* * *

“What the…? It got cut off?”

Pyo Yoontae stared blankly at his phone.

No doubt, Hayan had purposely let him hear every word to mess with him.

Yoontae couldn’t understand why Seo Jeongseo would want to walk home with someone like that.

Right now, he wanted to go find them both.

Even if Jeongseo didn’t notice it himself, ever since the sports day, his popularity was growing online, and more guys had started to show an interest in him.

Comments on his photos ranged from “Who’s that cute kid?” to “Are those ears really his?”

Every single reaction annoyed Yoontae.

Since he told everyone in their grade that no, Jeongseo didn’t actually hate them, people were already starting to swarm around Jeongseo.

Just thinking about what might happen if the attention kept growing was already giving him a headache.

As he pressed his fingers to his temple, Yoontae was about to call back when—

“Yoontae, Seola’s here.”

He reluctantly slipped his phone back into his pocket at the sound of his mother’s voice behind him.

“Yes, I’m coming.”

Pyo Seola, his only sibling, was his older sister.

Known for her impeccable taste and modern take on traditional Korean beauty, she was often praised as a creative genius.

She had been living and studying in France but suddenly decided to take a break and flew back to Korea today.

Coming out from his corner, he saw his mother, Han Jaehee, standing with his grandmother, Jung Sunja, just behind her.

If he had known his grandmother would be there too, he wouldn’t have bothered skipping school today.

Though he was annoyed they didn’t tell him in advance, he kept it to himself.

When he joined them, the three headed towards the gate.

It had been a long time since his mom saw her daughter, and there was a faint, happy flush on her usually pale face.

Just then, among the crowd, a woman with long, sleek black hair, wearing an off-shoulder blouse that clung to her fair skin and dark blue boot-cut pants, strode confidently out.

It was Seola.

Though her gentle gaze resembled their mother’s, her overall presence was fierce.

As soon as she spotted their mom waving, Seola’s expression softened instantly.

“Mom! Grandma!”

The aloof aura she had just a moment ago vanished as Seola, in heels, came running over, radiating an infectious energy that drew everyone’s attention.

A few people even snapped photos.

In no time, articles like “The Reunion of the Pyo Family—Pyo Seola Returns” and pictures of this moment would be circulating on social media.

Even without much media presence, Seola was already a celebrity with over 700,000 followers, so there were plenty who recognized her.

“Seola, how have you been?”

Seola, wrapping her arms tightly around her mom, nodded so enthusiastically it was almost like she’d wag a tail if she had one.

She then hugged her grandmother, whose normally reserved face softened into a wide smile at her granddaughter’s playfulness.

“It’s been so long, Grandma! How have you been?”

“Oh, I’ve been well, dear.”

“You’re positively glowing, Grandma!”

Seola joked warmly, then spotted Yoontae, who had remained quietly in the background, and wrapped her arms around him.

His face immediately soured.

“Do you have a death wish?”

“Oh, come on, didn’t you notice people are taking pictures? Behave yourself if you don’t want rumors going around.”

“Why don’t you worry about that?”

When Yoontae tried to push her away, she effortlessly pulled back as if she’d been planning to let go anyway, and shot him a teasing look.

“Well, haven’t you gotten taller since I last saw you? Looking quite dashing, little bro.”

Yoontae smirked sarcastically.

“And you’re looking prettier than ever.”

He was just echoing her own words back to her, but a muscle in her eye twitched.

Yoontae scrunched his nose, and Seola turned her head, pretending she hadn’t seen, moving back to their grandmother.

“Grandma, I’m starving. Let’s go eat something, quick.”

Looping her arm through her grandmother’s, Seola led the way with her mom and Yoontae following behind, pretending to share in the cheerful atmosphere as they left the airport.

Their destination was a traditional Korean restaurant Seola had been talking about non-stop even before arriving.

Since their mom had reserved a private room, they were seated right away.

As soon as she sat down, Seola stretched her long legs under the table.

Her foot brushed against Yoontae’s, and she nudged him playfully with the toe of her shoe, but he simply pulled his leg back without reacting.

If you kept engaging with Seola, she would keep pushing until she got bored.

Ever since they were kids, she’d been the type who had to win at all costs.

And even after winning, she’d keep playing with her “opponent” until they lost interest in her.

He’d lost count of how many times he’d suffered because of her.

Not long after they sat, porridge and appetizers arrived.

Seola shifted her attention away from Yoontae, who didn’t play along with her teasing, and eagerly picked up her chopsticks.

“I missed this food so much!”

“Eat as much as you like while you’re here, Seola.”

“Oh, I plan to!”

As her grandmother began to eat, their meal started, filled with friendly chatter and shared dishes. Yoontae, however, stayed silent.

He didn’t have much to say, and his family was used to his quiet nature, so they didn’t think anything of it.

But Seola’s eyes narrowed when she saw the bossam and hong-eo (fermented skate fish) arrive.

Yoontae, who disliked hong-eo, picked out only the meat to eat.

“Still a little kid, Yoontae? Not eating your hong-eo?”

“Why don’t you eat more of it yourself?”

Replying with irritation, Yoontae earned a light tap on his thigh from his mom.

“Yoontae, that’s no way to speak to your sister after such a long time.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

The automatic apology left Jaehee looking slightly awkward, but she let it go.

Yoontae just wanted to escape the uncomfortable meal and wondered what Jeongseo might be doing now.

Hopefully, studying with Hayan—or better yet, home by now.

“So, how long will you be staying in Korea?”

“Not too long, just around two weeks.”

“Where will you be staying, in Seoul?”

“I’m still deciding. Dad probably won’t be thrilled to see me, so I might just stay with Grandma and Mom in the countryside.”

Seola shot a sidelong glance at Yoontae.

Here she goes again.

Yoontae almost blurted out, “Stop talking nonsense,” but held back, knowing it wouldn’t be worth provoking her.

Jaehee, however, looked at Yoontae, sensing his reaction.

“Won’t you be bored? There’s nothing much to do there.”

“I like the peace and quiet. Mom, aren’t you ever bored just staying with Yoontae?”

“No, I love having my son around.”

Seola seemed to be sizing something up, her gaze sharpening.

At that moment, Jung Sunja seized the opportunity to add,

“Seola, you’re welcome to stay at our house too. It’s a shame Yoontae hasn’t visited me even once.”

“What’s this, Yoontae? You’ve never visited Grandma?”

“Well, I figured he’d be busy with school, but I thought he’d come at least once on a weekend.”

Suddenly, both of their gazes turned toward Yoontae.

He knew what answer they were fishing for.

Normally, he’d brush it off to avoid conflict, but he’d been holding in his irritation all day.

Setting down his chopsticks, he looked his grandmother directly in the eye.

“Oh, I didn’t realize I was welcome to come. Good to know.”

“Since you dislike me so much.”

One side of his mouth twisted into a crooked smirk, and his grandmother’s eyes widened slightly before her expression hardened into a harsh glare.

The sudden chill in the room left only Han Jaehee visibly flustered, unsure how to respond.

She glanced around at everyone, her eyes flickering in confusion, not knowing whose side to take.

Pyo Yoontae sighed and rose from his seat.

“I’ll be back. Please, enjoy your meal.”

As he left the room, he heard someone mutter in a low voice, “That boy, even up to the last moment…!”

Feeling his mood souring even further, Pyo Yoontae headed to the restroom, a scowl etched onto his face.

In the mirror, his own reflection betrayed emotions he couldn’t quite hide.

“Ha, I really don’t want to go back.”

He considered just leaving and going home, but he knew his mother would be disappointed.

To cool off, he ran his hands under cold water, then pulled out his phone.

Should he call Seo Jeongseo?

He hesitated, knowing that if Jeongseo heard his tense voice, he would worry excessively.

Yoontae liked that Jeongseo cared about him, but… he didn’t want to share family issues like this.

Reluctantly, he put his phone away.

Thinking that the tension in the room must have eased by now, Yoontae started back toward it.

Just as he reached for the door, voices floated out to him.

“I wonder when that boy Yoontae will finally grow up. It’s all because you spoiled him so much.”

Yoontae’s hand froze.

* * *