Chapter 33

Seonghee, sitting on the sofa with her arms crossed, glared at the two people sitting on the floor.

Seojin sat cross-legged with his chin stiffly raised, while Haji knelt beside him, fidgeting nervously.

“Sit comfortably.”

“This is comfortable.”

“Comfortable, my foot. What’s comfortable about that?”

“Don’t mind me.”

Watching their sweet interaction left her speechless. Haji, brushing off Seojin’s hand while minding her own business, and her blood-related brother, who only cared about Haji’s discomfort. 

“I said sit on the sofa.”

“Please be quiet.”

“I said your legs will fall asleep.”

“Seriously, stop!”

Only when Haji raised her voice did Seojin shut his mouth. Watching this, Seonghee became certain of their relationship. She had suspected it, but now she was sure that her brother had seduced her innocent friend.

“Since when?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking since when have you two been in that kind of relationship.”

Seonghee looked past Haji, who was staring at her with wide eyes, and questioned Seojin directly. 

Since when did you seduce my friend, you thief? 

“What’s it to you……”

“It’s been just under a month. I was about to move out soon. I couldn’t find a place, so Sunbae lent me a room temporarily.” 

Oh? What’s this?

Haji cut off Seojin’s words and spoke with an apologetic look, making Seonghee sense something odd. When she quickly looked at Seojin, he was glaring at her with murderous eyes.

“Ah, so that’s how it was?”

Holding back the laughter that was about to burst out, Seonghee raised one corner of her mouth slightly, visible only to Seojin.

“Right? You were planning to move out soon?”

“Yes! I was thinking about it. I looked before, but suddenly the building owner changed, so I had no choice……” 

Haji promptly explained the situation and promised to move out. 

At that moment, Seonghee felt a sense of satisfaction from Seojin’s expression and dismissed her suspicions. 

“I’m hurt that you didn’t tell me! I told you to let me know.”

“Ah, about that……”

“That’s enough. You’ve played along this much.” 

Seojin stood up and blurted out with his usual emotionless expression. A more familiar sight to Seonghee.

“If you understand the situation, leave now.”

“No, I came to see my friend.”

“Didn’t you come to give side dishes?”

“The situation has changed now, hasn’t it?” 

Hmph, Seonghee snorted and stuck close to Haji’s side.

“This is my house.”

“Since Haji is living here, it’s Haji’s house too, isn’t it?”

“Huh? That’s……” 

Caught in the middle, Haji looked at Seojin as if she was in a difficult situation. Knowing Seojin couldn’t do anything, Seonghee stuck out her tongue. 

“Haji, where’s your room?”

“It’s over there, but……” 

As Haji pointed to her room while glancing at Seojin, Seonghee quickly moved her feet. With Haji’s arm linked with hers.

Seojin could only watch his cunning sister’s actions. Because Haji was the hostage.

When something unexpected happened, only annoyance welled up.

“He’s not mistreating you, is he?” 

The voice fading away as they moved was unbelievable. Far from mistreating, he was the one anxiously watching, wondering when she would leave.

***

Entering the room, Seonghee pulled Haji’s arm and sat on the bed. She then faced Haji and put on a serious expression. 

“What kind of relationship do you have with my brother?”

“Relationship?”

Hmm…….

If I were to describe my relationship with Sunbae…

“Tenant and landlord?”

“Not that, did you two agree to date?”

“Dating……” 

Seonghee’s expression was quite serious as she asked about her relationship with Sunbae. Thanks to that, Haji was able to think deeply about their relationship. 

“You’re not dating?”

“Sunbae and I aren’t like that.” 

Haji waved her hands, speaking as if such a thing could never happen. Seonghee tilted her head at this.

“Then what was that dress earlier? Calling him ‘honey’?”

“That was because I thought Sunbae was being stalked. I misunderstood.”

Haji’s face turned red as she recalled what happened earlier. Even thinking about it again, her actions were embarrassing.

“Stalking?”

“Yeah, for a while now, it seemed like some woman was showing an obsession with Sunbae. Even today, she kept calling……”

“So you mistook me outside the door for that woman?”

Haji nodded with an entirely honest face. It was understandable given the constant ringing of the phone when she was with him. 

“So you don’t have any kind of relationship with my brother?”

“How could Sunbae and I……”

“What’s wrong with you? You’re much more precious! You’re pretty, have a good personality, and even your own business? You’re a cafe owner, right? Plus, you’re hiding it, but your body is no joke.” 

Seeing Haji always being harsh on herself, Seonghee flared up and grabbed Haji’s face with both hands. Finally, she playfully poked Haji’s chest with her fingertip. 

“Hey, stop it.”

“With such an impressive bust?”

Haji burst into laughter because of Seonghee’s poking. While trying to stop Seonghee with her hands.

“What do you think of my brother?”

Seonghee, who had been joking around, put her hands down and looked at Haji curiously.

“Sunbae?”

“Yeah, do you see Ki Seojin as a man?”

“Of course, that’s……” 

What woman wouldn’t see Sunbae as a man? 

“Of course?”

“Wouldn’t all women think so? Sunbae is handsome, kind, considerate, and even caring……”

“Wait, wait a minute.” 

Seonghee interrupted Haji’s words, spreading her palm to stop her. She frowned slightly and tilted her head.

“You, who are you talking about?”

“You asked, didn’t you? Your brother, Ki Seojin.”

“Right? I thought the Ki Seojin you know might be different from the one I know.” 

At Seonghee’s words, Haji blinked her eyes and then clapped her hands as if she had realized something. 

“I thought Sunbae was difficult when I was in high school, but he’s not. You might have prejudices from when you were young. Sunbae seems to have changed a lot.”

“Ki Seojin changed?”

Seonghee looked at Haji with an incredulous expression, as if pitying her. 

“You’ve fallen hard, haven’t you?”

“Huh?”

“My brother might not be the person you think he is. What I mean is…”

Seonghee grabbed the shoulders of her poor friend caught in Ki Seojin’s web. Thinking of her as a poor soul who might find it hard to escape again.

“He can hide his true nature if he needs to get what he wants. He’s quite fox-like, you know.”

“Fox?” 

Sunbae is more like……

A wolf, isn’t he? 

Seeing Haji’s face turning increasingly red, Seonghee let out a small sigh. She really seemed not to know. 

“Sort out your relationship with my brother first.”

“I really plan to leave soon. I’ll start looking from next week.”

“Not that. It’s fine if you live here. But can you keep being in that kind of relationship with my brother?” 

That kind of relationship.

When she thought about it, she and Seojin had kissed. Yet, they hadn’t become anything special and continued as tenant and landlord, which felt odd. 

“When I asked at the security office, they seemed to think you and my brother were newlyweds? So does the neighbor?” 

The people Seonghee met before Seojin opened the door naturally referred to this house as a newlywed couple’s home. That’s why she insisted on coming in instead of just leaving.

She didn’t know that the other woman was her precious friend. 

“I didn’t have anything else to say…”

Haji stopped mid-sentence.

As she spoke, it all seemed like excuses. She hadn’t clearly talked with Seojin to sort things out, nor had she thought about doing so.

“I don’t have any problem with you living with my brother. You’re both adults, and who am I to say anything?”

Seonghee, watching Haji who seemed lost in thought, showed a serious side rarely seen.

She continued speaking while holding Haji’s hand.

“Still, I want you to be clear about your relationships when you meet a man. Of course, I think you’re too good for Ki Seojin, but if you like him, there’s nothing I can do.”

“I never said I liked……” 

But. 

Faced with Seonghee’s expression that seemed to know everything, Haji couldn’t lie. Perhaps she realized it was an emotion she had been pretending not to know while knowing all along. 

“So, does that mean you’ll become my sister-in-law?”

“Sister-in-law?”

“You never know, right? If you marry my brother?” 

Haji waved her hands and shook her head from side to side. Vigorously. 

“Why? I’d be happy if you became family.”

“No, no. Sunbae and I aren’t in any kind of relationship yet. That’s not possible.”

“Hmm? Well…” 

Looking at her innocent friend who knew nothing, Seonghee recalled Seojin looking at her earlier. For someone who never shares what’s his with anyone to let someone into his house.

“It might already be too late.” 

Seonghee muttered softly and patted the shoulder of the innocent lamb who was already too late.

“Don’t worry. Ki Seojin wouldn’t have acted without a plan. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

Because that guy is more than capable of that.

Meticulous, cold-blooded, or to put it excessively, should I say he’s like a sociopath who always achieves his goals once he sets them?

Seonghee, defining her brother, looked at Haji in front of her and recalled the past. Haji in her school uniform and Seojin walking behind her.