A short while later, Yoo-hyun quickly headed to the bus stop after getting off work.
He got on the city bus just in time.
After a long ride, he arrived at the university where his younger sister attended.
Han Jaehee was living in a studio apartment near the campus.
Ding dong. Ding dong.
He rang the bell and heard some movement after a while.
“It’s me, your brother. Open up.”
“Huh. You really came?”
Han Jaehee cracked open the door and gasped in surprise.
“You said you were coming.”
“I didn’t know you would come so soon. What do I do? I didn’t clean up at all.”
Yoo-hyun stepped into the studio and swallowed his words.
It was worse than a pigsty.
“Just wait a minute.”
“No, no. Just sit there.”
She seemed to have some conscience as she moved around busily.
As she crouched down to tidy up the floor, a green bottle rolled behind her.
Rattle rattle rattle.
Yoo-hyun asked with a dumbfounded expression.
“Why do you have so many empty soju bottles in your house?”
“I drank them when I got stuck with my work.”
He somehow accepted her explanation and nodded.
Then he unpacked his bag.
Inside, there was alcohol he bought from the mart next to the terminal.
“I guess I didn’t need to buy this.”
“Huh. Vodka is good.”
Han Jaehee smiled and took the gift from Yoo-hyun.
Yoo-hyun looked around.
There was a computer on the desk, and a tablet next to it.
He could tell how much work she had done by the stains on the tablet pen.
The books next to it were the same.
They were worn out and showed signs of studying hard.
The trash can was filled with dozens of crumpled papers.
But more than that, he noticed the things that were lacking in the house.
“You need a lot of things here. I’ll buy you some later.”
“I’m fine. I’m not going to live here for long, anyway.”
“You have to endure until this year. If you don’t graduate, you’ll have to stay another year.”
Han Jaehee snapped at him for worrying about her.
Then she changed her mood.
“Shall we have a drink?”
“What do you want to talk about with your brother? There must be something you want to hear.”
When Yoo-hyun asked her cluelessly, Han Jaehee hit the nail on the head.
She wanted to confirm something right away, so Yoo-hyun agreed readily.
“Just wait a minute.”
Han Jaehee moved around again.
She put a frying pan on top of a small electric stove that could barely fit one pot.
Then she made something quickly.
“We can’t drink without snacks.”
“That’s so like you.”
Yoo-hyun licked his lips.
Soon, Yoo-hyun faced his sister with a small table between them.
The various things that covered the floor were pushed to the corner of the room.
On the table, there were ice glasses and bottles of alcohol.
The space next to them was filled with cheese sauce and nachos that Han Jaehee made.
She decorated them quite well for an art student.
“It’s pretty cozy, right?”
“Right? You and I are surprisingly compatible, aren’t we?”
Yoo-hyun chuckled as he saw Han Jaehee teasing him.
She looked more relaxed and free than before.
That made him wish for her happiness even more.
After a few drinks, Yoo-hyun brought up the main topic.
“Why are you so obsessed with Woochan sunbae?”
Yoo-hyun dodged the question that Han Jaehee asked bluntly.
“I have a good reason for that. I heard some rumors too.”
“What are they? How did you hear such rumors?”
“I can’t really say it with my mouth.”
He couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Maybe because she was drunk, or because there was something suspicious about him, but his sister let it slide for now.
“Well, you’re not someone who says wrong things.”
“Are you drunk? You’re even talking nicely.”
“No way. Anyway, look at this.”
Yoo-hyun looked at the phone that Han Jaehee handed him.
There were texts that she sent one-sidedly.
Let’s meet, why don’t you come out, let’s have a drink, I miss you, I’ll come find you, etc.
Lately, they became more frequent.
Han Jaehee clearly expressed her dislike, but he clung to her persistently.
Yoo-hyun clenched his teeth.
“This guy is totally a stalker.”
“He’s pretty popular among sunbaes, but he became more obsessed with me when I kept saying no.”
“He even came to my house and stuff.”
Yoo-hyun was shocked by his sister’s words and asked.
“So? Did you open the door?”
“Are you crazy? How can I show him this place?”
Something didn’t add up, but he was relieved.
Yoo-hyun casually asked Han Jaehee.
He needed to get rid of him for good.
“Did you hear any rumors about him?”
“Didn’t you hear them too?”
“About women, I mean?”
Yoo-hyun thought of Han Jaehee’s ex-husband, Yang Woochan.
Old habits die hard, they say.
He cheated on her when she was pregnant and broke her heart.
Not only that, he was also reported for sexual harassment.
At that time, Yoo-hyun was distant from his sister, so he found out too late.
As expected, Han Jaehee’s eyes wavered as he guessed right.
“So you really heard it.”
“That guy is a real jerk.”
“He didn’t look like that, and he had a lot of money…”
Han Jaehee stuttered as Yoo-hyun confirmed his words.
“He doesn’t own that foreign car. It’s a lease.”
“Huh. Brother, have you seen him in person?”
“I told you. I know him well.”
He could tell without seeing.
The trash of the future was bound to be the trash of the past.
The more Yoo-hyun dug into it, the more Han Jaehee became engrossed in his story.
As she did, she spilled the beans about Yang Woochan.
At the same time, Yoo-hyun’s mind worked fast.
He had to deal with him somehow.
To do that, he had to either summon him or go after him.
The best way to catch him doing something bad was to get him away from his sister.
He was thinking about that when it happened.
A message came in along with the ringtone of Han Jaehee’s phone.
-Jaehee, I’m so tired because of you. I really miss you.
It was a text from Yang Woochan.
Han Jaehee was about to reply sharply.
“What the hell, this guy must be drunk again.”
Yoo-hyun stopped his sister.
“Just. Let’s see how he reacts.”
It was a moment later.
Beep beep. Beep beep.
As Yoo-hyun expected, the phone kept ringing.
He told her not to answer this time too.
“But he’ll keep calling.”
“Just leave it. Let’s see how far he goes.”
Beep beep. Beep beep.
He was a jerk who kept calling even when she didn’t reply to his texts.
When she didn’t answer the phone, he kept calling.
With this much passion, and his past history, there was a possibility that he would come to her house.
Yoo-hyun waited with a faint hope, but didn’t show it.
“Let’s drink for now. I don’t want to ruin my mood because of this guy.”
“Don’t mind him. He’ll stop eventually.”
“Don’t worry. What can he do when I’m not interested?”
‘Jaehee, he’s not the one for you.’
Yoo-hyun hid his feelings and offered her a glass.
They had a drink and talked.
“About your graduation…”
But Yoo-hyun kept checking the time.
That’s when it happened.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Han Jaehee. Han Jaehee. I know you’re in there.”
It was Yang Woochan’s voice and Han Jaehee was startled.
Han Jaehee hesitated at the cold look in her brother’s eyes that she had never seen before.
Yoo-hyun got up from his seat and walked slowly out.
“Open the door. Why aren’t you answering my calls?”
His voice was loud and drunk in the hallway.
This was clearly trespassing.
If he left it , it could lead to a crime.
“Hey, Han Jaehee, you’re mine. I can’t have just one of you…”
As he was spitting out nonsense, Yoo-hyun opened the door.
Then he saw a man with a flushed face.
His thin face with no double eyelids, and the scar marks on his cheeks matched his past memories.
Yoo-hyun grabbed his collar as he tried to open his mouth.
He pulled him so hard that his forehead hit the corner of the metal door.
Yoo-hyun reached out his other hand and stopped his sister who was trying to get up.
“Jaehee, I’ll be back from the police station in a bit. Stay here.”
“Let me go with you.”
“No. Stay here. Don’t open the door for anyone.”
“What if you’re in danger?”
He appreciated her concern, but he didn’t need it.
Yoo-hyun squeezed his collar and said.
“Don’t worry. I’m an expert at catching jerks like him.”