That’s What You Get for Bragging When You Don’t Have a Girlfriend!

The fallen leaves on the street have turned into white snow.

Around the time when the white snow melts and disappears.

Cherry blossom petals, which remind me of your eyes, have begun to bloom fully.

16 years old.

Now that the long cold winter has ended and spring without you has come.

Even though it’s been almost a year since you siblings temporarily left our side.

You were still permeating our daily lives.

**

“Oppa! Even you have to agree this is too much, right!? Right!?”

Here we go again.

Seeing Han Se-ah huffing at the breakfast table on the first day of the new semester, I sighed.

“…What now? Did you fight with Jin-hyuk again?”

“Eek, what do you mean ‘again’!”

Well, but. Considering you bicker almost every day, saying that isn’t…

“Never mind, just hurry and get ready. Do you want to be late on the first day?”

“Jin-hyuk oppa said, ‘Since it’s the first day, I’ll definitely wake you up tomorrow, just trust me’!”

“I wish you’d listen to me that well too.”

Ugh, Seo Jin-hyuk that show-off bastard. I told him not to make promises he can’t keep.

“He must have had something going on, like being tired. Just let it go.”

“No. I can’t let it go. I’m going to give him a stern talking-to later.”

…This one’s going to be quite troublesome.

Seeing Se-ah even blowing air through her nose with a “hmph,” I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Seo Jin-hyuk, who was probably still sleeping peacefully, unaware of what was coming.

Jin-hyuk, it might be better if you don’t wake up.

If I could, I’d visit him in his dreams to warn him.

 

Honestly, I thought we’d grow distant from Han Se-ah’s family.

I mean, three years isn’t just some random dog’s name.

Just because I could wait didn’t mean Se-ah could too.

Though I felt sorry for both of them, I thought they’d naturally drift apart, but contrary to my expectations, that didn’t happen.

Or rather, should I say Han Se-ah was carrying the relationship by the collar?

The relationship that was already led by Se-ah became even more one-sided after that idiot Jin-hyuk told her about studying abroad right before leaving for America.

After getting his hair firmly pulled at our house, he was completely under her control.

To exaggerate a bit, he was ready to bring water at Se-ah’s command.

Of course, I would also bring water if Ye-rin said “water,” but I would do it because I wanted to, so, well, it was different.

Jin-hyuk turned pale, saying he thought he’d get circular hair loss every time he recalled that day, and seeing that, I felt sorry for him but also thought he brought it upon himself.

But still.

“Ah, it’s Jin-hyuk oppa!”

Just moments ago she was huffing.

But seeing Se-ah’s bright smile at Jin-hyuk’s belated contact, as if she had never been upset.

I felt reassured thinking that they too, in their own way, were doing their best for each other.

 

“So anyway… Ah, oppa! See you at home later-!”

“Let’s just not see each other…”

Reassurance my ass.

From the moment we left home together until just before we parted ways to our respective classes at school.

My walk to school was painful because of Se-ah talking on the phone with Jin-hyuk the entire time.

Was it because her chattering on the phone was noisy?

No.

Watching my little sister’s romance in real-time made my bile rise.

From the start, her voice when talking to Jin-hyuk was different… to the point where I could ask “Who are you?”

Moreover, as I watched her talking on the phone with a voice mixed with aegyo.

While it might be cute to someone on the opposite side of the earth, from the perspective of someone who shares the same house and parents, I felt nauseous to the point of gagging.

…Next time this happens, I’ll walk separately. With that resolve, I opened the classroom door.

“Oh, Han Woo-jin~ Why are you so late?”

“What? Yoon Do-hyun, you’re in this class too?”

“Yep. Isn’t it nice to have a hyung?”

“You’re saying something that makes me want to vomit as soon as I see you.”

I looked around the classroom with a smirk.

By the time we reached the third year of middle school, most faces were familiar, even if we weren’t close.

ㅡ Not bad.

Like the saying “the empty chair speaks louder than the absent person,” Seo Jin-hyuk’s empty spot was quite significant, but perhaps because of that.

Being together with Yoon Do-hyun meant I became acquainted, albeit superficially, with many kids.

“This is perfect timing. Hey, we’re thinking of going out as a class for bonding after school today, want to come?”

Tsk. I’m not used to such gatherings.

Seeing Yoon Do-hyun ask in front of everyone despite knowing this, I could tell he was determined.

Fine, I can make an exception for one day.

“Okay, I’ll g…”

“By the way, girls are coming too.”

“You bastard, you should have mentioned that first. I’m not going, you idiot.”

“Ah, why-! Just come with us once, please! How can we always hang out with just guys! Don’t think of them as girls, just think of them as classmates? Just friends!!”

“If you say that to your girlfriend, your 9th girlfriend will quickly become your 10th, you know. Anyway, I’m not going. Why are you doing this when you know?”

Is this guy trying to assassinate me?

Ignoring the whining Yoon Do-hyun, I was about to sit in the seat marked on the blackboard when another kid next to Yoon Do-hyun approached me.

“Um, you’re Woo-jin, right? Why won’t you come if girls are there? Is it awkward?”

“It’s not that. I just think my girlfriend wouldn’t like it.”

Of course, Ye-rin has never said anything like “don’t go to places where there are girls.”

She would probably tell me to participate if such an opportunity arose.

But somehow I felt uncomfortable.

And in my experience, it was better not to do things that made me feel uncomfortable.

“Oh, you have a girlfriend? But she’s not in our class, I guess? Which class is she in?”

Rather than feeling annoyed at this unnamed friend who was now questioning me with interest, I found it amusing.

It made sense that at our age, talk of girlfriends would be an interesting topic.

“She used to attend our school, but not anymore. She went all the way to~ America.”

As I pointed to what I estimated to be the Pacific Ocean, the unnamed friend suddenly looked embarrassed, as if regretting asking.

“Ah, that, um… sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

“…I can guess what misunderstanding you have. She really went to America. She’ll be back soon.”

ㅡ That’s what you get for bragging when you don’t have a girlfriend!

Ahh, Ham Gi-chul!!!!

I just said she really went to America, not to heaven, but I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen that expression as if someone had died when I mention America.

“Oh, was that it? You pointed to the sky so I was shocked.”

“Not the sky, the Pacific Ocean…”

Am I to blame for this?

“Anyway, you won’t come if girls are there because of your girlfriend?”

“Not because of her. It’s just that I feel uncomfortable. Let’s hang out next time, when it’s just guys.”

“Okay, let’s do that. Hey, Yoon Do-hyun, why don’t you learn from him?”

“Ah, because of Han Woo-jin I look like trash again!”

“You are trash.”

As I spun around the jumping Yoon Do-hyun who looked indignant, giggling, I felt relieved thinking this year wouldn’t be boring either.

 

“Hey, are you really not coming? Really!? You’re going to regret it, seriously?”

“Wow, I’m already regretting it~”

Ignoring Yoon Do-hyun’s cries directed at me like some visual novel heroine, I left the classroom.

Since Se-ah had also messaged that she’d be hanging out with friends.

On my way home alone.

With the sudden feeling of loneliness, I thought about contacting Ye-rin.

But since the opposite side of the earth was in the middle of sleeping hours, I held back.

“I’m home~”

When I arrived home, naturally, no one was there yet.

Thinking I might as well take a shower, I took off my clothes and entered the bathroom. Suddenly, the wristwatch Ye-rin gave me for my birthday caught my eye.

Following her instruction not to take it off even in the shower, I had been wearing it while bathing without even realizing it.

……Surely, there isn’t really a GPS tracker, voice recorder, or tiny camera attached to it, right?

Some might say there’s no way Ye-rin would do such a crazy thing.

But in my experience, Ye-rin was quite capable of losing her mind when it came to me.

Ye-rin, you know, right? I’m not criticizing you. I just know you well. It’s something you should be praised for, mmm.

…I made excuses to myself, feeling unnecessarily guilty.

“……Ye-rin?”

Just in case, I tried speaking to the watch.

Silence-

…Shit.

Realizing I was talking to a wristwatch alone in an empty house, my face burned with shame.

Whether it was from the hot shower or the embarrassment, I vigorously dried my heated body with a towel, entered the room, and flopped onto the bed.

There’s nothing to do.

…No, I should study.

Ye-rin was already good at studying, and now that she had gone abroad, it was crystal clear that she would attend a good university when she returned to Korea.

…I’d like to go to the same university if possible.

But for that, Ye-rin was a shining star, and I was a firefly.

The worst part was.

Even if I messed up the entrance exams a bit and ended up at a lower-ranked university, Ye-rin would say as if it were fine,

“Oppa, I was planning to go there too…”

And with a smile, she would follow me.

Argghhh…!

No. That absolutely cannot happen…! I, I wouldn’t be okay with that…!

I had to be able to go wherever Ye-rin went.

The reverse should not be established.

This won’t do.

Let’s study.

Just as I jerked up from the bed, my phone suddenly rang with a zing.

Is it that time already?

Looking at the screen, as always, Ye-rin was calling for a video chat.

“…Hello?”

“Mmm, oppa… did you have a good day at school…?”

“Ye-rin, I’m about to st…”

“Hee, it feels so nice to hear your voice as soon as I open my eyes…”

“…Really?”

Hmm.

Maybe I could start studying tomorrow?

Suddenly, that thought crossed my mind.

“How was your new class…?”

“Just okay, nothing special. Fortunately, there were many familiar faces. Yoon Do-hyun is also in the same class.”

“That’s good…”

“And th…”

“Were there many pretty unnies too…?”

“………No, I wasn’t interested so I didn’t look. Haha…”

“Oppa, why are you forcing a laugh…?”

“……What are you talking about? I’m currently smiling with 100% pure freshness. Look. Hahaha.”

“Is it tiring to talk with me…?”

“…I was wrong.”

“What did you do wrong…?”

“………….”

Huh.

My breath caught.

What is this? Where did I step into a trap?

When I came to my senses, I was already deep in the trap with no way to escape.

As I froze with a dumbfounded expression, I soon saw Ye-rin on the screen giggling and fluttering her smooth legs on the bed.

“I’m just joking, you react so deliciously…”

“…I almost lost my mind.”

“That’s mean. Are you saying it’s because of me…?”

“…Hey.”

“Ahaha. I’m sorry, oppa. I won’t do it again…”

Seeing Ye-rin smiling brightly in the morning sunlight as if she was having fun, I couldn’t help but smile too.

Right, who needs classmates?

Yoon Do-hyun said I’d regret not going, but as expected.

I only need you.