c5 (2/2)

“What’s that att.i.tude to your older sister, who you’ve just met after a long time?!”

“I didn’t tell aunt anything yet.”

“Oh, my sweet little brother. You devilishly pretty thing.”

I wondered if the word “devilishly” could be used as a compliment. However, I followed Sangah-noona without saying anything, as it seemed like the right thing to do as the younger brother to just overlook it, not to mention that she mellowed down right away.

“Is it okay for you to not be in the concert venue?”

“It’s just for a little while. I’ll just consider this as a break. Though, it seemed to be getting busier and busier.”

All the more reason you should help out.

I flicked her forehead once again, but this time she didn’t show much reaction. Instead, her pace became faster as she walked right beside me, perhaps feeling guilty at my words. I abruptly started a conversation with her back as she walked a little past me.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“Huh? Ah.”

Sangah-noona stopped, looked back at me, and looked down at her own body. Inside her black leather jacket was a glamourous tank top embedded with cubic zirconia that were arranged in an outrageous pattern; the neck was low-cut, emphasising her curvy torso. Her tight miniskirt was full of gaudy decorations, giving me an approximate idea of the atmosphere of today’s performance.

“Weather is not a problem to rock!”

(TL: Rock as in the genre of music, not an actual rock.)

Although Sangah-noona rolled her hands into a small fist and said that with vigor, it probably wasn’t only because of her small figure that she looked pitiful. I undid my scarf and wrapped it around her.

“What are you gonna do if you catch a cold, when you have to perform soon?”

“Rock stays together with the cold, too. It doesn’t abandon anyone. Hehe. It’s warm.”

Sangah-noona buried her nose into the scarf I gave her and laughed with satisfaction. See? It would be weirder if she wasn’t cold, since it was January the day after tomorrow.

“My little brother grew up enough to worry about his older sister. This older sister is very touched. My little brother must be popular, too! Right?”

“Well, apparently I’m rumoured to be a jerk who holds onto girls’ weaknesses.”

Though it was doubtful as to whether or not that rumour was properly spread.

I knocked on her head again as Sangah-noona made a commotion, screaming and squealing things like “Those b.i.t.c.hes! I’ll never let them eat up my little brother! Not before I get dirt in my eyes!”

Don’t call people you don’t know b.i.t.c.hes. n.o.body tried to eat me up. And what does holding onto somebody’s weakness have to do with me being eaten? Should I actually spray dirt at her? Moreover, don’t do that in the middle of the street and embarra.s.s me.

Before those countless nagging words, I realised that I had said something unnecessary. More than anything, you don’t have the luxury to act so relaxed, woman.

As she rambled on noisily about how women were dangerous creatures and that I must never live my life enslaved, I half dragged her and hurried to the performance venue.

[Club MM]

I pushed Sangah-noona into a building with a familiar sign. When we stepped into the entrance of the venue after a long walk into the bas.e.m.e.nt level, I could see people moving busily about in the still frigid air.

“You pa.s.s as a manager. Good job dragging the escaper back here.”

A giant shadow approached us first, but before anything else, I refuted what he said, since it did not please me.

“I’m not her manager…”

Anyway, I see this person really sneaked out secretly.

Myungjoo-hyung ruffled my hair and turned up the corners of his lips at my edgy answer. It was something that only this guy, who well exceeded 190 centimetres, could do casually, as I wasn’t on the short side, either. Due to his height, it was a great sight to behold when he stood next to the somebody who was hopping beside me.

“Don’t act so stiff when we’ve met after such a long time, man. Come and show yourself more often.”

“I’m in twelfth grade now. I can’t hang around all that freely.”

“Wowㅡ really? Y’ ain’t human.”

I am human.

“Then is it all right for you to come out like this? Don’t you have to be stuck in the library or at school?

“That’s why I came secretly. I told them that I was going to the library. I figured I sometimes need a little change of pace and some pocket cash.”

Myungjoo-hyung’s eyebrows twitched cheekily at the word “sometimes”, but I decided not to pay attention to it. His mouth seemed to itch, wanting to somehow tackle my words, but it would be the correct answer for me to just take it at my pace and ignore him. I was taught that I would lose if I was bothered by every petty little thing.

However, it was Sangah-noona, who was sticking tightly by my side, who tackled me in the end. Noona pointed her finger at me and laughed craftily.

“I’m gonna tell youngest aunt! Auntie~ Jun~ said that he was going to the library~ and came to play~.”

Sangah-noona began to tease me with gestures that were cute in their own ways. However, in my eyes, all I could think was that it was unseemly, and in front of so many others, too.

“What do you say? If you plead for my forgiveness, I’ll at least think about lessening it to filling her in with just a few bits and pieces.”

I answered Sangah-noona, who was posing proudly with her arms crossed.

“Then I’ll tell her that I couldn’t help it, since it was your earnest request.”

“When did I ever?!”

“Let’s see, the text that I received last night……”

“Sorry.”

Sangah-noona quickly admitted her defeat.

“Hey, over there! Stop goofing around and get to work!”

Angry scolding rang out from inside. It was Jinhee-noona, who was working diligently as usual. We all raced to the stage head-to-head at the angry voice that echoed through the venue.

A loud cheer filled the building when the splendid lights turned on. Sangah-noona’s resonant voice followed the rough echo of the guitar. Her high-heeled boots, which emphasised the beauty of her curves, hit the ground in rhythm, and her short hair that shook repeatedly awoke the liveliness onstage.

I was enjoying her performance, sitting on the short flight of stairs right beside the stage that connected the stage and the waiting room. Although, the audience would only be able to see black fabric.

This place that Sangah-noona showed me was one of the best locations in [Club MM]. Although there were two drawbacks in that I couldn’t make a loud noise and that I had to twist my body back, it was a place that allowed me to watch and feel the heat of the stage more clearly than anyone else. The vibrations of the ba.s.s drum that Myungjoo-hyung played caused a numbness to run up my hips.

+ Author comment: Start of chapter threeeeeeeeee

<script>