Si-yul opened his mouth, then paused for a second to think.
He had hastily thrown together an excuse, but he had judged the situation instantly and arrived at the optimal conclusion. No one could detect even a hint of hesitation from him.
Not even Hae-in, who had been looking at him questioningly alongside Tae-il.
Especially Tae-il, who was so taken in by Si-yul’s natural demeanor that he couldn’t even begin to suspect anything.
“…My younger sister.”
Honestly, he would’ve preferred to say “girlfriend,” but if he had, Hae-in would never have let it slide.
On the other hand, calling her just a junior he knew felt… off. He didn’t want Hae-in to come off as the type of woman who casually entered a man’s house.
More than anything, in the long run, this was the safest answer. After all, she clung to him like a puppy, always going “Kang, Kang!”
“Ahh, that’s why she looked familiar. Now that I look closely, you two do resemble each other…”
“Y-yes! That must be it,” Hae-in replied, barely exhaling the breath she’d been holding.
Tae-il seemed hazy on the details—after all, it had been a few months—but on the night Hae-in had run away from home, Tae-il had glimpsed her face while she was applying ointment to him.
Now, she’d ended up as Si-yul’s younger sister. It was a nearly perfect lie.
And Hae-in was once again awed by Si-yul’s effortless coolness.
Seriously, I wish I could be like him.
“I’m Shin Tae-il,” he said politely.
But that led to the next obstacle.
The well-mannered Tae-il held out his hand, introducing himself with a handshake.
Oh no. Crap.
Hae-in instinctively reached out her hand, even as her mind went completely blank.
Because of the curse cast by the Reaper, she couldn’t say a single word about herself as a human.
“I’m…”
A fake name. I need a fake name.
Kim Young-hee? Lee Chul-soo?
She was on the verge of blurting out a ridiculous alias when Si-yul cut in, sliding his hand between theirs and grabbing hers.
Then he pulled her toward him and smoothly said,
“Kang Si-yeon.”
As expected, he was both experienced and sharp. He had instantly realized, just from her flustered stammering, that she had no fake name ready.
“Ah, Si-yeon. Nice to meet you. But, Hyung, aren’t you being a bit too protective of your sister?”
Though he had every reason to feel awkward, Tae-il only made the comment in passing.o
He didn’t seem particularly upset about the interrupted handshake. Instead, he scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh. The sight made Hae-in feel even more embarrassed.
What the heck was that? He offered a handshake!
She glared daggers at Si-yul, but he was as strict as ever.
This was a golden opportunity—a perfect disguise.
A role that allowed them to interact naturally.
Fine, whatever. This could work.
Si-yul had been momentarily annoyed by the unexpected situation but quickly decided to make use of it.
“She’s precious to me, after all.”
“Right, I remember you mentioning a younger sister. You said she was a dentist…?”
“No, that’s Si-young.”
“The one who comes by the hospital and nags you to buy her things?”
“That’s also Si-young.”
Huh?
Hae-in suddenly remembered the small, lively girl she’d seen outside the hospital that night. The girl had also pestered Si-yul to buy her something…
“How old is she?”
“Twenty… seven.”
Si-yul made up a number. The actual age was higher, but since he shaved a few years off, Hae-in didn’t mind.
“Then she’s younger than me.”
Tae-il’s tone turned flat. He was strangely unfriendly when it came to women.
He always kept a clear distance.
Even when the head nurses at the animal clinic made overt moves, he didn’t pay them the slightest attention.
Hae-in, as his pet cat, had heard their sighs of frustration many times.
Sure enough, Tae-il soon lost interest in Hae-in and shifted his attention.
“But Hyung, where’s that clingy cat of yours?”
“Oh… probably hiding because of Si-yeon. She doesn’t like strangers.”
“Really?”
“She’s completely vanished. Not a trace.”
Si-yul put on a smile. Tae-il looked puzzled but didn’t press further.
“Now that I think about it, Ha-eun didn’t like her either. Maybe she just doesn’t like women.”
“Some animals are like that. Others only dislike men. Every animal’s got their own personality.”
Hae-in flinched every time the two men exchanged lines. Si-yul, as calm as ever, patted her on the shoulder and tilted his chin toward Tae-il.
“Weren’t you supposed to be late today?”
“Yeah, my modeling schedule got all tangled. Another model bailed, so we’re scrambling to replace her. I stopped by to grab my lenses and regroup.”
“Got it.”
“And tonight’s an all-night shoot, so I’ll be heading out again soon.”
Thank goodness.
Hae-in’s eyes sparkled as she spotted a chance to escape.
“Sorry I didn’t tell you my sister was coming. She got worried after I said I was freeloading here, so she insisted on checking in. I told her she could stop by.”
“Freeloading? You pay rent, don’t you?”
Si-yul had insisted on paying rent, even though Tae-il had tried to refuse. He wasn’t the type to owe anyone anything.
“Oh, by the way, Hyung, isn’t that a bit too much curry? Looks like five servings at least.”
“Ah, the curry.”
“I turned off the stove.”
“Thanks. Curry tastes best after it’s rested. You can freeze it and reheat it later. I always make extra.”
“I see. Then, would it be okay if I joined for dinner—assuming your sister’s not uncomfortable?”
What the hell?!
Hae-in panicked. She was already dying to get out of this situation, and now he wanted her to eat curry?
Tae-il clearly assumed she and Si-yul were planning to eat together. A big misunderstanding, to say the least.
“She’s just a bit shy…”
“Ah, then I’ll be quick and get going. You two enjoy your meal.”
By all appearances, Tae-il had stopped by simply to eat. And this was his house.
Hae-in had no choice but to step up and force herself to play along.
“I-I’ll eat! I’ll eat! Jeez… O-Oppa, why would you say something like that and make me sound weird?”
“…You’ll eat?”
Oppa?
Si-yul’s eyebrow twitched. Hae-in’s lips twitched just as awkwardly.
“Of course!”
It was a crooked smile.
Fine, I’ll eat your damn curry. With tears in my eyes.
Whether he knew what she was feeling or not, Tae-il asked:
“Are you sure you’re comfortable? I can just grab something on the way out.”
“Not at all. I was just… thrown off earlier since Oppa wasn’t around. I’m not usually like that. Right, Oppa?”
Oh, come on…
As Hae-in looked up at him and called him Oppa, Si-yul realized exactly why calling her his “sister” was a terrible idea.
No matter how pretty those lips looked when they called him Oppa… he couldn’t kiss them.
Damn it. Should’ve thought this through.
Ding-dong!
Just then, the doorbell rang.
All three turned to look toward the entrance.
Who else could it be?
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
It was shaping up to be a strange dinner.
It was awkward enough that Hae-in—currently in human form—was eating curry. But now there were three men at the table with her.
Si-yul, playing the role of her oppa.
Tae-il, his roommate.
And now, Kim Gi-do—Tae-il’s friend and manager from his entertainment company.
Gi-do had shown up to help out after Tae-il’s original modeling plans fell through. Naturally, he’d invited himself to dinner too.
“Wow, your sister is really cute, Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“You two kinda look alike… but also not really.”
Gi-do had met Si-yul a few times before, so there was no awkwardness there.
Apparently fond of curry, he immediately joined them at the table and seemed quite taken with Si-yul’s “younger sister,” who was currently using the alias Kang Si-yeon.
“I’ve looked everywhere, but I still can’t find the clingy cat.”
Having finished eating first, Tae-il was now busy searching every corner for the mysterious feline.
He must have thought the cat was hiding somewhere deep, but there was no way she’d be found—because she was currently sitting at the dining table, eating curry.
I’m gonna cry.
Hae-in felt like she was sitting on a bed of nails.
“She’s probably holed up somewhere. Want another plate?” Si-yul asked.
“No, I’m full, thanks.”
Tae-il gave that reply and disappeared toward the back veranda to continue the search.
It was Hae-in’s first real meal in three months—and she could already tell she was going to get indigestion.
Ugh, this is torture.
She was terrible at lying, and the stress kept stabbing at her chest like a needle.
“You’re a college student, right?”
“Uh… yeah.”
“I think I heard you were in med school.”
Hae-in had never even touched a med school campus. But everyone at that table knew the Kang family was full of doctors.
They were a group that gathered often these days—and Hae-in had attended those gatherings too, though always in cat form.
“I bet you’re really popular at school.”
“…Not at all.”
“Ever thought about modeling?”
Gi-do was clearly interested. Hae-in didn’t know why this guy was suddenly trying to recruit her.
“Not really…”
“You’ve got a unique charm. You’d be perfect for a magazine shoot.”
“I’m short.”
“But your proportions are great. Long limbs, small face. I think you’d do well, Si-yeon.”
Gi-do was persistent.
If she’d still been in her cat form, she would’ve ignored him entirely. But as a human, she had to at least fake a polite smile.
As she forced one out, Si-yul cut in smoothly.
“Hey. Back off.”
“Think about it, Hyung. A cute med student doing modeling? People would eat that up.”
“We don’t do that in my family.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Not insulting the profession. It’s just… my family’s pretty old-fashioned. They don’t like jobs that sell your face.”
Gi-do’s interest in Hae-in was clear—he was drawn to her unique presence and wanted to use her as a model. Si-yul, naturally, was guarding her.
The tension at the table began to spike. It was inevitable—neither Si-yul nor Gi-do was the type to sugarcoat things.
“Aww, K-Kang Oppa? Don’t be like that…”
Sensing the shift, Hae-in immediately leaned in closer to Si-yul, pressing her body against him and wrapping her arms around his.
Then she nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder.
It was an instinctive act—a feline behavior used to de-escalate conflict.
Don’t fight, don’t fight…
She caught Tae-il’s eye as he returned from the kitchen, flinched, and quickly looked away.
But both Tae-il and Gi-do saw her clinging to Si-yul and assumed they were simply… really close siblings.
No wonder he’s so protective.
Their assumption was reinforced when Si-yul, whose brow had been furrowed in irritation, immediately relaxed under Hae-in’s affectionate gesture.
“…You really love your sister, huh, Hyung? Don’t push it, Gi-do.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it. My bad.”
“Nah. I was being too sensitive. Sorry.”
With Tae-il’s return, the mood noticeably improved.
Hae-in desperately wanted a cold drink.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
They were finally nearing the end of this dinner from hell.
The awkward atmosphere had mostly dissipated thanks to Hae-in’s little display of affection, and now she’d offered to do the dishes—an excuse to escape to the kitchen.
She had no memory of how the curry even tasted. She’d been so nervous the whole time, just waiting for someone to ask her a question.
Deliberately keeping the water pressure low, she washed the dishes slowly, hoping Tae-il and Gi-do would finish their post-dinner coffee and leave.
Only then could she slip away too.
“Hey, Tae-il. What about the company’s anniversary party next month? You got a date? I doubt Ha-eun’s going with you this year.”
“Hmm… I guess I’ll have to find someone.”
Even while washing dishes, Hae-in’s ears caught every word. She wasn’t trying to eavesdrop—it just happened.
“That’s the model friend, right?”
“Yeah, you haven’t met her yet?”
“I’ve just heard about her. You three’ve been close since high school, right?”
Si-yul replied without much interest as he sipped his coffee. But his gaze remained fixed on Hae-in, who was visibly tense at the sink.
“She’s got a new boyfriend now. Looks like she plans to go with him to the anniversary party this year.”
“Ohh, so it’s a couple event?”
“Pretty much. And our boy Tae-il here has no partner—only two weeks left.”
“It’s fine. I’ll just go alone.”
“Dude, you’re seriously going to end up with people thinking you’re gay.”
Gi-do, ever the blunt one, said what others wouldn’t.
Si-yul even spilled some of his coffee at that, flinching.
Not that I haven’t wondered myself…
“Relax, Hyung. He’s not gay, I promise.”
“…I know. Just… figured it might be a really long crush or something.”
“You know?”
“Yeah, he told me.”
“That’s surprising. I didn’t think he’d tell anyone.”
“It came up when I tried setting him up with someone. Just kind of happened.”
Hae-in nearly dropped a plate.
Oh god.
She already knew who the girl was—her.
Completely unaware of this, Gi-do gave Si-yul a thumbs-up.
“Nice! You’re a real bro, Hyung. So, when do I meet this girl? Let’s save this guy already.”
“She’s got a boyfriend now.”
“Damn. That’s a shame.”
“Honestly, I’m fine.”
“Oh, for—! Everyone at work thinks you’re gay, and you’re ‘fine’?”
Tae-il was every bit the guy who made for an ideal first love.
He wasn’t overly friendly, but he had integrity, charm, and good looks. He was tall, well-built, and even rumored to come from a wealthy family.
Naturally, plenty of women wanted him. But none had managed to win him over—hence the rumors.
“GAY!”
“What the hell, man? Are you cursing me or something?”
The only woman Tae-il was seen with was Ha-eun, and their relationship was clearly platonic.
“Then just take someone. Plenty of women would jump at the chance.”
“Hmm… but asking just anyone feels disrespectful. I don’t want to give the wrong impression.”
“God, you’re impossible. You know most married couples started as ‘just anyone,’ right?!”
“…What if she gets the wrong idea? Thinks I’m serious or something. I don’t want to mislead anyone.”
Gi-do groaned in frustration, while Si-yul glanced again at Hae-in—still at the sink, still listening.
That cat over there… she’s got it bad for Tae-il too. Sucker for the kind, gentlemanly type, huh?
That was not a category Si-yul fell into.
After a moment of thought, Si-yul suddenly grinned and clapped Tae-il on the shoulder.
“When’s the anniversary party again?”
“Next month. On the 8th.”
“Perfect. Take her.”
“…Huh?”
Everyone could see that “her” meant Hae-in—still going by Kang Si-yeon, his so-called sister.
She nearly dropped the dish sponge. Si-yul had pointed at her with a spoon.
“Wha—K-Kang Oppa?! What the hell are you saying?!”
“She’s single, has time to spare, and doesn’t hold grudges. Ideal, right?”
“No matter how you put it, Hyung…”
“Oppaaaa?!”
“Don’t grit your teeth like that. Just think of it as doing me a favor. It’s one day.”
I swear to God, you are the most frustrating creature on earth.
Her hands trembled around the dishcloth.
Could you at least TALK to me before volunteering me for stuff? And what even IS your motive?!
“You’re okay with it, right?” Si-yul said. “She won’t expect anything. No strings attached.”
“If she’s fine with it, I don’t mind…”
“She’s not going to have any other plans, guaranteed. Just think of her as your one-day assistant.”
Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.
Hae-in clenched the dishcloth tight.
“Honestly, this is a little uncomfortable. I just met her today—”
“I owe you a lot, that’s all.”
“I’m really fine, though—”
“HE’S FINE, I’M FINE, WE’RE ALL FINE! I’LL GO! I’LL GO! THREE TIMES IF I HAVE TO!”
Hae-in exploded.
Screw it. One fake date won’t kill me.
If she couldn’t avoid it, she might as well just go with it.
“…It’s just one date,” Si-yul added, eyes sharp as blades. “And Tae-il? You better behave. That’s my precious sister you’re taking.”
So much for “no strings.”
You’re the one offering me up like a prize, and now you’re laying down rules?
“You’ll go, then?”
“YES! I’LL GO!”
By now, it was too late to back out. Tae-il gave a small nod. He had a feeling it’d all fizzle out if he didn’t accept on the spot.
But it wouldn’t.
Because this wasn’t just a favor—this was a challenge Si-yul had thrown down.
With full confidence, he declared:
“A woman needs to date lots of men while she’s young. That’s how you learn to spot a good one. You know… someone like me.”
Now THAT was confidence taken to a whole new level.
