From the Little Sister’s Perspective

(I apologize for the notification error and have re-uploaded this. I’m truly sorry for disturbing your peaceful weekend evening ㅠㅠ I registered 3 posts with 1-minute intervals – an announcement & chapters 18 & 19 – but only the meaningless announcement received a notification while the others didn’t… Re-uploading both chapters would send 2 notifications which seemed too intrusive, so I’ve only re-uploaded one. Please check the previous chapter as well!!@! I’m sorry and I love you!!@!)

*

I stopped writing the diary I used to write every day at some point.

Partly because it was bothersome.

But also.

—There’s nothing to write about…?

Coming home after spending the same day, every day.

‘I went to school today and played with friends. It was fun. The end.’

What’s the point when that’s all I have to write?

That’s how my diary, pushed to the corner of my desk, started to come back out into the world at some point.

Thanks to my stupid oppa, each day started to become different, and someday, when I tell those two about what I’ve witnessed from the sidelines.

I picked up my pen again today to see their reactions.

**

May 11th. Weather: Sunny.

“Didn’t you say you were interested in Seo Jin-hyuk?”

Oppa, who had returned from school, suddenly asked as if he’d just remembered.

“Why so suddenly?”

“Ye-rin mentioned Jin-hyuk, and it just came to mind.”

Seeing oppa unable to take his eyes off his phone screen while saying this, I found it a bit ridiculous.

He’s absolutely thrilled.

Oppa. You see her almost every day anyway, are you that happy just seeing her messages?

…Honestly, it’s fascinating. I’ve never seen this side of oppa before.

Will I ever become like that too? I wonder.

It’s already been a month since we met Ye-rin.

Ye-rin comes over to our house, and we go over to Ye-rin’s house. (Oppa went even on days when I didn’t.)

Our houses, which were awkward at first, now felt like vacation homes, to slightly exaggerate.

“I’ll call him, do you want to meet him?”

……This stupid oppa.

Does he think I can become friends with someone as easily as he did with Ye-rin?

Now I might be used to Ye-rin’s appearance, but when I first saw her, I couldn’t help but be amazed.

Ye-rin’s brother’s looks must be at that level too, so I need some mental preparation, but oppa brought it up so casually as if saying “Let’s grab a meal!” that I was a bit taken aback.

“Umm… not now, maybe later?”

“Later? Why? Are you shy?”

I was astonished to see oppa smirking at me as if asking “Since when do you get shy?”

“Oppa.”

“What is it, my shy little sister~?”

“…Do you know what might happen to you?”

“What?”

Oppa, who had been excitedly trying to tease me until just now, gaped at my words.

“Oppa, in the past, I would have thought ‘Of course it would be nice if things work out for oppa, but I wouldn’t really care… just be a bit disappointed if they didn’t.'”

“…”

“But now? I’ve become pretty close with Ye-rin too. Imagine if I became friends with Ye-rin’s brother or even started dating him.”

Oppa, who had been silently listening to me, seemed to anticipate what I was about to say and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Oh, but what if things don’t work out between you and Ye-rin? I’m friends with Ye-rin, and things are going well with Ye-rin’s brother? Could you handle that? Huh? Huh? Huh?”

“Shit…”

When I stood on my tiptoes in front of oppa and poked his head repeatedly while talking, he collapsed to his knees in despair, saying “Ye-rin…” as if the mere thought was horrifying.

What was this posture called again, I think it was OTL….

Honestly, as someone watching from the sidelines, I think it’s just a matter of time before oppa and Ye-rin get together as long as oppa doesn’t do anything incredibly strange… but.

If. Just if oppa and Ye-rin don’t work out.

I don’t want oppa, who would already be struggling, to suffer more because of me.

So.

I poked the still-despairing oppa with my finger.

“Oppa.”

“What…”

…You’re not crying, are you?

Oppa clearly just said “what,” but I felt like I could hear “you mean girl…” following it.

“I’ll be waiting, so don’t take too long, okay?”

I sincerely hope those two work out. Not just because they’re both precious to me.

…But also because I want a boyfriend too.

Originally, I wasn’t interested in things like dating, but.

Watching those two together made me wonder what made them so happy all the time, and that curiosity evolved into a desire to experience it myself.

That was a secret from oppa.

**

July 8th. Weather: Cloudy.

……When are they going to date?

Weren’t they supposed to get together quickly?

I shouldn’t have said I’d wait.

 

August 4th. Weather: Sunny.

“I wonder what she’s thinking about?”

“She’s really beautiful…”

I heard others marveling as they looked at Ye-rin, who was gazing out the window with her arms on her desk.

Saying it must be a serious concern, an important matter, my friends and I couldn’t help but laugh at them as they argued among themselves about whose guess was right.

What she’s thinking about?

“…She’s definitely thinking about that oppa, right?”

“Isn’t it obvious…”

Just like in world history when something strange happens and you should pick England.

When Ye-rin suddenly acted strangely, 98% of the time, you’d be right if you guessed it was about our oppa.

…Actually, it might not even be 98%, but I’d like to believe there’s a 2% chance it could be something else~

Since this wasn’t just a one-time thing, not only me but even my friends had started to notice.

And my friends haven’t even met our oppa.

Ye-rin, who usually preferred to listen quietly, would become a chatterbox whenever oppa was mentioned, saying “Yesterday…” “Today…” so now it was impossible not to know even if we wanted to.

In reality, between us, those two were already as good as dating.

…Just without the confession.

Of course, Ye-rin would either give minimal responses to boys who spoke to her or completely ignore them.

And while Ye-rin’s eye color rarely changed normally, whenever oppa was mentioned, her eyes would sparkle like a rainbow.

Ah, why aren’t you confessing, you stupid oppa!!!!!!

Are you determined to block your pretty sister’s path? Is that it?

As I was cursing oppa in my mind, Ye-rin approached us.

…Could she have heard? Has she reached the level where she can even detect people mentally cursing oppa?

“Hey girls, I want to ask you something…”

Ah, guess not. Even though I knew it was impossible, Ye-rin becomes a bit strange when it comes to oppa, and I guess I’ve become strange too.

“Yes, what is it~?”

“What do you think of this wallet…?”

On the phone screen Ye-rin was pointing to, there was a shopping page for a black leather wallet.

“Hmm… it looks nice in a simple way…?”

“But isn’t it a bit expensive for us to buy…?”

“Are you getting it for your dad~?”

“No, it’s oppa’s birthday soon…”

“Your brother?”

A friend who knew that Ye-rin had a biological brother asked curiously, and Ye-rin replied as if the question was absurd.

“No…? Woo-jin oppa.”

I thought so. I was wondering what she was contemplating, and it was indeed our oppa.

She asked me when oppa’s birthday was yesterday, and she’s been thinking about it since then?

But Ye-rin. Our oppa’s birthday is a month away…

I thought it was very like Ye-rin to be worrying about it already.

How should I put it, I guess it’s true that a girl in love can be a bit scary. Will I ever become like that?

“But isn’t it too expensive?”

I knew Ye-rin’s family was well-off, but since it was a branded wallet, the price was burdensome for us elementary school students.

“But…”

“But?”

“It’s for oppa…”

As if to say she didn’t want to skimp at all, someone among us sighed “Hyaa…” in admiration at those words, which conveyed her sincerity despite her shyness.

…Honestly, I was surprised too. It made me think our oppa was truly blessed.

“Yes, then it should be fine. It looks pretty, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. I think it’s just right.”

“But why a wallet?”

That’s true?

I think I’ve heard that wallets are common gifts for men, but does a middle schooler really need a wallet? I wondered.

“Mom said…”

“Yes?”

“When you find a boy you like… keep giving him things around him… so that he thinks of you whenever he looks at anything or uses anything…”

She said that’s how she successfully married dad…. Ye-rin said this with a shy smile.

“……”

“……”

Oh, o-oppa…!

What a terrifying idea…!

I think with you and your mom, he wouldn’t think of anyone else even without doing that…!?

Glancing to the side, I saw other girls nodding at me with pitying looks.

As oppa’s sister, I should say something about how this isn’t necessary…

“Hee, do you think oppa will like it…?”

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll love it~?”

Sorry, oppa.

Even if it were you, it would have been impossible.

Seeing Ye-rin smiling expectantly, I couldn’t bring myself to say such harsh words.

 

September 11th. Weather: Sunny.

Today is oppa’s birthday.

When Ye-rin handed him a beautifully wrapped gift box, oppa received it happily.

Inside the box, which he opened slowly, was the wallet she had shown us before.

Oppa immediately transferred the money and cards from his old wallet, then put the new wallet in his back pocket.

Seeing this, Ye-rin smiled shyly with joy.

And I, watching this scene:

—First, back pocket conquered…

I was wondering if someday all the items in oppa’s body and room would be changed to Made in Seo Ye-rin.

 

November 11th. Weather: Cloudy.

On Pepero Day, they prepared Pepero for each other as if it were the most natural thing.

Seeing them happily exchanging gifts…

Why aren’t they dating yet?

Oppa, I might start getting angry soon?

I wanted to write all sorts of mean things about oppa in my diary, but there wasn’t enough space to write it all.

 

December 24th. Weather: Sunny.

I give up.

I told oppa I was thinking of meeting Jin-hyuk oppa tomorrow. After all, I had Ye-rin as a reliable ally.

Oppa, with a nonchalant face, asked if I hadn’t said I would wait.

……Oppa. Are you in any position to say that?

I was so angry that I pinched his arm a bit harder.

 

December 25th. Weather: ♥

He’s so cool…♥

 

February 13th. Weather: Sunny.

Like oppa’s sister indeed, or like Ye-rin’s brother indeed.

I became close enough with Jin-hyuk oppa to meet and hang out even without those two, but we didn’t start dating.

…I think I understand why oppa hasn’t confessed yet?

I thought it would be as simple as in movies or dramas, just saying “Will you go out with me?” but it wasn’t that easy.

You know, there’s a saying that confession isn’t a gamble but a confirmation.

I wasn’t confident enough in my feelings yet, nor in Jin-hyuk oppa’s feelings, to make that confirmation.

But it’s okay.

Soon Ye-rin and I will also be middle school students attending the same school as the two oppas.

Seeing Ye-rin already subtly saying “After class… you know?” to oppa, as if it’s natural for them to be together.

Honestly.

To be completely honest, while it’s true that Ye-rin is very pretty, I thought she had quite an annoying personality. To the point where I found oppa amazing for always smiling and accepting everything.

The pink glint in Ye-rin’s eyes when she looked at oppa was slightly, how should I put it, a bit sticky.

It was scary, like the eyes of a predator eyeing its prey, but I decided to pretend I didn’t see it.

Because the prey Ye-rin was targeting wasn’t me, yes.