Chapter 60

Baaaaa. Baaaaa. Baaaa.~

“…Please.”

Someone, please turn off that insane sound.

I groaned as I sat up in bed, scratching my head.

“Haah.”

It had been a week since I returned home.

With August here, summer wasn’t signaling its end but rather its fiery peak.

“Our country is supposed to have four seasons… What’s going on?”

Every year, the Earth gets hotter. Summers now stretch beyond August into September.

In this unbearable heat, people stay locked indoors.

As a result, the number of homebodies has drastically increased.

‘…Should I have just kept Hollow Snow at our house?’

It would’ve saved on air conditioning bills.

What an eco-friendly piece of art—capable of cooling a room without electricity.

Unfortunately, it’s no longer here. That’s the real shame.

Smacking my lips in mild regret, I got out of bed. The blazing sun was already high in the sky.

‘That damned sun is out again.’

Why does the sun insist on tormenting us as a main-sequence star? Couldn’t it just remain a bright, glowing orb?

‘It’ll burn out in about five billion years, right? It’ll turn into a white dwarf or something. Oh, wasn’t it a planetary nebula before that?’

I had napped during integrated science class, so my memory was hazy. I only retained the interesting bits.

Sometimes I wonder if random trivia will ever be useful. Probably not to others, but for me, it often is.

‘It’s knowledge, after all.’

It might come in handy someday.

When I opened the door and stepped into the living room, Mom was sorting through a photo album.

Scratching my belly, I asked, “What are you doing?”

“Hm? Oh, just organizing some photos of my son and daughter. Aren’t you hungry? You seem to have slept in.”

“A little. Where’s Yoon?”

“Still asleep~.”

The air-conditioned house was blissfully cool. Outside, however, was likely a fiery inferno.

I headed to the kitchen and opened the fridge to grab some cold water.

After quenching my thirst, I joined Mom on the couch to look at the photos.

“Do you remember this? You were seven.”

“Seven? That was ten years ago. How would I remember? I can’t even recall what I ate for dinner two days ago.”

“Gosh. How could you forget this? It’s from when we went to the beach.”

“The beach? Oh, right. That time.”

The memories that had sunk to the depths of my mind slowly resurfaced. Looking at the photo, I realized it was taken after I rescued Yoon.

If I recall correctly, it was snapped right after dinner and before we went to bed.

‘Nothing’s really changed, has it?’

I looked pretty much the same, just taller now.

“Geez. There aren’t many photos of my son. Most are of Yoon.”

“There are more than I expected. Honestly, more than I thought there’d be.”

I focused more on the pictures of my sister than my own.

Her bright, smiling face was just the same as it is now. The only difference was that her baby fat was starting to fade.

We kept flipping through the album until a soft clattering sound made us turn our heads.

“Uuugh… What are you guys doing?”

Rubbing her eyes and dragging her feet, my sister, Lee Ha-Yoon, emerged from her room.

“Looking at pictures. Aren’t you hungry? It’s already past noon.”

“…What?! Ahhh! I was supposed to work on summer homework with my friends!”

Yoon’s response was completely unrelated to my question. Her messy bed hair stood on end.

“We were supposed to meet by 1! I’m doomed!”

As Yoon rushed around in a panic, Mom and I sighed in unison.

“When will your sister ever wake up early?”

“She’s your daughter before she’s my sister, you know. Besides, Yoon wakes up early on weekdays.”

Watching her wage a ten-minute battle against time, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

“High school doesn’t have summer homework. Poor kid.”

“Hey! Do you want to die, oppa?! If you keep teasing me, I’ll drag you along too!”

…I only teased her once. Please don’t.

‘Wait, did middle school even have summer homework? I don’t think I did.’

Now dressed in casual clothes and carrying a small bag, Yoon came over to say goodbye.

“I’m heading out! I should be back before dinner!”

“Take care~.”

“Don’t follow strangers if they offer you candy, okay?”

“What the heck! Do you think I’m some three-year-old?”

Her words didn’t match her actions as she giggled. It was cute, so I couldn’t help but smile.

“Stick to the main roads. Call if anything happens—I’ll come get you.”

“Got it! I’m really leaving now! Bye!”

Watching her dash off like a lively manga heroine, Mom and I couldn’t help but admire her.

“Wow. We couldn’t run like that even if we wanted to.”

“Seriously. Kids these days are so full of energy.”

“…Aren’t you a kid too?”

Oh, no. Physically, yes, but mentally, I’m an old soul, Mother.

“So, what’s for lunch?”

At my question, Mom shrugged.

“Delivery.”

Guess she didn’t feel like cooking.

***

Returning from the U.S. didn’t mean vacation was over.

Today is August 12th.

The first day of school is scheduled for August 30th.

That leaves me with a solid 18 days.

Of course, I had no intention of wasting that time.

I kept up with streaming, which I couldn’t do in the U.S., and taught Hong Ye-Hwa when she visited my studio.

Ha Soo-Yul and Choi Ye-Seo dropped by whenever they had free time.

Life was peaceful and uneventful.

I thought today would be another tranquil day, but—

“Yaaawn. So, what do you want?”

I yawned exaggeratedly and answered with a bored tone.

[When are we starting the project?!]

On the other end of the call, Ms. Lee Ah-Reum’s voice rang out.

“That’s up to you, ma’am. I’m just here to assist.”

[Ugh, but it’s a collaboration! We need a joint pen name!]

“Is that necessary? You could just use your pen name.”

[How could I? It’s not a solo project!]

“Hmm. When are you free? I’m good today, tomorrow, anytime really.”

[I can’t do today, but tomorrow works. What time should I come by?]

She asked about the meeting time. Afternoon seemed reasonable.

“How about 1 p.m. after lunch?”

[Got it. I’ll text you tomorrow.]

“Sure thing.”

After the call ended, I stared at the phone briefly before closing my eyes.

‘…Can students and teachers usually get this close?’

It’s rare, but I guess it’s possible.

Maybe it’s because she seems more like my age mentally, which makes the bond stronger.

‘Seriously, how did she pass the teacher certification exam?’

I still find it incredible. She doesn’t exactly come off as the studious type.

Oh, and then there was this:

[010-XXXX-XXXX: After school starts, I’d like to arrange a meeting. First-year art student Lee Ha-Eun.]

A cryptic and one-sided message from an unknown number.

‘It’s probably the director. Likely about the Prize.’

I still don’t know who the director is. I know the principal, but since this school is backed by the S Group, spotting the director is a rarity.

‘Should I ask Dad? What if he doesn’t know either?’

The people in S Group don’t all know each other. Even in the same department, there are dozens of people. How would they know someone from another department?

The director rarely makes public appearances.

‘It’s unsettling.’

Well, it’s not urgent. They’ll probably reach out again.

I got up from the couch where I’d been sprawling.

After changing clothes in my room, I got ready to head out.

Despite the closed windows, the cicadas’ cries were piercingly clear.

I really didn’t want to go outside. But I had to.

[From Little Sister Ha-Yoon: Big trouble! Help me!]

Apparently, something had happened to my little sister. Probably nothing serious, but still.

“Oh, poor thing.”

“Mom, do you want to come? The weather’s nice.”

“Sorry, I’ll pass.”

With Mom’s send-off, I left the house.

Even with a parasol, the heat was suffocating. Oh, so it’s not just sunlight—the air itself is hot.

The oppressive weather meant even the mosquitoes had vanished.

‘I’ve never lived to see mosquitoes disappear because of heat.’

Wearing white clothes, holding a yellow parasol, and slathered in sunscreen—I looked like someone waging war against the sun.

If I didn’t take these precautions, I’d probably collapse on the street. I tried once out of curiosity and quickly gave up.

Never again would I go outside unprotected during summer.

Weather had taught me a life lesson no school ever could.

‘This is the place.’

I arrived at the location Yoon had mentioned. It was a bustling street.

There were rows of restaurants and cafes.

‘But she didn’t tell me the cafe’s name.’

Am I supposed to check all of these cafes?

My worries were short-lived.

“Oppa! Over here!”

Hearing her voice behind me, I turned around. Yoon was half-hidden by a cafe door.

I approached her and asked, “What’s so urgent that you had to call your busy brother here?”

“I need help with homework. It’s art-related, of all things.”

Scratching her head sheepishly, her awkward grin erased the irritation I’d felt from the heat.

I patted Yoon’s head and followed her inside the cafe.@@novelbin@@

‘Ahh. Bliss.’

The cool air conditioning greeted me like paradise.

“Wow, Yoon. Your brother is… um, very distinct.”

Yoon’s friends stared at me with amused expressions, likely because of my over-the-top sun protection gear.

‘Well, that’s fair.’

With a parasol, sunglasses, arm sleeves, and sunscreen, I must’ve looked ready for battle.

After briefly introducing myself to her friends, I sat down.

I took off my sunglasses and arm sleeves, finally free from their confines.

Turning to Yoon, I asked, “Couldn’t you have called Hong Ye-Hwa instead?”

“Oh, right! But since you’re already here, you can do it, oppa~.”

She added a subtle touch of aegyo, which made her friends’ faces twist in shock.

“What did I just hear…?”

“Am I hallucinating?”

“My composed princess—what’s happening?!”

What’s with these kids now?