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“Tch look at that trash flirting with other women when he has master," Lee Jihye said as she watched the trash that was Kim Dokja smile sweetly at the cute redhead behind the counter. She heard something clatter beside her.
"What was that?" Yoo Mia said, dropping the juice boxes that had been in her arms.
Shit, she’d done it now. Why did Kim Dokja have to be shopping in the same supermarket as her and Mia and why did he have to be flirting with another woman?
"Ah nothing, nothing. If you’ve got everything you need, let's go. Your brother’s expecting you home soon and he’ll kill - "
"What does that ugly ahjussi have to do with oppa?"
Huh? Master hadn’t told his little sister yet?
"Oh you don't know. Well uh maybe you should ask your oppa."
Yes that was the best course of action to take. She can't out her master like that. Where else was she going to find another martial artist as good as him? There must have been a reason why he hadn't told his precious little sister yet.
Yoo Mia narrowed her eyes fiercely. “Unnie.”
Lee Jihye spilled her guts.
Jihye-unnie must be lying, thought Yoo Mia. There was no way her handsome brother would ever go for someone like - she stopped at the sound of laughter, her brother’s laughter. It seemed to be coming from the kitchen. She quietly poked her head in. Her brother was smiling widely at someone.
Yoo Mia focused her eyes on the person standing next to her beloved brother. No it wasn’t someone, but ugly ahjussi. She turned to look at her brother again. He looked happy. Really happy. Was Jihye-unnie right after all?
No that was impossible. She must be tired and seeing things; it was getting pretty late it was probably best that she get to bed.
Yoo Mia tried to remember the first time she met Kim Dokja. She thinks it might have been when she was six but she feels it was probably earlier than that. She might not remember exactly when they first met but she remembers the reaction she had.
"Hey oppa who was that ugly guy that you were just talking to," Yoo Mia had asked after seeing her brother talk to a strange man with a weird smile outside her school gates.
"Ugly?" Yoo Joonghyuk had said looking unsure of what Mia was talking about before it seemed to click. "Oh are you talking about Kim Dokja?"
Kim Dokja, Mia had repeated to herself. Even his name is ugly.
"Yeah that guy. Who is he?"
"Well I guess he's a -" what exactly was Kim Dokja to him? "He's a friend," he had said with a smile.
At the time Yoo Mia had believed him but now she could see what a fool she had been.
She thought back to the night before when Kim Dokja had dropped by for dinner.
She still remembered the smile she had seen on her brother’s face after the squid had said something amusing. Had she ever seen her brother smiling like that before? Why didn’t she notice earlier?
She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to picture Kim Dokja and his features but all she could recall was a blur. Gosh he must be really ugly if even my mind refuses to showcase him, she thought, but really what did her brother see in the other guy? He seemed like just another ordinary salaryman and not even a hot one at that.
Kim Dokja’s daughter was in the year above her. Her and her brother went to the middle school not too far away from hers. They’d crossed paths a few times but Yoo Mia had never paid them much attention. What business did she have with a bunch of middle schoolers, and Kim Dokja’s children no less, but Kim Dokja and her brother were dating now so when she saw the older girl walking alone she decided to approach her.
“Um you're ug- I mean Kim Dokja ahjussi’s daughter right?”
The other girl looked at her startled before crinkling her eyes and smiling.
“That’s right and you're Joonghyuk-ahjussi’s younger sister aren’t you?”
Mia nodded her head timidly. Now that she looked at her properly, Kim Dokja’s daughter was quite beautiful. She must have got her looks from her mother, she concluded.
Just as she was about to open her mouth a boy came barrelling out of nowhere, slapping Yoosung hard on the back with a huge grin on his face.
“There you are.”
“What the fuck Gilyoung!” Yoosung screamed, before regaining her composure upon noticing Mia. “Ah Gilyoung-ah you surprised me,” she said in a faux sweet tone. She grabbed the other boy’s shoulder and squeezed tightly. “ Don’t ever do that again ok?”
Gilyoung gulped, nodding his head.
Yoo Mia looked between the two. Lee Gilyoung was Kim Dokja’s other child but him and Shin Yoosung looked nothing alike. They even had different family names. Were they really related? Come to think of it these two were in the same year. Did they happen to be twins?
“Are you twins?” she asked.
Gilyoung’s and Yoosung’s smiles froze before they both shivered in repulsion.
Gilyoung spoke first, “Hey you really think I’m related to that.” He pointed his chin at a still recovering Yoosung. “Look closer,” he said as he leaned in closer to Yoo Mia. “You think this handsome oppa is related to a beast like that, hah?”
Yoo Mia was not impressed and neither was Yoosung either it seemed as she boinked the boy over the head. Gilyoung ended up biting down on his tongue. “What the f-“ he began before being elbowed by Yoosung who hissed, 'language' at him before trying to discreetly motion to Mia.
“ You know I’m only a year younger than you, I’m not a child. I don’t care if you curse in front of me.”
“Sorry,” Yoosung said awkwardly. “ We’re not twins but I guess you can say that we’re….related,” she said the last word with disgust.
“I’m three months older.” Gilyoung boasted.
“Yet you don’t seem to have developed much after that three month stage,” Yoosung murmured under her breath.
“What was that?” Gilyoung growled.
“I said –“
Mia decided to tune out the squabbling pair who had started pinching each other.
Gilyoung was three months older? Then how? Oh. Of course. So that’s why neither of them resembled each other or looked like the ugly ahjussi. That also explained why their family names were different. They must have different mothers.
Yoo Mia pulled a face, her opinion of that squid looking ahjussi was dropping by the second. She was brought out of her thoughts by one of Kim Dokja’s bas- by Lee Gilyoung.
“You’re that sooty bas-” Gilyoung started only to be elbowed again. “Shin Yoosung! Seriously what the fuck?”
“Sooty?”
“Ah never mind that,” Shin Yoosung said nervously. “Did you want something Mia-yah?”
That’s right she hadn’t just approached the other girl to make new friends. She had something she had to do.
“Um please tell me about Dokja-ahjussi.”
Kim Dokja might be scum of the highest order according to Jihye-unnie but at least it seemed like he was an ok father, if the rantings and ravings of Yoosung-unnie and Gilyoung-oppa were anything to go by. Just an ok one though.
Gilyoung and Yoosung had dragged her over to their house to meet the ugly squid despite her protests.
Mia watched as the two siblings fought over his attention and scowled. Seriously why were so many people obsessed with this guy? Was she the only one with eyes?
But maybe, maybe she could see what her brother saw in the guy when she saw him gently pat Gilyoung-oppa on the head after chastising him for calling his sister names or when he smiled warmly, listening intently as Yoosung-unnie told him about her day. He adored his children, that much was obvious.
Kim Dokja had even offered her some dumplings. She had staunchly refused at first since well Yoo Joonghyuk was her brother; what food could ever compare to his Godly cooking?
Kim Dokja had left them on the side, telling her she was free to take some whenever she felt hungry but to be quick as it was going to get cold and Gilyoung would get to them first if she wasn’t quick enough.
She did her best to ignore the dumplings but she just couldn’t ignore the smell emanating from the plate.
Her stomach growled.
Well maybe just one wouldn’t hurt.
Like Kim Dokja had warned, Gilyoung was eyeing them up, looking ready to devour every single one. She ran to the plate and stuffed one in her mouth before the other boy could get to them. They were…not bad.
She grabbed another bringing it up to her mouth before she noticed Kim Dokja looking at her, trying to cover a smug smile behind his hand.
She had half a mind to throw the dumpling to the floor and storm off but that would be a waste of food and her brother taught her better than that. Instead she turned around so she was no longer looking at the ahjussi; his face was enough to put anyone off their food.
Mia heard a snort but when she whipped around to glare at the older man he seemed to be busy washing up. Did she just imagine it? Well whatever. She turned around to finish off the dumplings but not before peeking over her shoulder to observe the old man as he went about tidying things up.
If she really, really, really squinted and shut one of her eyes he even looked passable looks wise too, just barely though; he was still ugly.
" Oppa’s on a date with a woman," Yoo Mia informed Dokja gleefully.
He wasn’t really, just a catch up with Seolhwa unnie but the other man didn’t need to know that and besides maybe her brother would decide to ditch this ugly bastard and make things work with Seolhwa-unnie again. She could only hope.
"Ok good for him?" Kim Dokja said slowly, not understanding why Mia was telling him that.
It was a Sunday afternoon and Yoo Mia had decided to join Yoosung unnie and Gilyoung oppa at the park.
Yoo Mia frowned at the other man's reaction. Shouldn't he be upset? She regained her composure. He must be too stupid to realise why it was such a big deal.
"She's really pretty," she began.
"I'm sure she is, " Dokja said dismissively.
“Like I mean really pretty,” she emphasised.
“As expected from Yoo Joonghyuk.”
Yoo Mia frowned again at the other man’s lack of a reaction. Was he just trying to play cool?
"Don't you care?"
Why wasn't he getting jealous?
Dokja blinked."Not really, no."
A tall black haired man who was nowhere near as handsome as her oppa seemed to have caught the ugly man's attention. The man smiled at Dokja who smiled back with a wave. Dokja started walking towards him, before he was stopped by something darting in front of him.
"Don't you care about my brother at all?" Yoo Mia looked close to tears. Dokja was shocked.
" Hey I -" there were people staring at him disapprovingly.
"Of course I care about your brother he's one of my dear fri-"
"Then why would you even look at ..." She balled her fists in anger. " You're just an ugly old man and you think you can dare to cheat on my brother?" she shouted.
"Cheat? Um sorry Mia I think there must be a misunderstanding. Your brother and I aren't -"
Yoo Mia kicked him hard on the shin and ran away. Dokja yelped in pain, clutching at his leg.
"I see. I understand I'll talk to her." Yoo Joonghyuk hung up the phone as he waited for his sister to get back.
Yoo Mia stormed in angrily, throwing her bag on the floor and stomping up the stairs.
“Mia.” She stopped as she heard her brother’s voice, turning to look at him. “Is everything alright?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”
"Kim Dokja told me you-"
She stomped down the stairs to stand in front of her brother. She was livid.
"I don’t regret what I did! I'd kick him again if I have to!"
"You kicked Kim Dokja? “ Joonghyuk sounded surprised. “Why?" he asked, frowning. "You know he’s worried about -"
"I don't care how that two timing bastard-"
"Yoo Mia!" Joonghyuk reprimanded. Where did she learn that language? Certainly not from him.
“He’s cheating on you!"
Joonghyuk went still. Cheating? What?
Yoo Mia looked down at the floor angrily. Yoo Joonghyuk’s stern gaze softened a bit.
"Mia, Kim Dokja and I aren't together. I don't know what gave you the idea that we were."
"Jihye unnie said -"
"Lee Jihye? Don't listen to a word that girl says. Is she the one that taught you-" Yoo Joonghyuk was ready to throttle the older teen.
" It's not just Jihye-unnie. I saw it too.”
“You saw what?”
“You're… different when you're with him. Happier ."
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t know what to say to that. Did he really look that different when he was around the other man?
"I just want you to look like that always," Yoo Mia mumbled looking down at her shoes.
Yoo Joonghyuk stared at her before a small smile slipped out. "You don't need to worry about something like that." Was that what his little sister had been worrying about all this time?
“I don't want you to be alone."
" I'm not alone I have you and -"
"You know what I mean!"
Yoo Joonghyuk raised an eyebrow . "And you think Kim Dokja is the one to-"
"I mean, it doesn't have to be him. There’s always still Seolhwa unnie-"
Yoo Joonghyuk was contemplative. "Seolhwa will always hold a special place in my heart. I love her and always will but there’s a reason we're not together anymore."
"Yeah cos of that ugly ahjussi," Yoo Mia muttered under her breath.
"No not because of him."
Yoo Mia’s hate for Kim Dokja never failed to amuse him. He wondered what the other guy had done to make Mia dislike him so.
" The spark just wasn't there anymore. We’re better off as friends and anyway I've already decided I don't want to get into another relationship anytime soon. I'm happy with it being just us two."
A sudden thought popped into his mind.
"Unless you're not-" Yoo Mia was still young maybe she needed a mother figure.
"Stupid oppa. I don't need anyone else. I was just thinking of you. "
"And I'm telling you I don't need anything else. I'm the happiest I've been in a long time."
Yoo Mia looked like she didn't believe him.
"I mean it. Maybe things will change in the next ten years or even five but for now I'm content."
"If you say so," she mumbled. Yoo Joonghyuk bent down to hug a shocked Mia.
"Please don't worry about your oppa it's my job to worry about you not the other way around. Just enjoy being a child and let your stupid oppa worry about everything else."
Yoo Mia sniffed and hugged him back tightly.
"Ok oppa."
"Don’t worry about what’ll happen after you’re gone. I'll just get a dog if I get lonely enough." He thought about it a bit more ," hm maybe a cat might be the better option."
"Then if you're going to get one anyway maybe you can get one -"
"No."
Well it didn’t hurt to ask. She was still worried about her oppa but at least for now she’ll believe in him and on the bright side at least she wouldn’t have to go calling Kim Dokja her brother in law. She shuddered at the thought.