Chapter 31

The next day, after getting up, Park Ji-hoon realized that his phone was completely dead.

In the past, when he was alone, it wasn't a big deal, but after Park Min-ya came over, he even overlooked such a trivial matter! After a bit of self-mockery, he changed the phone battery.

After turning on the phone, he suddenly noticed that there was a missed call from Taeyeon.

His brows furrowed involuntarily, hesitating—after spending several days to finally smooth out his feelings, she was calling him again.

"Bro! What are you doing? Hurry up and eat!" Park Min-ya's voice rang out.

"I'm coming right now." Park Ji-hoon put away his phone and walked out.

From the outside, their room was the only one lit up in the entire apartment building. In the quiet, cold winter morning, even the light seemed warmer. If you have someone by your side, remember to cherish it.

While eating and chatting and joking with Park Min-ya, Park Ji-hoon seemed to have forgotten about the missed call.

"By the way! Did you touch my computer?" Park Ji-hoon suddenly asked.

"Yes!" Park Min-ya didn't deny it at all.

"Why did you snoop through my computer?" Park Ji-hoon was taken aback for a moment before asking.

"To see if there was anything strange on Bro's computer!" Park Min-ya answered confidently.

Park Ji-hoon's lips twitched.

"Bro's download history seems to be cleared frequently!" Park Min-ya suddenly leaned forward, looking into his eyes mysteriously.

"Hey!" Park Ji-hoon raised his hand and tapped her head with the other end of his chopsticks, scolding her, "Where did you learn all this nonsense?"

"The boys in class often talk about it! And girls talk about it when chatting too." Park Min-ya rubbed her head, pouting slightly.

"You don't need to remember such things!" Park Ji-hoon said sternly.

"Bro, are you really..." Park Min-ya looked at him with a "surprised" expression and called out softly.

"What are you thinking?" Park Ji-hoon raised his hand, scaring her into quickly pulling back her head before saying, "I haven't downloaded anything, so of course my download history is clean!"

"Then what about Bro's own needs?" Park Min-ya asked again, like a curious child.

"You don't need to know that!" Park Ji-hoon said with a dark face.

"Ha!" Park Min-ya saw his face turn dark and laughed softly, saying, "I was just joking! Actually, I was helping Bro polish and organize the things you recorded."

"You helped me polish?" Park Ji-hoon's expression eased, and he asked.

"Of course!" Park Min-ya raised her chin slightly, proud and said, "It's just some inspiration, like a script, right? Writing not only requires experience but also talent! I've published many articles!"

"Alright, I'll check it when I get back today. If you mess it up or it's not up to standard, I'll spank your bottom!" Park Ji-hoon said sternly. Of course, he knew! He had cut out and kept every article she published.

"What if it's up to standard?" Park Min-ya stuck out her tongue and asked.

"If it's up to standard, I'll give you the right to use my computer." Park Ji-hoon smiled lightly and said.

"Deal!" Park Min-ya, hearing this, immediately extended her hand excitedly and said to him.

Park Ji-hoon smiled helplessly and reached out to hook pinkies with her.

"By the way! Bro, I still don't know who the 'sister-in-law' is!" Park Min-ya, seeing his good mood today, finally couldn't resist and asked tentatively.

Park Ji-hoon's expression stiffened, a bitter smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, but he didn't avoid the question: "SNSD's Seohyun."

"Ah?" Park Min-ya was stunned, her face full of shock. Was he and SNSD inseparable? And the "marriage" partner was that Seohyun, who was the same age as her and had a very "unique" personality?

"Phew—" Park Ji-hoon couldn't help but sigh deeply.

"How was the first day together?" Park Min-ya, after her shock, couldn't help but ask curiously.

Park Ji-hoon shook his head. Although it was their first meeting and they seemed to get along well, it was because he had been leading the conversation, and Seohyun was very serious and responsible about her work, so it seemed more harmonious.

What truly troubled him was how to handle the "life" afterward? He couldn't keep guiding the conversation like this. Moreover, Seohyun's innocent yet meticulous personality was already giving him a headache just thinking about it.

"Oh no!" Park Ji-hoon suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but exclaim.

"What's wrong?" Park Min-ya was startled by his reaction and quickly asked.

"Last time we met, I casually mentioned that I would show her my study next time. I hope she didn't take it seriously," Park Ji-hoon said with a bitter face.

"Surely not?" Park Min-ya asked. It was just a casual remark; she suspected her brother was overthinking it.

"Very much so!" Park Ji-hoon said with a hint of helplessness, "You don't know her personality. She might even take it as a promise. If I don't fulfill it, she might label me as 'unreliable'!"

Park Min-ya's eyes lit up, suddenly becoming very curious about this "little sister-in-law." What kind of girl would have such a unique personality?

"Bro, aren't you friends with her?" However, she still comforted Park Ji-hoon.

"I'm not very close with her." Park Ji-hoon shook his head and said, "When we first met, I once... " A distant scene flashed in his mind, and after a pause, he recounted how he had teased Seohyun's personality and was subsequently ignored and criticized by eight people.

"Ha!" Park Min-ya burst out laughing at this, unable to hold back her laughter at the image of him, a grown man, being scolded by eight young girls.

Moreover, the fact that he could mention this incident calmly showed that he had finally moved on! She was genuinely happy for him.

"Eat your meal, don't laugh so loudly!" Park Ji-hoon scolded her sternly.

"Okay, okay!" Park Min-ya finally managed to control her laughter and said, "If Bro calls me in advance, I'll avoid it." She didn't want to appear on the show.

Park Ji-hoon shook his head and said, "That's not necessary. Just stay in your room."

"Okay." Park Min-ya nodded.

Both of them tacitly avoided mentioning Taeyeon.

After breakfast, Park Ji-hoon prepared to leave.

Park Min-ya took out his down jacket from her room, helping him put it on while saying, "I knitted a collar to fit over the jacket's collar. This way, you can just take it off and wash it regularly."

Park Ji-hoon reached out to pinch the collar and tilted his head to look at it.

It was warm, and there was a small sheep pattern on the inside.

"I'll knit another one today." After he was dressed, Park Min-ya helped him smooth the hair at the back of his head and continued.

"It's very pretty!" Park Ji-hoon said softly.

"Of course!" Park Min-ya, hearing his praise, raised her chin slightly and smiled, "I put a lot of effort into it!"

Park Ji-hoon reached out to pinch her nose lightly and said, "I'm leaving."

"Okay." Park Min-ya watched his back disappear as usual before returning to her room and closing the door.

The sky was still dim, but there were still some early-rising office workers rushing to catch the bus. They were almost all "acquaintances." In the past, due to Park Ji-hoon's coldness, almost no one spoke to him, but today was different. Two young women sitting behind him began whispering after he got on the bus.

He faintly heard phrases like "practical and beautiful," "it must be very warm," and "I'll knit one for my boyfriend when I get back."

Later, one of them even patted Park Ji-hoon's back, asked him about it, and after a closer look at his collar, praised the small sheep pattern on the inside.

"OPPA, where do you work? It seems to be farther than us?" Park Ji-hoon's handsome face made the two women start chatting with him directly. "OPPA" can sometimes be used for very close relationships, but it can also be a polite way for girls to address men, depending on the girl's attitude.

Before Park Ji-hoon could answer, his phone rang.

"Sorry." He nodded slightly in apology, got up from his seat, and walked to the empty back of the bus. He had a vague idea of who was calling.

After taking out his phone, sure enough, it was Taeyeon.

"What do you want?" He answered and tried to keep his tone neutral.

"OPPA, I'm sorry!" Taeyeon started normally but quickly broke into a sob.

Park Ji-hoon listened quietly, not understanding why she was suddenly apologizing to him. They had broken up, and it had been so many days; it was unlikely she was apologizing now.

"Park Min-ya, the girl who entered Seoul University this year, is OPPA's sister?" Taeyeon asked nervously.

"Um." Park Ji-hoon didn't know how she found out, but he didn't deny it. He just didn't want to announce their relationship to the public, but he would never deny it.

"OPPA, I'm sorry!" Taeyeon apologized again and burst into tears.

Park Ji-hoon couldn't help but frown. The bus was very quiet, and Taeyeon's faint sobs could be heard through the phone, causing a few people, including the two women he had been talking to, to turn and look at him with strange expressions.

However, before he could speak, Taeyeon had already stopped crying and asked in a choked voice, "OPPA, when are you free?"

"I'm very busy these days." Park Ji-hoon took a deep breath and said coolly.

"Any time! I'll come to you!" Taeyeon said anxiously, with a pleading tone.

"Let's talk on the phone. I really don't have time!" Park Ji-hoon bit his lip and said softly.

"It's really, really important. I want to talk to you in person." Taeyeon said with a deep sense of sorrow, "Please!"