Chapter 6
Time passed quickly, as if it were a lie.
I graduated from middle school the following year, and Jin Eun-sol ranked within the top 10 in the entire school in the final exam the following year.
4th place in class.
On the other hand, my final grades in middle school were the worst.
For the first time, I was pushed out of the top 10 in the entire school, and I didn’t get very good grades in my class either.
I was totally in a different situation then him, but… … .
Looking up at Jin Eun-sol, who had suddenly taken over me, was an annoyingly familiar sight.
At that time, Jin Eun-sol’s father won both the management rights of the company and the position that he wanted inherit.
Compared to his brothers who badmouthed and brought each other down, Jin Eun-sol’s father was a less uglier one.
Jin Eun-sol was now acting like he had the whole world at his disposal.
It was because of his parents.
But it’s an headache for me.
Also he has a handsome face.
It was just that his body was weak, but these days, Jin Eun-sol seems to be trying to do something about it and has started exercising.
His once slender physique quickly gained muscles and he quickly took on a bulky appearance.
Judging from his appearance, you’d think he was a high school student.
“Hyunji, this is all thanks to you.”
Kim Eun-ah gave me some pocket money after seeing Jin Eun-sol’s grade improvement.
The unlucky Jin Sol snorted as he watched me accepting my allowance with a defeated expression on my face.
That guy’s smirk stimulated my sensitive nerves, even though I was already feeling like I was on the floor.
Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.
Jin Eun-sol silently chewed the fruit even under my gaze.
It felt like I was in the place of that fruit which was being crushed in his mouth.
My emotions were dominated by a sense of entitlement that he was feeling, so much so that I wouldn’t be surprised if my whole body broke apart at any moment.
At that moment, Jin Eun-sol’s eyes met mine.
But the guy turned his gaze back to the TV as if he wasn’t interested.
I was used to it anyways.
That behavior of him, which was as if he didn’t even treat me like a human being.
However, the sense of pride that had been eating away at him like a lie instantly turned into a feeling of humiliation that made me want to run to him right away.
I tried to smile and say thank you when I received the money, but Eun-ah Kim didn’t seem to have seen my face which was full of frustration.
I guess she wasn’t even bothered about it.
All she did was that she embraced me for doing something good for her son.
It was a natural thing.
Because Kim Eun-ah’s only child was originally Jin Eun-sol.
That day, I ran away to the annex, making up a good excuse of study when she asked me to go out to eat with her.
I lost again.
I felt like my head was being trampled by a pair of good, expensive shoes.
I can’t even get that foot off.
I thought that if I went back to my room, I would burst into tears that I had been holding back.
The only thing I did in the dark room was to lie down on the bed and sleep.
I quietly put the money that she had given me in a drawer and then fell into a deep sleep.
I felt like I could escape from this grief of being alone into this world.
* * *
I’m 18 years old now. Jin Eun-sol is 16 and a third-year middle school student. It was his last summer vacation before high school. We went out to the valley where we used to play as kids. We were staying at a mansion, which was even more expensive than a hotel.
I only got to come out and play thanks to Jin Eun-sol. I was on a break from high school myself, and after spending all day at home doing chores, this was a welcomed escape for me.
“Having fun?” Jin Eun-sol asked me as I looked at the stream and smiled. We were sitting on a platform he’d set up over the valley, and he was staring at me blankly.
“Huh?” I asked, confused by the sudden question. It seemed so obvious. A kid who still goes to school, takes school trips, and lives a carefree life—what else would it take to make me happy?
“Why?” I asked, touching my face.
“Why are you picking on me now?”
He looked at me with a dry expression, clearly uninterested, and said flatly, “The way you act—you’re just like a dog.”
He said it indifferently, then turned to look at the dogs he’d brought along. I followed his gaze. As he said, the two large dogs were splashing in the water, tails wagging as they played near the stream. A faint smile flickered across his face as he watched the dark gray one leap into the valley. His long lashes fluttered slightly with the motion.
Treat me like a dog, huh…? I frowned. But since it was my first proper vacation in a while, I couldn’t even argue with him. He wasn’t wrong. I just waded deeper into the valley water.
I took a deep breath and looked down at my feet submerged up to the ankles. The dirt settled around them, coarse against my toes—but it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.
“Dasulgi…” I muttered, bending down to pull some seaweed off a rock. The water was too cold, though, I quickly gave up, I kept plunging both my hands into the stream instead. It felt cool and refreshing.
“That’s exactly why you’re like a dog, sis,” Jin Eun-sol said from behind me with a quiet chuckle.
I felt a wave of irritation rise in my chest. I quickly straightened my back and shook the water off my hands.
He was still sitting comfortably on the platform, not even dipping a toe in the stream. Meanwhile, I was the one playing in the water, picking up rocks and pebbles, gazing into the flowing current. Every time I did, he looked at me with that same exasperated expression.
He did this every summer vacation—always the same. The stream was clean and inviting, which is why I liked coming here. But he hated the sea: the hot sand, the sticky seaweed wrapping around your legs. Even at the valley, he just sat under the shade, watching the sunlight dance across the water. That’s probably why he never seemed excited, even on days like this.
“Don’t call me a dog…” I muttered, voicing my mild protest.
Jin Eun-sol raised his eyebrows. “But you are. Like a dog.”
My own brows knit together, but I bit my tongue, holding back a retort. Instead, I bit the inside of my cheek hard.
“You can’t go anywhere without me,” he added. “If that’s not a dog, then what is?”
I had no comeback. I wanted to argue, but the truth was clear. He was sitting on the platform, and I was the one in the stream, following him around like a shadow. If he hadn’t brought me here, I wouldn’t have even seen the valley.
When I stayed silent, he looked at me like, See, isn’t it true?
He really was an insufferable guy.
“Still… don’t call me a dog,” I murmured.
Jin Eun-sol made an arrogant face at my small complaint. Then he tilted his head, as crookedly as his own personality, and ignored me completely. His expression practically screamed that everything in the world was annoying. I wanted to twist that nose of his—but of course, I didn’t. I just bit down on my lower lip, then let it go with a sigh.
What on earth goes through your head when you’re living like that?
I went back to what I was doing, unfazed by whatever nonsense he was on about. I pulled out the plastic container I’d brought—it was for collecting stones and gravel. I’d dump out the gravel and keep only the stones. Every time I took out a container like that, Jin Eun-sol would look at me with a confused expression, like he just couldn’t understand why I was so bothered in doing it. Not that it mattered. It would be even weirder if he did understand me.
“If you need anything, call me, Eun-sol,” I said, not really expecting a response. I climbed down from the platform into the valley. I figured that if I focused on collecting rocks for a while, the annoying guy might eventually get bored and ask to go back inside the mansion. So I needed to hurry and collect as many as I could.
I set the container down near the table.
“Sister.”
“Huh?”
Jin Eun-sol had called out to me. I quickly looked over at him, but his gaze wasn’t on me. He was staring across the valley. I followed his line of sight with a tilt of my head.
“Don’t go too far off to play,” he said.
Across the flat expanse of land on the opposite side of the valley, another family had set up. He called me a dog, but judging by how territorial he was, it was pretty clear he was the real dog here—not me.
“Okay,” I nodded. The water between our side and the other side was pretty deep anyway, so if I went that way to look for rocks, I’d probably have to dunk my whole face in.
Even after I responded, Jin Eun-sol kept staring at me for a while. Since it had nothing to do with me, I pretended not to notice. Still, I was a little curious, so I peeked at him from time to time.
Jin Eun-sol’s family was pretty harmonious, but somehow the family across the way looked even warmer. Maybe it was because there were more of them. Jin Eun-sol was an only child, after all. That must’ve made a difference.
I kept glancing over while moving the rocks and leaves into the container. But before long, I got too absorbed in searching for prettier and larger stones.
“Ah,” I murmured, spotting a beautiful stone. I reached into the water to grab it—when suddenly, a small stone splashed down right in front of my eyes.
Plunk!
The water roared around me as someone backed away.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” a low voice called out from above.
I looked up at the hand that was hesitantly extended towards me—then pulled back. My gaze followed it up, and I found myself looking at a boy that I didn’t recognize. A moment passed in silence.
My eyes shifted to his shoulder and then back up. Now that I looked more closely, I realized his clothes were slightly soaked, up to his chest.
I blinked, caught off guard, and he gave me an awkward smile. As soon as he smiled, I noticed the dimples that formed on both sides of his cheeks. They were charming—like little accessories on his face.
Is he around our age? I wondered, studying his face. He looked just as young as Jin Eun-sol.
