Chapter 4
I’m yanked out of his arms and pulled against a warm hard and wall like body, straightened up so fast it makes me dizzy and I lose my footing. Caught by the person who has just pulled me over. I turn just enough to catch Jyeon eyeing me over my shoulder, and he doesn’t look impressed at all. He pats down my dress, gestures with a chin nod at my hair and pushes me off of him coldly.
“Go fix yourself. My mother will go ape shit if she sees you guys acting like kids. Your finishing school classes are seeming pointless lately.” His expression is sour, and I scowl at him, sneering in an unladylike manner.
“I am a kid! I’m allowed to have a night off from being a flat and boring lady while I’m still only a child!” I pout back at his frosty tone, the urge to kick him in the shin mighty today with how cold and superior he’s being. This is how we are sometimes, and I think he hates that he does not intimidate me in the slightest.
Jyeon narrows his brow, his handsome face seemingly more mature when he gets all serious and sulky and I bite on my lip, anger rising because he can always make me feel so crap with very few sentences.
“Can you try not acting like this for my birthday. I don’t want to babysit. I do it all year round.” He lets me go and pushes me slightly away, slicing my heart with his words and I swallow the sudden urge to cry. Hating him for always making me feel like a nuisance child around him, when he used to be the one who carried me on his back and put band aids on my cut knees. Jyeon used to be the one to lift me over fences, hand me food, take care of me, and protect me from everything in the world.
If I was never pushed onto him in this manner then maybe we would still be close, and he wouldn’t constantly be separating us with his glacier mountain that he’s put between us.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take Yoonie and stay out of your way. We can hang out together and you’ll only have to babysit yourself.” I swing away and grab Yoonah’s hand, aware of the wide eyed baby way he’s watching us with that little crushed expression. He hates when we bicker and is too sweet and soft to ever know how to intervene. For a twelve year old, he’s more like a kid half that age at times and I pull him with me protectively. Using him to get away from Jyeon and simmer my bad mood caused by that arrogant attitude.
“She’s turning your brother into a little cry baby who follows her around like a puppy.” I hear one of his friend’s voices as we walk away and curb the urge to turn round and shout something insulting back. Pulling Yoonie, who follows without any resistance and head towards the buffet. Aware of eyes on us, so I stand taller and prouder and push down the immature and bolshy me.
“Shut up. Yoonah is fine, and she cares about him like he’s her own kid brother. Leave them alone. She’s doing me a favour by taking him away. They’re closer in age than we are so it’s natural he wants to be around her more than me.” Jyeon’s voice soothes my temper a little and I get a reminiscent glimpse of how caring he used to be. Before responsibility and hormones hit him.
Being sent to a public all boys school to focus on his future hardened him, but occasionally the deeper him shows face, especially if someone insults his little brother. He will never stand back and hear one bad word about Yoonie. Or me, at times. Jyeon is the only one allowed to be an ass to me as he doesn’t allow anyone else to be.
I glance back at Yoonah’s crestfallen expression, having heard them call him a cry baby, and give him a bright smile and pat him on his head lovingly. Putting on my brightest expression.
“Come on, cutie. Let’s get you some chocolate cake and ice cream. Then we can go eat it in the greenhouse and watch the fairy lights on the fountain.” I tug him along, glad to see the sadness break and he beams and speeds up his walk to follow me to the food.