Chapter 35: I love it to death.

As expected, just like planting a ward in a bush only to find the enemy waiting, my bad feeling turned out to be right.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a big deal.

All I had to do was take the vibrating pager, go to the counter, and pick up the drinks we ordered.

It was objectively and subjectively a simple task.

But…

For some reason, my lips wouldn’t move.

“What’s wrong? The barista’s waiting.”

My sister smiled brightly, holding out the pager.

Whether it was revenge for wearing her boots or something else entirely, I could sense her unwavering determination to make me complete this “quest.”

“Sis?”

Finally, after her insistent urging, I had no choice but to give in.

“…Alright.”

“Be careful on your way.”

It wasn’t even a ten-meter walk.

The counter was so close I could practically reach it by falling forward, yet her cheer made it clear she understood how much of a challenge this was for me.

What was trivial for most people felt like a monumental task to me, akin to stealing a major objective in a 1v5 situation.

“Phew…”

After a small deep breath, I glanced into the café, something I had avoided doing until now.

The café wasn’t very big, so there weren’t many customers inside.

There were a total of five tables, three of which were occupied (including ours), while the remaining two were empty.

I mentally mapped out the most efficient path.

“It’s better to go left to avoid getting in the way. Just walk over, pick up the drinks, and come back. That’s all.”

The “path” was really just a plan to avoid bothering anyone while also being quick and safe, but for me, it was a matter of great importance.

“Alright, perfect.”

With the plan set, I took the pager and, if not confidently, at least briskly walked toward the counter.

“Here’s your white chocolate mocha, iced americano, and two egg tarts. Oh, and these two cookies are on the house.”

Sure enough, there were two small cookies on the tray that we hadn’t ordered.

“Th-thank you.”

“Enjoy your drinks.”

I picked up the tray and turned to leave.

“Wait a moment!”

Suddenly, the barista called out to me.

I flinched instinctively.

“Yes? Y-yes?”

“Could you give that to me?”

The barista pointed at the pager in my hand, which I was clutching tightly as if it were a precious treasure.

“Oh…”

Finally realizing, I hastily handed over the pager.

Unsure of what to do with my hands, I awkwardly fumbled with the tray, placing it back on the counter momentarily before handing over the pager.

“S-sorry about that.”

“No worries. It happens all the time.”

The barista smiled kindly, as if accustomed to such moments.

Even though their smile was warm and pleasant, my mind was filled with one thought:

How embarrassing!

I practically ran back to my sister’s table with the tray in hand.

And then…

“Pfft… Hahaha…”

My sister’s expression was a sight to behold.

Just moments ago, her face had been cold as if we were in the middle of Siberia. Now, her face was flushed red like a tropical Amazon climate as she tried to stifle her laughter.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, nothing… Haha… You’re back?”

She was absolutely delighted.

Barely able to compose herself, she grabbed the iced americano and one of the egg tarts, then tilted her head curiously.

“We didn’t order this, did we?”

“…It’s complimentary.”

“Really? This place doesn’t usually give out freebies… Then again, my sister is quite pretty.”

She smirked mischievously, adding playfully:

“Actually, you’re pretty cute now too.”

“Don’t mess with me.”

“I’m not kidding. Do you know how adorable you look right now? You know what? Why don’t you just be my younger sibling? I’ll take good care of you. I’ll even buy you new shoes.”

“Don’t push it.”

“Or what? Trying to act even cuter?”

She burst out laughing like never before.

It seemed like she was thoroughly enjoying teasing me.

‘She really thinks nothing of me, huh?’

Listen here, little one! I just beat Red Cup winners and runners-up! I even got a ₩800 million contract offer from China! Do you know who you’re talking to?!

Of course, I swallowed those silent cries.

There was no point in explaining such things to an ordinary college girl like my sister.

Sigh.

This, too, shall pass.

With that thought, I sipped on my drink.

“Hot! Too hot!”

“Careful. Drink slowly. You’ll burn your tongue.”

“Oww…”

In the end, I had to blow on the drink several times before cautiously sipping it again.

“…It’s good.”

I wasn’t kidding—it was genuinely delicious.

If canned coffee was the result of global coffee masters perfecting their craft, this was something much more pure and natural, with a fresh sweetness.

“Right? There’s a reason I keep coming here. Even my friends love this place.”

Her casual comment made me flinch.

“Your friends come here often?”

On any other day, it wouldn’t have fazed me.

But it just so happened that it was lunchtime.

After lunch, it was the perfect time to stop by a café for a short break.

“Yeah,” my sister replied casually, biting into her egg tart as if to say, What’s the big deal?

…I had a bad feeling.

Usually, when I get a bad feeling, it turns out to be right.

Maybe it’s because I’ve spent decades living as the weakest of the weak, developing an almost excessive sense of danger awareness.

And, as if on cue…

“Hey, Yuri!”

The café door opened, and a pair of college-aged students, a man and a woman, entered.

At first glance, I thought they might be a couple, but their subtle distance suggested they were just friends or classmates.

“I saw you from outside and thought it might be you, Yuri. The professor called roll one last time, so I marked you present. You’re welcome, huh?”

“Oh, really? Thanks!”

“I mean, you ran out of class so suddenly—I was wondering what was going on…”

The friend’s gaze naturally shifted to me, sitting at the table.

“Oh.”

A short gasp of admiration.

“Oh, I… Sorry! I didn’t mean to stare. You’re just so pretty I got distracted. Hi there!”

And with that, a cheerful greeting followed.

Greeting a stranger so naturally? For someone like me, who was practically a social recluse, it was an unimaginable feat. But for my sister’s friend, it seemed effortless.

“Oh, uh… Hello.”

“I’m Yuri’s friend. If it’s not rude to ask, what’s your relationship?”

I glanced at my sister with a desperate What do I do? look.

In stark contrast, she sipped her americano with an expression so calm it bordered on smug.

“Oh, that’s my sister.”

“Sister? Your actual sister?”

“Yeah.”

At her casual confirmation, her friend looked visibly shocked.

“Y-Yuri?”

I probably had the same expression.

Was it okay to say that?

Well, I guess there’s no reason not to…

But why was my sister so calm about it? She wasn’t the type to act without thinking. Did she have a plan?

Come to think of it, she did mention she talked to Mom earlier…

What’s going on? Is there something I don’t know?

I was utterly lost in my thoughts.

“You really do look alike! It’s uncanny. Hi, Sis. Feel free to speak casually.”

“…Uh, sure…”

Now I’m being called “Sis” by strangers, too.

At this point, I could only accept it.

While I was busy drowning in my chaotic thoughts, my sister and her friend continued their conversation.

“So, you’re mixed?”

The friend still seemed to be reeling from the shock.

Well, it’s not surprising. My appearance was undeniably exotic.

Plus, I looked younger than my sister, which only added to the confusion.

“I don’t think so?”

“What kind of answer is that? Either you are or you aren’t.”

“Well, as far as I know, we’re fully Korean. But who knows, maybe one of our ancestors was Mongolian or something.”

“What? That’s so random.”

My sister remained completely composed, to the point where I felt a sudden urge to give her a playful smack.

“My sister’s been really sick.”

“Oh…”

That was enough to stop her friend from probing further.

“Are you okay now?”

The friend turned to me, her gaze filled with genuine concern.

“!”

I hadn’t expected the conversation to swing back to me so suddenly, and I choked for a moment.

“Ahem, cough… Yes, I’m fine now.”

“That’s such a relief, Sis.”

It’s almost too fine, but thanks for asking.

“Wait, Yuri, did you skip class just to come see your sister?”

“I missed her so much I couldn’t resist,” my sister said with a playful laugh.

It hit me then—how little I really knew about my sister, how many sides of her I’d never seen before.

It was probably because I’d always maintained an odd distance from my family.

In many ways, I felt grateful.

After some light, meaningless chatter, my sister’s friend stood up.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yeah. I just came in to say hi. I’ve got a two-hour break, but I need to finish some assignments, so I’m heading to a PC bang for a bit. Can’t just sit around here with him.”

Finally, I noticed the male classmate who had been quietly standing to the side the whole time.

Given my extensive experience watching youth dramas, I understood. It’s not easy for two young people with no romantic ties to spend two hours together in a café.

Especially when neither seemed to have brought a laptop for work or mentioned having something specific to do.

While I was lost in my own thoughts, my sister seemed to be plotting something entirely different.

“PC bang?”

She turned to me with a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Sis.”

“…What?”

“Should we go too?”

As much as I didn’t want to admit it…

I was intrigued.