TC 6

Chapter 6 “You’ve been coming home late every day lately, right?”

Minseo crossed her arms and tilted her head at Sorim.

“Are you really tutoring? What kind of tutoring takes all week and ends after the last bus?”

“……I have more than one student. I can’t help it.”

“Oh, really?”

Minseo stepped closer and twisted her lips.

Recently, Minseo had become very suspicious of Sorim’s daily life.

Every day, weekday or weekend, Sorim left in the morning and came home only right before public transportation stopped. Anyone would be suspicious.

“Fine. Let’s say you really do tutor many students. Then you must be earning money. So why are you living in our house without paying a single bit of living expenses?”

“……”

“Do you think Mom and Dad will just forget all the money they spent on you? No way. Never.”

Minseo poked Sorim’s shoulder hard with her sharp, shiny fingernail.

The cousin—no, the shabby orphan—stumbled backward from the push.

To Minseo, Sorim was just a stress toy and something to pass the time.

She had never once thought of Sorim as an older sister.
Sorim was just an extra burden that suddenly joined the family.

“You’re not tutoring, are you? Be honest. I’m giving you a chance.”

“……I really am tutoring.”

“You’re still denying it?”

Minseo let out a fake laugh.

Deciding words weren’t enough, she shoved Sorim and headed down the hallway.

Sorim’s room was at the end of the second floor.

“……!”

When Minseo suddenly opened her door without permission, Sorim hurried after her.

“Wait—please wait.”

“Move. This is our house. I can go anywhere. You’re a parasite.”

Minseo pushed Sorim aside without hesitation.

Sorim lost her balance and fell backward.

With a loud crash, Minseo barged into Sorim’s room.

Every hallway and room in the Yeonhui-dong house had air conditioning—except Sorim’s room.

They didn’t think someone extra like her deserved that much.

The room used to be a storage room. Boxes were stacked in one corner.
The rest of the space had only a single bed and a small table.

“……”

Minseo looked around the small room with an unhappy face.

There was nothing suspicious, which annoyed her.

She turned sharply toward Sorim, who was getting up.

Then Minseo noticed something.

“Hey. Give me your bag.”

She reached out toward the big backpack on Sorim’s shoulder.

Sorim stepped back and shook her head slightly.

“……No.”

“No? You just said no to me?”

Minseo laughed like it was ridiculous.

In an instant, she grabbed the bag from Sorim.

She flipped it upside down and dumped everything onto the hallway floor.

Crash. Bang.

All the contents spilled everywhere.

“……”

Sorim could only stand there while Minseo kicked through her things with her slippers.

She knew she couldn’t stop her.
She knew she couldn’t get angry.

Contrary to what outsiders thought, Minseo was not calm or gentle.

She was picky and clever.

The reason Minseo could act elegant outside was partly because of Sorim.

Whenever Minseo got angry, she came to Sorim to let it out.

Swearing at her, hitting her, and blaming her for things she didn’t do—this was normal.

At this point, it would be better to just get hit a few times and be done with it.

Thinking that, Sorim stared blankly at the workbooks and test papers crushed under Minseo’s feet.

When Minseo failed to find any proof, her face darkened.

“…Is this really everything?”

She frowned and stepped over the scattered items, walking right up to Sorim.

Before Sorim could react, Minseo searched her coat and pants pockets.

“Don’t do this. I really don’t have anything.”

“You think I’ll just believe you? Shut up and stay still.”

But nothing came out of Sorim’s pockets.

Only a few convenience store receipts and a wallet.

Minseo threw the old wallet on the floor and crossed her arms again.

“Hmph. I’ll never trust you. How long do you think you can hide it? When the time comes, it won’t be me—Grandma won’t stay quiet.”

After threatening her, Minseo tapped Sorim’s shoulder and walked past her.

After throwing things and venting her anger, Minseo looked refreshed.

Sorim stared ahead until Minseo disappeared into her room.

Then she slowly bent down.

As she picked up the scattered books and smoothed out the wrinkles, a bitter smile appeared on her face.

Luckily, Minseo was more simple than she looked.

If Sorim were Minseo, she would have opened every book and checked every page.

She would have noticed there were no solved problems.

Then she would have realized Sorim wasn’t tutoring.

“…Unlucky—or lucky.”

Sorim murmured and quietly packed her things back into her bag.

“Haa…”

Her body ached from working nonstop from lunchtime to late evening.

Because the kitchen was short on staff, she worked every shift.

Every day felt like her body was falling apart.

As Sorim sighed and picked up her old wallet—

“Minseo! Hey!”

A familiar high-pitched voice came from downstairs.

It was Aunt Seonga.

“Mom, you’re back?”

Unlike how she spoke to Sorim, Minseo called out sweetly and went to greet her mother.

“Where did you go without telling me?”

“You remember the wife of the Yoonsan Foods CEO we met at the charity event? I had dinner and coffee with her.”

“You’re already that close with her?”

Minseo smiled brightly and linked arms with her mother.

Sorim glanced at them and picked up a pen from the floor.

“Well, I heard something interesting.”

Seonga brushed Minseo’s hair back.

“Song Taeha doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

“Really?”

Minseo’s voice lit up instantly.

“Yeah. No girlfriend, no woman he likes. He sometimes goes on blind dates, but he rejects them all.”

“Haa…”

Minseo let out a relieved sigh.

Seonga continued.

“His standards must be very high. With his looks and status, women must be lining up.”

“…Mom. What if he suddenly announces an engagement? What if we relax and miss our chance?”

At Minseo’s worried face, Seonga shook her head firmly.

“Silly girl. Do you think your mother would let that happen? Just wait a little longer. Once I get closer to his mother, we’ll have a reason to talk about marriage.”

Listening quietly, Sorim slowly stood up.

She stepped into the bright part of the hallway.

“…You’re back.”

When Sorim greeted them softly, Seonga’s face twisted like she had seen something dirty.

“What are you doing hiding there? Were you eavesdropping on us?”

“……”

“Go back to your room. Looking at you feels like seeing a virgin ghost. It’s unpleasant.”

Even after hearing that, Sorim quietly turned around.

Whether she greeted them or not, she got insulted anyway.

Behind her, a low mocking voice followed, clearly meant for her to hear.

“…While we marry Minseo off, we should also think about where to dump that girl.”

Sorim couldn’t understand those words.