Chapter 213: Secret Love (5)

Kang Ra-Eun usually allotted her time to the fitness center or Levanche on days that she did not have a film shoot scheduled, but she had more important plans for today.

Two women waved at Ra-Eun with bright expressions once she entered the cafe.

“Ra-Eun.”

“Over here.”

Choi Ro-Mi and Na Gyu-Rin, her two former high school classmates, pointed at the chair across from them. People were already beginning to recognize her despite having worn glasses and a mask, but none of them requested selfies or autographs from her; they simply greeted her.

Ro-Mi and Gyu-Rin, who were witnessing the change in their high school friend’s status, expressed their satisfaction as if it was happening to them.

“Our Ra-Eun has gotten so famous.”

“Yeah. Far more than back in high school.”

“Not just that, she’s gotten even prettier.”

“She’s gotten way cuter too.”

Ra-Eun couldn’t agree that she had gotten cuter, but she decided to leave that aside and get straight to the point.

“I asked you guys to come today because of none other than Yi-Seo...”

Ra-Eun did not know much about love. She had never truly loved anyone even when she was a man, much less after she had turned into a woman. Hence, she had ended up requesting advice from Ro-Mi, who had become a romance expert after dating several men, and Gyu-Rin, who could provide unbiased opinions.

However, Gyu-Rin interrupted, “It’s about Yi-Seo liking your older brother, right?”

“Cough, cough!”

Ra-Eun was so shocked by Gyu-Rin that her next words had gotten caught in her throat. She had not told the two of them anything yet, so she wondered how Gyu-Rin could have possibly found out.

“Did you learn mind reading or something in the time I haven’t seen you?” Ra-Eun asked.

“Of course not,” Gyu-Rin strongly refuted.

Ro-Mi nodded from next to her and pointed out Ra-Eun’s incorrect deduction.

“Gyu-Rin is too busy with her boyfriend lately that she probably doesn’t even have time to learn stuff like that.”

Ra-Eun was shocked for a second time. Ro-Mi aside, she couldn’t believe that Gyu-Rin had gotten a boyfriend as well.

“Really? Who? A university classmate? Or did you meet him on a blind date?”

“Both are wrong. It’s someone you know very well, Ra-Eun,” Ro-Mi remarked while sending Gyu-Rin a sly look, to which Gyu-Rin sent her a reproaching look in return. “She’s dating Yeong-Gyo. Sound familiar?”

Ra-Eun nodded. She knew him very well. Kim Yeong-Gyo was Choi Sang-Woon’s best friend. They used to play basketball and go to the PC Room all the time.

“How did you guys end up dating?” she asked.

“You see...”

Thwack!

As Ro-Mi was about to get into the details, Gyu-Rin’s elbow strongly dug into Ro-Mi’s left side.

“Stop it. It’s embarrassing.”

Ra-Eun had never seen Gyu-Rin’s embarrassed face even in high school. She felt like she was witnessing a fascinating sight.

‘I never knew she could make a face like that.’

Ra-Eun had not been able to meet up with her friends as much as back in high school, so such sights felt very unfamiliar to her. Gyu-Rin continued from where they had left off.

“Yi-Seo also asked us for advice too. She said that she likes Ra-Hyuk oppa, but doesn’t know what to do because he had gotten a girlfriend. That’s how we know.”

“When was this?” Ra-Eun asked.

“It hasn’t been that long. Around three days ago, I think?”

They had found out later than Ra-Eun.

“Yi-Seo mentioned that you told her it’s okay to muster up the courage at least once in life.”

“I did.”

“She seemed to have taken that deeply to heart. She was also curious about what we thought of the situation.”

Ra-Eun was glad that Seo Yi-Seo had taken her words to heart. However, there was a problem.

“She mentioned not having been able to get the proper chance.”

“A chance for what?”

“To put it simply, she can’t find the right timing to confess.”

In the first place, Yi-Seo and Kang Ra-Hyuk were rarely alone together. They were not siblings like Ra-Hyuk was to Ra-Eun. Ra-Eun thought deeply with arms folded, and then seemed to have come to a resolution.

“Then I’ll make one for her.”

She decided to do what she could for the sake of her friend.

***

Yi-Seo had never once in her life harbored romantic feelings for a man until now. Ra-Hyuk was her first love. However...

“Your first love being an unrequited one is a lot harder than I thought.”

She had heard from Ra-Eun not long ago that Ra-Hyuk had broken up with his girlfriend. She found herself somewhat pathetic for being even the slightest bit happy at the time.

“It’s not like Ra-Hyuk oppa and I will get together just because he broke up with his girlfriend.”

If she was happy about one thing, it was that Ra-Hyuk did not seem very sad after breaking things off with his girlfriend. He had become single, but he was so popular with the ladies that the vacant seat next to him could be filled at any moment by another woman. The anxiety that came with that thought kept her uneasy.

As Yi-Seo was thinking about what to do, a call on her phone caught her attention.

“Ra-Eun?”

She had gotten a call from Ra-Eun, who had mentioned that she would be meeting a friend.

“Hello?”

- Are you home right now?

“Me? Yeah. Why? Did you forget something? Do you want me to get it for you?”

- No, nothing like that. What about Yi-Jun?

“He’ll be home soon.”

- Then I guess I’ll have to call him or something.

“Huh? Why?”

Ra-Eun continued to speak incomprehensibly.

- My oppa told me that he’s almost at our house. Yi-Jun and I will be back around dinnertime, so make good use of this chance.

“Make good use of it? Wh-What do you mean?”

- I’m sure you know exactly what I mean, don’t you?

“...”

Yi-Seo was not dim-witted. Ra-Eun was doing her best to give her and Ra-Hyuk some alone time, because...

- Tell him exactly how you feel. That moronic oppa of mine is the most dense man in the world, so he won’t get it unless you give it to him straight.

Yi-Seo swallowed her saliva due to the unannounced arrival of a chance to confess her feelings.

- If it’s too much for you, then you can just send him back after talking with him like usual. The choice is entirely up to you.

Ra-Eun was not thinking of criticizing Yi-Seo in the slightest, even if she were to waste the chance that she had provided her. Ra-Eun had given her a push on the back, but only Yi-Seo was able to decide whether to use that momentum to push forward, or to remain in place.

Ra-Eun left her precious friend one final message before hanging up.

- Do your best. I’ll be rooting for you.

A momentary silence engulfed Yi-Seo after the call had ended.

Ding-dong!

Just then, the sound of the doorbell caused Yi-Seo’s small shoulders to flinch. She took a deep breath in and out, and slowly rose from her seat. Her expression had completely changed.

She said to herself before opening the door, “Thanks, Ra-Eun.”

***

Ra-Hyuk said in exasperation after gulping down the coffee that Yi-Seo had given him, “I came here after my little sister said she had something to say to me, but she’s nowhere in sight.”

He had come because he had thought that Ra-Eun would give him the new stock trading information that she regularly gave him, but she was nowhere to be found.

Yi-Seo replied as she sat down across from him, “She said she won’t be too late, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Well, I’m not worried. Ra-Eun has bodyguards far more reliable than me by her side, twenty-four-seven.”

“No, you’re plenty reliable yourself, oppa.”

Yi-Seo had not said this to make Ra-Hyuk feel better; she had simply told him how she truly felt after watching over him all this time. Of course, he was not as good at fighting as Ma Yeong-Jun, nor was he extremely talented at making money, or extraordinarily smart. Despite all that, there was one thing that stood him out among everyone else.

“After all, you treat your family with great care.”

There was one thing that Yi-Seo was occasionally envious of Ra-Eun, and that was her older brother. The thought of how nice it would be to have an older brother like Ra-Hyuk might have turned into feelings of love.

Ra-Hyuk felt embarrassed since he had never had such a serious conversation with Yi-Seo like this before.

“In any case, Thanks for always being a dependable friend to my little sister. To be honest with you, Ra-Eun had been super rebellious ever since our mother passed away. Dad and I tried to take care of her as best we could, but we weren’t able to help with her troubles as best as we wanted to since we were both men. I honestly still feel sorry about that for Ra-Eun to this very day.”

Ra-Hyuk was always thankful to Yi-Seo for staying as Ra-Eun’s friend in that turmoil.

“Feel free to let me know anytime if you ever come to need my help. I’ll help you in any way possible as thanks.”

Yi-Seo’s face began to redden as a result of what Ra-Hyuk said.

“Then... Could I ask you for a favor?”

“What is it? Just say the words,” Ra-Hyuk confidently answered while pounding his chest several times with his fist.

Yi-Seo nodded slightly and did her absolute best to open her mouth after swallowing her saliva several times.

“I’d like you to... hear me out.”

“Hear you out? Is there something on your mind that you want to share?” Ra-Hyuk asked.

“Yes. To be honest, there’s someone that I’ve liked for a while now.”

Ra-Hyuk could sense a romance consultation coming; although his dating experiences only consisted of quick break-ups and painful memories, they were dating experiences nonetheless. Hence, he got ready to hear Yi-Seo out as a senior in life.

However, not even he had been able to predict what came next out of Yi-Seo’s mouth.

“I like you, oppa.”

***

Seo Yi-Jun could not understand Ra-Eun’s actions in the slightest.

“Telling me that I’m not allowed to go home all of a sudden... Did something happen?”

“You’re so noisy. Just shut up and stay still.”

Ra-Eun couldn’t even bother to explain to him. She expected the situation to have more or less been wrapped up, so she went back home with Yi-Jun, who had been prohibited from going back home after having gone to the convenience store for a quick second.

“You’re finally back.”

Ra-Hyuk had come out of the elevator that they were waiting to come down to their floor. Ra-Eun flinched in surprise from the unexpected appearance of her brother.

“How did it go?” she asked.

Hearing that, Ra-Hyuk was immediately able to deduce that all of this had been his little sister’s plan.

“Yi-Seo confessed to me.”

Yi-Seo had chosen to make good use of the chance that Ra-Eun had given her. The most shocked out of them was, of course, Yi-Jun.

“M-My sister... To you, hyung?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“A-And what did you say?”

Yi-Jun was asking about the most important thing, Ra-Hyuk’s answer.

Ra-Hyuk finally opened his mouth after some hesitation.

“The thing is...”