Se-hee stood frozen at the door for a while. Her expression was unreadable but as soon as it came it disappeared. A smile forced its way onto her lips as she announced.
"I brought food." She said as she placed the bags of food on the dining table before walking down the three steps towards Jae-wook and Sung-hoon..
They were both still seated awkwardly and were avoiding eye contact.
"What is going on?" Her voice came out in a teasing manner but she was far from it.
Her eyes danced between the two of them as she say down on the sofa.
"What did you bring?" Sung-hoon asked as he tried to divert the question. He stood up and walked towards the bags.
"I saw a delivery man at the gate and paid for the food. Plus I had already bought some for you." She said smiling as she approached Sung-hoon.
She had this endearing look of love and admiration everytime she looked at him.
"That's great." Sung-hoon said with a smile as he took some of the bags and walked with them to the kitchen." Are you staying over for dinner?" Sung-hoon asked as he unpacked the food.
"I wish I could but I can't I just came to check on Jae-wook and update him on a few stuff. " she said her eyes trailing from Sung-hoon to Jae-wook who was seated silently purposely avoiding her eye contact.
"On that note." She said walking towards the stairs "Jae-wook can we please talk I have something to tell you."
"Is everything okay?" Sung-hoon asked concern in his voice.
"Yah it's just about work." She said forcing a smile.
She walked up the stairs her footsteps a bit angry. Jae-wook slowly got up and followed behind her. His heart was racing a bit. There have only been a few instances where Se-hee was angry and he definitely did not want to be at the other end of it. She was one of the most important people in his life and he would do anything not to hurt her.
Sung-hoon looked at Jae-wook's form as he went up the stairs. He let out a breath as he leaned his hands on the counter trying to catch his breath. Events of what transpired before Se-hee came in run through his mind and he could feel his heart beat even faster.
Their faces had been so close. If Se-hee hadn't come in he didn't know what would have happened.
He let out another breath calming himself as he continued unpacking the food and sorting it out. Se-hee often asked her mother to prepare some side dishes and she would send them over to him. He was more than happy to eat them. He had never really had any homemade food. He envied Se-hee for having the opportunity to feel such love from her mother.
Upstairs in the studie room Jae-wook closed the door carefully behind him. He wanted to run. Run away instead of facing what was about to come.
"How are you?" She asked as she turned to face Jae-wook who looked away immediacy.
"I an fine. I had some medicine. " He said after clearing his voice.
"That's good." Se-hee stated before she stood there silently looking at Jae-wook. She was visibly angry but she was looking for a way to say it without shouting.
"What is going on between you two?" Se-hee asked calmly which only added to Jae-wook's nerves. .
"Nothing. " He answered he tried to come out confident but Se-hee being Se-hee could sense the hesitation in his voice which confirmed her doubts.
Se-hee and jae-wook had grown up together. When they faced any problem they would rely on each other. They went ho the same school and supported each other. Even when Jae-wook decided to change schools and told her to change with him she agreed. They met Lee while in middle school he was homeschooled but the three of them got close together quickly. They met him while they were playing and invited him over to play seeing as he was lonely.
Among the three of them they feared Se-hee the most. They cared a lot about her and seeing her angry although Lee was mostly at the other end of receiving the outburst was not something they wanted. But they always reconciled. They gave her everything she wanted while she was there for them through thick and thin and they in turn returned her love. They admired her and they felt lucky to be on the receiving end of such love.
But today was different. She wasn't having an outburst but was silent.
"Would you like to try that again?" She asked her tone a laced with evident anger.
Jae-wook let out a defeated sigh as he looked down.
"There is something...." He started he looked up to see Se-hee looking at him attentively waiting for him to continue.
"Are you together?" She asked after prolonged silence between them.
"No." Jae-wook answered almost immediately.
"Jae-wook we talked about this you know what he means to me." She said blatantly but her tone was still low not wanting to attract Sung-hoon's attention to them.
"I know."
"Are you serious about this...about him?" She asked her voice a bit tender.
Silence followed which added to Se-hee's frustration.
"Look Jae-wook you know I will always support you with everything even whatever you have going going on with Lee I have not asked or complained. But if you are not sure about him don't give him hope." She said her voice stern and serious.
Jae-wook stood silent. He knew why she was so defensive about Sung-hoon she had told him when he went missing from the hospital.
She had been invited to study further on a research in a university abroad but she had delayed her plans looking for Sung-hoon. She had gone through so much looking for him and one day she told him. She told him why she was looking so hard for Sung-hoon. After talking he was able to convince her to go abroad but them she came back before her research was done just because she saw him on TV. She invested money into Sung-hoon's company to give him a hand in pursuing his dreams like she did.
"He has gone through enough already. "
"I understand. " Jae-wook said in a low voice.
Se-hee nodded her head.
"I brought you a herbal remedie you better drink it. I don't want you getting sick again." She said as she walked towards the door. Her tone lighter. But her heart was heavy.
She wasn't one to scold Jae-wook. She mostly left him do what he wanted but she had to set boundaries when it came to Sung-hoon otherwise both of them would be hurt. She knew something was going on when Jae-wook decided to stay at the house on his days off but didn't think much of it. But today she saw it with her own eyes. The way they looked at each other. She didn't think they knew themselves.
She wasn't telling him not to purse him she just wanted to make sure when he did decide to enter into something with Sung-hoon he was ready for it.
Over the years she had been by Jae-wook's side she had seen a lot and she knew he needed someone that was not her. Someone his heart called out to and she understood that. But after everything Sung-hoon had been through she had an obligation to protect him.
"When are you going to tell him?" Jae-wook asked as Se-hee held the door knob ready to leave. "That your his sister?"
Se-hee let out a sigh.
"Soon." She said her voice unsure and distant. She smiled at jae-wook before walking out of the study.