My Younger Sister Was My First Love

34. Who is Mom?

“With this score, which university can you get into?”

The first question that came back after returning the answer sheet.

“We’ll see about that later.”

Right now, this score doesn’t provide any reference.

“Is it possible to get into a university in Seoul?”

To be honest, I didn’t know exactly what score was required to get into a university in Seoul.

It’s like wondering how many points you need to get to rank 50th when you’re aiming for 1st place out of 100 people.

I, who had always gotten 1st place in every mock test, didn’t even know the names of lower-tier universities.

But one thing is certain: the higher Ji-hui’s goal, the more successful her college entrance will be.

If 100 is the goal, preparing for 200 wouldn’t hurt.

If we aim for the top, getting into a university in Seoul would be a piece of cake.

“It’s not certain, but if it’s possible, wouldn’t it be around the borderline or higher?”

“Hmm… it’s not easy……”

“If you can do that in a month, what would people who studied for three years become?”

“Heh, that’s true. Then let’s play now!”

Ji-hui’s interest in studying was very short-lived.

She immediately burst into a bright smile and pulled my wrist.

“Is it okay to skip studying in the afternoon and think about really drinking?”

“Yeah! But today, let’s drink something different. Not soju or beer.”

“What?”

“Cocktail? Wine? I want to try something delicious. I’m curious!”

“I don’t know much about that stuff.”

I was like that when I was in my second year of college.

As someone who spent a year at a re-taker’s academy, I was extremely ignorant about the nightlife.

Of course, I had never tried those kinds of drinks before.

Maybe Jihee knew more about it than I did.

“But we don’t have that at home, so we need to buy it or go somewhere. Is there a place around here where we can try it? Or should we buy it at the mart?”

“So I looked it up yesterday before bed.”

Jihee made a V-sign with her fingers, grinning.

Did she search for weird stuff instead of setting an alarm for bedtime?

I wanted to tease her, but I held back, thinking about her grades.

Let’s admit it.

In this world, results are everything.

“Just wait a minute.”

Jihee brought her phone from the room and started tapping on the screen, and I had another moment of self-reflection about Jihee’s grades.

Jihee definitely had a talent for studying.

No, it’s not that she had a talent for studying, but rather that she was extremely smart.

There are people who can learn something once and do it well, and people who can’t do it well even after trying ten times.

Jihee was the former type of person.

The amount of output she produced with just this much time and effort was unbelievable.

It was like she had a sponge-like absorption power.

If she had started studying seriously from a young age, she might have done better than me.

And her father was a graduate of a prestigious university.

And her mother…

When I turned my gaze to Jihee, I suddenly wondered about her biological mother.

I had only heard that her mother got divorced from her father when Jihee was young.

What kind of person was Jihee’s mother?

Did they still keep in touch?

I was curious, but I felt like it would be impolite to ask as her new family member.

I thought I might get hurt if I asked with a cold face, like “What’s with you asking that?”

“Let’s go here!”

Jihee, who had been searching, showed me a global liquor store.

“Is it not too far from home?”

“Yeah! It’s close! We can just walk there and back.”

“But isn’t this kind of thing expensive?”

“Ah, it doesn’t matter. We’re using Dad’s card anyway. What’s the big deal? It’s cheaper than a re-taker’s academy fee.”

It’s natural to think that way when you compare it like that.

We didn’t have a celebratory dinner for acing the mock exam, so we decided to treat ourselves to something delicious. That’s not his style, though.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

“Okay!”

We changed into casual clothes and strolled to the store Jihee had found, taking our time.

“Welcome!”

It was our first time at a liquor specialty store.

The shelves were lined with all sorts of wine bottles and expensive-looking spirits.

Wow, that one’s 500,000 won per bottle?

I was taken aback.

“We don’t know much about this, so we’re looking for something beginners can enjoy…”

While I was struggling to decide, Jihee confidently approached the staff.

As expected, we’re different breeds.

We ended up standing apart like separate customers.

Jihee was intently listening to the staff’s explanation.

I was lingering in the corner, glancing at the price tags.

“Oppa!”

Jihee called out to me after finishing the explanation.

“Yeah.”

“Do you think these two are okay?”

Jihee showed me a wine bottle and a spirits bottle.

I wouldn’t know even if I looked.

If the staff recommends it, it must be good.

“Yeah, go with the good one.”

“Yes! Let’s pay then!”

Jihee paid with their card. It’s not like it makes a difference, since both our cards are under the same name anyway.

“Wow, I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll take a picture and upload it later.”

“I guess so.”

“We should get some snacks to eat before we go!”

“Don’t we still have a lot of food at home?”

“Hey, that’s for our meals. This is different! Wait and see. I got some recommendations for anju (Korean-style pub snacks) too.”

Before heading home, we stopped by a mart under Jihee’s lead and bought some dry snacks and chips.

“Popcorn goes well with this too! Let’s watch a movie together while drinking.”

“Sounds good.”

It was a Saturday night, feeling like a cozy family gathering, enjoying a delicious drink and watching a movie together.

It was a warm and peaceful family event, something I couldn’t even experience with my mom.

If I had failed the exam, I would’ve been too worried to focus on the movie, but thanks to Jihee, that didn’t happen.

It was as comfortable as a sunny day at sea.

When we got home, we decided to eat first.

We grilled some meat without carbs and served it with vegetables, which paired well with the wine.

Anyway.

I successfully poured the wine according to Jihee’s instructions.

“Ta-da!”

I didn’t even know where the wine glass was, but it was already in Jihee’s hand.

“Do we have wine glasses at home?”

“Of course! Our dad loves luxury, and he has all kinds of wine glasses.”

“You’re an alcoholic.”

“Yeah! Our dad can’t resist wine and women!”

Is this also considered parental defamation?

It feels weird.

It’s like self-deprecating humor, making fun of my own dad, but since our mom married that guy, it’s a bit…

No. In fact, he’s our dad now.

Even if it sounds a bit old-fashioned, I threw in a casual remark.

“Jihee, it’s not a good habit to badmouth your family.”

“I didn’t go anywhere.”

“That’s exactly why it’s not good to say things like that to others.”

“Is oppa an outsider? We’re family, aren’t we?”

Yeah. I lost.

I didn’t even get to say a word.

And it wasn’t even a wrong statement.

“Want to pour a glass?”

The alcohol is calling my name.

“Yeah!”

We, who had no experience opening wine bottles, searched online and finally managed to remove the cork.

“It’s hard to drink just one glass.”

We almost broke the cork and spilled the wine, but somehow managed to get it right.

“Well, since we’ve done it once, it’ll be easier next time, right?”

Jihee was beaming with joy, pouring wine into my glass.

“You must have had a hard time studying for your exam.”

“So did I.”

The clinking of the wine glasses echoed as we toasted.

The first sip of wine was dry yet sweet, with a hint of freshness.

“Mmm, this is the taste.”

“I think it’s delicious. What about you, oppa?”

“I like it too.”

It was less bitter than I expected.

I thought it would be more astringent, but the sweet flavor was alive and well.

“Hey, let’s take a photo.”

Jihee picked up her phone and pulled my wine glass in front of her, setting up two glasses side by side.

“But we’re just at home, so do we really need to post this?”

“What’s the big deal.”

“Usually, when I see something cool or flashy, I think I can do it too.”

“Eh, it’s all about the person’s mindset. Where’s that kind of thing?”

In the end, the two of us couldn’t finish a bottle of wine.

We could have forced ourselves to drink it all, but since we had other liquor waiting for us, we agreed to stop here for today.

“Oppa, can you get some ice from the fridge and bring it over?”

“Okay.”

After setting up the table in front of the living room, Jihee quickly brought out the liquor and snacks.

Her slender figure moved busily.

“But isn’t it okay to drink this without ice?”

In movies, they just drink it straight like soju.

“You have to put ice in it. The ajusshi said so earlier.”

“Really?”

We still hadn’t turned on the TV.

We decided to take a few sips of the liquor first and then watch the movie.

The taste of the wine we had earlier was sweeter than expected, but the liquor was the exact opposite.

“……Oh!”

“……Wow.”

After clinking glasses and taking a shot without ice, our eyes met immediately.

“……Are you crazy?”

“It’s really strong.”

It was like the first time I had soju, my face scrunched up in an unusual way.

What in the world.

Are people buying this stuff for such a high price?

“But I think it’s kind of tasty.”

Jihee was savoring the flavor, rolling her tongue around in her mouth.

“So, you don’t put ice in it? I can’t drink it without ice.”

“Yeah, I’ll just drink it straight.”

What a tough person.

When I added 3 or 4 ice cubes to the bucket and diluted it, I finally felt like my throat was clearing up.

“It feels like it’s going up really fast.”

“Heh, Oppa’s getting red.”

“Are you the same?”

As the intoxication started to kick in, I gained the courage to ask the questions I had been worried about earlier.

“Hey, Jihee.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you keep in touch with your birth mother?”

Jihee’s eyes, which had been small while munching on popcorn, widened and then returned to normal.

“No?”

“That’s right.”

“Are you curious about our mom?”

“Ah… just… what was it… who was that person, I wonder.”

Jihee chuckled and took a sip of the golden liquor in her cup.

“K… well, I inherited my mom’s face, but my personality is more like my dad’s, I think.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But I don’t have many clear memories to explain it. My parents got divorced when I was in first grade, so…”

I think I only have vague memories of my dad before he passed away.

It suddenly made sense.

“Do you miss them or…?”

“Mm… yeah. My mom didn’t really like me, so I don’t have many good memories.”

“Aww, you were too young to understand, weren’t you?”

“I don’t think so. If my mom really loved me, she wouldn’t have given up her parental rights.”

“……I see.”

“Yeah. Now that I think about it, I kind of understand why my parents got divorced.”

I was curious, but it was hard to ask.

Jihee smiled slyly, as if she knew I was watching her, and continued the story.

“My mom was a bit more precious to herself than to me or my dad. Our mom was really successful, so even if she wasn’t interested in me, I just accepted it.”

“What… was she an actress or a celebrity… in that field?”

The people who came to mind when I thought of someone who neglected their family were those in that profession.

“That’s not it, but if my brother said so, maybe my mom would have been popular as an actress. Or maybe not, she might not have been good at acting.”

“Then what did she do?”

“Ah, actually, she didn’t do anything as amazing as a celebrity, but rather, she got a Ph.D. from MIT and worked as a semiconductor development researcher or something like that?”

There was a silence.

I didn’t respond, so…

This time, it was my turn to raise my glass.

My blood pressure was rising, and my head started to ache.

“……I apologize.”

“Huh?”

“Apologize to that ajusshi for using your great brain to get a 7th-grade level education and wandering around! Jihee!”

It was the moment when the secret of the ridiculously excellent teacher’s study skills was revealed.