Love for Love’s Sake - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

“Photography assistant. Carrying equipment and cameras on scene?”

“Uh, ehm. Mostly studio shoots, but hey, there’s also outdoor shoots.”

“Is it paid daily? How much?”

“Well, $115.”

“That’s fine. I’ll do it.”

After asking Ahn Gyeonghun about the arrangements, it turned out the boss who would be hiring me was his younger sister. She needed a photography assistant and porter for an online shopping mall. The conditions seemed better than I expected.

“Have you done this kind of work before?”

My potential employer asked right away. It wasn’t a common job for a high school student, so my willingness to do it without questioning probably seemed suspicious. Unlike Ahn Gyeonghun, Ahn Sia seemed skeptical.

She was somewhat similar to Cha Yeowoon.

“What, this kind of work?”

When I was doing everything from delivery to working part-time at a restaurant, it was hard to imagine me not popping in and out of a broadcasting station. It was unlikely to be much different from being a crew member at a broadcasting station or a studio.

“Unless you have an introduction like this, they usually don’t hire minors, you know?”

“Do I look that young to you? Hold on, let me take this call.”

My phone suddenly vibrated, even though there shouldn’t be any calls at this time. To my surprise, it was from Cha Yeowoon.

Cha Yeowoon? At this hour? What was going on? I decided to answer because I didn’t think the call would last long.

“Hey, Yeowoon. Have you eaten?”

I greeted Cha Yeowoon, and suddenly, Ahn Sia, who was sitting in front of me, widened her eyes.

It didn’t stop there; as she leaned against the table, the glasses rattled. She seemed like she wanted to say something but nevertheless remained silent.

What was going on with her? I wanted to ask, but I didn’t want to end the call and check on her.

– “Are you talking about food as soon as I called? I have already eaten. How about you?”

“Koreans love their meals. I plan to go home and eat after this. Are you resting? By the way, you didn’t go for weekend practice, did you? You collapsed yesterday.”

Ahn Sia, who was on the verge of rushing toward me, was heaving her shoulders up and down. Ahn Gyeonghun appeared to be trying to calm her down. Seriously, what was going on?

– “What does senior think of me? I didn’t go. I’ll rest at home.”

“Good. Good idea. Take a good rest.”

– “By the way, when is the appointment…No, never mind. Senior, please rest too.”

The call was cut off before I could respond. Did he want to ask when the appointment would end? He should have finished his sentence, this brat.

“Do you know Cha Yeowoon?”

As soon as I put my phone down, Ahn Sia rushed toward me. If she was any more excited I thought she would have jumped over the table.

“Sia, c-calm down…”

“Are you close with Cha Yeowoon? Do you know each other personally?”

Ahn Sia kept mentioning Cha Yeowoon’s name incessantly. I was dumbfounded.

“That’s right, but…Why? Your big brother goes to the same school as Yeowoon.”

Judging by the fact that Cha Yeowoon was an athlete, was Ahn Sia perhaps a fan? Then shouldn’t she have asked Ahn Gyeonghun, not me?

“My big brother is in different year. Besides, Dog Sangwon also said he has never talked to Cha Yeowoon. I asked around with the other children, but not a single one said they were close to him.”

Ahn Sia talked non-stop. Hearing her, I was pretty much convinced. Cha Yeowoon didn’t have any friends.

It was now understandable that in the beginning whenever I asked Ahn Gyeonghun about Cha Yeowoon he would give me short answers.

“Are you close? He called you because you’re close, right?!”

“I slept at his house yesterday…So I guess?”

It was questionable whether I was close to Cha Yeowoon, but I thought I was closer to him than other children who he didn’t speak a word to.

“Awesome.”

Ahn Sia’s eyes twinkled as she covered her mouth in excitement. A noticeable flush appeared on her cheeks.

“That’s awesome. Big brother, can you please let me meet Cha Yeowoon just once?”

One minute it was ‘you,’ now suddenly she was calling me big brother.

“I don’t remember having a little sister.”

“Starting today, you do. Seriously, please. Please. I was looking forward to Cha Yeowoon going to the same high school as my big brother. I became friends with Dog Sangwon because of that, but that unlucky guy doesn’t even mention Cha Yeowoon.”

Ahn Sia clasped her hands together, showing a pleading expression. She must be a real fan.

“He might not want to meet you even if I ask. What are you going to do if you meet him?”

Did she want me to set them up together? Cha Yeowoon was good-looking and they were the same age.

That could be a good idea. I lined them up side by side in my head like a matchmaker.

As in the original , Cha Yeowoon might not feel as lonely once he found someone he liked. As far as I knew, he was the type to get very passionate once that happened.

He might need that kind of passion. My heart ached when I recalled his expression last night when he talked about his parents.

“…I’ll ask for an autograph.”

The response was surprisingly innocent. Ahn Sia’s forehead was flushed. I wondered if I had misheard because that was all she said.

“An autograph?”

“For my sports shoes.”

She looked away from me, transitioning from being bold to being shy. Maybe she was a genuine fan after all.

“Sports shoes, are you running?”

“It’s a hobby. I do cardio to keep my body in shape anyway.”

Despite that, if you idolize someone of similar age, and the person was as good-looking as Cha Yeowoon, wouldn’t you think about dating? I was confident she wouldn’t get rejected if she went out and looked for someone herself.

“I did participate in a competition in middle school, but I got too busy with modeling. Cha Yeowoon was in the same competition. He was really fast. Have big brother seen Cha Yeowoon run? He’s amazing!”

Ahn Sia’s voice grew louder as she spoke, and soon, all the nearby customers were looking our way. After covering her mouth, she finally took a deep breath.

With this much, I had to admit her sincerity. They called it idolism for this kind of thing.

She genuinely seemed to like Cha Yeowoon as a track and field athlete. Well, he was a national-level athlete, so it was natural for him to have passionate fans.

“Okay. Let’s meet up next time.”

There was no point in bothering a sick child today, so I suggested meeting up next time.

Meeting a real fan might change Cha Yeowoon’s thoughts on running. It might seem like a far-fetched idea, but I thought it was possible.

Regardless, I didn’t think it would be a bad thing for him to meet someone who genuinely supported him.

“Really?! Big brother truly is my benefactor.”

“Benefactor?”

“Let’s be friends. It’s perfect. What’s big brother’s number?”

In Ahn Sia’s sparkling eyes, I couldn’t find any hint of the animosity she had displayed earlier. Her personality was quite straightforward in many aspects.

“You’re really different from your big brother.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. How can siblings be so dissimilar in personality and appearance?”

“I look just like my big brother.”

Such an answer was completely unexpected.

She looked just like Ahn Gyeonghun? This bright and beautiful girl and him?

Not that there was anything wrong with him, but she was exceptionally attractive.

Wasn’t she a well-known model who had appeared in department stores? I scoffed at her disease-like delusion, but honestly, she was a beauty worth admiring. Her eyes were large, her facial features were delicate, and her neck and limbs were long and slender, much like a cat’s.

As for Ahn Gyeonghun, well. It wasn’t that he wasn’t good-looking, but it was hard to compare the two. His appearance was hazy and blurry compared to Ahn Sia’s.

On second thought, were their high noses similar? Perhaps they would look somewhat alike if he removed his thick-rimmed glasses. It wasn’t something to consider deeply. It didn’t matter what he looked like.

“If my big brother takes off his glasses.”

“S-Sia. Stop it.”

“What a waste!”

“Is he going to transform just by taking off his glasses?”

“Yeah, a complete transformation.”

“Like in a comic book?”

“It’s for real.”

Ahn Sia seemed indignant. It seemed as if the fact that her big brother was actually the owner of good looks was important to her.

By now, there was no way I couldn’t believe it. In a situation where I had suddenly found myself in a novel and there was a system window visible only to me, was it really unbelievable a beauty was hiding behind those glasses?

Ahn Sia became angry and tried to grab Ahn Gyeonghun’s glasses, perhaps because she misunderstood my calmness as ignoring it. Ahn Gyeonghun, who had been sitting meekly with his head down, cringed and shrunk away.

Why was she doing this again? I couldn’t help but to stop her.

“Hey, believe. I believe Ahn Gyeonghun looks just like you, so don’t take it off. He doesn’t like it.”

“Myeongha…”

Ahn Gyeonghun called me with an emotional voice. Why was he so moved by this?

“Big brother, considering how you look, your personality is surprisingly nice.”

Although it sounded like a compliment, it didn’t really come across as one.

“I’m sorry that I seem to have a bad personality. I’m leaving.”

“If you have time, let’s hang out together!”

Ahn Sia’s attitude was completely opposite to when we first sat down. When a person was vigilant, they were also quick to let their guard down. I should take back the thought that she resembled Cha Yeowoon.

“It’s the weekend, let’s go hang out.”

As if Ahn Gyeonghun had gained courage, he also spoke up.

Apparently, once the boundaries were relaxed, the siblings were similar to each other.

“Okay. I’m busy. Just text me when and where to go for my part-time job. Goodbye.”

“Heung.”

After exchanging numbers with Ahn Sia, who was pouting, I left the cafe. She waved her hand enthusiastically next to Ahn Gyeonghun.

[Ahn Sia] : Hello, big brother>< See you again next time, goodbye!

[Ahn Gyeonghun] : Myungha, go home safely. See you at school tomorrow.

Upon receiving the two's texts shortly after spotting the road, my doubts resurfaced. They really didn't seem alike.

[Tae Myeongha] : Resting?

After I sat on the bus and sent a short answer to both of them, I texted Cha Yeowoon. I wanted to confirm he hadn't collapsed.

[Cha Yeowoon] : Yes

I thought it would end with a short answer, but I received another text after a brief silence.

[Cha Yeowoon] : And senior?

[Tae Myeongha] : Going home now~

[Cha Yeowoon] : Okay

[Cha Yeowoon] : Have a safe trip

And then he fell silent again.

I tried small talk and also brought up Ahn Sia, but this time he remained silent and didn't even read it.

This subtle sense of distance. I felt like I was close, yet not. I didn't know what to make of it.

In terms of favorability, it was a relief that he no longer disliked me.

My cell phone rang after I came home and did housework such as cleaning and folding laundry. It was Cha Yeowoon.

"Why did you call me, junior?"

– "What's the matter with your way of talking?"

"It's because I suddenly got a phone call after someone didn't read my texts. What's the matter?"

– "It was because of the battery."

"Battery? Oh, you ran out of battery."

I guess he had to charge his phone. It was possible to charge your phone at a convenience store these days.