The tender rays of the sun touched Youngjae's silvery, fair skin. His long lashes glistered as he stared at her. The fragrance of the meadow harmonized with the icy air, but his eyes gave her warmth and it lost her in her stargaze.
"Will you be my sperm donor?" Sun Hee whispered.
"What?"
She blinked as her lips parted.
"Oh, did I say it out loud? I was talking to myself."
She avoided his gaze and walked ahead of him. Sun Hee shook her head and tapped her cheeks. Her stubborn mind almost put her in shame.
"Ugh... I'm hungry," he said.
"Where should we eat?"
"I'm craving pizza. Let's go to Darobe."
A few minutes later, they arrived at the crowded restaurant famous for their oven-baked pizza. They were auspicious enough to have one available table for two. They ordered the popular Calzone Pizza.
"Do you think Min Jee's eating right now?" he asked.
"I can only assure you of one thing. She will never let herself starve," she replied before devouring an entire piece of pizza.
"Well, unless she's crying over a man. When she broke up with Daewon, she's desolated. She's like a ghost with purple eyes who seeks revenge."
"Purple?"
"It has a lot of symbols — independence, nobility, luxury, dignity, creativity... that jerk had lost a lot in one person," he said.
"Wow. You're cool," she mumbled.
"I was in between them. Daewon and I have become pretty close because of their 5-year relationship. He got drunk and told me everything. I pity him but no one can change my sister's mind."
She glanced at the window.
"Daewon and I are close too. But I was by her side when you were with him. I cannot blame any of them for how it ended," she said in a gloomy mood.
"No matter how much I wanted to beat the shit out of him, I couldn't do it... Poor thing."
He sighed.
"Daewon wants her back, and he asked for my help. What do you say?" she said.
"She turned him into a changed man. I won't stand on your way, but I'll keep her safe."
In an instant, an idea went up to her mind.
"By the way, do you think Min Jee is around the corner of this place?" she said.
"Why do you think we're here? I know her. We'll find her soon."
"Then I know her better than you. She wanted to be alone and I'm sure she needs us out of her sight," she said.
His brows crossed.
"Are you telling me she lured me? Her one and only brother? Who cares so much for her?" he said in a dramatic tone.
"You're overreacting. You're annoying her," she said.
"That's so rude of you."
"What? That's the truth. She used to tell me how irritating you could get. You being overprotective gets on her nerves sometimes," she said in a casual tone.
"That's abhorrent."
"It's alright. I envy her for having a brother like you. It's boring to grow up without siblings," she said.
Sun Hee swallowed the last piece of pizza and left some stains on the sides of her mouth. He smirked and pulled out some tissues to wipe them away.
"Don't eat too fast, dumbass. Should I take care of you too? It's fun to have a lot of sisters," he said.
Her body hardened, and her face turned red. Her heart recognized an obscure feeling she never felt before.
"Don't touch me," she said in a low tone.
"Why is your face turning red?"
"It turns red every time I'm annoyed."
"Is that so? Or you're just not used to compliments?"
He teased.
"Compliment? Which part?"
"The dumbass."
Her lips curled into a sneer.
"You know what? I'm taking my word back. I don't want a brother like you. Now I know how much suffering you caused her."
"Hey, you're hitting below the belt. I'm still older than you. Watch your mouth. As I think about it, you girls are so much alike. You're a bunch of agitators," he said in an absurd tone.
She glared at him in exasperation while he hid a little laughter.
***
The shoreline crashed through crystalline marbles as the rapid wind struck Min Jee's hair. The rushing tides sang a pleasant symphony. Her eyes flinched as the hot rays of the sun smacked her skin. When she opened her eyes, Dong Joon's sophisticated face welcomed her. She passed out after knowing who he was.
She lifted her body and stared into space.
"I guess it was a dream," she whispered.
"What dream? Me being Dong Joon? Wait, I am Dong Joon. I don't get it. Did I come out of the comic book?" he said.
Her eyes widened.
"Hey! Stop kidding me," she said in a skeptical tone.
"Whatever it is, we have to figure it out. Anyway, let's go back."
They were silent on their way home. She had a lot in mind, while he didn't know what to do. Only the swooshing air served as their music, and the blossoming trees cuddled them with solace.
Min Jee stopped the car at the coffee shop, and he walked out without a word. She drove straight home and took a hot shower. She was still wearing a bathrobe when she landed her body on the bed.
"He's Dong Joon? What sorcery is this?" she said.
She opened her laptop and searched for circumstances the same as hers, but there were none. Authors molded characters from their imagination, experiences, and beliefs. Sometimes actual people inspire them to be created. But characters coming out of a book were inconceivable.
A doorbell disturbed her from focusing on what she was reading. She already texted Youngjae that she went home safe and sound. Min Jee doesn't need his nagging because she's exhausted and confused. Her brows lowered and pulled closer together as she pressed the passcode.
"I told you not to be here!"
It startled her to see someone she wasn't expecting. A tall man was holding luggage, and it wasn't her brother.
"What... What are you doing here?" she asked.
"My boss fired me for not coming back to the cafe for hours. I have nowhere to go," he said.
"So what? Why are you here?"
She lifted an eyebrow.
"Can I crash inside your house?" he said with hopeful eyes.
"What? No way. This is not a rehabilitation center."
"But you are my creator. You wrote the story of my life, especially the painful ones. This is the least you could do to take responsibility," he said.
To her surprise, he pushed the door and went inside unannounced.