Chapter 37
If that guy hadn’t become a doctor, it would have been a disaster—if he had deliberately gone around fooling people, there wouldn’t have been anyone left in this world.
And on top of that, wielding the scalpel so skillfully, who knows what kind of chaos he could have caused.
If it was Beom Sa-jun, whom he knew well, no matter how smart and sensible Ryu Yeon-woo was, it would have been hard for him to refuse.
He must have been bewitched with all kinds of sweet talk.
He was a different level from the shallow-tongued Sae-gwon, who babbled with a three-inch tongue.
Ikwon, who used to respect Sa-jun for his extraordinary dedication—traveling overseas for volunteer medical work—had withdrawn all respect after learning the truth.
Whenever they met, Ikwon was ready to punch that handsome face.
Ikwon had always tried to be the most caring and good older brother to Yeon-woo.
Unlike their stern older brother and the reckless Sae-gwon, Yeon-woo was always a pretty kid who welcomed him when he came home from school.
“Oppaaa, I miss you so much!”
When she dropped her toy in her hand and toddled over to hug him, he felt like he owned the world.
No matter how tiring school was or how much he hated studying, he worked hard to be a great brother to Yeon-woo.
That’s why, unlike their eldest brother Il-gwon, he got into medical school and became a doctor.
“Doctor Seonseng-mi, what’s that?”
Ikwon, who had little talent for studying, worked painfully hard after hearing those words from Yeon-woo, barely getting into medical school as a preliminary candidate.
Of course, unlike him, Yeon-woo was exceptionally smart and got accepted second in the country’s top medical school, following in his footsteps to become a doctor.
He didn’t know why the stubborn Sae-gwon became a doctor, but just the fact that Yeon-woo became one made him proud.
But where did things go wrong?
If only Yeon-woo had just followed him to NS, she wouldn’t have had to wander.
But regretting it now was useless—he had to do something to avoid even worse regrets in the future.
Leaving his precious younger sister stuck in this countryside was out of the question.
“Damn bastard. Wait. I’ll skin that tiger’s hide for you.”
Despite cursing nonstop for the three hours it took to get here, another curse was about to slip out.
“Phew…”
Since it was almost time to meet Yeon-woo, it was time to cleanse his mouth and mind.
He arrived relying on the dim streetlights on the dark night road.
[You have arrived near your destination. Navigation will now end.]
The village surrounded by rice paddies and fields was a typical countryside town with colorful single-story houses scattered in front of a low mountain.
Other than the fresh air, there was nothing good about this place.
Ikwon parked by Yeon-woo’s house wall, picked up the shopping bag left on the passenger seat, and got out of the car.
It was a red ginseng gift set for the kind landlady.
He brought it all hoping she would take good care of Yeon-woo.
“Ah-choo.”
Clearing his throat for no particular reason, Ikwon approached the front gate and pressed the doorbell with his index finger.
He pulled the corners of his mouth into a big smile.
Meanwhile, Yeon-woo, who returned home with Sa-jun, kicked her feet in frustration, blaming herself for babbling so much.
Even while carrying the tray with dongdongju (a kind of rice wine) and chili pancake into the living room, her mind was a mess.
If Sa-jun hadn’t kept his mouth shut in the car earlier, she might have said even worse things.
Licking her still-tingling lips with the tip of her tongue, Yeon-woo replayed the kiss with Sa-jun in her mind.
A strange warmth gathered faintly, tingling in her lower abdomen.
She greeted him with a stiff tongue and just kept licking inside her mouth.
Didn’t they say to practice kissing with ice cream?
Anyway, how could she be thinking about sleeping together when she couldn’t even kiss properly?
Thinking about it again, she really was a hopeless person.
Sa-jun came out of the bathroom after washing his hands and stepped forward to take the tray.
“Shall I put this on the living room table?”
“Yes.”
He was such a thoughtful and sensible man.
What a catch in Ryu Yeon-woo’s life.
Still not believing Sa-jun’s confession, Yeon-woo looked at him shyly.
Her eyes traced his manly jawline and thick neck, and her cheeks flushed remembering she had been hanging on his neck.
One kiss and she felt disarmed.
This was serious.
Now every time she saw Sa-jun’s face, she would think of that.
There seemed to be no choice but to keep doing it until she got used to it.
Sa-jun, who was watching Yeon-woo’s face, sighed hotly.
Just as the fire rekindled and his hand moved toward her face, the doorbell rang.
Ding dong, ding dong.
Startled, Yeon-woo quickly stepped away from him.
Sa-jun clenched his fist and withdrew his outstretched hand.
“Who’s coming?”
Sa-jun asked.
“N-no one.”
Yeon-woo shook her head, eyes wide.
No one was coming to see her at this late hour.
“I’ll go check.”
Just as Yeon-woo awkwardly tried to stand up, he pressed her shoulders down and sat back down before walking toward the entrance.
Ding dong, ding dong.
The doorbell rang again as if impatient.
Yeon-woo stood up and followed Sa-jun to the entrance.
Se-young? No, it wasn’t someone who would come without calling.
Yeon-woo tilted her head, puzzled by the poor timing, and followed Sa-jun’s steps.
“Ik-won Ryu?”
Before Yeon-woo, Sa-jun had checked the intercom screen and muttered the unexpected name.
“Really?”
Why would her second older brother come at this time?
Yeon-woo looked at the intercom in disbelief.
Ik-won was really smiling on the screen.
“What’s up with oppa?”
She had heard that the two men were colleagues, but worried if it was okay to show them together.
She looked up at Sa-jun.
It didn’t matter to her, but she was cautious of Sa-jun’s mood.
Sure enough, Sa-jun’s thick eyebrows lifted suspiciously.
“Bad timing. Why today of all days?”
“Um, can I open the door?”
Even if it was her real older brother, she felt it was right to get Sa-jun’s permission first.
Since Sa-jun said he and Ik-won were colleagues, she figured there wouldn’t be a problem, but seeing him stroke his chin with a serious expression made her doubt that.
It was the first day they decided to date, so she was also worried how to explain this to Ik-won.
“I’m fine, so just open the door.”
Sa-jun smiled as if he had never been serious.
Yeah, maybe he would naturally catch on without her saying anything.
Unlike her other brothers, Ik-won was understanding and might let it slide.
And Master Beom would handle things well too.
Still, why do all of them carry phones just for show?
How come no one calls before visiting their sister’s house?
Thank goodness it was Ik-won, whom she liked.
Unlike Sae-gwon, Ik-won was endlessly gentle and soft with Yeon-woo.
Of course, he was a doting brother who sometimes got overbearing, but he was a different kind of person from Sae-gwon.
In short, a cultured intellectual.
Though it annoyed her that he interfered with her love life, she was also happy to see Ik-won after a long time.
Yeon-woo smiled brightly looking at the smiling face on the screen and pressed the unlock button.
When she opened the door and stepped out, Ik-won entered through the open gate.
Ik-won’s face was full of happiness at meeting his one and only little sister.
“Oppa, why didn’t you call? If you were coming, you should’ve at least called.”
“Ah, sorry, sorry. Our Go, Go, Yeon-woo, have you been well?”
“I’ve been fine. How about you? You look good.”
“I made an effort because I was coming to see Yeon-woo. But what were you doing alone? Have you eaten dinner?”
Ikwon smiled as if he owned the world while walking through the yard to the front door.
Though it wasn’t new, Yeon-woo was worried about Sa-jun behind her.
“Oppa, I’m not alone…”
“Ryu Ik-won, long time no see.”
With his hands in his pockets, Sa-jun stepped out inside the doorway, watching the conversation between the two.
Ik-won, who looked similar to Yeon-woo, stared at Sa-jun in disbelief.
“Yeah, why are you here…!”
