READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 98
Fortunately, it seems we’ve succeeded in crossing a big mountain. After finishing our meal, a rather warm atmosphere unfolded.
As we sat around the sofa chatting, I couldn’t count the number of questions that my older sister’s family tossed my way.
“Well, it must be quite busy for you. Having to broadcast even on weekends…”
With a more casual tone, my mother-in-law, I mean, my mother, placed her hand on her cheek with a concerned look as she listened to my work schedule. It seems like the fact that I have no holidays was weighing on her mind.
“Yes, but I can use the rest of my time flexibly, so it’s not that hard.”
“Still, a person should take breaks while working. My daughter was once just working herself to death… I was worried to death about her.”
Ah, now that I think about it, I vaguely remember my older sister mentioning that before. Until she met me, she had no real hobbies and had never thought she needed to rest.
From what my mother-in-law said, it really suits the term ‘workaholic.’
“It’s all thanks to my brother-in-law. I thought my sister was going to die without ever holding a man’s hand.”
“Oh, brother…! What are you talking about!”
At my older brother’s comment, my sister raised her voice for some reason, but my brother remained unfazed, shrugging his shoulders, and added casually.
“Isn’t it true? She’s been repeating ‘home, work, home, work.’ Even when I tried to introduce her to good men, she just kicked them all away.”
“Well, I really had no interest in men at that time…”
Just how much did she ignore men? It’s really a rare case these days.
On one hand, I’m glad that the first person she dates is me, despite her previous complete disinterest. It’s a rather cheeky thought that I can’t quite voice.
“It feels kind of similar to me. Actually, until I became an adult, I had no real interest in dating either.”
“Oh my, really?”
“Yeah. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I had trouble just making friends back then. And most importantly, during high school, I was so focused on studying…”
That wasn’t a metaphor; I really was like that during high school.
I thought there wouldn’t be anything I could be good at besides studying, and even if I dated someone, who would like a loser like me? I had given up on that pretty early.
The fact that I’ve ended up dating such a perfect girlfriend feels somewhat comedic in a way.
“By the way, I heard the story. You got tangled up in a bad situation when you were young?”
“Yes, father-in-law.”
“Still, I’m glad you’ve overcome it now. I’m proud of you. It couldn’t have been easy.”
“Haha…”
Not long ago, I was trapped by the trauma of my past, trying to avoid my sister’s kindness, and now here I am, hearing such encouragement. Feeling a bit awkward, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
But on the other hand, I thought that if not now, I might never have the chance to express my gratitude to my sister in front of her family, so I steeled my heart and began to speak.
“Actually, this is all thanks to Seo-ha. If a friend kept me from collapsing earlier, I think it was my sister who provided me the opportunity to move forward.”
“Oh, really? It’s good news that my daughter could help you that much.”
“Ah, no, father. It’s all thanks to Uju being so strong that I was able to overcome it; I didn’t do much.”
As I subtly redirected the praise, my sister, who had been flustered, looked at me with a face that seemed to say I got her with that.
But it’s the truth. Without my sister, I might still be stuck in the same place, and without her, achieving the current development in our relationship might have been impossible.
“And if we think about it that way, it was also Uju who made me reflect on myself and told me I was okay.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that, sister?”
As I nodded, considering her merits, I was taken aback by her unexpected statement.
What does she mean by I told her she was right?
“Ah, I never told you, Uju? Actually, I was a very boring person, as my mother and brother mentioned earlier.”
“Boring… person?”
I tilted my head reflexively at a description that seemed completely opposite to the image I had of my sister.
Then, Ryu Seo-ha, affirmatively continuing, added:
“Yeah. I couldn’t find anything fun besides work, didn’t have any hobbies, and had no areas of interest. People around me would always say things like, ‘Why don’t you try dating a boyfriend?’ or ‘Why live such a boring life when you only live once?'”
“…Seo-ha.”
“…That hits a bit close to home.”
I wondered if the words my sister mentioned were the same advice given to her by my mother and brother; her eyes widened slightly at the thought. Seo-ha then gave a bitter smile and gently waved her hand.
“I didn’t particularly dislike it. I knew they were saying those things out of concern for me. It’s just that it kind of felt like the hole in my heart was getting bigger every time I heard those words.”
With a brief explanation, my sister spoke calmly as if recalling a story that had become a good memory instead of a nightmare.
“Then one day, I happened to come across your broadcast, Uju, and asked. I just felt empty and didn’t know what to do.”
“Ah…”
I vaguely recalled that time. I hadn’t recognized her because it was before she changed her nickname.
Yes, she was definitely someone who appeared when the viewer count was around 5 to 10. I remembered thinking that it was quite a unique concern when I first heard it.
Hearing someone who wasn’t lacking in anything wondering, “Is my life wrong?” was a first for me.
“Back then, you said, ‘Don’t measure your happiness by other people’s yardsticks.'”
“…That’s right.”
It was indeed something anyone could say. At least, that’s what I thought.
The essence of her concern was that she was someone who wasn’t lacking at all, but was just questioning her life based on what people around her were saying.
So I confidently told her she was not in the wrong. If she felt happiness in her life and was content, then that was enough.
There was no need to feel pressured by other people’s standards and seek another path.
“That resonated with me deeply. Of course, you might say anyone could have said that.”
As Seo-ha looked me in the eyes, it seemed like she read my innermost thoughts. She placed her hand on top of mine that was resting on her thigh.
“But at least for me, it wasn’t. And above all, being Ryu Seo-ha in front of you instead of being the daughter of the Changseong Group brought me such great joy.”
“…….”
I see.
Even if she didn’t show it usually, did that mean my sister felt somewhat oppressed by work and duty?
Amid that, she found some fun in my broadcasts, and slowly, she began to regain herself by sharing things she could only discuss with someone she didn’t know.
“So I wanted to say this in front of the family: I’ve been saved by you, Uju.”
With a refreshing smile, my sister declared that, bringing faint smiles not only to me but also to those gathered around the sofa.
We were each other’s salvation.
No matter how trivial or grand it might be, it didn’t matter.
Just the fact of it filled me with immense joy.
*
After chatting for quite a while over tea, we began to prepare to head back.
Unlike our house, it didn’t take too long to return from my sister’s family home, and I thought it would be better to leave early rather than impose by staying overnight.
Moreover, I had heard that my father-in-law and brother were heading straight to the U.S. tomorrow, so I didn’t want to disturb their sleep.
However, my mother-in-law expressed her disappointment.
“It’s late, so why don’t you just stay over… Were you uncomfortable?”
“No, mother-in-law. It was quite the opposite; you treated me so well that I was very comfortable.”
“Next time, stay for a day. It’s a rare occasion, so let the guys have a drink together. Save the liquor you gifted me until then.”
“Yes, father-in-law. I will do that.”
After saying goodbye to the two, as I was about to leave, my sister turned as if she remembered something she had forgotten.
“Oh right, father. I’m sorry, but is it okay if we use the villa in Busan a few days from now?”
“Hmm, do as you please. There won’t be anyone going for a while anyway.”
“Thank you!”
Huh? A villa?
It wasn’t surprising that such a distinguished family owned a villa, but I raised an eyebrow at the thought that my sister was going to use it.
Is she planning to go on a little vacation?
“That’s great, Uju. You’ll be able to enjoy yourselves without any interruptions.”
“…Yeah?”
As I stood there, bewildered, my sister gently tugged at my arm and smiled brightly, causing me to blurt out a confused exclamation.
Enjoy ourselves? Where?
“When we went to the swimsuit shop last time, I said we should definitely go to the sea together next time.”
“…Ah!”
Right, we had made that promise.
Wait, then the reason for renting the villa is…
“If it’s there, we can relax and have fun without any interruptions. Just the two of us.”
“T-That’s right?”
Did my sister emphasize ‘just the two of us’ on purpose, or was that just my imagination?
“Ahem.”
Just then, at my father-in-law’s cough, I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, causing me to flinch.
“I think I’ll finally get to see my grandchildren, dear.”
As my father-in-law poked my mother-in-law with his elbow, she laughed like a girl.
I pretended not to hear it, quickly looking away, and fled the mansion with my sister.
“Hehe…”
Even as I got into the car, my sister was still smiling brightly, which made me a bit uneasy, but I tried to suppress it, feeling like talking now would be wading through a river I couldn’t return from.