episode_0075

“Ah… Ah! Those gentlemen?”

Brother was asking various things over the phone.

With a slight murmur of admiration, it seemed like he knew but after some thought, he seemed to recall.

“Yes. Yes, thank you.”

The phone call continued, and as I gently took my brother’s arm, he patted my head and ended the call.

“Yeah. Maybe several people will come, right?”

“Yes, but I don’t really have anyone specific to invite. We don’t have much contact with relatives, so it’s ambiguous whom to invite.”

“Hmm… Should I invite more people then?”

“Ah… It’s just that I don’t have many people of my own, so I feel a bit hesitant. If there are many people on your side, it makes me wonder.”

My concerns are about this much.

If there are many people on my brother’s side, one wonders what kind of person the wife is.

Despite having promised marriage without worrying about differences in status, ultimately, one has to show oneself at the wedding.

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it. I didn’t demand such things, did I? Don’t worry. You don’t have to. If someone sees it that way, I’ll say something.”

I am ordinary, and although our meeting was not ordinary, my brother is not on the ordinary side.

That’s why there’s a slight deviation from normalcy.

Am I ordinary?

What is normalcy in the first place?

“…Thank you.”

Once again, my brother looked truly cool.

He was already cool, but now it seems like we need to go beyond this world.

“Announcing marriage is just a formality. There’s really nothing special about it. Have expectations, but don’t expect too much.”

“My wedding dress?”

“Yes. I’m really looking forward to it.”

My brother was looking at only me without any particular concern.

Since we both only have eyes for each other.

I felt a little uneasy.

“I’ll show you a really beautiful sight. Please show me a handsome one too.”

“Yes. I’ll look forward to it. I’ll live up to your expectations.”

I softened my voice slightly.

I remembered those words from that time before.

“If you’re not here… I get lonely every time.”

“I’ll be there every day so you won’t feel lonely or worried.”

They are awkward words, but that’s a good thing.

Continuing might lead to embarrassment and resistance, but a single word can make the heart flutter with excitement.

“Good night. My beloved husband.”

“Yes. Goodnight. My precious wife.”

“Ah…”

Even so, feeling cringy was inevitable.

*

“Let’s eat~”

We prepared for work early in the morning.

While my brother gets ready for work earlier than me, I prepare breakfast while he changes clothes.

“Stay strong today, brother.”

“Yes. Is Jihye going today too?”

“Yes. She said she would come today.”

“Yes. Stay strong. Don’t overdo it.”

“Don’t overdo it either, brother. If you collapse, I’ll cry.”

My brother hugged me tightly.

“Don’t worry, it won’t happen. I’m more worried about you.”

“Yes… I understand.”

Who worries about whom?

“But still, please let me worry.”

But I can’t help but worry.

You look tired. It feels like coming in late is becoming a fact.

Don’t pile on more work now.

My warm body temperature gradually cools down.

“Yes, I’ll go and come back.”

“Have a safe trip.”

My brother was drifting away once again.

But I wasn’t sad.

Because I know we’ll meet again.

Instead, I bid farewell to my brother with a smile.

When he returns, we’ll share interesting stories again and get to know each other better.

*

I came down 10 minutes early as planned.

Hastily wasn’t the case, I did what I could in the morning and slowly came down after sending a short text, but silence greeted me.

At the entrance where the car was coming in, I considered waiting, but as always, it was the same cars, the same spot here.

Among the luxurious-looking cars, there was one van that stood out.

When I vaguely recalled that license plate.

Slightly scratched paint, tinting slightly dark so you couldn’t see inside properly through the glass.

Tap. I tapped on the glass.

“Oh. You’re early today?”

With a click, the lock opened, and the car door swung open.

“Hyekyung… Did you sleep?”

Dark circles were clearly visible on her face, and her already disheveled hair looked even more like a lion’s mane.

“Ahaha… I didn’t trust myself to wake up properly… so I just came here first and took a nap.”

I wondered if they were about to have a shouting match due to drowsy driving before going to the studio, but Hyekyung soon stretched and leaned back in her chair, rustling something.

Thud! Something closed with a sound, and as I lifted the chair, Hyekyung had two coffees in hand.

“Have some. A token of appreciation from last time…?”

“Ah. Thank you.”

The coffee I received, imagining espresso from last time, was just ordinary.

Slightly higher in caffeine content, but otherwise a regular coffee.

“Phew… feels like it’ll keep me alive.”

“How many hours did you sleep? Your dark circles seem darker than last time.”

Glancing at the time, Hyekyung counted on her fingers, folding them one by one.

“3 hours?”

“…And last time?”

“Probably 4 hours.”

Einstein in the world of sleep.

Sleeping only half as much as others.

“Ahaha… When you focus on things you love, time tends to slip away. Checking appointments later usually ends up like this.”

“Isn’t it tiring?”

Hyekyung laughed while clapping her hands.

“Well, of course it’s tiring. But I do get a sense of accomplishment. It’s not always fun doing what you love every day… but anyway, it’s my job.”

Cooking was the same way.

There were days when I did it repeatedly like it was my job, but it wasn’t enjoyable.

Every step felt strangely tedious.

Having my brother around made everything enjoyable as melting snow, although not now, at least back in the day.

I couldn’t shake off the feeling of doing it out of obligation or force.

I didn’t want to do it, but I wanted to.

That was cooking.

Cooking took up most of what I could do, and quitting required a lot of contemplation.

In the end, I was fortunate not to give up like this…

Seems like I digressed a bit from the conversation.

“I’m here. What are you thinking about?”

“Ah… Just various thoughts…”

Getting out of the car, we walked past the bustling street with people coming and going, entering the building.

“What kind of place is this exactly?”

“It’s a space for photographers. They provide services like studios and camera rentals. Isn’t it fantastic?”

“Ah…”

I realized there weren’t random queues and reception areas.

Hyekyung passed by without paying attention.

“Today… Could you take photos for just an hour and give me some advice? Should I do it in miniature… I’m also thinking of ways to elevate the emotions.”

I didn’t fully understand what she meant, but I nodded roughly in agreement.

“I’ll send the money right away. They say it’s better to pay upfront for good service.”

“Ah. Thank you.”

“Just do your best.”

Next to her, it seemed like Hyekyung had prepared curtains and clothes in advance.

“Today, I’ll focus on the lower body. I created the website yesterday and only brought in things that I am most confident about among the start-up companies. As for the famous places… there is some contact, but I should say it’s a bit later. It’s unnecessarily complicated and doesn’t look pretty just to boast a big name, so I did it this way.

So, does that mean I should make the lower body part a bit dynamic?

Cautiously, I struck a pose based on yesterday’s experience.

While maximizing the advantages of the clothes, I expressed freedom within reasonable limits without overdoing it.

It was an insight I barely grasped yesterday, almost fainting.

“Hmm, sounds good. I’ll change into the clothes right away and start.”

“Sure~”

Hyejin held the camera while I changed clothes.

“Now, strike a pose!”

The flash went off, and the lights flickered.

A slight warmth emanated, and time seemed to momentarily freeze.

Countless photos were taken, poses became natural, and expressions gradually stiffened.

“Hmm, let me take one last shot.”

Finally, I changed into another outfit, exerted maximum effort, and managed to capture photos until the end.

“Yes, we’re done now. Please sit and rest. I’ll check the photos.”

“Phew…”

I felt a surge of energy.

Isn’t muscle soreness supposed to feel like this?

Something like feeling sturdy, you know.

Men showing off their bodies in front of mirrors.

“Sigh…!”

I exerted force, but nothing much changed.

My legs just hurt. It’s tough and hot.

“Well, it was good indeed. Let’s continue like this… Would you like to see this now?”

As I cooled off with a drink, she brought a desk over and called me.

“Oh… What’s this?”

“If you place it here exactly, then… How does it look?”

“I’m not sure.”

“You need to see the photo for this.”

She showed me the photo on the laptop.

A shoe was elegantly placed among the leaves, symbolizing the season of shoes.

“I thought of showing this first, then showing the close-up shot next.”

“Do you like it? I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this before.”

The conversation continued.

Hyejin needed advice, and I provided additional information.

“Like this…”

“Oh… That’s nice.”

“I think we might need a professional here rather than doing this ourselves. Look at this… Here. See this difference in quality.”

With this final touch, Hyejin kept scribbling notes while receiving explanations.

“Oh… I see. Okay. Thank you. I’ll think about it a bit, so you can leave for today.”

“Alright. Thank you for your hard work.”

As I put on a coat over my chilled body and was about to leave, I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten.

“…Could you give me a ride?”

“Oh, right. I’ll give you a ride. I almost forgot.”

Hyejin casually draped her coat over her shoulders and stood beside me.

“You’re quite talented. Why not see this through to the end?”

Well, that’s a bit… At least after a year or so, I might not be able to model anymore.

…?

I may stand out to people, but I don’t want to become famous. I’m just an ordinary woman who dreams of marriage and a happy life.

Hyejin seemed lost in thought, scratching her head.

We’ll probably meet again sometime.

Once at a wedding, once for a family photo.”