Ch.373373. My Sister Is Getting Married

My brother’s words, which had seemed like a prophecy, became reality. My sister, who had said she was just casually dating Mr. Baek Sunghyun, announced exactly three months later that she was marrying him, distributing wedding invitations.

Their dating period was roughly 5 months. Not even half a year… deciding to get married after such a short time together.

As someone who dated Hwa Nabi for a full 3 years starting from our school days before getting married, I honestly couldn’t help but be surprised. After all, my sister was marrying someone she’d dated for less than a quarter of the time I had.

“Well, congratulations. By the way, have you taken your wedding photos yet?”

[No, not yet. We’ve decided on the venue but haven’t chosen a studio. Siwoo, was the place where you took yours any good? How was it when you went?]

“Hmm, that place in Cheongdam-dong? The facilities were nice and the director was good too. Why, are you thinking of shooting there too?”

[All the good places are fully booked, so I need to look around. What’s their phone number?]

“It’s hard to book there by phone… Hold on. I’ll talk to Nabi later and ask her to look into it for you.”

That place is extremely popular. Unless you have the help of someone like my father-in-law, you’d have to wait at least a few years if you tried to book through normal channels. I’m not exaggerating, really.

[Thanks. You’re the best, Siwoo.]

“You should thank Nabi, not me… Hey, sis. There’s something I’m curious about.”

[Yes, what is it?]

“When did you decide you wanted to marry Baek Sunghyun? Was there some special moment or something?”

[Hmm… a special moment? I don’t think there was anything particularly special.]

“So you just thought he was a good guy while dating?”

[No, I already thought he was a good man for a while.]

Wait, that’s strange. Didn’t she say not too long ago that she disliked him because he was annoying?

I asked out of genuine curiosity, not to tease her. She seemed to understand that and, after a pause as if recalling past events, she answered.

[Well… back then, he was definitely annoying. But as I kept seeing him, I realized he seemed to have a strong sense of responsibility for his work, and people around him spoke well of him. What was it they said… I thought he was just a parachute hire, but he turned out to be special forces? Siwoo, what does special forces mean?]

“It doesn’t mean he got in without ability through connections… well, simply put, it means he’s extremely good at his job.”

Even as I explained, I was impressed. It’s no small feat to be revealed as a connection hire but then earn respect through skill. This Baek Sunghyun person must be exceptionally good at what he does.

[Oh, so it means he’s like you or your brother?]

“Come on, don’t say that… You’re making me embarrassed.”

Maybe my brother, but not me. I lowered my voice out of embarrassment, and my sister laughed on the other end of the phone.

[Why? You’re good at your job. Your brother said so. He said your skills improved a lot before you became team leader, and after becoming team leader, you really soared.]

“I’m not a bird, so I don’t soar… In your brother’s eyes, I’m probably just good at putting on a show…”

Objectively and subjectively, I’m not yet at my brother’s level.

Maybe after about five more years of experience I might get close, but comparing our current skills would be like pitting a child against an adult.

“Anyway, so the wedding is in August, right? The date on the invitation.”

[Yes, I’m worried it might be too hot… but it should be fine, right?]

“The venue will have strong air conditioning anyway, so what’s there to worry about? Well, it might be hot at the entrance.”

[Wow, that’s amazing. Somehow I feel reassured when you say it like that. Is it because you’re my senior in marriage?]

“Well, yes. You may be my senior in life, but I’m your senior in married life.”

[Then, senior, let me ask you one thing. How do you maintain a good marriage?]

I’m not sure why she suddenly switched to formal speech, but anyway. I thought carefully about her question.

Hmm, how to maintain a good marriage. Basically, you need mutual consideration, and differences of opinion should be narrowed through compromise… something like that.

Of course, there’s more to it if we go deeper, but since they’re not even newlyweds yet and haven’t started living together, I kept my explanation simple.

“First thing you should know is, I’m a man, right? So I’ll tell you what men might dislike from a man’s perspective.”

[Oh, really? That would be helpful. So, what do men dislike?]

“Well, let’s use living together as the baseline. If he’s on a work call at home, don’t interrupt him. Once or twice might be cute, but if it keeps happening, he might not like it. Of course, I don’t mind it, but I don’t know Baek Sunghyun… I mean, my brother-in-law’s personality.”

[Don’t interrupt work calls… okay, what else?]

“Also, drink in moderation. During the honeymoon phase, the mood is so good that alcohol goes down easily, right? But if you both drink too much, you might both end up completely drunk. That’s not good.”

They say drinking together is the most effective way for men and women to bond. The effects of alcohol are indeed powerful, but as I said, if you keep drinking one after another, you’ll quickly get drunk.

[Why? Isn’t it good if we both get drunk?]

“Look, sis. I don’t know about women, but men shouldn’t get too drunk. If a man drinks so much he can’t control his body, then due to physical structure, he can’t make love.”

[…Really? Men are like that?]

“Yes, usually. No, I’d say the vast majority are like that.”

I didn’t add “but not me,” as I didn’t want my sister to misunderstand that her future husband might be like that too.

[Ah, so that’s why he that time…]

“What? Sis, what did you just say?”

Her voice was too quiet to hear clearly. I think she said something about “he” and something else.

[Ah, it’s nothing. So, anything else I should be careful about?]

“Well, this isn’t something to be careful about, but something good to do. If you get home first, greet him when you see his face and ask if he had a good day. Our Nabi does that every day, and it makes my heart flutter every time. Even after more than 8 years of marriage, I still feel that way.”

[We already greet each other every time… but specifically how? Like, with aegyo or something?]

“Aegyo? Well, that could be nice. But since I don’t know your fiancé’s personality, I can’t really answer. What’s certain is that if you do it in a weird way, it might backfire, so if you’re unsure, just give him a hug. That’s enough to make me happy.”

[Greet him… okay, got it. What’s next?]

“Next…”

What other tips would be good to know? I was trying to think of as many helpful things as possible to share, when—

Creak.

Suddenly the bedroom door opened, and familiar pink hair peeked through the gap.

Given the long hair, it’s not Woohee, probably Hwa Nabi. I wonder what she’s doing there. I gestured for her to come closer.

‘Looks like you’re on the phone, can I come in?’

‘Yes, it’s my sister. Come on in.’

Hwa Nabi tiptoed quickly to the bed and sat down beside me. I gave her a little hug and sniffed her scent.

Having just finished housework, her nice perfume was mixed with a hint of sweat. But it wasn’t unpleasant at all, and this might sound a bit perverted… but somehow I like this scent even more than her usual one.

‘Mmm… heh, you pervert. Why are you sniffing my neck?’

‘Well, because you smell so good?’

[Hello? Siwoo? Are you still there?]

“Sorry, I was just thinking. Where was I?”

[You were saying that greeting when coming home is important.]

“Ah, yes, greetings. Greetings are important, but there’s something else just as important.”

[Oh, what’s that?]

“Well, that’s…”

I was about to say “small surprise events,” but then I looked down at Hwa Nabi’s outfit.

Either my eyes were deceiving me, or something black and fluttery was peeking out from under her white t-shirt.

Just as I was about to ask what it was, Hwa Nabi whispered in my ear.

“…Did you see?”

Her hot breath touched my ear. A strange tingling ran down my spine, giving me an odd feeling.

[What’s going on, is your phone broken…? Hello? Han Siwoo?]

“…Uh, yes?”

[What do you mean ‘yes’? Why did you stop mid-sentence? You said there’s something as important as greetings. What is it?]

“Ah, something as important as greetings. That’s…”

Hwa Nabi, who had been quietly listening beside me, raised one corner of her mouth in a smile. She played with my thigh, then grabbed the hem of her t-shirt and slowly lifted it, revealing her beautifully rounded lower belly.

Her lower abdomen, where our third baby was growing healthily as the fruit of our love, was wrapped in a see-through black slip lingerie.

“…”

I slipped my hand under the lingerie. Hwa Nabi just raised her eyes slightly without stopping me.

No, far from stopping me, she moved closer… as if inviting me to touch her, she pressed her body against mine and even guided my wrist upward to make it easier for me to touch her.

“The doctor said… it’s safe to do it now.”

“…”

[What is it? …Hello? Why is this phone acting up? Siwoo, can you hear me?]

Click. I hung up the phone and switched it to silent mode. This didn’t seem like the time to be casually talking with my sister.

I wrapped my arm around Hwa Nabi’s waist, laid her down on the bed, and gazed down at her intently. She moved her lips and whispered so quietly that no one else could hear.

“…I just put the kids to bed.”