My Younger Sister Was My First Love

10. Whatever you want!

Everyone has a different attitude towards their grades!

Some people get 96 points and are disappointed, while others get 76 points and are thrilled.

Even the same person can have different stances towards different subjects.

There are people who are always 1st grade level in math but struggle with 3rd grade level in Korean language.

It’s understandable that people have different standards.

But the number Ji-hui just told me was impossible to accept rationally.

An average of 6th grade level on the college entrance exam.

6th grade level?

Did she mean that she added up all her subject grades to get an average of 6th grade level?

[1 1 1 1 2] Like that, to get 6th grade level?

There are schools that have conditions like that for early admissions, where the total grade of Korean language, English, and mathematics must be at least 6.

“Did you mean an average of 6th grade level, not a total?”

“Uh…… yeah…… yeah!”

Ji-hui’s lips curled up into an awkward smile.

She seemed to be shocked by my careless remark about not being human.

But I was also taken aback!

Especially since her Korean language grade was 1st grade level.

And it was also 1st grade level on the college entrance exam!

If her Korean language grade was 1st grade level, then the rest would have to be…….

“Didn’t you attend a private academy and study quite a bit?”

It’s possible that her school grades were around 6th grade level.

Our alma mater is a prestigious school in Taehak-dong, where many talented students gather.

It was different from ordinary high schools that gathered students who didn’t care about studying, all with a grade of 6.

Receiving a grade of 6 didn’t mean they didn’t study at all.

If you looked at mock exams, they would get at least a grade of 3, even if they didn’t do well.

But an average grade of 6 on the college entrance exam was an impossible number.

What kind of magic would produce such a result?

Was it the same level as those who didn’t even touch their books?

“Ahahaha… I’m not really interested in studying.”

The words “What’s the point of living in this neighborhood?” almost reached my lips, but I barely managed to hold them back.

“Isn’t it true that if you’re not interested in studying, you don’t need to retake the exam if you have other interests?”

“…But Dad says I have to get into a top university in Seoul.”

“Even if you get into a mediocre university and don’t even major in anything, isn’t going to university itself meaningless?”

“But… if I don’t get into a top university in Seoul… Dad will kick me out of the house…”

My hands involuntarily performed a dry, sarcastic applause.

While I thought it was ridiculous to pressure his only daughter like that, I could fully understand the old man’s feelings.

The old man was a graduate of a prestigious university.

He was a top predator at a leading corporation where everyone knew his name.

The pride of someone who had climbed that high couldn’t be ordinary.

Forgiving his daughter for not attending college was beneath his specs.

And, living in Taehak-dong, attending a private academy, and getting a grade of 6 on the college entrance exam was something that would make even me, as a parent, want to grab my hair and scream.

Private education expenses were not cheap.

Wasn’t getting into a top university in Seoul a result of enormous compromise?

“Hu…”

I pressed my temples, feeling a sudden headache.

It seemed natural that this kid couldn’t grasp a study plan.

This was beyond self-study.

“Does your mom know about your grades?”

“No, Mom doesn’t know. I didn’t tell her.”

“I’ll tell her. You just register for a comprehensive prep course.”

“No way!”

“It’s not just something I’m saying. Your grades mean you need to start from the basics, not just review!”

“That’s according to my brother’s standards, who’s a Korea University student. I just need to get into a top university in Seoul!”

Both Jihee and I raised our voices.

Jihee’s eyes were filled with a strong determination.

Her gaze looked like a rebellious teenager’s.

As I faced those wounded-beast-like eyes, I suddenly felt like asking myself, “What am I doing?”

What was I saying?

I was someone who had only recently started to care about her life, and yet I was trying to control her life like I was her parent.

Wasn’t it true that Jihee’s life was hers to live?

My head was cooling down, along with the temperature of the language.

“……Alright. Then.”

I got up from the sofa, covering my planner filled with my scribbles.

“Do as you please.”

“……Oppa.”

“I’m sorry. I overstepped.”

I saw Jihee’s eyebrows trembling, but I didn’t look back and entered the room.

My chest felt suffocated.

I put on my padding and went out without a clear destination.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m just going out for some fresh air.”

I didn’t give a proper answer and stuck my hands deep into my pockets, then started walking.

As I left the apartment complex, the red light at the crosswalk turned on.

Yellow school buses were lined up on the street, stopped.

The phrase “[It’s not too late! Register now!]” on the bus caught my attention, making me feel even more anxious.

“……I don’t know.”

I miss Mom.

Trying to act like an adult didn’t work out well.

This was the first time I had a younger sibling.

It was hard to measure the distance between us, especially since we didn’t grow up together.

What exactly do I need to do?

Does it matter where I go to college, or whether I do well on the CSAT? Can’t I just live my life without all the nagging?

The scope of the promise to fill the void left by my parents was still unclear to me….

I still couldn’t grasp that boundary.

* * *

“Sehwa, Sehwa.”

“Yes?”

“Is a CSAT average of 6th grade not human?”

“Hmm. It might seem that way to people who are serious about studying.”

Inside a crowded coffee chain, surrounded by people.

As soon as Oppa left the house, I hastily called Sehwa and sat her down in front of me.

“Why? Who said you’re not human?”

“……Yes.”

“Hehe. But you never showed interest in studying, so it doesn’t matter, right?”

Sehwa’s words were true.

It didn’t affect me if others said I was bad at studying.

It was ridiculous to pretend to be enthusiastic about studying with these grades.

The problem was that it was my family, my ‘Oppa’, who said that.

“……Oppa said I’m not human.”

“Huh?”

“Oppa said… I’m 6th grade level, so… I’m not a person… Ugh, ugh, ugh…”

I grabbed my hair and screamed.

It wasn’t even a joke, but something that came out exactly as I thought, which hurt even more.

I finally found a guy who wants to take care of me!

I wanted to be by his side so badly, that’s why I said that!

“Huehuehue! Sewhaemong!”

I fell onto the table and grabbed Sewha’s hand, and Sewha naturally took my tantrum like an older sister.

“Haha. So Jihee’s mental state collapsed, and that’s why you called me?”

“Yep…”

“Does your beloved oppa say you’re not a person and that’s it?”

“No? He listened to my grades and said I need to retake the class, threatening me like that?”

“…Is it more serious than I thought?”

“That’s right! But if I retake the class, when can I date? Didn’t I tell you that oppa said he wants to date when he gets to college?”

“Did he say that too?”

“Sigh…”

I started to vent to Sewha about all the frustrating things that had happened.

Like when we went to pick out clothes together, and he said I’d get a girlfriend if I chose the clothes.

Or when we agreed to divide up the household chores, but he ended up doing them all by himself and reset the agreement.

And even today, he said I’m not a person because I didn’t study well.

Of course, I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I wanted to start as a ‘normal little sister’ or a ‘cute little sister’.

But the starting point is ‘you’re not a person’.

What does that even mean?

Are people below 6th grade level all beasts or something?

He’s just a brainiac who only cares about studying.

And he even confessed to me, a total idiot, and did it well!

Sewha was laughing at my muttering and fuming, trying to hold back her smile.

“Ah, X is so funny. But this situation might be better than you think.”

“What’s good about it? It’s all messed up.”

“Jihee, jihee. The big data you’ve accumulated so far is all like that, and you’re just in whining mode.”

“Data?”

“Think about it. Even if it’s not a romance novel that you devour all day, every romance novel aims for the ‘growth’ of the male and female leads.”

The great teacher.

Sewha’s lesson had begun.

According to Sewha, romance in creative works generally aims for ‘puzzle-type’ relationships.

They want to find someone who fits them perfectly, like a puzzle piece.

If you have scars, you find someone to heal them.

If you have trauma, you find someone to pull you out of it.

Love is a feeling that often sprouts in that process.

So, my current situation is exactly the kind of flow that fills that, according to our great teacher’s words.

“That’s why your oppa is receiving your grades as a ‘lack’ in your relationship with him.”

“…Is that so?”

“If you really want to date that oppa, it’s not about going on coffee dates and having fun, but studying hard, which is 200 times more efficient.”

“College entrance exam studies……”

I ripped the innocent coffee straw wrapper into shreds.

To be honest, I did want to date oppa, but I didn’t want to study.

It’s not like I needed to say it out loud, but studying is boring and painful.

It’s not like I’m some kind of delinquent who only reads manga and has fun; if there’s someone who genuinely enjoys studying, that person is weird.

Ugh… I have to do something I’ve never done before with all my heart.

And on top of that, I have to study after graduating from that miserable high school?

“But isn’t the goal just to get into a university in Seoul? Do I have to work that hard like oppa said?”

“Hehe, sorry, but with your current grades, you won’t even get accepted into a local university.”

Since there are so many people around me who study well, my standards have become a bit distorted.

“Who are the people who got rejected from local universities?”

“Anyway, if you keep being stubborn and insisting on doing things your way, it’ll be hard to make progress in your relationship with oppa.”

Sehwa stroked my back gently, like comforting a child.

“If you make a mistake here, it could lead to a strained relationship. Oppa might lose interest in you altogether.”

“That’s not what I want.”

“Then what should I do?”

“Ugh…….”

The answer was already decided.

* * *

I returned home around dinner time after finishing my walk.

I had to cook dinner, no matter how annoying it was.

I briefly went shopping and was thinking about making curry for breakfast the next morning.

I held the vinyl bag in one hand and punched in the password to unlock the door.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed.

The person waiting for me at the entrance was.

“……If oppa says so, I’ll do anything!”

It was my younger sister, who had just uttered a highly controversial statement.