My snacking has increased too, so I nibble on things like jelly and chocolate at work that I barely used to touch. Seeing me grab something from the pantry every morning, Won Dogyeong said he’d pack me snacks, but I declined because I thought bringing something that full-on would make me self-conscious about eating it.
Plus, thinking about how he smiled with a suspicious face, he seemed to be planning something like a flashy character lunchbox. I even witnessed him watching videos about packing lunchboxes on NeTube before bed and searching for character furikake, so I was certain.
If I brought something like that, I’d have to hide in the bathroom to eat it. I was right to say no.
“It came out.”
Won Dogyeong came back with the shaved ice, holding the vibrating buzzer that was trembling.
I put a generous pile of ice along with a round-cut melon piece into my mouth. It was so cold that goosebumps rose on my arms.
“It’s delicious.”
“You really never even looked at stuff like this before….”
Won Dogyeong muttered as if amazed and took a big spoonful into his mouth.
When some melon sauce from the spoon got on the corner of his mouth, I held up a napkin and gestured, and he obediently stuck out his face.
I gently rubbed and wiped it off, when he suddenly opened his mouth and bit down on my fingertip.
“What are you doing?”
“Seducing you.”
“…Isn’t that more like nibbling?”
When I retorted absurdly, as if it was just something he said on a whim, he shrugged his shoulders and smoothly picked up a melon piece to eat.
This kind of thing had increased a lot lately. It felt like he was throwing everything he thought I’d accept and seeing what happened.
I myself was confused about where “this far” was, but he stayed in the safe zone skillfully as if he could see right through me. Even when he’d suddenly push in, he’d pull back in an instant before I had time to be flustered.
Right after being attacked, I’d think what are you doing?, but when he’d suddenly pretend not to know and wipe his mouth, it was a strange pattern where I’d be the one left wanting more.
Thinking about it, Won Dogyeong was a kid who knew exactly how far he could push since childhood. At school and at academy, he’d cause trouble just enough not to get scolded.
He was using that talent with all his might, and I was undeniably getting drawn in.
Seduction—it shouldn’t have seemed cute with all this fuss. I’d clearly gone a bit strange in the head from being subjected to these surprise attacks every day.
“Did they say we can find out the gender next time we go?”
Won Dogyeong snapped the chocolate with the logo on it that was on top of the shaved ice in half and handed me one piece.
“Yeah. Are you curious?”
“Of course I’m curious.”
“Mom says it’ll be a son. But uncle says he hopes it’s a daughter.”
“Even after raising Won Doa, he can say he hopes for a daughter.”
“What’s wrong with Doa?”
“She’s just fucking terrible.”
Won Dogyeong stuck out his tongue with a “eww” and grimaced. Those siblings’ hobby is being fed up whenever the other is mentioned. I don’t know why they do that when they’re not even on bad terms.
With a four-year age gap, don’t they usually not bicker this much?
I’m quite cheeky with my noona and hyung too, but still, since the age gap above me is so large, I don’t really understand what that feeling is like.
I get along with noona like friends, but even so, I don’t have the seniority to talk back, and Yeo Daun acts like he’s half my dad. Well, whatever, I still call him Yeo Daun though.
“Whether it’s a son or daughter, if they look like you, they’ll be beautiful.”
“I don’t know, they’d be beautiful if they look like you too.”
“Ohhh wow…..”
How can he say something like this without batting an eye? This guy must really like me….
“Right now you’re thinking I’m joking.”
I definitely know you’re more amazing than I thought.
“No… thank you….”
“Go grab someone passing by and ask them. If you ask ‘Don’t you think my child will have amazing looks?’ they’ll all say yes.”
“Ugh, are you crazy?”
“I’m telling you to ask ‘How do I look?’ quickly. Or should I tell you until you believe it?”
“No?”
I was disgusted, but he smiled and started running his mouth.
“Okay, first of all, your eyes are doe-like and pretty, your skin is so white it makes me want to press it, um, you’re usually neat but a bit sexy when you’re tired.”
I glared with narrowed eyes and waved my hands urgently.
“No, no! I said no.”
I sent a signal to stop while pulling up the corners of my mouth as favorably as possible, but it seemed like there was an error in the middle and it didn’t arrive, as his face filled to the brim with mischief.
“I believe everything you say. I always believe everything you say. So~.”
Despite my effort to gently draw out my words while adding this, he was blatantly revving up thinking about how to torment me, and soon the aegyo-sal under his eyes bulged out.
He’s going to say something troublesome again. I instinctively tensed up and my mouth stiffened.
“So you’re saying that even you think when you look in the mirror, you’re just, amazed? You think your eyes are big, your skin is white, and you look a bit sexy when you’re tired?”
“……Yeah yeah….”
“This is serious, you’re so pretty. Right? Do you want to debut too? I’ll pull all the strings I can.”
“……”
“What do you want to do? Actor? Idol?”
“……”
“If Jeongwon debuts, you’ll devour everyone with your face~ What do I do, I’m so full.”
“Stop it….”
“Hmm?”
I gritted my teeth at the hateful question.
“Shtahp it.”
“If you admit you’re a ‘beauty that topples nations,’ I’ll stop~.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Hmm~? What? You want me to say more?”
“Please shut up….”
I buried my flushing face down and down and pressed my forehead. But Won Dogyeong paid no mind.
“When you have your hair down, you’re innocent, but when you push it half back for work, um… sexy?”
He grabbed my bangs and swept them slightly to the side like when I go to work, grinning. Then he grabbed a bunch of hair and repeatedly let it down and swept it over while cheerfully shouting.
“Look look, innocent, sexy, innocent, sexy.”
Seeing his shining eyes with no intention of stopping, I finally threw up both hands.
“I, I admit it… stop it, you crazy bastard…..”
“What~?”
“……I’m totally a beauty that topples nations…..”
“Bwahahaha!”
“……”
Yeo Jeongwon? That person doesn’t exist in the world anymore.
Cause of death? Let’s see, death by shame. Haha. Actually my first time seeing it.
“Bwahahaha!”
I’m a beauty that topples nations? I can’t believe I said such crazy words with my own mouth.
A little, really a little, a very very little bit, I swear just a speck! …I felt good, which made it even more shameful.
This kind of… I feel good from hearing this kind of praise? When he only wants to tease me?
Self-loathing came flooding in. Today’s mental strength was just completely exhausted. Sold out.
But wait, why are you only saying things about me?
A feeling of injustice suddenly welled up, and I fiercely glared at Won Dogyeong, who was lying on the table laughing and then lifting his head while gasping for breath.
Under the cap, his smooth handsome face was softly relaxed. He giggled so much that even a faint blush appeared.
Who’s calling who pretty? You’ve probably heard you’re pretty a million times more than me.
I snorted and lifted my chin.
“Hey! The beauty that topples nations is you! You admit it quickly too!”
“I admit I’m a beauty that topples nations.”
“……?”
Why is it so easy? This isn’t how it should be…?
Flustered and dumbfounded, I thought I should explain in detail to let him know how I feel, so I grabbed his face. I stared intently into his eyes and started reciting from the top one by one just like he did.
This is how embarrassing it is. You try it too.
“You, your forehead is pretty too! Your eyebrows are pretty too!”
“Yeah, yeah. And?”
“Your nose is high too…!”
“Really? And?”
“Your eye shape is refreshing…?”
“More?”
“……?”
What…?
Why is he happy…?
His lips loosened and he looked cheerful in a different way from earlier. With an uncharacteristically bright expression, he looked similar to a happy wild animal frolicking in Australia.
I hesitantly let go of his cheek and confusedly stared at the franchise logo stamped on the table.
“You’re not doing more?”
He stretched his lips with a regretful look.
That wasn’t to make you happy….
With the rushing feeling of helplessness, I scooped up the shaved ice that had become no different from liquid with my spoon. As soon as I put the spoon to the barely remaining ice chunks to scoop them up, they smoothly dissolved and melted. Can nothing go right?
“I don’t want to….”
No matter what I did, I was losing.
He’s happy teasing me, and happy when I tease him…. How am I supposed to win?
Won Dogyeong looked at me as if pitying me.
“If I was embarrassed by stuff like that, would I have become an actor?”
It was a perfectly reasonable point. Still, I wanted to argue but couldn’t think of anything, so I sullenly just ate the shaved ice liquid.
“I’ll give you the last melon, so forgive me.”
He wore a victorious smile and pushed the last piece of melon into my mouth.
I put it in my cheek and nibbled on it. The non-artificial sweetness pleasantly circulated in my mouth. I nodded as if doing him a favor.
“I forgive you.”
“Wow.”
Won Dogyeong answered half-heartedly while grinning broadly.
Victory by decision. Damn it.
Until recently, my winning rate was definitely higher, but now I’m not sure. I’ve been losing too much lately.
Still, if I compile statistics from age 7, wouldn’t mine be much higher?
Statistics change depending on the sample, so if I filter the data to my advantage… ugh, cold.
I chewed and swallowed the fruit flesh and was sitting blankly when I suddenly shivered at the rushing cold. Won Dogyeong, who had been sitting with a cheerful and refreshed face, pulled out the hoodie zip-up from behind me as if he’d expected this.
“…Thanks.”
……Here, I’ll give you one more victory by decision.
This keeps lowering my winning rate.
While I was putting on the hoodie, Won Dogyeong, who was habitually gathering and organizing the dishes, opened his mouth with an “Ah.”
“The article will probably come out around the end of August.”
