Chapter 22: First of all he’s my brother

The sunlight that had been clinging to my skin, making it tingle, suddenly disappeared. I looked up and saw a massive building towering where the sun had been just moments before.
The shadow it cast, stretching far beyond its own confines to engulf even the building across the street, was chillingly cold.

“It’s huge.”

Han Yeoreum, looking around, gulped.

“Why are you so nervous? It’s not like we’ve committed a crime.”
“Well, technically speaking…”

Han Yeoreum trailed off, twisting a strand of her hair.

“What?”
“No, I was just wondering if you’re not nervous at all.”
“It would be a lie to say I’m not nervous at all.”

Today’s conversation would determine our future. Han Yeoreum’s expression darkened at my words.
“But at least I know what I have to do.”
“…Really?”

Han Yeoreum looked at me with anxious eyes. She was probably worried that I was here reluctantly because of her.
I met her gaze and spoke.

“Like I said yesterday, I’m not going to run away anymore.”

After Oh Minseo left yesterday, I told Han Yeoreum everything. My situation, and what I wanted to do, without leaving anything out.

“So I would have done this even if you weren’t here.”

Han Yeoreum nodded silently. Her expression was still tense, but she seemed to understand.
As we finished talking and walked past a flowerbed overflowing with bright yellow flowers towards the apartment entrance,

“Mr. Yu Dojin, Ms. Han Yeoreum, I’ve been expecting you.”

I turned towards the sound and saw a man in a suit smiling at us.

He was tall, probably around 185cm, with broad shoulders, a gentle face behind his glasses, and neatly parted hair.

“Good morning. I am Oh Cheongmyeong, a chief in the Beyond System security team, currently serving as the young lady’s attendant.”

An attendant? Like a bodyguard? I had known Oh Minseo for years, but I had never heard of or met such a bodyguard.
As I was processing this, Oh Cheongmyeong bowed deeply.

“If it’s not too much trouble, may I escort you to where the young lady is?”
“Ah, it’s okay. I can’t go in by myself anyway. Please raise your head.”
“Thank you. Then please follow me.”

Only the sound of our footsteps echoed softly in the silent lobby. Soon, we took the elevator to the top floor and followed Oh Cheongmyeong.
He pressed the doorbell next to the front door and spoke.

“Young lady, I’ve brought your guests.”
“Yeah, come in, come in~…”

As soon as permission was granted, Oh Cheongmyeong took out a small key card from his pocket, unlocked the door, and opened it.

“Please come in.”

As soon as I stepped inside, I instinctively frowned. The light reflecting off the white marble floor pierced my eyes.
Yes, this was the place. Everything in this house, from the floor to the walls, the ceiling, and the furniture, was bathed in a pristine white light.
A house devoid of human touch, a house that felt like it would disappear like a cloud if you closed your eyes. That was Oh Minseo’s home.

“Welcome, welcome… I’ve been waiting…”

Oh Minseo, sitting at the dining table, waved at me cheerfully. Her hand, swaying in the air, looked more like a doll’s than a human’s.
We sat down across from Oh Minseo, guided by Oh Cheongmyeong.

“Oppa… please…”
“Yes, understood.”

As soon as Oh Minseo finished speaking, Oh Cheongmyeong brought out pots and dishes from the kitchen. It seemed impossible to carry all of that with just two trays.

“I’ll help you.”
“Ah, me too…”
“It’s okay. This is all of it. And I’ll get scolded by the young lady if I ask guests to do such things.”

Oh Cheongmyeong smiled at me and Han Yeoreum, then took the food from the trays and set it on the table.

“Well… that’s what he’s here for… Right…?”

Oh Minseo said, patting Oh Cheongmyeong’s back. It could have been seen as playful banter between close friends, but somehow, it looked to me like Oh Minseo was mocking Oh Cheongmyeong’s position.

“You are absolutely right.”

Oh Cheongmyeong’s eyes sparkled as he bowed his head to Oh Minseo. His voice was more enthusiastic than before.

“Then, please enjoy the meal, even though it’s not much… Ah, oppa, do you want some too…? But if you do, you’ll have to get wooden chopsticks…?”
“I’m fine.”
“Suit yourself… I told you…”

Oh Minseo said that and picked up her chopsticks. I turned my head and surveyed the food on the table. Kimchi jjigae, bulgogi, grilled fish. All my favorites.
No, it would be more accurate to say that it was filled only with my favorites.

“What’s wrong? Not eating… No appetite…?”

Oh Minseo’s squinted eyes turned towards me.

“No, it’s not that.”
“Then eat.”

Oh Minseo, her eyes narrowed, tapped her bowl with her chopsticks, urging me. She smiled with satisfaction only after I picked up some bulgogi with my chopsticks.

“That’s right… You seem to be eating only unhealthy food lately, so I put some thought into this… What was it, who made this…?”
“It was the head chef of the Korean cuisine department at Beyond Hotel.”
“Ah, right, right… That’s it…”
“If it doesn’t suit your taste, or if there are any shortcomings in the preparation, I will dismiss the chef who made the food immediately and completely overhaul the kitchen.”
“Keuheuk.”

Han Yeoreum choked on her food. Her coughing soon subsided, but her faint gasps revealed how startled she was.

“Oppa, really… If you say things like that, how can our guests eat comfortably…?”

Oh Minseo said, looking at Oh Cheongmyeong. Her voice was gentle, but there was a subtle edge to it.

“I apologize.”
“You can’t do anything right… Go away, you’re annoying…”
“Yes, please call me when you need me.”

Oh Minseo shooed Oh Cheongmyeong away with a wave of her hand, then massaged her temples and twisted her hair.

“Ah… Sorry, drink some water…”
“Y-Yes.”

Only the clinking of utensils echoed over the silent dining table.
To break the silence, I decided to ask about something that had been bothering me since I arrived.

“You know,”
“Yeah…?”
“Since when have you had a bodyguard?”
“Since when? Since yesterday… Oh, right, right… I almost forgot if it weren’t for Dojin…”

Oh Minseo put down her chopsticks, lightly tapped her chest with her right fist, and twisted her lips.

“Do you get it now?”

As I stared blankly, Oh Minseo crossed her arms and pouted.

“Have you forgotten already…? Yesterday, when I said I would guarantee that girl’s identity, you completely dismissed me, saying, ‘How can someone like you do that?’…”
“I didn’t say it like that.”
“You did… Anyway, do you get it now? This is who I am, the youngest daughter of the chairman of Beyond Group…”
“Puhap.”

A thin stream of water spurted from Han Yeoreum’s mouth.

Beyond Group. The largest conglomerate in Korea, ranked number one in the business world.
It was an incredibly influential group, with its reach extending not only to Korean politics and economy but also to culture.

“This is the first I’m hearing of this.”
“Well~… I didn’t tell you, so of course you wouldn’t know… I hate it, flaunting my family background, and seeing people’s eyes glaze over when they hear it…”

Oh Minseo stared at the ceiling with hazy eyes and continued.

“I still hate relying on my family, even for things like bodyguards… But I thought you wouldn’t believe me unless I showed you this much sincerity, Dojin…”

I barely managed to gather my chaotic thoughts and spoke.

“You called your bodyguard ‘oppa’ earlier. Then, is he—”
“Ah… I didn’t introduce you…? Even though he looks like that, he’s my older brother… He’s annoying, so I usually don’t associate with him…”

Oh Minseo glanced at Oh Cheongmyeong, who was standing behind her. He, still wearing a cheerful smile, glided forward as soon as Oh Minseo raised her hand.

“Did you call for me?”
“Yeah… Since we’re on the topic, let’s get started…”
“Understood.”

Oh Cheongmyeong took out a rectangular piece of plastic from his pocket. It was Han Yeoreum’s photo and name, what’s commonly known as an ID card.

“As promised, I’ll guarantee that child’s identity very well~… Um, so what was it…”
“Her name is Oh Yeoreum, age twenty. She is set up as your maternal cousin, young lady.”
“Ah, that, that…”

I took the ID card and examined it closely.
It was so elaborately made that it could pass for a real one. Still, if I checked it on the system, it would be easy to—

“It’s already registered on the system, so there should be no problem with her daily life.”

Oh Cheongmyeong said with a smile, as if he had read my thoughts.

“That’s right… With that, you can buy alcohol or cigarettes at convenience stores as much as you want… Lucky you, I didn’t have anyone to do that for me…”

I was momentarily speechless, my common sense shattered by this unexpected turn of events.