Epilogue Chapter 73 - As Always, the Ending (3)

“K-Kang-Hee?”

Kang-Hyun was left dumbfounded at his little sister’s sudden appearance just when Kim Si-Ah was about to give her heartfelt answer to his confession.

‘How did she know I was at the hospital? Did Father tell her?’

Kang-Hee approached him with a fierce gaze before he got an answer to his questions.

“Oppa... What’s going on?”

“Wh-What do you mean?”

“Hmph. Daddy told me you were on an errand to the supermarket. How is this the supermarket?”

Kang-Hee narrowed her eyes with her arms crossed. Si-Ah observing Kang-Hee’s behavior, removed the catheter from her arm and got out of her bed.

“Oh Kang-Hyun. Give me your phone,” Si-Ah said.

“Huh?”

“Now.”

“W-Wait, oppa! Don’t give it to her!”

Kang-Hyun dumbfoundedly handed Si-Ah his phone. Si-Ah examined the contents of his phone and scoffed as if her suspicions were correct.

“Hmm. I knew it,” she expressed.

“Knew what? Is there something installed on my phone?”

“Ngh...”

Kang-Hee flinched and bit her lip. No matter how forgiving her brother was, he would definitely be upset that she installed a tracking app on his phone without his knowledge.

“N-No, oppa... th-the thing is...” Kang-Hee stuttered.

However, Si-Ah interjected, “No. I thought your sister might have installed a tracking app on your phone in secret, but there was nothing of the sort.”

She shrugged and handed Kang-Hyun his phone back. Kang-Hyun chuckled and shook his head.

“A tracking app? Not even Kang-Hee would do something like that.”

“...”

Kang-Hee’s eyes widened in disbelief and she turned to Si-Ah. She had made it so that the app was inconspicuous but Si-Ah had likely found it because she had said

“I knew it.”

She couldn’t understand why Si-Ah had lied despite finding it.

“Hmm... I’m a little thirsty. Perhaps it’s because of the tteokbokki.” Si-Ah turned to Kang-Hyun and asked, “Kang-Hyun. There’s a convenience store outside the hospital. Could you get me something to drink?”

“Oh, yeah! Of course!” Kang-Hyun said happily. He needed time to organize his thoughts after Kang-Hee’s sudden appearance. “What would you like?”

“Pine bud drink.[1]”

“Your tastes are like... that of a middle-aged man.”

“What did you say?” Si-Ah glared at Kang-Hyun.

“N-Nothing! I’ll get it for you right away! Oh, would you like something too, Kang-Hee?”

“Huh? Oh... I-I’ll have a coke.”

“Okay. Don’t fight, you two.”

Kang-Hyun turned around and left the room as if running away. Only Si-Ah and Kang-Hee were left in the hotel room-like hospital room, filled with an awkward silence.

Kang-Hee broke the silence and asked, “Why did you lie...?”

“Lie about what?” Si-Ah played dumb as she sat on the bed.

Kang-Hee’s eyebrows flinched. “Don’t play dumb. You found the tracking app, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“Then why did you lie to oppa that you didn’t?!”

“Did you want me to tell him?”

“Th-That’s...” Kang-Hee slurred and bit her lip.

Si-Ah sighed deeply and swept her hair behind her ear.

“Well, I was quite surprised. I knew you were a brocon, but I never expected it to be at this level.”

“I-I’m not a brocon!”

“Are you seriously saying that...?”

“Urgh...” Kang-Hee groaned and lowered her head. She clenched the hem of her skirt and muttered, “...me.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t take oppa from me!”

Tears formed around her blazing eyes.

“Hah...” Si-Ah scoffed. “Who’s stealing who?”

“Y-You’re...”

“Besides, why are you treating Kang-Hyun like he’s your possession? I’m not stealing anything.”

“...” Kang-Hee remained silent, unable to refute Si-Ah.

“Haaa,” Si-Ah sighed as she stared at the dejected Kang-Hee. “Do you want to know something? I doubt you’d know this since you passed out.”

“Know... what?”

“When you and I were captured by Jeon Yeong-Woong... Kang-Hyun was about to save you first.”

“...?”

Kang-Hee tilted her head in confusion. She had pretended to be unconscious but not even she had noticed something like that despite closely examining Kang-Hyun’s behavior.

“Isn’t that just your imagination?” Kang-Hee asked.

“No. I’m sure Kang-Hyun acted unconsciously, but... I’m sure he tried to save you first.”

Si-Ah smiled bitterly and recalled what had happened that day. Her vision was blurry but Kang-Hyun, as soon as he subdued Yeong-Woong with his wings made of black chains, ran straight to Kang-Hee instead of Si-Ah.

“I don’t know who should be prioritized between the childhood friend you have feelings for and your sister, but... I was extremely jealous of you.”

“...” Kang-Hee remained silent, staring at Si-Ah expressing sorrow.

She did not know Si-Ah was jealous of her.

“That’s why I wholeheartedly understand how you feel.”

“Ngh...”

Kang-Hee gulped and looked away from Seol-Ah who felt far more mature than her.

“I promise I won’t steal Kang-Hyun from you even if we end up dating,” Si-Ah remarked.

“You said... not to treat oppa like a possession.”

“It’s just a figure of speech. In any case, you won’t grow apart from the oppa you love so much, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“...” The tears around Kang-Hee’s eyes disappeared from hearing Si-Ah’s warm words. “Fine... I know how oppa feels about you, unnie. So... I-I’ll allow you two to date.”

“Hmm. You’re finally calling me unnie now?”

“Sh-Shut up!” Kang-hee shouted and snorted. “How long do you expect an elementary school relationship to last? I bet oppa will break up with you before you two graduate even if I don’t interfere!”

Once that happened, it would be Kang-Hee’s victory since she could be Kang-Hyun’s little sister forever.

“Wow~ I don’t think I can trust any of the words coming out from the mouth of a brocon with a few screws loose.”

“What? A-A few screws loose?”

“I’m not going to let go of Kang-Hyun that easily, so dream on.”

“Y-You bitch!”

“Do you know how rude it is to call your unnie a bitch?”

“Shut up!”

The calm atmosphere turned blazing hot again. Just then, Kang-Hyun returned with plastic bags in each hand.

“I’m back with drinks!”

“Ahem.”

“W-Welcome back, oppa.”

The two girls smiled awkwardly, pretending as if nothing happened.

“Did something happen?” Kang-Hyun asked.

“What are you talking about? Nothing happened.”

“More importantly, give us the drinks already, oppa.”

“Okay, okay. Here’s your coke.”

“Ah...! You should have bought Coke Zero! Why did you get me regular coke?!”

“You’re skinny, so you can have some sugar, Kang-Hee.”

“Oppa...”

Si-Ah sighed deeply as she stared at Kang-Hee smiling uncontrollably. She got a headache thinking about how hectic their dating life would be.

“Oh Kang-Hyun,” Si-Ah called.

“Huh?”

“Let me answer your question.”

However, she still wanted to follow her pounding heart instead of her hurting head.

“I like you too.”

“H-Huh?”

“U-Unnie! What are you—!”

“You said you’d allow it, didn't you?”

Si-Ah smiled and stood up from the bed. She approached Kang-Hyun and pulled him toward her by his arm.

“Mmrp...!”

The boy and girl’s lips met. Kang-Hyun stumbled backward and fell on his butt without even getting a chance to enjoy her soft lips.

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! WH-WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING TO MY OPPAAAAAAAAAAA?!!”

Kang-Hee’s screams echoed throughout the hospital.

***

“It appears... things went without a hitch.”

Kang-Woo, observing the situation inside the hospital room with the Authority of the Beholder, sighed in relief. He came because he was worried that Kang-Hee, controlled by both the obsession of an angel and the desire of a demon, would harm Si-Ah but fortunately, nothing bad happened.

“That aside, the son of a gun... you’re not even ten years old yet and you got a girlfriend, you snot-nosed brat?”

‘Daddy spent ten millennia without a girlfriend...’

“Fuck,” Kang-Woo swore as he was filled with misery.

‘Children grow up so fast these days.’

He did not expect his son to get a girlfriend before he was ten years old. He was happy for him but also had mixed feelings as a parent.

“I might as well drink with my wives tonight.”

Kang-Woo stretched and walked away. It was late autumn and the breeze was slowly getting colder. There was only one page left in his long story.

1. It’s like an herbal drink. It’s an acquired taste, not something a child would like. ☜