CEBF Ch 6 part 1

PR by neji

The streets were decorated in preparation for the end of the year. Little light bulbs flashed on the trees around the department stores. Employees inside stores wore Santa hats as they hummed Christmas carols.

Sitting in the passenger seat of JaeOn’s car, Daon looked at the scenery outside the window with indifferent eyes. She didn’t feel like celebrating the end of the year. The world seemed to have lost its color. All she could see were the frowns on people’s faces as they cut through the bone-chilling wind.

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“Wow, they really went all out for the end of the year. Don’t you think so?”

Daon snorted when she heard JaeOn’s excited voice and leaned her forehead against the window. For the past few days, JaeOn had gone all out to try and lift Daon’s spirits. Unfortunately, all those efforts were for naught.

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‘Do you need time to think about it?’

‘You won’t be able to meet a guy like me somewhere else.’

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‘Really think about it. Whether you’ll date me or whether you won’t see me ever again.’

After giving her time to think, WooHyun hid his whereabouts from Daon. She knew it was his way of being considerate and giving her the space and time to focus on her own thoughts. However, in reality, his absence made her realize what a precious fixture he had been in her life. From then on, Daon would more often than not look up at the sky with dazed eyes.

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A relationship had taken form in her mind. One where they did not have silly fights like other couples. One where they did not have to break up.

From her extremely short first relationship, she had learned that romantic feelings could always fade away. She thought that WooHyun had felt the same way as her. So when he dropped the bomb on her, she had been completely shocked.

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Now that she had reached a fork in the road of their relationship, she had come to realize that the person who would be the biggest distraction from dating WooHyun would be Yu JaeOn. He was definitely the kind of person who would laugh and sneer at the thought of his little sister getting together with his friend.

“Say something…”

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If Yu JaeOn hadn’t been in the middle of it all, would she have been able to receive WooHyun more easily?

However, if it weren’t for him, she would never have gotten closer to Na WooHyun. Was she supposed to be grateful for this? Or…

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“Did you propose to SoYoung-unnie?”

It had been a while since the three of them, JaeOn, Daon and SoYoung, had all gone out for a meal. Throughout the long length of JaeOn and SoYoung’s relationship, Daon had met up with them from time to time, but this meeting was very special. Their two families were in marriage talks.

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Now that JaeOn had established himself in his job, it was only expected that talks of marriage would arise. However, he wasn’t sure if it was something SoYoung wanted to do, so there was some hesitation.

“Ew, what proposal? How embarrassing.”

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JaeOn burst into awkward laughter, and his face and neck grew red. Daon was amazed that even someone as basic as JaeOn was getting married.

“At this rate, she’s going to call off the engagement.”

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“……”

It seemed that JaeOn was finally worried as he pursed his lips.

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They finally arrived at their destination. A valet rushed over to them, and JaeOn gave him his car. JaeOn looked around. SoYoung was standing outside the restaurant and smiling brightly at them as she waved her hand.

“Daon!”

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She was tall and slender. Her head was the size of a fist, and she had a beautiful face. Her hair was cut into a short bob that reached her jaw, and she gave off a chic aura that made her seem like a sophisticated woman of the city. Whenever Daon saw SoYoung, she could not understand why she had ever agreed to go out with someone like Yu JaeOn.

“Unnie, did you wait long?”

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“No, I just came, too.”

SoYoung wrapped her arms around Daon’s shoulders as she gave her a hug. Then she brought her inside the restaurant. JaeOn followed behind them as he wondered how he should propose to SoYoung.

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Once they were seated at the reserved table by the window, Daon looked around the restaurant. She could tell that they had gone through great lengths to bring in the holiday cheer. There was a Christmas tree standing in the middle of the room, and the speakers were playing Christmas carols.

When she saw JaeOn sitting close to SoYoung like a puppy, Daon was startled. Seeing someone in her family act like this with their significant other was awkward. She didn’t know where to rest her eyes, so she turned them to the menu in front of her.

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“The course is pretty good here.”

Having caught on that Daon was feeling awkward, SoYoung slightly pushed JaeOn away and spoke up in an easygoing voice. JaeOn repeated SoYoung’s words like a parrot.

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“She’s right. The course is pretty good here.”

Daon glanced at the price of the course, and her eyes widened.

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“But it’s too expensive…”

“Don’t worry about that. Unnie will pay today.”

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“Why is Unnie paying? Doesn’t Oppa have money?”

“SoYoung’s money is my money, and my money is SoYoung’s money, you brat.”

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“You haven’t even gotten married yet. Unnie, you should run away while you still can. I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”

Taking it as a joke, SoYoung flashed a confused smile. She was so kind and pretty, so how did she…

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In the end, they ordered the course meal for three and chewed on the complimentary bread while they waited for the food. Suddenly, JaeOn claimed he needed to go to the bathroom and vacated his seat. SoYoung propped her chin in her hand and looked at Daon with sparkling eyes.

“I heard you’re dating these days, Daon.”

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“Me? That’s news to me. Is that was Yu JaeOn said?”

SoYoung narrowed her eyes and grinned.

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“JaeOn’s always worried. He said that Daon hasn’t been in a good mood for the past several days. He didn’t know what kind of jerk you were seeing, but he said that once he saw him, he’d grab him by the collar and beat him up.”

“Collar…”

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WooHyun’s words finally clicked together like a puzzle.

‘The guy who’s going to grab me by my collar very soon.’

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‘What are we going to do if your brother catches us?’

Her spine stiffened when she imagined the consequences of getting caught by JaeOn. She raised her cup of water to her dry lips.

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“What does my bad mood have to do with who I’m seeing… Don’t you think Yu JaeOn is way too nosy, Unnie?”

“It’s because JaeOn really likes you, Daon. What kind of older brother would only stand by and watch as his little sister gets hurt?”

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“But I’m a grown adult. I should have the freedom to date as I please.”

“So you are dating?”

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…She’d been caught. Daon wiped her hands that had become damp with sweat.

“You can’t tell Yu JaeOn.”

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“Mm, it must be someone that JaeOn can’t know about?”

Daon felt like she’d been struck across the back of her head. Because she’d always gone up against the simple Yu JaeOn, now that she was speaking to a true trickster, she didn’t have the chance to prepare herself.

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“…You can’t tell him that either.”

Daon blushed and murmured in a soft voice. SoYoung burst into laughter as if she was having fun.

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“Just who are you seeing? Are you seeing a friend of JaeOn’s?”

“……”

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This was only the third blow. SoYoung observed Daon’s stunned expression. SoYoung’s smiling face gradually hardened.

“…Really?”

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“……”

“But the only friend JaeOn has is Na WooHyun…?”

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“……”

Daon grew dizzy. She didn’t know what to do to salvage this situation. She was worried JaeOn would suddenly pop out.

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“W-We’re not dating yet!”

“Yet? So you’re going to start dating soon?”

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SoYoung settled her flustered nerves and asked back in a calm voice.

“Don’t worry. I won’t ever tell JaeOn. Never.”

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Although this was not the case for JaeOn, when it came to SoYoung, Daon trusted her. When she saw SoYoung’s soothing smile, her nervous heart settled.

“I trust you, Unnie…”

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“Of course, of course. Just trust Unnie.”

As soon as she finished replying, JaeOn appeared. JaeOn, the man who hadn’t noticed anything for a month when SoYoung had figured it out in a few minutes.

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“Darling, sowwy for making you wait.”

He wrapped his arm around SoYoung’s shoulders and rubbed his face against hers. His affectionate lisp was an added bonus. SoYoung looked at JaeOn with suspicious eyes and looked back and forth between his hand on her shoulder and his face.

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“You washed your hands vigorously with soap, right?”

SoYoung was the one who forced JaeOn to act his age. JaeOn looked disappointed as he shrugged his shoulders and huffed.

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“Mhmm, of course! What kind of guy do you think I am, Darling?!”

It was truly a rare sight to see. Daon pushed her back up against her seat and was just about to look away when their food was served. The dishes were placed on the table one by one. The sincere waiter gave a brief explanation of each dish and excused himself. However, none of his words entered Daon’s ears.

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“What were you two talking about?”

“Nothing much.”

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Daon answered hurriedly. JaeOn narrowed his eyes at Daon before whispering to SoYoung. SoYoung whispered back in a steady voice.

“Don’t worry about it. Are you asking if Daon talked bad about you to me?”

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Daon smirked. Despite having dated for a long time, JaeOn was still worried about looking bad in front of SoYoung.

“What if I did? What are you going to do?”

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JaeOn mouthed at Daon to be quiet. His gleaming eyes didn’t scare her.

Daon could already guess what had happened. JaeOn had definitely gone to the bathroom to search up different ways to propose on his phone. It seemed that her mention of his engagement getting canceled had really gotten to him. Throughout the whole meal, JaeOn’s leg shook under the table and he couldn’t hide his apprehension.

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“SoYoung, do you like flowers?”

“Rather than flowers, I like houses, cars, and jewels.”

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“Ah, I see…”

“I’m not a fan of trails of candles or balloons that burst out of a car trunk. I guess going to a restaurant with a good view is the easiest way to do it.”

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SoYoung spoke in a steady voice as she ate her food. She was basically telling him how to propose to her.

Daon’s mouth opened in shock. She was blatantly controlling him like a puppet in the palm of her hand. Just how much had she suffered due to Yu JaeOn’s ignorance all these years for her to be so good at this?

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Their casual, lovey-dovey talk seemed to suit the cheerful holiday decorations of the restaurant. Thanks to them, the loneliness inside Daon’s heart doubled.

She looked out the window and saw a plane flying across the sky. Her dazed eyes followed the plane’s path.

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“It would have been nice to meet with WooHyun, too.”

SoYoung spoke up and poked JaeOn. Startled by the sudden prick to her conscience, Daon flinched. Her ears perked up to hear JaeOn’s reply.

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“He’s busy these days. It’s probably been a while since I’d last seen his face.”

“Really? Why is he so busy?”

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“I’m not sure. He’s not the type of guy who talks about himself, so I’m not really sure what he’s up to.”

Thankfully, JaeOn hadn’t caught on yet. At the mention of WooHyun, JaeOn merely flashed an innocent smile as he cut pieces of his steak and held them up to SoYoung.

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Daon avoided JaeOn’s eyes and secretly met SoYoung’s. SoYoung had also been trying to see how much JaeOn knew and occasionally brought up WooHyun at the right time.

As if she were sorry to be having a secret conversation that didn’t include him, SoYoung smiled as she stroked his head. JaeOn gave her a goofy smile and rubbed his head against her shoulder.

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“Are you that happy…”

Her criticism was mixed with some envy. Just what was making them so happy? How had they been able to keep this up for so long when it was difficult for the average person to maintain it? Daon couldn’t understand it at all.

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“How did the two of you see each other for so long?”

Daon asked with a weird look in her eyes. JaeOn ignored her and focused on cutting up more pieces of his steak and offering them to SoYoung. SoYoung shrugged and answered Daon in a flat voice.

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“It’s possible as long as you don’t break up.”

“But that’s not easy to do.”

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“And breaking up is?”

SoYoung seemed to have realized what Daon was so worried about. She continued to speak in a steady voice.

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“Worrying about something in the future when it hasn’t even started is the same as not even trying to succeed because you’re worried about failure.”

JaeOn finally blinked.

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“What are you starting, and why are you worried? What are you two talking about?”

Daon gave him a brief smile and answered.

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“You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Huh? I feel like I’ve heard this already. Wait, who said it…”

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JaeOn sifted through his memories, and just when he felt like he’d got it, the dessert was served. Thanks to the approaching waiter, his concentration was broken.

Daon narrowed her eyes as she watched the two lovestruck cockroaches feed each other their lemon sherbert. She missed Na WooHyun more than ever.

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* * *

“Drive carefully, and call me when you get home.”

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JaeOn had driven SoYoung to her house. When she had safely gotten inside, he finally turned the steering wheel. Although SoYoung seemed cynical at first glance, she was actually a very warmhearted person. JaeOn knew this better than anyone.

The first relationship he had started as a young boy had led him all the way here. And it was all thanks to SoYoung.

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She told Daon that they just didn’t have to break up, but they had overcome several critical points in their relationship as a couple. In order to understand each other’s lives and habits, effort was required from both sides.

Because he knew how the effort could burn up one’s affection for the other and leave each other exhausted, he couldn’t help but be concerned when he saw Daon be so gloomy. 

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“Just what kind of guy is he?”

But he couldn’t help the rough tone of voice as he spoke to his little sister. Daon didn’t even have the energy to glare at him as she murmured in a lifeless voice.

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“I’m telling you this ahead of time, but don’t you dare grab his collar or punch him. If you do, I seriously won’t go easy on you.”

Ahem, JaeOn cleared his throat with a grave expression on his face.

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“I’m your older brother.”

“And I’m telling you because you are my older brother. You should be grateful.”

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Even though she acted like an adult, she was still much younger than him. She was still very young in his eyes. She couldn’t hide her childish emotions, and judging from the way she was so open with her feelings, she still was a child. But he knew he didn’t have much of a right to say that since he was the one who’d always lock himself in his room and cry whenever he and SoYoung had a fight.

Meddling in a sibling’s love life was like going against divine providence. Ninety percent of people wouldn’t care who their family dated, but JaeOn just wasn’t that kind of older brother. However, JaeOn couldn’t shake off a strange feeling.

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He’d spent the night away from home plenty of times during the beginning of his relationship, so he could turn a blind eye. However… How should he put this… There was a slightly fishy feeling that it was somewhere close by… Why else would a girl who went out to buy some ramen suddenly stay out all night? Ever since Daon claimed that a friend had moved into the neighborhood, Na WooHyun had been hanging out a lot less… No, it couldn’t be. He didn’t want to dig any deeper than this.

Screech!

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Suddenly, the tires screeched to a halt. The traffic light had turned red, and JaeOn had barely managed to stop at the line. He looked at Daon. Daon swallowed her scream and flashed him a trembling smile.

“Oppa… If it’s alright with you, I’d like to live a little longer.”

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“Huh? Yeah, okay. Sorry…”

JaeOn suddenly remembered his conversation with WooHyun a few days ago.

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‘You’ll find out soon enough.’

He definitely said he was seeing someone. That jerk had been living his whole life surrounded by a wall. The only time they’d ever spent apart was when WooHyun had studied abroad. Although he wasn’t sure what he’d done then, to the best of JaeOn’s knowledge, WooHyun hadn’t ever dated anyone. 

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…What’s with the strange coincidence?

JaeOn shook his head. He did his best to erase the racing thoughts and focus on driving back home.

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