LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 8
Episode 8
We were waiting for my older sister in our cramped two-room apartment.
“…Uh, I feel bad saying this, but is it okay to wait here without permission?”
“Well, they say it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Once you see her face, you might just dive and beg, and it could all be swept under the rug.”
It was a tactic I often used in high school.
I had brought various characters home: those who fought with their families, those from the countryside, and runaways, all without asking for permission, of course.
My sister would try to kick them out, but after a few hits while begging on the floor, she would give up and accept them.
…It’s uncertain if it would work now.
“Anyway, just hide behind me. I’ll try to lighten the mood first.”
I heard the sound of women’s heels from the hallway beyond the door.
Just from the footsteps, I knew it was her.
“She’s here.”
Gyeoul scurried behind me to hide.
I heard the sound of the password being entered on a door lock that was older than twenty years.
With a cheerful chime, the door opened.
“I’m back.”
“Oh, you’re back, sis? You must be tired from work again today. I’ve already finished the dishes and cleaned the bathroom….”
“…Stop.”
My sister looked at me with a cold glare.
She looked like a homicide detective who had just found a suspect.
It was terrifying.
“Reveal what you’re hiding behind you.”
I decided there was no point in hiding anymore and revealed Gyeoul.
“Tada!”
“….”
“Hello…. I’m Han Gyeoul, an aspiring trainee. I’d like to ask for your help….”
My sister, who had been staring blankly at Gyeoul, chuckled and then patted my shoulder encouragingly.
“Wow, my Taeyang just got back and is already using his home like a motel. You’ve grown up, you’ve really grown up.”
It was a story that was a bit much to share with a minor.
“No, sis, I’m not that kind of person, I was talking about what I mentioned on the phone yesterday….”
“You’ve grown up, so it’s time for you to be independent. Don’t hesitate, let’s get out right now.”
“…Huh?”
As I couldn’t catch up with the sudden turn of events, my sister moved to take action.
She lifted the wooden dining table with one hand and prepared to swing it.
Wow, my sister is strong.
“Not going out? Get out, you little brat!”
“No, sis, if that hits me, I’m really going to die! Help!”
My sister lifted the table high like an executioner ready for a beheading.
I desperately tried to stop the swinging table.
Gyeoul knelt, pressed her head down, and raised her hands like a fly begging.
It was a total mess.
*
Thirty minutes later, the incident was settled for now.
My sister was smoking in the emergency stairs of the apartment, and I kept watch next to her, trying to be inconspicuous.
“Aren’t you going to smoke?”
“Since there’s a child, I thought I’d quit for a bit.”
“I’m trying to cut ties.”
“…Ah.”
My older sister, as if she realized something, extinguished her cigarette in the ashtray.
She hadn’t given me any hints, but… it felt awkward.
“Where did you pick up that kid again?”
“He was having a tough time because he lost his wallet at the bridge.”
My sister looked at me as if she already expected that.
But my answer, having regressed, didn’t end there.
“But honestly, that’s not really important. I just thought he looked like he had some talent, so I decided to scoop him up.”
“…Huh?”
“I’m thinking of introducing Gyeoul to Cheon Jong-hoon, the project manager at SS, and if he’s satisfied, I might try to make a deal in exchange for job placement.”
This was my true intention.
“Gyeoul is a high-quality asset worth handing over for a price. So, there’s a good chance he’ll fulfill a simple request for job placement. Cheon Jong-hoon is the kind of guy who can easily handle such requests.”
I grinned widely as I said that.
“Looks like I’ll be escaping the jobless life soon.”
“…So you brought him to use that little kid? To exploit him?”
My sister wasn’t a cold-hearted person. In fact, she had an excess of warmth.
When she lost a hamster, she cried all day long.
She was no different from a human.
Even now, my sister inquired about the friends who had stayed at our house.
Pretending to be indifferent, yet subtly.
And when one of them died in a car accident, my sister took her saved vacation days to attend the funeral and the burial for three days straight.
Even though they had only spent two days together.
After that, my sister firmly refused to let anyone else into our home.
So afraid of sadness, she decided to keep everyone except me out of her space.
That was the kind of person she was.
Overly affectionate, living exclusively.
Getting furious at the thought of a child she had just met being taken advantage of.
That’s who she was.
There was a way to talk nicely to her.
To say it was about helping the poor child. That it was a pure act of goodwill. Just saying something like that would work.
But I wanted to be honest with her.
“Yeah, I brought him here because he was useful.”
“You weren’t that kind of person.”
“What kind of person do you think I am?”
How did I appear to my sister back in those days?
“A meddler, a hopeless kind-hearted fool who never expected anything in return.”
“…You really are frustrating.”
“Yeah, I’m frustrating. I just don’t listen to what I’m told.”
My sister smiled faintly as if recalling the memories that surfaced in her mind.
“…But you’re not someone I dislike.”
“…”
“I was expecting you to go on a rant about how ‘a good person acts like this’ while taking care of that kid this time too, not judging him based on his usefulness.”
“I’ve graduated from that sort of thing.”
“Why suddenly, after all this time, would you change a stubborn personality you could never fix?”
“I realized what really matters more than those uncertainties.”
“What’s that?”
“Money, and success.”
To understand this simple truth, I had to lose everything I had built up.
“Sister, I’m going to succeed. Even if I have to use people and make them fall. I’ll succeed and earn a lot of money to make you comfortable.”
My sister tore her gaze away from the moon visible between the emergency staircase windows and looked at me squarely.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I didn’t live my life thinking I owe you anything. I’ll take care of myself.”
My sister had never once mentioned her dedication. Not even during the last round where I had a small success.
“What’s important is how you think. Is that what you really want?”
In front of her, I could speak with confidence.
“Yes, it’s what I want.”
“…Okay, then do your best.”
She turned her gaze away from me and looked back at the moon.
“Taeyang.”
“Yes?”
“Why don’t you go to college right now? I’ll cover the tuition.”
“If you want to throw money into the air, go ahead. I have the confidence to trample on others.”
My sister chuckled and smiled.
Then she started to head down the emergency stairs.
“Where are you going?”
“To buy a can of beer. I don’t think I can sleep with that kid sober.”
I immediately bowed my head and apologized.
“…I’m really sorry.”
“Hehe, that’s enough. You brat.”
She was such a soft-hearted person.
After watching her step out of the apartment, I went inside.
And then I called Gyeoul.
“Gyeoul, come here.”
Gyeoul came running as if she had been waiting.
“Yes! What’s up?”
“I was granted permission to stay at our house, but there’s still one thing left to do. If you want to spend time here, you have to agree to this condition.”
“I’ll do whatever I can.”
“It’s not that big of a deal, so don’t get all worked up.”
“…Okay.”
I faced Gyeoul’s scruffy face and said,
“You need to get your grandfather’s permission.”
Getting permission from her guardian was the minimum requirement.
If his granddaughter disappeared for a week without a word, how worried would the grandfather be?
I had to manage this situation and prevent the unfortunate event of a missing person report going to the police.
“…Then, can you help me persuade him a little?”
“Of course, I have to help. From the grandfather’s perspective, he needs to know what kind of guy is taking care of his granddaughter.”
Nodding as if she had made a resolution, Gyeoul immediately made a phone call.
After a little more than a minute of waiting, the call connected.
Gyeoul finished a brief greeting and began to chat about her current situation.
She talked about losing her wallet and how I helped her yesterday, the mix-up with the audition date, and about Yeji, and how, thanks to my help, she got another chance to audition. Gyeoul expressed her situation and feelings as clearly as she could.
He expressed his concerns.
In the middle of it, a voice faintly shouted, “Hey, you gas bag! Didn’t I tell you to load the money into Pay instead of cash?” but Gyeoul managed to say everything she needed, even while feeling deflated.
“Well done, our little nerd.”
“Um, my grandfather wants me to turn on the video call. He wants to see you.”
“Alright, it’s fine to turn it on. I’m ready.”
“But, I don’t know how to do it.”
Without saying a word, I snatched Gyeoul’s smartphone and connected the video call for her.
When the connection was made, the face of an elderly man wearing aviator sunglasses and a fedora appeared on the screen. Even if he was a senior model, he looked stylish enough to earn a nod of approval.
“So, you took care of my granddaughter?”
“Hello, I’m Seon Taeyang. I didn’t really do anything worthy of being called ‘taking care of her,’ but I am indeed the person who she talked about.”
“No, it’s impressive to go that far for a complete stranger. Let’s tone down the excessive modesty.”
I awkwardly laughed. It felt really weird to be gilded for something I did for my own sake.
“Gyeoul, you want to stay at this friend’s place and audition?”
“Yes, if uncle helps me, I think I’ll do well. I want to try. Not just being pushed around by others, but doing something on my own.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Gyeoul’s grandfather readily gave his permission. I wondered if it was really okay for me to accept this so easily.
I cautiously asked, “Is it really alright?”
“It’s a big kid wanting to do something. I have no intention of stopping her. I plan to help…so let me have your account number first.”
I explained that I wasn’t looking to receive money, but her grandfather insisted that giving it would ease his mind. Understanding his feelings, I sent over my account number without further refusal.
As soon as the transfer was complete, a hefty sum flowed into my account.
“That’s an excessive amount for six days of lodging…”
“Hey, you rejecting what an adult gives you is more rude. Don’t make me blush.”
“…Understood.”
“It’s reassuring in another way too. You seem far from Gyeoul’s taste, so I don’t think anything terrible will happen, you know. Tsk tsk.”
Gyeoul’s grandfather said this cheerfully, seemingly trying to lighten the somewhat tense atmosphere. I joined in his mood.
“Oh dear, that’s really unfortunate. To not fit into Gyeoul’s taste! Haha.”
“Hehe, well, kids at that age have high standards. Don’t worry, it’s not your fault.”
“So, what is Gyeoul’s taste?”
Upon hearing that, Gyeoul’s grandfather paused and pondered seriously for a moment.
Is that even a question worth that much thought?
Turning my gaze to Gyeoul, I saw her shaking her head frantically at the grandfather on the screen.
What on earth?
With a determined look, Gyeoul’s grandfather finally turned away from her gaze and said, “Naked female cartoon characters?”
“Grandpa-!”
…That was a taste from another dimension.