Chapter 4: I Became the Older Brother of a Top Star

Stepping into the cafeteria, I sat down anywhere and picked up my utensils. Not only did I not know anyone, but from what I saw earlier, it seemed that Jung Yunseong was being bullied, so he must have been an outcast. Well, I wasn’t lonely. Absolutely not. Life is meant to be lived alone anyway!

“Yunseong~.”

Just as I was about to start my tear-soaked rice, a girl sat down not in front of me, but beside me.

“Why are you sitting alone?”

“...?”

Her name tag read Kim Sojin.

“Hey, Yunseong. Eating alone again? Come on, let’s eat together.”

This time, another girl sat down right next to me.

“Yumi, why are you saying Yunseong is eating alone? He’s eating with me.”

“Oh~ Is that so? I didn’t see that.”

“...”

This was a first for me. The two girls were having a staring contest in front of me, something I’d only seen in manga.

“Do you only eat with Yunseong? Let me join too.”

But it wasn’t just two; it was three, four, and the number kept growing. What was going on here?

“Sojin, didn’t you put on makeup today?”

“Huh? I did?”

“Wow, really? It looks so natural, like you’re not wearing any at all. I thought you didn’t even bother to put on makeup.”

“...”

Unlike the boys who started with insults, this conversation had some depth. Thanks to this, I couldn’t even take a proper bite and had to listen to the girls’ exciting conversation.

But this ordeal was short-lived.

“Brother~!”

Turning at the familiar voice, I saw Yuna holding a tray and running over to me.

“Seniors, hello.”

“Hmm?”

“Who... Oh, Yunseong’s sister?”

The atmosphere was strange. The kids who recognized Yuna looked like they were glowing from afar, their beauty overwhelming.

“Can I eat with my brother?”

“Uh, sure, go ahead.”

“Thank you. I’ll sit next to you!”

She squeezed in and finally sat next to me.

“My brother, you’re so popular with your friends. I’m so lonely, I don’t even have anyone to eat with. Sniff.”

Where did she get such a lie?

Look around. The girls who were fiercely competing for my attention were overwhelmed by Yuna’s beauty, and all the boys in the cafeteria were staring at her. Some even looked like they wanted to kill me.

Being sandwiched between the girls and sitting next to the prettiest one, I couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. I would feel the same way.

Hrrr!

Yuna was eating her meal with great enthusiasm. She took large bites and stuffed her mouth with soup and side dishes, her cheeks puffing up like a squirrel’s.

“Why isn’t everyone eating?”

She asked, “Why isn’t everyone eating?”

“I, I’ll eat a lot. I need to get up first.”

“Eh? Sojin, let’s go together.”

“Me, me too.”

They were talking fiercely just a moment ago, but now they were walking arm in arm like the best of friends. Meanwhile, Yuna was still eating her meal.

“Why isn’t anyone eating this delicious food? They must be on a diet.”

I had never seen Yuna eat like this when she was a manager. Maybe that’s why I felt like I wanted to take care of her even more.

“Yeah, do you want more of this?”

“Huh? Are you giving me this precious meat side dish?”

“Yeah, you eat more. Oh, by the way, the pudding you said you’d give me yesterday...”

“Cough. Pudding?”

“Yeah, I didn’t see it this morning.”

“Haha, I wonder where it went.”

I had a pretty good idea where it went. Probably all in that sly belly. But it didn’t matter.

“Here, eat more.”

When I offered her the tray, Yuna looked at me intently.

“Brother.”

“Hmm?”

Her glass-like eyes made me feel so uncomfortable that I couldn’t look at her straight.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Eh? No, not at all.”

“Then are you hiding something?”

“No, not at all.”

“But why are you being nice to me? You never even acknowledged me in the cafeteria.”

Jung Yunseong. Your karma is huge. Why did you ignore Yuna like that? She’s so cheerful and full of energy.

If it were me, I would have greeted her first and shown her off as my cute little sister.

‘Is it because I don’t have a younger sister?’

When I look at friends with younger sisters, most of them...

‘They act like enemies.’

But there are some exceptions.

“What is it? Speak up. It’s better to get it over with. If you speak now, I’ll only hit you nine times instead of ten.”

“...”

Yuna was already loosening her fists, ready to hit me. Seeing this, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Do I really need to explain all this?

“So.”

“Eh?”

“Should I stop treating you like a person again?”

“No, no.”

“I’m trying to be nice to my sister. Is that so strange?”

“Well, it’s just that you never did before, so it’s a bit... strange?”

“Fine. Then I’ll treat you coldly again, to make you feel more comfortable.”

Cough!

Just as I was about to stand up, Yuna grabbed me.

“Brother, that’s not what I meant.”

“Then just accept my kindness. I might change my mind anytime.”

“Okay~!”

Yuna scooped up a large portion of the meat from the tray and glanced at me.

“Hehe, I’m hungry.”

“Eat it all. I ate a lot for breakfast, so I’m not very hungry.”

“Then I’ll eat it all!”

I watched Yuna eat her meal with great enjoyment. I thought about why I became Jung Yunseong. It couldn’t be just because I threw a stone into the sea. The wish I made that day, the wish she made that day. We both meant it sincerely. They say a person’s sincerity can move the heavens. She really wanted a brother like family, and I sincerely wished for her wish to come true.

“Ah, I’m full.”

“Did you enjoy your meal?”

“Yeah! Thanks to my brother, I’m full. What if I gain weight?”

“Then you’ll become a pig.”

“Huh? That’s not good.”

Yuna stood up and started doing spot jumps. Seeing this, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Maybe God is telling me to fulfill her wish myself.

‘Yeah, if it’s okay with me...’

For such a cute and lovely Yuna, I could really become the closest older brother she wants.

* * *

Ding Dong!

The school bell rang, and I felt a sense of liberation. ...I feel dizzy. I can’t believe I used to go to school.

“Yunseong, are you going straight home?”

“Do you want to come with us?”

When I was in school, I never left the school gates with girls. Jung Yunseong, I can see why the boys didn’t like you.

“You were so cool earlier, Yunseong.”

“Did you learn martial arts?”

“I was really surprised. You took down those three so quickly...”

I just nodded half-heartedly, listening to the chatter on both sides. Then something caught my eye.

“Wow.”

“What is it...”

In front of the school gate, people of all genders were exclaiming in amazement. They were walking very slowly, almost not moving forward, staring at Yuna... no, Jung Yuna, standing alone at the gate.

“Hey, brother!”

Yuna waved at me. The girls who were standing next to me automatically moved back as Yuna approached.

I could understand the feeling. If I had a boy with an inhuman appearance next to me, I would naturally keep a few steps away. It’s better not to be compared and to feel more comfortable.

Sometimes, such extraordinary beauty can inspire awe and curiosity, but when the person gets close, fear can’t help but arise.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“Yeah, we agreed to go to the PC room, remember?”

Was she really going? Did she usually go this often?

“What if you lose again and sulk and go home alone?”

...I can guess what Jung Yunseong was like.

This brat.

“No, you’re the one who shouldn’t cry and go home if you lose.”

“Ha! You’ll get beaten up again like last time.”

I don’t know what game they play, but suddenly I felt a competitive spirit. It’s time to show my brotherly pride for the first time today.

“Oh, by the way, brother, didn’t you fight?”

“Eh?”

“The rumor is already spreading. You took on ten people alone and won?”

Ten?

Is this the school amplification network?

“Wow, I knew you had a temper, but I didn’t know you were good at fighting. I thought you got beaten up every day.”

The first part is wrong, but the second part is right. I liked sports, but I never started fights or hit anyone. Maybe I realized early on that there are many people who are really good at fighting.

“We’re here!”

Yuna took a deep breath when we arrived at the PC room.

“Phew. Ah! This stuffy and spicy smell.”

Stuffy and spicy smell?

I don’t know what she means, but it seems to be the unique smell of a PC room. The smell of leather chairs, the heat from computers, the smoke from the smoking area, and the spicy smell of ramen. All these mixed together.

“I strangely like the smell of PC rooms, gas stations, and such.”

Speaking of which, I remember when I took Yuna to fill up the car with gas once. She was sniffing the air cautiously, and it was so cute that it left a strong impression on me.

‘So she was actually sniffing the gas station smell.’

I’m learning things about Yuna that I didn’t know before, just because I was a manager and only drove the car.

Now that I’m really her brother, I need to learn these things to act like a real older brother.

“What game do you want to play first?”

We found a spot and sat down. From the moment we entered the PC room until we sat down, we were getting intense stares. Maybe Jung Yunseong found these stares so burdensome that he didn’t want to be with his sister?

“Eh? What game first? Of course, we have to play this. You came to get revenge, didn’t you?”

The game Yuna chose was Soccer Online. The only online soccer game in Korea, it’s a game that anyone who likes soccer has probably played with friends in a PC room at least once.

“Ah... soccer game.”

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to play? Are you afraid of losing to me again?”

It’s not that. I only play FPS and AOS games, so I haven’t played soccer games much. Plus, there’s a serious problem that just came to mind.

‘I don’t know the ID and password.’

I have no way of knowing what ID and password Jung Yunseong used.

“?”

As I stared blankly at the computer screen, Yuna tapped my shoulder.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you logging in?”

“ID and password...”

“Forgot again? You did that last time too. Are you an idiot, brother?”

I had no response.

“But don’t worry. You always write them down in your notebook. ID and password.”

“Eh?”

“You always forget these things, so you write them down.”

I quickly searched my bag. Sure enough, there was a small notebook with IDs and passwords written densely.

All the sites and games I’ve signed up for. There were even some suspicious sites.

Hmm. I’ll leave that for now.

“Log in quickly.”

“Okay, I’ll log in.”

Logging into what seemed to be my account but wasn’t really mine felt awkward and strange. Even though I don’t know this game well, it felt like I had put effort into building up the account.

“I’ve sent you an invitation.”

“Okay.”

I followed Yuna’s lead. I accepted the 1v1 match, pressed the ready button, and set the soccer tactics, formation, and players. Then the game started.

Crack.

Yuna cracked her fingers, determined to win today.

“I’ll beat you 5-0, brother.”

That doesn’t sound like something she would say with such a cheerful voice.

‘I really don’t know how to play.’

I should have tried it before. Who would have thought I’d end up playing a soccer game with Yuna in a PC room?

However,

Click! Click!

Just as I was watching Yuna focus on the monitor,

‘Huh?’

The aura I saw at school. A pinkish aura was emanating from her body.

Chapter 5