Chapter 04

“Ji Seok-ah1, your body was a little…oh? Who?

As soon as I heard the voice from the door, I felt my nerves melt.

As I turned my head, all I could see was a woman in her twenties, wearing a bright sky blue dress with her long straight hair tied back. The genes in this house are too powerful. I could tell by her looks, with just a glance, that she was Ji Seok and his brother’s sister. Above all, I often saw her when I was in high school while Ji Geon-hyung tutored me.

Kang Ji Yeon came up to me with her eyes twinkling as if she recognized me.

“Aren’t you Woo Seo? Shin Woo Seo.”

At a certain point, when Ji Geon-hyung was barely seen due to his busy work, his sister similarly became very busy when she got her new job at a famous design company. It’s been a while since I met either of the people who’d make me think, ‘You’re so busy after getting a job.’

Ji Yeon-noona’s eyes glistened as she looked me up and down while saying, “You’ve grown so much.” Then she asked Ji Seok, who was eating a few more spoonfuls of congee seeming like he had a bit more energy.

“Noona, why are you here, again, so soon?”

“Geon-ie oppa3 told me you were sick and dying, so I came running from work, early.”

Ji Yeon-noona looked over Ji Seok’s appearance, the food set on his lap, and the medicine on his desk in that order, and patted my arm as if it was all admirable.

“Woo Seo is still good at taking care of people. Better than me.”

“That’s right, much better than you. If it were you, and I was still sick and dying, you would have fed me ramen…!”

“What, you little bastard?”

“Nothing at all. Forgive me, noonim4.”

I laughed watching the two quarreling, and belatedly checked the time.

‘Ah, now is not the time.’

If I stayed longer, I might run into Ji Geon-hyung.

“Noona, I’ll be leaving first, so I’ll have to ask you to please take care of Ji Seok.”

“Yes, thank you for taking care of him.”

I left the room, leaving Ji Seok behind, waving my hands to thank Ji Yeon-noona, who kept smiling at me. In the background, I heard Ji Yeon-noona’s words, ‘he hasn’t changed at all’ and ‘he’s so cute.’

However, I didn’t have time to pay attention to any of those things. My steps became faster and faster from anxiety.

Waiting for the elevator, I calmed my nerves. In fact, even now, I was so edgy from lack of sleep that I would stumble if I let my guard down, but my heart wasn’t prepared yet so I wanted to avoid Ji Geon-hyung. Even if I did have the confidence to say, ‘I’m your fated partner,’ I wouldn’t know what to do afterwards. Whenever I think about it, I feel my headaches get worse from the troublesome thoughts.

I pressed my right hand into the temples of my head and frowned. I sighed from thinking of how many more days I would be able to last in this condition.

At that time, the elevator arrived with the ring of a short alarm. Immediately, the doors gently opened from both sides. I was about to walk inside, I suddenly stopped when I saw someone was already riding it.

“…!”

In the elevator, it was none other than Ji Geon-hung. It might’ve been because he was dressed in a darker suit from the last time I saw him, the atmosphere around him was especially heavy. He looked to be in a bad mood, I was so frightened that my first thought was that I shouldn’t get too close.

Staring at Ji Geon-hyung with a surprised face, after a while the elevator automatically closed. He opened the doors by pressing the open button, and asked in a low voice, tilting his head.

“Woo Seo-ya5, not getting on?”

The voice that asked was cold unlike before, but it was not the time to care. I bowed my head in greeting and turned my eyes away.

“Hello, hyung.”

“En. Hello, are you getting on or not?”

“No, I’m getting on…”

His tired yet sharp eyes looked me up and down once.

“I’ll take you. Get in”

“Yes? That’s alright, I’m fine.”

“I’m a bit tired right now. I want to take you back quickly, won’t you get in?”

Listening to the words, it seemed as amiable as before, but the voice and mood, I don’t know why, was especially harsh. I was forced to enter the elevator, swallowing dryly, and in order to not let my left ring finger meet his eyes, I carefully hid it behind my back.

Instead of the first floor, Ji Geon-hyung pressed the button for the second floor basement, glanced my way and then looked straight ahead again. He didn’t look at me again after that, but my heart started beating faster and faster, unable to overcome my anxiety.

‘Do you not remember your brush with me?’

If he remembered, he would have asked me about the ring.

I nervously glanced at Ji Geon-hyung. He seemed tired, pressing his fingertips against his forehead. Guilt and anxiety mixed together, making my heart heavy.

The elevator descended and stopped at the second floor basement, it wasn’t until the doors opened that I realized it was the parking garage. ‘Don’t tell me that you’re taking me home.’

However, as I expected, Ji Geon-hyung walked towards his car.

“Hyung, I’ll just walk.”

I said and stopped walking, I didn’t have the confidence to sit in Ji Geon-hyung’s car. I smiled painfully, saying that it was not far from here, but Ji Geon-hyung’s eyes were gleaming with a sharpness.

“I’m fine. So please take care of Ji Seok.”

“When Ji Seok-ie’s sick, Ji Yeon-ie will take care of it.”

At that, I thought he must’ve not come home so quickly because Ji Seok was sick.

As he stalked closer, Ji Geon-hyung suddenly grabbed my left arm. Breathless, with surprised eyes, I saw a vivid red band on his left ring finger. As soon as I saw it, I felt my heart jump wildly.

“Actually, I have some business with you.”

My heart pounded and sank.

My captured arm was pulled hard, and Ji Geon-hyung’s left hand seized my left wrist. He was so strong that my left hand was revealed without time to escape.

Ji Geon-hyung’s eyes shook violently in that moment.

He chewed his lower lip with his eyes fixated on the red band on my left ring finger.

He didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know either. ‘Can I just say that you didn’t even think I was connected to this ring.Or should I say I’m sorry but I was about to tell you?’

I couldn’t say anything, my mouth firmly shut, but Ji Geon-hyung grabbed my arm and dragged me away.

“Wait, hyung, wait a minute.”

“…”

He seemed really angry. My eyes wavered at the thought of disaster.

Without saying anything, Ji Geon-hyung dragged me to his car. I thought hard about what to say to him even when I was pushed into the passenger seat. If I was connected to a stranger, I’d be able to admit everything confidently, but I couldn’t help blanking when I thought that it’s Ji Seok’s brother. I thought I’d reveal it one day, but I didn’t expect I’d have to expose my left ring finger in this way.

Ji Geon-hyung climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut. He shrugged his stiff shoulders, and a long breath came out as if he was heaving up the breath he was holding back. However, still stuffy, he roughly loosened his tie that was tight around his neck, threw it into the back seat, and undid two of his shirt buttons.

“It seems you knew already.”

My mouth shut tight at Ji Geon’s-hyung’s words.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

I didn’t answer this time, either. ‘I can’t be honest with you because you’re the older brother of the one I like.’

Without a word, Ji Geon-hyung sighed deeply. He seemed to be thinking of something and turned towards me.

“Woo Seo-ya.”

“…Yes.”

I lowered my gaze, bowing my head, and somehow answered with difficulty.

I felt like some big villain. I’m sure Ji Geon-hyung was also as uncomfortable as I was, with the ring being unexpectedly connected to his younger brother’s friend. I’d be mad at me [if I were him], for knowing and hiding it, too.

Those vague regretful feelings I had looming over me gradually became a more distinct form that weighed down my shoulders.

Whether he knew that or not, Ji Geon-hyung kept his eyes on me.

“I won’t say much, let’s try an experiment for a moment.”

Hearing Ji Geon-hyung’s words, I raised my head.

“…Yes? An experiment?”

Ji Geon-hyung reached out and held my left hand tightly. My left hand, under the force of his grip, seemed to be heating up all of a sudden.

“For one hour, let’s sleep.”

Before I knew it, Ji Geon-hyung took out his cell phone and set an alarm. His grip on my hand was so strong and firm, as if he’d never let go of me.

Actually, I really didn’t expect I’d be able to sleep. Since I’d been suffering from insomnia even before the ring manifested, I thought I would have a brief nap at best.

However, shortly after waking up, I let out a sigh of grief.

It was only an hour.

I was able to experience a sleep that felt like honey until I heard the alarm Ji Geon-hyung set sound before I opened my eyes. Even though I had slept for only a short time, I felt refreshed and happy, like more than half the fatigue I had accumulated was completely blown away. I wanted to close my eyes and fall asleep again without thinking about anything.

“Ha…”

In a pleasant daze, I turned my head to the sound of laughter coming from the side. The tense atmosphere from before we fell asleep was completely gone, Ji Geon-hyung swept his hair back and uttered a forced laugh. It was ridiculous for me to think that even in that moment, he resembled Ji Seok.

Although he was already awake, Ji Geon-hyung still held my hand tightly and didn’t seem to think about letting go.

“Shin Woo Seo.”

His voice calling my name was a little softer.

“You, do you want to try working part-time?”

“What kind of part-time work?”

Ji Geon-hyung lifted my hand as if he wanted to show me what I had been holding on to until then.

“An hour a day is fine. Let’s sleep together.”