1182 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"That's not possible." Unintentionally, my resolute statement silenced everyone around me. Almost instantaneously, the atmosphere grew hushed, akin to a frost settling over us. Upon realizing this, I hesitated for a moment, but it was inevitable. "To think of her as 'mother'..." No matter the circumstances, it felt far too much. Not to mention that the other person was actually my grandmother. Calling her my mother in this situation felt preposterous. "Well... I appreciate your sentiment, Madame Jin." I understood, to some degree, the sincerity behind Jin Yeon-ryeong's words. I could faintly perceive the genuine intention behind them. However, "That would be difficult." The timing wasn't right. It wasn't merely about being unable to call her grandmother. 'I do not intend...' I have no plans to form any attachments to this place. Nor do I have any intention of building any unnecessary ties to this household, particularly with the unresolved relationship with Gu Sung-ryeol. "I see..." At my words, Jin Yeon-ryeong's expression dimmed slightly. "Of course... it must be because it's a house you're resentful towards." "Resentful? No, not quite." "It's natural. How could one forgive the house of the father who abandoned them?" As she spoke, Jin Yeon-ryeong cast a cool glance at Gu Sung-ryeol. "Madame..." He floundered to say something. "But." Jin Yeon-ryeong disregarded it and simply held onto my hand. "I'm not asking you to forgive his sins. Still. Just know that there is someone here who you can think of as family... Only that, Baek Gongja." "Oh... uh... yes." "None of us will hate or dislike you, no matter how you might feel, Baek Gongja." "Oh, Mother, that's not it. Even from the look in Brother's eyes, it seems..." "Ugh!!" Gu Sun interjected cluelessly only to cry out in pain afterwards. "Why am I the only one being hated!? If we argue about it, aren't I the illegitimate one?" "Why can't you be quiet for once!?" "Weren’t you the one saying we should get closer as a family and made me sit and talk...?" "...." Turns out, the reason Gu Sun was sitting there was precisely for this. No matter how you look at it. 'Seems like he's no help.' It was starting to feel like Gu Sun, as a person, wasn't contributing to the resolution of this situation or to the Gu family. As I pondered this, "What’s with that look? Won’t you open your pretty eyes properly? Damn." "...." Ah, it's not just a suspicion but a certainty now. This guy definitely is of no help. He gets hit yet again. Continuously complaining even while crying out—it was a sight to behold for someone so peculiar. '...More so than Gu Yeon Seo, at least.' That side had an intimidating presence, at least. This side had nothing of the sort. "Dammit..." When hit, he just busied himself with grumbling, and his already fierce eyes became more intense. What an unusual person he was. "Sorry if this has been burdensome." Leaving Gu Sun behind, Jin Yeon-ryeong spoke again. "I just wanted to express my feelings. Instead, I might have caused you discomfort." "No... I understood your sentiments well. I hold no particular grudge nor attachment to the Gu family, so you needn't worry." "...No grudge?" "Yes." "...How benevolent might your heart be?" "...Suddenly?" Calling it benevolent? It was an utterly unexpected remark. "Head of the house, I think perhaps Mother's eyesight isn't what it used to be." Gu Sun discreetly approached Gu Sung-ryeol to whisper. Gu Sung-ryeol looked at Jin Yeon-ryeong with concern. Agreeing, without outright stating it. I saw it similarly. 'Is she unwell after all?' Under normal circumstances, such responses don’t arise unless someone is unwell. The perplexity was unending. A person like her was a first. "If you ever need... Do let me know anytime. I've already decided to think of you as another child of mine." "There's no need for that..." "No, I regret that Baek Gongja has been alone this time. From now on... I'll ensure you don't feel that way." "...I’ve never particularly thought of myself as being alone?" She seemed to conclude her thoughts entirely on her own. No matter what I said, it felt as though it wouldn’t be heard. "Head of the house, is this alright?" "...." It seemed like Jin Yeon-ryeong was seeking approval, but anyone could tell that it leaned more towards a declaration than a request. I've got this mess you caused. Got anything to say about it? That was the gaze. "The..." "What the..." "...I respect your will, Madame." Gu Sung-ryeol averted his gaze. That man admitted defeat. This is truly bewildering. "...Well." Watching the situation, Gu Sun muttered quietly. "This is the first time in my life an unexpected sister has appeared!" Expressing his excitement, he spoke as if highly intrigued. What kind of nonsense blather is this? "...Sister?" "You’re younger than me." "How old are you?" "I'm twenty-three. How old are you?" "...." Ah, for crying out loud. "You look older than you are." "What nonsense are you spewing with that demeanor? Who'd believe you if you spoke like that? I bet a dog barking would make more sense." "....Ahem." Unconvincing. Damn it. It doesn’t matter. I have no intention of calling anyone 'sister' anyway. Suppressing a sigh, I turned my gaze away. "We've kept you quite long.... I had various things I wanted to say, which probably felt burdensome. Was it quite uncomfortable for you?" "No... not particularly." I couldn't just openly admit it was uncomfortable, so I replied ambiguously. "Then... if possible, could we have dinner together?" "...Dinner?" Oh... I don't really feel like it. 'Should I refuse?' I wanted to simply refuse. However. '...Tch.' I noticed Jin Yeon-ryeong’s demeanor. The person who should have been the most uncomfortable with me was earnestly trying to open up to me. Who willingly suggests sharing dinner with an illegitimate child? Especially when the other person expresses disinterest, rarely would anyone persist. That's why I was paying attention. "...I will join for dinner." "Oh!" At my response, Jin Yeon-ryeong’s face lit up with a bright smile. Truly, she seemed a pure-hearted person. "Thank you so much." What could possibly warrant her gratitude? There was nothing here for her to be thankful for. "...No problem." I gave a wry smile. Like I said before, she was truly a difficult person to deal with. In many ways, to be precise. --- After the unexpected conversation with Jin Yeon-ryeong, I exited the dwelling. Gu Sung-ryeol didn’t accompany me out. Jin Yeon-ryeong had insisted on having a private conversation with him. “...” Standing just outside the residence, I couldn't help but let out a dry laugh at the wooden barrier placed near the premises. It was no doubt a precaution to prevent eavesdropping. Certainly, if one wished, they could find a way to bypass it. But I didn’t. Not for their sake. ‘But for myself.’ I judged that not listening to the exchange between those two was better for me. “Tch.” I let out a short click of my tongue, suppressing the rising irritation as I prepared to move away. "Hey, little brother." “….” Hearing that familiar address, I paused for a moment. ‘Brother!’ That was the term my rather irritable older sister insisted on using with me every day. Turning around, I found Gu Sun standing there, bearing a striking resemblance to that very sister, Gu Yeon Seo. “Where do you think you’re going?” “…Why do you want to know?” "Oh, my! Look at this attitude! With that sharpness in your tone, you definitely belong to our family." “….” “Come on, just tell me. This big sister is a bit bored today.” “What are you planning to do by knowing where I’m headed?” “Well, I thought I might come along and keep you company— Hey, where are you going!” As I disregarded him and attempted to continue walking, Gu Sun hurriedly came up to me and blocked my path. “Hey, you’ve got to finish your conversation before you leave.” “What’s the meaning of this?” “What do you mean, what’s the meaning? We’re family now, right? That’s what brothers and sisters do—hang out and get close.” “Who decided we’re family?” “When we share blood, that makes us family.” “….” What utter nonsense. “I’m willing to listen to Madame Jin’s words, so there’s no need for this forced interaction.” “What are you talking about?” “I’ll join dinner; I’ll do what’s required. You don’t need to cling to me with this so-called familial bond that doesn’t exist.” Perhaps he had already received a prior word from Jin Yeon-ryeong. Stuff like instructing him to act as a brother or something similar, I presumed. Otherwise, I couldn’t figure out what might have driven Gu Sun to act like this. Smack-! “…!” Suddenly, my head was rattled by a sharp smack. Gu Sun had hit the top of my head out of nowhere. “What the…?” Startled, I hesitated. Even though I could have avoided it, I didn’t. It was because I couldn’t have anticipated such an action. “Seriously, such cheek! Who said I’m doing this because of Mother’s words? Do I look like someone who follows orders so obediently?” No, it didn't seem like that at all. “Then what is it?” Upon my inquiry about his intentions, Gu Sun snorted lightly and responded. “I find you interesting.” “What?” “Our little brother here—it looks like you have captured my interest. See, our dear brother… that stone-hearted person, seems very concerned about you?” “….” “And I find that so amusing. So, I thought I might stick around you a bit more. Just to find out why.” His reasoning was completely nonsensical. Just because our father took an interest in me, how does that spark his curiosity? ‘...I really would rather avoid getting tangled with him.’ It felt like he was the sort of person I should definitely steer clear of. “If that’s your reason, then I really have no intent to spend time—” “So, if you agree to hang out with me a little, I'll share a little secret about Brother's weakness.” “…A weakness?” Just as I was about to decline and walk away, the mention of a weakness against my father caught my attention, my curiosity piqued instantly. A weakness, really? Did Father even have such a thing? Even as my doubts lingered, I found myself biting at the bait. Seeing my interest, Gu Sun beamed a knowing smile. “Yeah, a weakness.” Her smile carried an air of assurance, as if certain I wouldn't be able to refuse.