Fake Lovers, But Real Feelings

Was my first greeting too off-putting?

I guess even if she’s just a kid, patting her head without permission was pretty rude, wasn’t it?

That’s how much I was worried, because after the introductions, Sylvia’s little sister just wouldn’t come near me.

She sat Sylvia in the middle and used her as a shield, occasionally peeking her head out to glance at me, but as soon as our eyes met, she’d jump in surprise and turn away.

Or am I just scary-looking?

I don’t think I’m particularly ugly, but to be this scared of me is a bit shocking.

“I think I make her a little uncomfortable.”

“Hehe, I don’t think so? I think she’s just shy because she likes Layard-gongja.”

I gave a wry smile and muttered to myself, and Sylvia chuckled and shook her head.

She likes me?

I tilted my head at the unexpected words, and at that moment, I made eye contact with Rinee again.

This time, she didn’t avoid my gaze, but stared intently at me, as if we were having a staring contest.

“My sister is usually shy, but she’s not usually this bad. She definitely likes Layard-gongja, that’s why she’s acting like this. Right, Rinee?”

“……”

Nod. Nod.

Rinee hesitated for a moment at Sylvia’s question, but soon nodded her head.

It didn’t feel like a mere formality, because the child who had been avoiding my gaze until just now was now looking straight at me, her eyes wide as she affirmed.

As if she were saying, ‘Please believe me,’ a smile unconsciously crept onto my face.

I guess she doesn’t hate me, thankfully.

“I’m glad to hear that. More importantly, what should I call you? It’s a bit stiff to keep calling you ‘your sister’….”

“Call me by my name. Rinee would like that better too.”

“M-my name….”

Nod. Nod.

Rinee nods again, responding to Sylvia’s words.

Then I guess it’s right to call her by her name here, as she requested.

“Then I’ll call you Rinee-yang. Is that okay?”

“Yes…. That’s okay.”

“…Tch.”

By the way, I think I heard someone clicking their tongue somewhere, but is it just my imagination?

“Rinee…. No, what should I call you?”

I guess because she’s only eight years old, she still has a bit of a habit of referring to herself by her name.

She seemed to be trying to correct herself, quickly changing her words and asking, which was quite cute.

Since the only sibling I have is some bum I don’t even want to call “hyung,” these feelings were quite mysterious.

Is this why everyone wants a little sister?

“Please call me comfortably. My name is fine if you want.”

“Then can I call you Kyle orabeoni?”

“I’d be grateful.”

“Hehe, Kyle orabeoni.”

The sight of a girl with pure eyes and a harmless tone, typical of children, calling me “orabeoni,” a girl who seemed to have a bright future ahead of her, was truly lovely.

Even for me, who was confident in managing my expressions, it was hard to control the corners of my lips from turning up for a moment.

What should I say, it’s a little different from the loveliness I feel from Sylvia.

Maybe it’s similar to the feelings women who like pets feel when they see puppies or kittens.

Anyway, it’s quite destructive.

“The corners of your lips are reaching your ears, Layard-gongja.”

Meanwhile, Sylvia, who had been watching our conversation from the side, suddenly started to scold me.

She might say she doesn’t, but anyone could tell from her disgruntled tone and choice of words that she was sulking.

“What are you so unhappy about now?”

“Hmph, nothing in particular?”

“……”

I protested my innocence, but she vigorously turned her head to the other side and puffed out her cheeks.

People often compare a woman’s heart to a reed, but this is something beyond even a reed.

What kind of mood changes every few seconds, not even every few minutes, geez.

If there’s something she’s unhappy about or wants, she should just say it honestly.

“Kyle orabeoni, Kyle orabeoni.”

“Yes, Rinee-yang.”

Meanwhile, unlike her sister, who was clouded over, Rinee seemed to be in a good mood, and before I knew it, she had come up to me and grabbed the end of my pants sleeve with her small hand, calling me eagerly.

So I replied nonchalantly, and Rinee made a big X with her hands, adding in a much more lively manner than before.

“Just Rinee is fine!”

“Just my name…. Are you sure?”

“Rinee likes that! Please speak comfortably too!”

“Uh, um…. Okay, Rinee.”

“Wow!”

It seems she didn’t like the honorifics I was using or my tone of voice.

Thanks to that, my honorifics and tone were corrected in an instant, and when I hesitated for a moment and opened my mouth, Rinee raised both arms and shouted for joy.

It seems she likes me as Sylvia said, but I don’t know which part made her fondness increase.

“But Kyle orabeoni, are you dating my sister?”

“Puhup!”

“…Um.”

And I also learned today that kids these days are quite precocious.

I wouldn’t mind if she had given some kind of signal before jumping in, but the words she threw out so suddenly caused a sound like a water bomb exploding from Sylvia, who was sitting next to me.

Well, maybe it’s because she’s a kid that she can ask so innocently.

Anyway, I was a little surprised, but the answer to give here is already decided.

“Yes, your sister and I are dating. But how did you know?”

“I asked because my sister keeps looking at Kyle orabeoni!”

“R-Rinee…! What are you saying!”

It’s a childish, one-dimensional idea….

Unfortunately, Rinee, the reason your sister was staring at me wasn’t exactly because we’re dating.

She was just watching because she was disgruntled about something.

But I couldn’t bring myself to tell this pure child the harsh truth, so I nodded, saying, ‘I see.’

“But it doesn’t really feel like you’re dating.”

“Really? Why?”

“Uung…. I heard from my teacher that couples call each other by their names and hold hands.”

Is the “teacher” the tutor?

I wouldn’t mind if Rinee asked first and then she answered, but I just want to tell her off for putting in useless common sense.

But the fact that it’s not entirely wrong is strangely infuriating.

“Your sister and I do that when we’re alone. I’m just refraining because Rinee is here.”

Still, I tried to stay as calm as possible, using the nonsense Sylvia had said in front of others at the social party a while ago to trick me.

I thought she’d be roughly convinced with this much.

“Wow, I’m curious! Rinee wants to see you two holding hands and calling each other by your names!”

“……”

The purity and innocence of a child exceeded my imagination.

I never thought I’d be cornered here.

“R-Rinee…! That’s rude. In the first place, holding hands in front of others isn’t a good thing to see.”

“But unni, Father and Mother often held hands in front of me too? And they kiss too.”

“Ah.”

Sylvia tried to stop Rinee’s rampage somehow, but unfortunately, a checkmate came out here.

The moment she refutes that, she becomes a parricide, so there’s no way she can resist any further.

In the end, unable to do anything, Sylvia looked back and forth between me and Rinee, showing signs of worry.

Watching that, a short sigh escaped from my mouth.

There’s no way out. I have no choice but to close my eyes and commit here.

“Sylvia, don’t just stand there, sit down.”

“Yes, yes…!?”

“Wow!”

I reached out my hand to Sylvia, who was standing up, and for the first time in this life, I said her name.

Then, Sylvia, whose face and neck turned bright red, froze stiffly, repeatedly looking back and forth between my hand and face.

Meanwhile, Rinee clapping her hands and admiring next to me was truly a comedy.

“Rinee wants to see it, so what’s wrong with it once in a while? Sylvia.”

“B-but….”

Glance.

Sylvia hesitated, looking at my hand, but suddenly her eyes changed when she found her younger sister looking at her with expectant eyes from the side.

She made a determined expression and grabbed my outstretched hand as it was.

“T-that’s right. Kyle. It’s not difficult, is it?”

She sat lightly next to me and called me by my name.

But Sylvia, you don’t have to lean on me, do you?

Or are you trying to test my patience?

“How is it, Rinee? Can you believe it now?”

“Yes, I believe it! Hehe, Kyle orabeoni and unni are a couple guaranteed by Rinee from today!”

“Guaranteed….”

I wonder where a child learned such a word, but anyway, I’m glad it seems like I tricked her well.

As Rinee nodded with a satisfied expression, she was still looking at our hands, which were still holding each other, with a curious expression.

“Little miss, the teacher has arrived. You should go back to your room soon.”

“Okay! I’ll go now. Sorry, Mel!”

The person who seemed to be Eleanor buin’s maid, whom I had encountered earlier, bowed her head from afar and spoke.

It seems that today was the day the teacher Rinee mentioned earlier was coming.

At that, Rinee made an “oops” expression and left our side, running to the maid.

“You should say goodbye to them first.”

“Ah, that’s right! I forgot.”

Then, after hearing a word from the maid, she hurriedly turned around and waved her hand vigorously at us.

“Kyle orabeoni, unni! Rinee will be leaving now! See you later!”

“Study hard, Rinee.”

“See you later.”

We waved back, and Rinee left, so I was about to get up from my seat, thinking of going back soon.

Kkok.

“…Gongnyeo?”

I looked at Sylvia with surprised eyes at the feeling of her holding my hand with more strength than before, and she looked up at me with a blushing face and opened her mouth.

“It’s Sylvia now, Kyle.”