(The bustling streets were filled with chatter, the scent of freshly baked bread wafting from nearby shops. Under the golden afternoon sun, a pair of siblings strolled along, shopping bags swaying with every step.)
Soo Ah: "Oppa! Let me treat you to something as thanks for buying me this dress!"
Jin Wook: (Casually waves his hand)"Don't worry about it. You can have anything you want—I'll pay."
(A faint smile tugged at Jin Wook's lips, but his heart weighed heavy. His thoughts drifted to the past—to Yul. The regret that gnawed at him in his previous life still lingered.)
Jin Wook (thinking): "In my past life, I couldn't do anything for Yul… But this time, I won't make the same mistake. I'll do whatever I can for her."
Soo Ah: (Narrowing her eyes suspiciously)"Oppa… seriously. How much money do you even have?"
Jin Wook: (Scoffs)"Not telling. If I do, you won't be able to keep it from Mom and Dad."
Soo Ah: (Grinning mischievously)"I swear on my brand-new dress, I won't tell anyone!"
(Jin Wook paused, contemplating. Should he? After a moment of hesitation, he sighed and pulled out his phone.)
Jin Wook: "Fine. But you have to keep it a secret. And no questions about where it came from, okay?"
Soo Ah: (Nods eagerly)"Deal!"
(Jin Wook turned his phone screen towards her. Soo Ah leaned in—then froze. Her eyes widened. Her jaw slackened. She blinked once. Twice. And then—)
Soo Ah: (Practically shrieking)"O-Oppa… WHAT THE—?!"
(Jin Wook pressed a finger to her lips, shushing her before people started gathering around.)
Jin Wook: (Sighs)"Don't look at me like that. I didn't rob a bank, and I'm not doing anything illegal."
Soo Ah: (Still processing the ungodly number on the screen)"If you say so… I'll trust you."(Pauses, then smirks slyly)"But hey, when are you gonna get a sister-in-law for me?"
Jin Wook: (Blinks)"…Sister-in-law?"
Soo Ah: (Grinning)"Yeah! Don't you have anyone you like?"
(Jin Wook stiffened. A fleeting image appeared in his mind—her warm smile, her voice calling his name. But she was far away now. Out of reach.)
Jin Wook: (Quietly)"…Nope."
Soo Ah: (Scoffs, crossing her arms)"Seriously? With that face? You're telling me there's not a single girl interested in you?"
Jin Wook: (Frowns)"What's that supposed to mean?!"
Soo Ah: (Winking)"It means you're lying, oppa~ But fine. If you ever do like someone, you have to introduce her to me first. Otherwise…"(grins wickedly)"I'll tell everyone my great big brother, who totally can't get a girlfriend, hacked a bank!"
Jin Wook: (Glares)"You little—!"
At the Café
(The two arrived at a cozy café, the aroma of coffee filling the air. They took their seats, Jin Wook pulling out a menu.)
Jin Wook: "Alright, order whatever you wa—"
(A voice from the next table caught his attention.)
???: "Hey, what's wrong? You look down today."
???: "Yeah, you don't seem like yourself. Did something happen?"
(Jin Wook's gaze drifted toward the voice. A girl sat with her friends, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. She smiled at them—but something about that smile felt… off. Forced. As if she was hiding something beneath it.)
Girl: (Softly)"It's nothing… My family is just forcing me to marry someone I don't like."
Friend 1: (Excitedly)"But he's rich and handsome!"
Friend 2: (Teasing)"She doesn't care about that! She already has someone~~~"
Girl: (Blushing, flustered)"Hey, stop it! Let's just eat."
(Jin Wook felt something stir in his chest. A strange feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. His heart… quickened.)
(Beside him, Soo Ah raised an eyebrow, noticing his sudden distraction. And then, a devilish grin crept onto her face.)
Soo Ah: (Whispering, teasing)"Oppa… do you like her?"
Jin Wook: (Startled, almost choking on his drink)"H-Huh?! What are you talking about?!"
Soo Ah: (Pointing directly at the girl)"I mean her! Do you like her?"
(At that exact moment, as if the universe itself had decided to make things more awkward, the girl looked up—right at Jin Wook. Their eyes met. A fleeting second passed. Then, as if struck by lightning, both of them quickly turned away, pretending nothing had happened.)
Soo Ah: (Grinning like a cat that just caught a canary)"Ooooh~ Oppa, she was looking at you~~!"
Jin Wook: (Flustered, waving her off)"She probably just noticed you pointing at her, dummy!"
Soo Ah: "Nope~ She was looking at you!"
(Jin Wook exhaled sharply, trying to ignore the way his heart still thumped in his chest.)
Jin Wook (thinking): "What… is this feeling?"
Meanwhile…
(The girl subtly peeked at Jin Wook from the corner of her eye. She bit her lip, as if trying to suppress something strange stirring within her.)
Girl (thinking): "Just now… what was that?"
Friends: (Snickering)"Hey, what's wrong? Why aren't you eating?"
Girl: (Snaps out of it, clearing her throat)"Ah—nothing!"
Friends: (Pointing at Jin Wook, teasing)"Tell us the truth! Why were you looking at him? Do you like him?"
Girl: (Blushes slightly, avoiding eye contact)"No… I just… thought he looked… handsome, that's all."
Friends: (Dramatic gasps)"Ooooh, so you do think he's handsome! Are you love-struck just from looking at him?!"
Girl: (Flustered, swatting them playfully)"Hey! Stop teasing me! Let's just eat, okay?!"
Friends: (Laughing)"Haha! Don't ignore us~ Don't ignore us~!"
(After finishing their food, Jin Wook and Soo Ah left the café, but his mind remained elsewhere. His heart still felt… odd. Like something had changed. Something he wasn't ready to admit just yet.)
Lingering Thoughts at Home
(After leaving the café, Jin Wook and Soo Ah returned home. The sky had darkened, city lights flickering to life as the day turned into evening. But even after stepping through the front door, Jin Wook's mind remained elsewhere. The girl's face, her voice, the way their eyes met—it replayed over and over like a scene stuck on repeat.)
(Inside, the warm scent of home-cooked food filled the air. Their mother, dressed in her usual apron, stood by the kitchen, stirring a pot. At the table, their father sat with his newspaper, while their younger brother, Min Joon, was busy playing on his phone.)
Mom: (Smiling as she sees them enter)"Oh! You two are back. Did you have fun today?"
Soo Ah: (Grinning as she plops down onto the couch)"Yup! Oppa bought me a new dress, and I even got to see something interesting today~"
Jin Wook: (Snaps out of his daze, narrowing his eyes suspiciously)"…What do you mean by 'interesting'?"
Soo Ah: (Smirks knowingly)"Oh, nothing~ Just that oppa was staring at a girl today and completely lost in thought~!"
Jin Wook: (Coughs, nearly choking on air)"H-Hey! That's not what happened!"
Dad: (Lowering his newspaper, now paying attention)"A girlfriend?"
Mom: (Eyes lighting up, rushing over with excitement)"Really?! My son has a girlfriend?!"
Jin Wook: (Groans, rubbing his forehead)"No! I don't!"
Soo Ah: (Grinning as she leans closer to their mom)"Not yet, but he totally likes someone. His heart was pounding so hard, I could hear it from across the table~"
Jin Wook: (Glares at her)"You are so annoying."
Mom: (Giggling, clapping her hands together)"Aigoo~ My son is finally growing up! Who is she? Where is she from? What does she do?"
Jin Wook: (Exasperated, slumping onto the couch)"There's no one! Stop getting ahead of yourselves!"
(But even as he said that, his mind betrayed him. He remembered the way her eyes held that faint sadness, the way she forced a smile in front of her friends. And most of all, the strange feeling in his chest that hadn't left since.)
Jin Wook (thinking): "Why am I even thinking about this? I just saw her once. It's nothing… Right?"
(Soo Ah watched her brother closely. Then, with a sly smile, she leaned in and whispered—)
Soo Ah: (Teasingly)"Oppa… you're blushing~"
Jin Wook: (Snaps up, grabbing a cushion to throw at her)"Go to your room!!"
(Their home was filled with laughter that night, but Jin Wook—lying in bed, staring at the ceiling—couldn't shake off that lingering feeling. For the first time since regressing… someone had managed to make his heart race.)