RE: Keep it in the Family (Secret Class) 188 — Real Good~

Mia's POV:

What a terrible storm.

The rain was coming down in sheets now.

Lightning would momentarily illuminate Mia's face as she sat, arms crossed, one leg perched atop the other, her foot tapping a restless rhythm.

She had been occupying the living room. In fact, an entire hour had passed with her glued to the sofa. The longest hour she could recall, which then stretched into three. Three hours that had boiled down her lingering anxiety into pure, unadulterated anger.

Sleep eluded her, and eating was out of the question. A trek into the mountains to witness some silly comet? Ridiculous. Couldn't they have observed it from their own room? Or perhaps the backyard? Wouldn't that have been a far more sensible and safer option?

Why venture all the way to such a desolate location? It was likely they would be the only souls present; it would be just the two of them.

Alone...

Her phone lay within reach, yet she hesitated to make a call. What if they were already descending the mountain? They must be on their way back, surely? Perhaps the inclement weather was disrupting their signal? Or maybe they were attempting to contact her, but the call wasn't connecting.

Sudden flickering lights jolted Mia back to the present, plunging her into darkness as they abruptly died. The wind howled and rain lashed against the windows, the tormented groans of tree limbs and the ominous creaking of the house's structure filling the air.

Her gaze remained locked on the hallway leading to the front door. The tempest outside raged with increasing fury, yet Mia’s ears still caught the distinct sound of a key turning in the lock.

Jae-il had finally, infuriatingly, arrived.

The first sounds reaching her were the intertwined voices of the lovebirds, followed by the hammering of her own heart. She practically leaped from her seat just as the front door swung inward, revealing Jae-il, and then her sister.

And then, both of them together.

Su Ah had just returned from her very first overnight date.

A little late. A little mud-splattered and scraped.

But undeniably, blissfully happy.

Mia felt an overwhelming urge to lash out, her body trembling with pent-up rage. However, she reminded herself that losing control was not an option; it would undoubtedly shatter Jae-il’s good opinion of her, a prospect that would surely destroy her sanity. Thus, Mia forced herself to rein in her emotions.

Moreover, wouldn’t such a display be exactly what Su Ah would relish?

A dramatic outburst from her older sister, right in front of the man she both adored and vied for—a man who, incidentally, was also their younger brother—would be precisely the kind of spectacle Su Ah longed to witness.

Wouldn’t it?!

She yearned to tear at her hair in a frenzy of frustration, to strike something with all her might until the torrent of built-up energy was released. Yet, the thought of Su Ah gloating over her losing composure prevented her from succumbing to the urge.

Every muscle in her jaw clenched as her eyes narrowed, fixing on Jae-il and Su Ah.

Her hands tightened their grip on the sofa cushions, her knuckles turning white. She made a valiant effort to prevent a vein from visibly throbbing her forehead as their hushed exchange reached her first.

"...Jae-il, hold on—you're drenched!" Su Ah exclaimed with a laugh as she stepped inside. "Mom will scold us severely. Quick, you need to shower before you catch a chill!"

"Shower together? Is that an invitation I detect, Noona?"

"Ew, don't be gross. We can't do that in our own home!" Su Ah protested, playfully swatting his arm. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks. "Unless… we had the bathroom all to ourselves… and you were quick about it."

Mia couldn't contain herself.

A potent cocktail of jealousy and fury surged within her, threatening to overwhelm her.

This sudden shift towards making such jokes…

Then came the sound of footsteps, followed by the decisive click of a light switch. Illumination flooded the space, revealing that they were not, as they might have assumed, alone.

The siblings finally registered her presence. They halted, stunned. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they stared.

Both appeared incredibly disheveled. They were soaked to the bone, covered in mud and grass. It looked as though they had tumbled around in the dirt. And judging by their appearance, it seemed they had also been intimate.

Because, surely, Mia understood Su Ah's intentions? She wasn't naive.

And Mia absolutely refused to accept this situation. She yearned for her little brother’s undivided attention. She desired to be the sole woman occupying his heart, the one who would bestow upon him everything, the only one capable of satisfying him. However, Su Ah possessed too much knowledge for Mia to simply dismiss her.

"Noona?" Jae-il inquired, his eyebrows arching in surprise. Mia had been sitting there, enveloped in complete darkness. Mia could only surmise what must have been running through his mind at that very moment.

"Hey, Unnie," Su Ah greeted casually, her gaze swiftly sweeping over her older sister, as if assessing Mia's demeanor. "We're back."

"Oh, hello, you two have returned? It certainly took you long enough."

Her tone was warm, and the smile she cast towards Jae-il could have easily been mistaken for genuine fondness by anyone else. However, it was clear she wasn't ready to act as if everything were normal.

"Oh, yes, I apologize. We were delayed a bit because of the storm. It was rather sudden..."

"Indeed, I can imagine..."

"Noona, are you alright?" Jae-il inquired, his initial surprise giving way to a look of worry. "Did something occur?"

She had an opportunity to respond.

Instead, she rose and approached him. Reaching out, she gently moved a strand of wet hair from his forehead before encircling his neck with her arms. "I am relieved you are safe," she managed after a pause, burying her face in his chest and holding him tightly. Her nose twitched twice as she inhaled his scent, then she turned her piercing gaze towards Su Ah, who stood behind them, arms crossed and a deepening frown on her face.

Su Ah appeared on the verge of speaking, but upon noticing Mia's sharp look, her mouth snapped shut. She averted her gaze with a dismissive scoff.

"You are still drenched. You ought to go and shower to warm up," Mia stated softly, withdrawing and looking up at her brother. "Do you require assistance getting cleaned?"

"I believe I am quite capable of managing that myself," he replied, reaching out to pat her shoulder gently. Then, as if it just occurred to him, he added, "You should also get some rest. Your eyes seem a little tired, Noona."

Mia's lips pressed into a firm line. "I will be fine... As soon as I know you are well, I will go to bed. So, do not trouble yourself over me, Jae-il. I am simply happy you have returned home." She cupped his face in her hands, feeling an intense urge to simply throttle him with words right there in front of Su Ah. Instead, she planted one last kiss on his cheek before releasing him.

"Go and look after yourself now," she instructed, giving him a gentle nudge. "Go on, go. Off with you. I will have a talk with Su Ah."

His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, and Mia hoped her expression conveyed perfect innocence. Then, seemingly deciding it was not worth the effort to engage further, Jae-il sighed and turned to depart.

"Very well, Noona. Try not to stay up too late, and keep the noise down..." He cast a pointed look at his sisters and waved dismissively, heading upstairs without a backward glance. He seemed weary but content, which was a positive sign.

This left Mia and Su Ah alone in the living area.

Su Ah observed his departure with a trace of amusement and satisfaction in her eyes, then shifted her attention back to Mia. "So... I suppose you won't be letting me use the shower first?"

"Should I not?" Mia countered, walking towards the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. "What are your thoughts? Do you have something you wish to tell me? Hmm? Did you enjoy yourselves out there?"

Su Ah rolled her eyes, following Mia. "Yes, I did have fun, thank you for inquiring. The scenery was breathtaking. We witnessed the comet."

"Oh? And was that the extent of your activities?"

"Yes. Naturally, we could not observe the entire celestial expanse due to the atmospheric conditions... but we had enjoyment regardless. It was a remarkable experience. I am pleased we had the chance to witness something of that nature."

"Ah, so nothing else transpired?"

"......"

"......"

A silence fell over Su Ah.

"Did you sleep with him?" Mia posed the question directly.

"......"

"Did you sleep with him, Su Ah?"

"......"

"You did, didn't you? Do not deceive me, Su Ah. Your face reveals everything. You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. So, tell me, did you? Did you sleep with my younger brother? How was it? Was he more pleasing than you anticipated?" Mia demanded, folding her arms across her chest.

As if Mia couldn't discern such things. She was aware that those two had engaged in intimate activities just the other day right under her nose; she could only speculate how far things had progressed when they were completely alone.

Mia would have acted similarly. That was the source of her certainty.

She knew, and Su Ah was aware of Mia's knowledge.

While they had never caught each other in the act, both understood the unspoken competition. They were both vying for Jae-il's affections. But Mia held the advantage, so she felt no need for concern.

Or did she?

Was that right?!

She nervously bit her lower lip.

"......"

"Are you going to answer my question or remain silent?!"

Su Ah glanced down at the floor, drew a deep breath, and then advanced towards Mia.

Her eyes flickered with surprise at the unnerving expression on her younger sister's face. A faint shadow seemed to cloud her eyes. Mia remained unfazed, standing her ground, her nose twitching like a dog ready to bark.

Su Ah reached out, grasped her older sister firmly by the shoulders, and shoved her against the wall. Mia's eyes widened as her younger sister's face contorted into a furious scowl.