Chapter 13: Initiative

After the movie ended, we stepped outside.

The street was lively.

Narrow sidewalks were crowded with groups of people strolling together, while small cafes, clothing stores, and restaurants lined both sides of the street, showing off their colorful signs.

Yuna had been poking the ground with the tip of her shoe for a while.

Judging by her furrowed brow, she seemed uncomfortable about something.

‘Right, she twisted her ankle yesterday. That must be why she was fidgeting throughout the movie.’

I slowed my pace to match hers.

“Where should we go now?”

“Where? Nowhere.”

“Tarot? Escape room? Cafe?”

I glanced at Yuna, who was smiling brightly, and answered, “Let’s just go home.”

Her foot was hurt, yet she stubbornly wanted to keep going.

‘Was she trying to prove she wasn’t a fool?’

Hearing my words, Yuna’s eyes widened, and she frowned.

“What? We’re just going to watch a movie and go home? I haven’t had enough fun yet.”

“You’ve had plenty of fun.”

“No, I haven’t! There’s still busking to see tonight, and more things to do!”

Judging by her reaction, it was clear she wouldn’t give up easily if I tried to reason with her.

‘This is so annoying.’

I sighed and grabbed her wrist.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

Yuna tried to pull her hand away, but I held on gently but firmly.

“Let’s go.”

“No! I’m not done having fun yet!”

She tried to resist, but I remained unfazed and led her forward.

When I spotted a taxi parked by the roadside, I waved it down.

“Get in.”

“No! Why are you being so bossy?”

Yuna kept grumbling but stopped in front of the taxi door.

Letting go of her wrist, I looked at her directly.

“Your foot hurts.”

At those words, Yuna pressed her lips together, her face turning slightly red.

She pouted her lips.

“That… that’s…”

“Let’s just go home. We can eat out another time.”

I opened the taxi door.

Yuna still looked sulky but eventually got in without further protest.

Just as I was about to close the door, Yuna leaned out.

“When… next time?”

I chuckled and waved my hand.

“When your foot gets better.”

As the taxi drove away, I stood there for a moment, watching it disappear into the distance.

Then I shrugged and turned to walk away.

***

Inside the taxi, Yuna stared out at the passing scenery, her thoughts filled with Dohyun.

‘Seriously, Kim Dohyun… Why does he play with my emotions like this? Is he some kind of expert?’

Although it was disappointing that the date ended abruptly, she couldn’t help but recall the moments they had spent side by side.

From the cashier flirting with him at the concession stand to his calm expression sneaking glances at her throughout the movie, and lastly, the way he forcibly put her in a taxi and said, “Your foot hurts.”

‘Darn it… He makes my heart flutter for no reason.’

Leaning her head against the window, Yuna closed her eyes.

A faint smile crept onto her face.

***

When I got home, I kicked off my shoes and headed straight to my room.

As soon as I closed the door, I flopped onto my bed.

From outside, I heard Harin’s voice.

“You’re home early, brother.”

“It just turned out that way.”

I replied indifferently and lay there, lost in thought.

Next week’s pop quiz.

It could be an opportunity to mend my relationship with Yuna, which had been strained since the lucky incident.

‘But her feelings toward me already seem positive.’

Judging by her recent behavior, it was obvious.

She’d glance at my face when she thought I wasn’t looking.

She’d find excuses to get close.

And she’d take every chance to playfully tease me.

Her feelings seemed clear enough.

‘So, does that mean…?’

‘If the quiz results were different, would the flow of the event change?’

Suddenly, an idea struck me.

‘If I passed the quiz and didn’t have to attend supplementary classes, could I skip the main event altogether?’

But there was one major problem.

In a romantic comedy world, events always revolve around the protagonist.

‘If I skipped the event, the system might take some drastic measures.’

‘Ugh, this is complicated.’

In the worst-case scenario, skipping the event might cause even bigger trouble.

I kicked my blanket in frustration, weighing my options carefully.

Simply avoiding the supplementary class event might lead to something worse.

‘What if I avoid Yuna too?’

If both of us passed the quiz, the event might not even happen.

I picked up my phone, opened my chat with Yuna, and hesitated before sending a message.

[Me: Have you studied for next week’s quiz?]

A reply came almost instantly.

[Yuna: What quiz? There’s a quiz?]

[Me: If you fail, you’ll have to attend supplementary classes.]

[Yuna: It’s just one day, right? No big deal.]

After reading her response, I stared blankly at my phone for a moment.

‘Her way of thinking is completely different from most people.’

She was so casual about having to stay after school for supplementary classes.

But there was something she had overlooked.

The supplementary class wasn’t just one day—it was three.

[Me: Is that so? Enjoy your three days of supplementary classes.]

[Yuna: Three days…? Really? Ugh, I’m doomed.]

As expected, she responded immediately.

Yuna would definitely start showing her enthusiasm for studying now…

[Yuna: Then I’ll just live as if I’m dead for three days.]

It seemed like this wasn’t going to be an easy battle.

***

Evening, dinner time.

I was greeted by a desolate dining table.

There were only two side dishes: rice and kimchi.

‘Why wasn’t there a feast on the table?’ This was clearly a challenge directed at me.

“Harin.”

“Yes, brother?”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“How would I know?”

“It seemed like my little sister, who was a bit of a “brother complex,” was upset about something.”

‘Normally, the table would be filled with a variety of dishes she’d prepared for me.’

‘If she served only this much, I must have done something terribly wrong.’

‘Even dogs don’t get scolded while eating.’

There had to be a reason for this behavior.

“How am I supposed to know if you don’t tell me?”

Harin puffed her cheeks and turned her head away.

‘Damn it. Why are girls like this?’

If you’re upset, just say it outright.

‘Why do they have to express themselves through silent protests?’

‘What could I have done wrong? Was it because I’ve been going to PC rooms and the gym lately? No, that couldn’t be it.’

Harin was the one who even prepared bath salts for me after workouts.

I chewed on a bite of rice wrapped in kimchi, lost in thought.

‘Could she have found out about my date with Yuna?’

That seemed like the most plausible explanation.

I decided to test the waters with Harin.

“Is it about a girl?”

Her eyes widened in surprise at my question.

‘Bingo. Where did she find out?’

‘Had she followed me? Or hacked my phone?’ A chill ran down my spine.

Before I knew it, tears were welling up in her eyes.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

“Why are you crying again?”

“B-Brother… There was makeup on your training clothes…”

Ah, I didn’t think of that.

At least she hadn’t followed me or hacked my phone.

But I’d have to be more careful from now on.

“Harin, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. It’s not what you think. Maybe it was just some dust.”

“That’s a lie. It was definitely makeup… I even sniffed it to check….”

‘What the hell? Why would you smell it, you weirdo?’

‘Was she trying to vent her creepy obsession on my training clothes?’

Then again, I couldn’t really judge—after all, I once sniffed Yuna’s school uniform.

No, wait.

I had to focus on resolving this problem first.

For the sake of preserving my meals.

“Harin.”

I set down my chopsticks and gently took her trembling hand.

“Ugh…!”

“Something happened, that’s all.”

“W-What kind of situation involves a woman resting her face on your shoulder?”

“She bumped into me.”

Harin’s tearful eyes glared at me.

“Who was it?”

“Um… A woman walking her dog.”

“A woman walking her dog?”

I quickly spun a story.

“Yeah, there was this lady walking her dog. She accidentally let go of the leash, and the dog ran off. I was standing in its path, so she ran after it and bumped into me.”

Harin wiped her tears but didn’t let go of her suspicion.

“Then why was there makeup on your clothes?”

“I don’t know. Maybe her face brushed against my shoulder while she almost fell. I caught her, you know.”

I was pretty satisfied with the plausible lie I’d concocted.

“Really? It wasn’t some other woman you were on a date with?”

Her sharp eyes still scrutinized me.

‘What is this, an interrogation by an intelligence agent?’

“If you don’t believe me, don’t.”

I sighed dramatically, stuffing more rice into my mouth with a sulky expression.

“I’m not saying I don’t believe you, brother…”

Harin hesitated, glancing nervously at my face.

“You’re still doubting me. I always trust what you say, Harin.”

When I put on a disappointed expression, Harin’s resolve seemed to waver.

“I-I’m sorry…”

She mumbled softly, lowering her head.

In any relationship, the one who cares more always loses—whether it’s a lover, a friend, or even a sibling.

“Trust is important between us.”

“I know that…”

I put down my spoon and looked at her.

“But when you act like this, it makes me feel like a fool. It’s not that I believe you because I’m stupid or gullible.”

Harin mulled over my words for a moment, fidgeting anxiously.

“Then… Brother, is there anything you’d like to eat?”

I glanced up at her.

“Huh? No, it’s fine. I’ll just eat this.”

“No! I’ll make something for you!”

A little later, Harin returned with a plate of ham and fried eggs and placed it in front of me.

‘Now, this is what a proper meal looks like.’

That said, I couldn’t help but think… Harin’s cooking skills were surprisingly mediocre.