Lee Yu-min got up from bed and stretched to relax his heavy body. His head was clear and his body was in perfect condition. He was worried because it rained a lot in the morning, but when he looked out the window, the weather was clear and sunny.
Today is a really important day. I feel like all the hard work I've put in for the past few days, no, for the past year, has paid off, and today I'm in really the best condition.
Today is the day of the college entrance exam. Considering Yumin's grades, if he just takes care of his condition well and there are no special variables, he can easily get into a top university in Seoul.
Yumin went to the bathroom, washed her face briefly, and then headed to the living room. There, her mother and her younger sister, who was still a middle school student, were already preparing dinner.
"Yumin. Are you awake? It'll be over soon. Come and sit down."
"Yes, Mother."
"Brother. I made the scrambled eggs today."
"Okay. Thank you."
The woman who was giving Yumin a warm smile right now was not Yumin's real mother. Likewise, the lively and cute younger sister who was in her second year of middle school was not his real sister.
Yumin lost his mother when he was young. His mother and younger sister, who are now his mother, became one family two years ago when his father remarried. His mother, who had been alone, came to our house with her only daughter, and we became one family.
Although they had only been together for two years, Yumin thought of her as his real mother and younger sister. Rather than the real mother he couldn't remember, his current mother felt like his real mother.
Of course, the same goes for his lovely younger sister. Yumin was an only child and always wanted to have an older sister or younger sister. Perhaps the best thing about his father remarrying was that he had a younger sister?
It seemed that his father had come to work earlier than usual today because of the college entrance exam. Yumin sat down at the table. Perhaps because it was a special day, the food on the table seemed to have been carefully prepared.
Yumin first tasted the egg roll that her younger sister had been bragging about. Was it because she lived alone with her mother before remarriage? Her younger sister was good at cooking for her age. The color, chewy texture, and nutrition of the finely chopped carrots, onions, and green onions looked good. Of course, it tasted good too.
"Hey, what do you think?"
"Gayoung's egg rolls are always the best. They're delicious."
"lol…."
After finishing a delicious and nutritious meal, Yumin packed her bag and headed to the front door. Her mother and younger sister followed her to the front door to see her off.
"Brother. Fighting!"
"Yumina. If you just do as you always have, you'll get good results."
"Yes. I will be back."
The place where the college entrance exam was held today was the middle school that Yumin graduated from. It is located across a low mountain from Yumin's house.
It takes over 20 minutes including the time it takes to walk to the bus stop and catch the bus, but if you walk over the mountain, you can get there in 15 minutes.
Although he was not pressed for time and had left early, Yu Min wanted to breathe in the mountain air and relieve his tension, so he set off on the mountain path.
There is only a narrow road on the mountain behind here that can only accommodate one person and a small temple on the top of the mountain, so there are usually hardly any people coming and going.
Yumin climbed the mountain along a quiet, deserted road. The road was rutted in places due to the rain that had fallen in the early morning, and here and there, large rocks rolled down from the mountain ridge could be seen.
"Did I come to the mountain road for nothing? I should have just taken the bus."
Yumin walked on dry ground as much as possible to avoid getting his shoes wet. The path gradually became steeper as he got closer to the top of the mountain.
A car caught Yumin's eye. The car, which appeared to be a black luxury sedan, had veered off the road and crashed into a tree on the side of the road.
It looked like an accident. Did it slip on the wet road? Or did the brakes fail? It must have hit it hard because the tree, which was thick enough for a grown man to hug with his arms outstretched, was half-leaning, and the front of the car was completely crushed.
Yumin ran quickly. The tinted windows of the car were so bad that you had to get right up close to see inside. There was one person in the driver's seat and one in the back seat. Both were so badly injured that they were losing consciousness.
Yumin wanted to open the door, but it was locked from the inside and wouldn't open. Yumin looked around quickly. He looked for something that could break the window.
Yumin picked up a stone of an appropriate size and broke the window to prevent anyone inside from getting hurt. Then, he unlocked the door and examined the two injured people.
For now, both were breathing. However, the person sitting in the back seat was bleeding heavily from a wound on his forehead. Yumin, who was still a high school student, could not possibly provide proper first aid. However, he could tell that it would be dangerous if he left it like this.
Yumin quickly took out a handkerchief and pressed it hard against the bleeding area. Then, with the other hand, she took out her cell phone and called 119.
Yumin quickly relayed the current location and situation and received a reply that they would be dispatched soon. Yumin looked at the handkerchief that was turning red and put more strength into his hand to stop the bleeding. It seemed like he wouldn't be able to let go until the 119 vehicle arrived.
Today is the day of the CSAT. I came out a little early, but it took more time than I expected to find the car in the accident, break the window, open the west door, and get to this point. If the 119 vehicle had arrived early, I would have barely made it to the test site.
Yumin was restless, worried about the test and about the person whose life was in danger. But all Yumin could do was put more strength into the hand covering the wound.
The long-awaited 119 vehicle has arrived. The mountain road leading here was narrow, and the rain that had poured down in the early morning had caused damage to the road here and there, as well as obstacles, so it arrived much later than expected.
The security personnel took the two patients out of the vehicle, administered emergency treatment, and loaded them into an ambulance.
After seeing the vehicle departing, Yumin quickly ran to the CSAT testing center.
Yumin arrived at the testing site out of breath, but it was already too late. The college entrance exam had already started, and Yumin could not enter the testing site. Yumin stood there blankly for a while, staring at the classroom being used as the testing site.
— - - - - - - - - - 4 years later ----------
Yumin finished writing her answers and got up from her seat and headed to the podium. Looking around, there weren't many people left. Students taking the exam for this class are largely divided into two groups. Those who just give up and hurry up and go, or those who use up all the time and struggle until the very end.
The exams for this course are that difficult. However, Yumin did not fall into either category. He was able to write all the answers with 10 minutes left before the end time.
"Have you solved the problem?"
"yes."
The teaching assistant for this lecture, Jeong Su-ji, looked at the answer sheet that Yu Min had handed in and was impressed. She would have to look at it closely to know, but probably all the answers were correct.
"Yumin. Will you be the top student this semester?"
Since entering college, Yumin has never missed a single class. Even Sooji, the teaching assistant, knew this well.
"I don't know. The final exams are over now."
"If it's Gwatop again, should we go eat something delicious together?"
"haha…."
"Of course. I'll buy it for you."
Yumin failed to meet the deadline for the college entrance exam and had to retake the exam. Then, the following year, he was admitted to Y University, a prestigious university.
I was able to do it. But that joy was short-lived. Not long after I entered college, both my parents passed away in a car accident.
The death of his parents gave Yumin a deep sadness and shock, but he couldn't just sit back and do nothing. He had to take care of his younger sister, who was still young.
Yumin, who suddenly became the head of a household, did tutoring and part-time jobs in his spare time. However, he did not neglect his studies. At least he had to pay for his tuition with a scholarship to be able to make ends meet. If not, he would have had to take a leave of absence.
Fortunately, Yumin was able to attend college on a scholarship, and although he didn't have much money to live on, he was able to earn enough to cover his living expenses. Yumin couldn't join the military either. So Yumin, who is currently 23 years old, was a third-year college student.
Su-ji was Yu-min's senior and assistant. So she knew Yu-min's family situation well. Su-ji liked the kind and honest Yu-min, and felt so sorry for him. So whenever she saw Yu-min, she would often buy him food or take care of him.
"It's okay, senior Suji. I'll go now."
"Okay. Thanks for your hard work."
Yumin headed to the subway station to go home. She had already told her younger sister, Ingayoung, that she would be home early, so she was probably preparing dinner.
Ga-young, currently a senior in high school, will be a college student next year. Ga-young received intensive tutoring from Yu-min, a gifted student who is also a scheming younger sister, and she also worked hard herself, so her grades were good. Unlike Yu-min, she did not have an accident on the day of the CSAT, so she also received a good score on the test. As long as there are no unexpected events, she will definitely be accepted to a prestigious university.
Yumin's cell phone rang. When he checked the caller, it was Shin Minseo. Minseo was a student who Yumin tutored.
It is. Minseo took the CSAT and therefore stopped tutoring, so it is correct to say that she was a student. Minseo is a repeat student and took the CSAT this year, just like her younger sister, Ingayoung.
Minseo's grades improved considerably while receiving private tutoring from Yumin. Although not as good as her younger sister, Ingayoung, her grades were still good enough to get into a four-year university in the Seoul metropolitan area.
[Minseo. What's going on?]
[What the heck, what the heck. I told you I was going to come visit your house. Why can't you even see my nose when you're done with tutoring? The final exams are over, right? Can you come today?]
[I can't do it today... I have plans to meet my younger sibling.]
[I see my little brother every day. Little brother. Little brother. I always talk about my little brother…]
[I'm sorry. I promised in advance…]
[Huh. Do you think I contacted you because I missed you? I did it because my mom kept telling me to.]
When Minseo's grades skyrocketed thanks to Yumin's tutoring, Minseo's mother was very happy. That's why Minseo's mother really likes Yumin. Every time she went to tutor, she treated him to a hearty meal and also gave him a lot of money for tutoring. Thanks to that, Yumin was able to have some free time.
However, Minseo's mother's love for Yumin went a little too far. Since Yumin was kind, honest, and went to a prestigious university, she secretly thought of him as a son-in-law. In fact, Minseo also felt a bit awkward towards Yumin, but it wasn't that she didn't care.
[Okay. I'll go tomorrow or the day after.]
[Come tomorrow, okay?]
[Okay. I'll go tomorrow.]
[I promised. Huh.]
The call was disconnected. Yumin let out a sigh. She couldn't understand why Minseo would always grumble whenever she saw her. But she listened to him well. She listened attentively in class and did her homework properly. Sometimes she was cute and well-behaved, but at other times she was as shy as a cat. She was just impossible to figure out.
Arrived home. Yumin's house is an old 24-pyeong apartment. After her parents passed away, she sold the house she had been living in and moved to a smaller apartment.
In the beginning, I had a hard time maintaining this house with the property my parents left me, but I couldn't afford to live in a smaller house anymore because I wanted to secure some space for my younger sister. But now, I have some room to spare.
"Brother. Welcome. Wash up and come back. Dinner is ready."
"Okay. Thanks for your hard work."
Gayoung speaks politely to her older brother. Although there is not much of an age difference between them, only 4 years, when she first met Yumin, she started speaking politely to him, and it became a habit. After her parents passed away, she came to rely on Yumin like a father, and this became even more fixed.
After simply washing her hands and feet, Yumin headed to the kitchen. The table was filled with food that Gayoung had prepared with great care.
As Yumin and Gayoung began to live alone, they began to share the housework to some extent. Yumin tried to take on all the housework as Gayoung became the third child, but Gayoung, who usually followed Yumin's every word and was obedient, asserted herself strongly only at this time.
"My brother earns money and takes care of everything for me. I'll just prepare meals and do the laundry."
In the end, Yumin surrendered. Yumin, who was originally cruel and easily manipulated by others, could not stand Gayoung.
In fact, Yumin likes the food Gayoung cooks. Yumin, who lost his mother at an early age, grew up not knowing what his mother's cooking was. To Yumin, the only thing his mother's cooking was the food of his stepmother and his younger sister who inherited her cooking skills.
"Where did you decide to put the original documents?"
"Y University, Department of Business Administration."
The Department of Business Administration at Y University is a prestigious university. Although Y University is also a prestigious university, Gayoung may be able to aim for a bit of heat. However, Gayoung did not give up on this either, just like when she was dividing up the housework.
Yumin will be a senior next year. While Yumin hopes that Gayoung will go to a slightly better university, she is also somewhat excited that she will be in the same department as her younger sister, even if it is only for one year.
In fact, if you go to Y University's business department, you won't be disappointed. This might be a good choice, rather than raising the university while lowering the department. At this point, Yumin decided to raise Gayoung's hand.
"Okay. Okay. I understand. Let's go together after you pass."
"Yes. I will definitely do that. Next year, you will be my junior, right? Haha."
Gayoung's smile was dazzling. Gayoung, who was so small and shy, had now completely become a woman. She had grown taller and her chest had also swelled considerably.
It's not that Yumin is prejudiced because she's the younger sister, but Gayoung is really pretty and has a great body. When they go out together, you can feel the men's eyes being focused on the younger sister.
Yumin spent some leisurely time with Gayoung for the first time in a long time. They sat together on the living room sofa, watched TV, and chatted. This ordinary, ordinary life was so blissful. She just wished this happiness could last a long time.
"Gayoung. Good night."
"Good night, you too, oppa."
Yumin and Gayoung went to their respective rooms. Yumin said that since the final exams were over, winter vacation had begun. Since Minseo's tutoring was over, she had to look for another part-time job.
Yumin fell asleep after thinking about this and that. How long had he been asleep? Something felt different than usual.
Yumin slowly opened his eyes. It wasn't the room he had fallen asleep in.
"Where is this?"