, thanks for the meal. It was delicious.”
Ah-hyun wiped the sauce from her lips with a satisfied smile, then neatly stacked the empty plates by the sink.
“No need to thank me. I wish Eun-jin unnie and everyone else were as helpful as you, Ah-hyun. Anyway... has it gotten this late already?”
A glance at the clock showed it was past 11 p.m.
“Eun-jin unnie! Time to head out, right? Should I call Manager hyung for you?”
“Oh, right. Manager oppa went down to his hometown 'cause his parents aren't feeling well.”
Eun-jin unnie yawned from the sofa.
“Then how are you getting home?”
“Gonna sleep over with Ah-hyun.”
“It's been a while... Can we really stay over, oppa?”
Ah-hyun chimed in cautiously at Eun-jin unnie's casual declaration.
“No way. I'll call you a taxi—head back to the dorm. Why are you always trying to crash at a guy's place? Ha-rin's not even home yet.”
“That's so unfair, Seo Eun-seong!”
Eun-jin unnie bristled.
“Unfair or not, rules are rules. Grab your coats. I'll take you.”
“Oh? Eun-seong's giving us a ride?”
“What choice do I have? If Ha-rin comes home and hears, I'll get an earful.”
I bundled up in my outer coat. At my offer to sub in for the manager, Eun-jin unnie and Ah-hyun's eyes lit up.
“Hehe. Our Bear Doll's the best.”
“Thanks, oppa.”
And with that, we stepped out of the apartment.
We took a taxi to the apartment complex where the dorm was. Fat snowflakes were suddenly dumping from the sky, blanketing the world in white.
“Whoa! It's snowing!”
Ah-hyun reached out like a kid, delighted. But the ground was already slick ice.
“Careful. It's slippery.”
No sooner had I spoken than Eun-jin unnie wobbled.
“Whoa?!”
“Watch out!”
I instinctively shot out my arm and grabbed her. Instead of falling, she clung tight to my left arm.
“Phew... That was close. Thanks, Eun-seong.”
Eun-jin unnie showed no sign of letting go. If anything, she hugged my thick padded jacket sleeve tighter, pressing her body against mine.
“Unnie? You've got your balance now, so...?”
“Eek, I'm scared. What if I slip again? Just till the dorm, okay?”
Eun-jin unnie looked up at me with a sly smile. That fox-like grin would have fans clutching their hearts.
“Sigh. What a hassle.”
But all I could muster was a sigh. Then—
“M-me too!”
Ah-hyun's voice came from my right. She was hesitantly grabbing my right arm.
“I-I'm afraid it'll be slippery too...”
Her face flushed as she linked arms, not as boldly as Eun-jin unnie but with a firm grip.
“What is with you two today?”
“Christmas is right around the corner—we're lonely! Duh!”
“I have performance evaluations...”
Excuses flew freely.
“Fine, whatever. Let's hurry. It's cold.”
And so I walked with Korea's top girl group members hanging off both arms. Glamorous leader Choi Eun-jin on the left. Ice princess maknae Lee Ah-hyun on the right. And in the middle, 188cm polar bear Seo Eun-seong.
“Who's that? The tall guy?”
“Her brothers or something? Lucky anyway.”
Passersby glanced our way. Luckily, the heavy snow and darkness kept anyone from recognizing them. Or so I hoped.
“We're here. Get inside.”
At the dorm entrance, I tried to shake them off.
“Aw, already? I wanted to walk more.”
“Go sleep. You've got schedules tomorrow.”
“Got it. You head back safe, Eun-seong. Thanks for the tteokbokki.”
Eun-jin unnie tapped my cheek and winked. Ah-hyun reluctantly let go of my sleeve.
“Oppa... Be careful going home. And thanks for helping with math.”
“Yeah. Go on in.”
I watched them disappear into the entrance, then turned back. Snow still poured down.
Glad nothing happened.
I pulled my collar tight and headed home, oblivious to someone in the shadows wiping a camera lens.
“Jackpot. This is huge.”
Click. The faint shutter sound buried in the snowy night air.
The next morning.
“Ugh...”
I dragged my groggy body upright. I'd stayed up late gaming, so sleep was short. Habitually, I grabbed my smartphone from beside the pillow.
The screen lit up to a barrage of CocoNutTok notifications. Unread messages: 999+.
What the? Did someone confess in the group chat?
Rubbing sleepy eyes, I checked the app.
Messages from classmates flooded in.
“Real-time trends #1? Me? Why?”
Sleep vanished. Trembling, I opened the portal site app. The main page headline made me doubt my eyes.
The article thumbnail captured last night's scene: snowy street, Eun-jin and Ah-hyun happily linked to my arms, her shyly ducking her head, me standing there like an idiot. Mosaic over my face, but anyone could tell—it was that massive build and black puffer jacket.
“What the hell...”
I swore out loud. The comments were a warzone.
A flood of hate. Not just a dating rumor—the "double-dip" hook had public opinion in the gutter.
“Common sense: what girls share a guy like that? Especially sisters-in-arms? Ugh, insane?”
Logically absurd. But the masses melted their brains over "double-dip."
Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang. “Reporters already here?” Heart pounding, I checked the intercom.
“Phew... not them.”
It was my little sister, Seo Ha-rin, face bundled in a hat and mask. Fresh off her Japan schedule.
The door flew open. She ditched her suitcase and stormed in.
“Hey! Seo Eun-seong! Are you nuts?!”
Ha-rin ripped off her mask, no trace of her elegant princess vibe—eyes blazing with venom.
“Ha-rin... it's not what you think...”
“Not what I think?! You got photographed! Arm-in-arm with Eun-jin unnie and Ah-hyun—what were you doing?!”
She smacked my back. It stung, but my innocence hurt more.
“I was just steadying them! Slippery snow!”
“Like anyone's buying that! Internet's exploding—company stock's tanking!”
Ha-rin sank to the floor, clutching her head.
“Ugh... what now... Eun-jin unnie and Ah-hyun are bawling at the dorm. Managers are one step from collapsing.”
Worse than I'd thought. Top idol scandals were lethal. Double-dip? Fatal.
“I'll clear it up.”
“How? Revealing who you are will make it worse?”
“Still gotta tell the truth. I'm her real brother.”
Ha-rin's eyes widened, shaking.
“Oppa... you sure?”
We'd hidden our sibling bond for my normal college life, to shield family. But no choice now.
“Can't let Eun-jin unnie and Ah-hyun take the heat.”
“Tch...”
Ha-rin bit her lip, then stood decisively.
“Fine. Here's the plan.”
She pulled out her phone, plopped me on the sofa.
“Oppa, look here. Smile.”
“Huh?”
“Smile! Like the world's nicest brother!”
Click. Selfie time. Then she posted to her SNS—10 million followers.
“Hope this works...” I peeked over her shoulder.
Likes skyrocketed the instant she hit post.
“Done.” Ha-rin sighed in relief, setting her phone down.
“Misunderstanding cleared. Who's gonna argue with 'real brother'?”
“Phew... we're saved.”
Back to normal life. Or so I thought.
Ten minutes later, comments had shifted oddly.
Double-dip scandal gone. Hate for Eun-jin unnie and Ah-hyun vanished. Replaced by millions of Korean guys' burning envy and jealousy.
“Huh?”
I stared blankly at the screen. A chill ran down my spine.
“H-Ha-rin...? These reactions are weird...”
“Huh? Why? No double curses, right?”
“No curses... but I feel killing intent.”
“Gotta take some heat! Who told you to grin like an idiot?”
Ha-rin puffed her cheeks.
“I'm screwed...”
I knew it instinctively. My peaceful college life ended today.
The ordinary student called Polar Bear, Seo Eun-seong, was gone.
A guy surrounded by top idols, who'd saved a nation in a past life.
Korea's most envied man.
And Korea's guys' public enemy.
That was me.
End of Chapter 2.