Spinoff 1-3: Her Secret (3)
“Ah! Big brother, you’re here?”
Seol was busy writing something lying on the bed, but came running excitedly at the sight of Hwan and stuck out her two hands.
“Heh heh, I’m ready to receive it! My big brother is the greatest in the world!”
“What are you saying?”
The siblings were usually always at each other’s throats, not so friendly like this.
There was always a good reason not-so-cute sister of his was being this docile…
‘Oh, right.’
Hwan’s mouth widened.
He only now remembered Seol’s request as she handed him one 50 thousand won note this morning.
-Today is the day they release special spinoff of . The author lost his mind and decided to release it only as paperback so it can only be bought in the bookstores.
-Hwan, you said you don’t have class today, right? That thing would be all sold off within an afternoon the moment it’s released, so please get me a copy in time. You can keep the rest of the money.
He definitely remembered that request until this morning but forgot about it during his date.
On top of that, he had used up all the money in his wallet during his date today. Including the 50 thousand won Seol had given him for the errand.
“Seol.”
“Hm?”
“Sorry. I forgot.”
Hwan confessed and Seol’s face was colored in shock.
Seol was shaking with her brows raised high enough to pop out, then she tugged at Hwan’s collar and started shouting.
“Ahhhgh! You idiot!”
“Ugh, W-wait. L-let this go first.”
“You, just! Just! Gahhh….!”
Hwan’s eyes widened. This was because Seol’s reddened eyes were soon dripping with tears.
What, she is this mad from not getting a book?
“What? What’s the matter?”
Shin came running in a hurry after hearing the ruckus.
“Ah, hu, Shin, S-Shin…”
“Yes, yes, Seol. What’s the matter? Calm down and stop crying for a bit and tell me.”
Seol continued to tear up as she waved her pointed finger at Hwan.
“I told-told him to make sure, huaaaa… to get the spinoff…, kuh!”
“Lee Hwan, you tell me. What is Seol talking about?”
Shin asked Hwan, unable to get out anything from Seol’s tearful words. Hwan replied as he scratched the back of his head.
“Ah, er… She told me to get her a copy of a novel this morning, but I forgot.”
“Really? Then you can just go now and get her a copy, no?”
“Kagh! N-no, it…it must have all been sold out by now, hic!”
“Ahh, it should be sold out by now?”
Shin looked at Seol nodding frantically with pity in his eyes and spoke as he took out his wallet from the back of his pants pocket.
“Who knows? There might be a few books left by some luck. Let’s go now. I’ll give you a lift.”
“Hic!”
Wiping the tears coarsely with the back of her hand, Seol sniffled then took away the wallet in Shin’s hand with a slip of a finger.
“T-the bookstore, hng! It’s just up front so I — hic! — I can just run there fast! I’ll be back!”
“Er, will you?”
Seol shot a death glare at Hwan for the one last time and ran out in a rush, worried she may be late by any chance.
Shin stared at Hwan with discontent and let out a sigh.
“You picked the wrong thing to forget.”
“Whoa, bro. I am sorry I forgot but is that normal? Sniffling for not getting some copy of a book and shaking me by the collar? Huh?”
“You know what Seol can be like.”
“I can’t get used to it even if I do! Look, what on earth is this?”
Pointing at Hades Louvremont’s life size stand standing right next to him, Hwan shook his head.
“It was better when she was fangirling an actual person. This, though, is really crossing the line.”
Ultimately, Seol was their cherished sister whether she is impish or not. Seeing her going crazy over some man who didn’t even exist in real life to the point of grabbing her brother by the collar, Hwan couldn’t help but be pissed off.
Glaring at life size stand of Hades Louvremont with his chin raised up arrogantly, Hwan gnashed his teeth and threw a light jab at its face.
Flap-
“Oh shoot.”
And he was immediately lost for words.
He didn’t even use that much force but the panel’s head instantly snapped off from its body.
“Hey, Lee Hwan! Have you lost your mind?!”
“W-what should I do? This is huge. What should I do bro?”
Hwan yanked his hair and stumped his feet. This was a massive accident.
* * *
Seol arrived to the bookstore at once, her hair in a mess, and wearing slippers.
She couldn’t afford to miss ‘s special spinoff
It was a new spinoff that got released a year after the book was over and even the title of the spinoff, plainly giving away who the story would be about, made her heart flutter.
The characters who quarreled with each other all throughout like cat and dog, Azar Roman and Roxa Tribolt!
Roxa Tribolt, the slit-eyed magician of silver locks was the second favorite character of Seol next to Hades. That was the biggest reason why she could not miss this special spinoff.
Seol hurriedly entered the bookstore and charged straight for the display shelf prepared for the release of the spinoff.
‘Whoa! There’s a copy! There really is one left!’
Seol almost shrieked out loud even despite the eyes around her.
A single copy of this paperback book was on the shelf as if it was waiting for Seol.
She was just about to reach out her hand with her hand over her mouth, deeply moved.
‘…?’
Someone else’s hand shot out from the side and picked up the book before Seol’s eyes.
Seol turned to look to the side in outrage.
“H-Ha Daesu?”
What do you know? It was someone she had no idea she would be meeting here, Daesu.
He looked down at Seol with that indifferent and arrogant face as always and asked.
“You’re thinking of buying this?”
“Er, huh?”
Seol got tense. Her eyes rolled slightly and glanced over the cover of the book in Daesu’s hand.
She always thought, but…
‘What on earth was the author thinking titling the book like that?’
Because the title was way too cheesy beyond understanding, she never had the confidence to proudly say the title of her favorite book anywhere.
Well, leaving aside the title, Seol had an image to keep at college.
Perfect goddess of management major who has fun when she needs but is sticking to her studies too, keeping up her title of the full score on SAT.
She didn’t want to break her diligent image of looking into her textbook in between every leftover time in order to sustain her grade.
Seol spoke with an absurd laugh, “Me? That?”
“You’re not?”
“Whatever…”
Looking around in a hurry, Seol picked up a book on the self-development counter.
A perfect title.
“This is what I came for.”
“Is that so?”
Thankfully, Daesu didn’t seem to suspect her.
Shrugging, Daesu walked past Seol. With the book still in his hand.
He seemed to be heading toward the counter to make a purchase.
Seol’s eyes widened.
‘Is that guy thinking of buying that now?”
Getting to her senses, Seol stepped in before Daesu hurriedly.
“W-wait up.”
“What?”
“Are you… you thinking of reading that? Are you buying that to read yourself?”
“Yeah, what?”
What was up with Ha Daesu’s preferences?
“I-Isn’t that a romance genre?”
“It is.”
“And you’re reading it?”
“What, a guy can’t read romance novels?”
“No, of course… that’s not the case but…”
Looking down at Seol mumbling as she stood before him, Daesu took another step to the left to walk past her.
Seol lowered her eyes with a frown and got in Daesu’s way instinctively. Daesu raised his brows and halted briefly.
Again, Daesu stepped away to the right only to be blocked by Seol once more.
“Ha?”
Seol could hear Ha Daesu’s characteristic mocking laugh. Seol bit her lips with her eyes closed tightly, trembling.
She slowly raised her head to see that expression on Daesu’s face as she expected.
‘Look at you, going this far to get my attention again and again.’
-was obviously what he was thinking.
Will she tell Daesu the truth and get a hold of a special spinoff copy of or will she give up for the sake of her image?
“You have something to say?” Daesu asked with his chin raised arrogantly.
“Yess…”
“Say it then.”
“Well, you see…”
Though she couldn’t bear to open her mouth, Daesu waited for her patiently.
“D-Daesu, I’ll say this first, but… I’d really appreciate it if you don’t spread what I am about to say. It’s too embarrassing for me. Please.”
“Why would I spread words about that?”
Seeing Daesu unexpectedly accepting her request like no big deal, Seol was surprised.
“I know what you are trying to say. You don’t even need to bother saying it if you are too embarrassed.”
“R-really?”
Seol was relieved and patted her chest.
Well, only a fool would have a hard time realizing that she was here to buy a romantic novel.
Feeling embarrassed, Seol carefully put back the self-development book she was holding.
“Thank you. So, you’ll keep your word about it, right?”
Seol’s eyes lit up as her hands instinctively reached for the book in Daesu’s hand.
Swoop-
However, because of Daesu’s hand rising at that moment, her target disappeared out of her sight.
“Fine.”
Looking at Daesu replying with a smirk, Seol smiled back awkwardly.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
So hand it over.
In case Daesu changes his mind, Seol held back her urge to push him further and waited patiently.
But Daesu doesn’t seem to have any intention of giving back the book.
“Er… Daesu?”
“I said I got it.”
“Yeah, so hurry up and…”
“Hurry up and what? What more should I do for you? Want to go for a walk?”
“What are you talking about?”
It seemed that there has been some misunderstanding. Seol asked as she scratched her head.
“You said you will keep your word?”
“Yeah. I’ll go out with you.”
…?
Seol’s jaws became slack.
‘What is this guy saying? Did I hear that wrong?’
Seol was suspecting her ears while Daesu gave another smirk and raised his chin once more arrogantly as he repeated himself.
“I said, I’ll go out with you.”
“…Go out with me? Me?”
“Yeah.”
“W-when did I ever ask you to date me?” Seol spoke, bewildered and Daesu raised one brow.
“Wasn’t that what you were trying to say to me?”
“Huuh…”
When did it go this wrong?
Feeling dizzy, Seol clutched her head.
“I’m sorry, but you are mistaken. What I was about to say was, well…”
As she was about to correct his misunderstanding, Seol again felt torn.
Facing Daesu as he waited for an answer, she drew in a deep breath and continued.
“…I want to see.”
“…”
She said it. The management major’s goddess with her perfect image, admitted that she came running in slippers to buy that cheesy titled romance novel.
Seol waited for Daesu’s reaction with her eyes tightly shut, but quietly opened her eyes at the continuing silence.
For some reason, Daesu was blinking with a reddened face, then…
“…W-what do you want to see?”
…asked back as he adjusted his collar tightly.
Seol flipped, startled.
“Ugh, not that!”
“…”
“I meant that! That thing in your hand! Male lead… something, that special spinoff!”
Finally getting what Seol meant, Daesu’s eyes glanced over at the book in his hand and turned back to Seol.
“You? Came to buy this?”
“Y-yeah!”
Staring closely at Seol’s face as she replied embarrassed with a reddened face, Daesu smirked.
“As it…”
“I mean it.”
“Sure. Here.”
“Seol grabbed at the book Daesu handed over hastily. But she couldn’t take it from him, his grip on it was still firm.
“You said you’ll give it to me.”
“And there’s nothing else you want to say to me?”
“No? So are you going to hand it over or not?”
Daesu’s hand lost its grip as he stared wondering at Seol’s face, showing that her interest was indeed solely on the book.
Not missing a beat, Seol snatched the book away at once.
“Thanks, Daesu. I will never forget your kindness. Ah, I’ll lend it to you after I finish reading it, too.”
“…”
Finishing her words, Seol gave a smile and ran off to the counter without even a glance back.
Staring at her back dumbfounded, Daesu merely blinked.
‘…?’
He stood there for a while, then turned to sense someone’s gaze. There stood someone staring at him with pity in her eyes.
A skinny woman with thick glasses and roughly tied-up greasy hair.
“What are you staring at?”
It felt like she was eavesdropping on his conversation with Seol. Daesu asked with discomfort on his face.
The woman shook her head and handed over a book in her hand.
“I’ll give you a copy.”
It was the book Daesu picked up.
“I don’t need it.”
“Huh? Weren’t you intending on buying this?”
“No. Why would I read a childish book like this for?”
The woman seemed lost for words at Daesu’s words, opening her mouth slowly. Then she proceeded to pat her chin like a detective on a case and muttered.
“Ahh… so in truth you have no interest in this book at all, but picked it up only in order to create a casual encounter with that girl and when you thought you’d finally get to talk with her, the girl turned out to have really came merely to buy this book and left with it not taking your hint, is that it?”
Daesu flinched and glared at the woman with much more discomfort in his eyes.
“I must have got it right. Still, why don’t you give it a try? This is a copy with the author’s autograph, even.”
“Ugh I said forget it.”
Glancing at the book the woman was shoving so persistently, Daesu left with a short remark and left with disdain.
“Why would I read something with a title given by some pea brain…?”
The woman froze at Daesu’s last remark in shock.
Soon the woman muttered as she rubbed the tip of his nose bitterly.
“It really is the title being the problem then…”
‘Silver Light,’ the author of who snuck into the local book store to check how well the special spinoff was selling, became slightly gloomy.
* * *
With great excitement, Seol arrived at her house in no time.
She was intending to open the book with a calm heart, prepared to lick off the book letter by letter, but she couldn’t win over the urge to open the first page at the front door of the house.
Her eyes skimmed through the first line of the book hastily.
[…Hades tilted his head back and eased the tension on his neck.
“…Have I been overworking? My neck feels so stiff.”
Just then, Aisha stepped behind Hades….]
Seol shot out steam off her nostrils and closed the book once more and clasped her hand over her mouth, deeply moved.
“So good, so good. I’m gonna hurry back into my room to read it. I wanna see what Aisha did to my oppa’s stiff neck from behind. This was what I was living for up to this point. This is the best thing in my life. Hurry, hurry…”
Beep beep beep beep-!
With rapid speed making her finger into a blur, Seol pressed the door lock password and flipped open the front gate.
“Hurry, hurry! What happened to my oppa’s stiff neck? What happened to my oppa’s neck…”
Then Seol froze facing Hwan right off the front door.
Hwan’s expression as he was getting out of Seol’s room to head over to his, was pale like someone who has committed something big.
Seol’s gaze fell on something familiar jammed to Hwan’s side.
“My oppa’s neck…”
It was a full-body stand of Hades Louvremont in fancy uniform.
“His neck…”
But for some reason, he was broken at the neck. the handsome face that was supposed to be attached to the body was gone without a trace.
‘Am I dreaming…’
Seol suspected her eyes dumbfounded, rubbing at it.
“Hwan, here’s the superglue…”
At the same time, Shin walked out of his room and got startled. There was a small tube of superglue and Hades’ head in his hand.
“S-Seol. You came back early.”
“Neck… my, oppa’s neck…”
Cruelly separated, Hades’ body and the head were held in each of her brother’s hands.
The book dropped from Seol’s hand as she stared at the two of them dumbfounded.
“S-Seol. Calm down for a bit and listen to what I say. This wasn’t intentional…”
Hwan approached Seol floundering and Shin clasped his hands around his ears with a sigh, bracing himself for the ruckus to come.
“I’ve only given him a slight punch and he… Kagh!”
Soon, Seol’s roar as she held tightly to Hwan’s collar, rang through the silent neighborhood.
“GAHHHH!!!”