Free Web NovelChapter 6: Class Observation
Ugh-
With a short groan, Taeyang sat up. He checked the time on his phone by the bed—it was still before dawn. But instead of lying back down, he got up completely.
It was too early to prepare for school, but for him, who also handled the household chores, it was just the right time.
After quickly washing up, he took out ingredients from the fridge and knocked on his younger sister’s door, who showed no signs of waking up.
Knock, knock, knock-
"Innara. Time to eat and go to school."
*
You can never figure out teenage girls. Taeyang was keenly feeling that lately.
The only sounds at the dining table were the clinking of chopsticks and spoons. There wasn’t a rule about being quiet during meals, but no one spoke first.
It wasn’t like this before...
Thinking so, Taeyang sighed deeply. His attitude towards Moonbyul hadn’t changed. It was Moonbyul who had changed.
Of course, they had a big fight once, but they apologized to each other and moved on, didn’t they? They shouldn’t be this awkward over something like that.
Even after that, Taeyang paid more attention to her, but Moonbyul was openly keeping her distance.
Moonbyul, who had been poking at her rice bowl with her chopsticks, stopped and looked up. She opened her mouth, staring at Taeyang.
"Hey."
That "Hey" hurt every time he heard it. He missed the days when she would cling to him, calling him "Oppa, Oppa."
"Yeah?"
Moonbyul hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly squirmed in her seat.
"Anything happening lately?"
"Wow, you’re finally interested in your oppa. I’m touched. Really."
"Ugh, if you’re just going to tease me, don’t answer!"
"Okay, okay. Nothing much. Oh!"
Taeyang said, holding up his spoon.
"Midterms start today."
"What?"
"So, we have to be at school by 10 AM."
At that, Moonbyul fiddled with her chopsticks for a long time.
Various expressions flashed across her face. Then, she suddenly put down her chopsticks and stood up.
Thud! Screech!
"Why?"
"I’m not hungry."
Her bowl was barely touched. Taeyang pointed at the rice bowl reproachfully.
"If you eat so little, you won’t grow. Remember the home economics class? Balanced nutrition, right?"
Taeyang was bewildered by her sudden prickliness. Could she really be sulking because he was going to school late?
Moonbyul glared at him with narrowed eyes, grabbed her bag from under the chair, and headed straight for the front door.
"Hey! Brush your teeth!"
"I’ll do it at school! And I can take care of myself, so stop worrying!"
Slam!
"Good grief."
Taeyang felt a surge of anger but quickly regained his composure.
Recently, he had the chance to see her diary. After that, no matter how she acted, it just seemed like cute, funny tantrums.
In her diary, she wrote that she wanted to apologize but couldn’t find the words. As her oppa, he had to be patient.
After finishing his meal and cleaning up, Taeyang went into Moonbyul’s room to take out the trash. She had told him never to enter, but if she didn’t want him to, she should have taken out the trash on time.
In the trash can, he found a crumpled piece of paper.
[Parental Class Observation Notice]
And the date was today. Taeyang muttered with a complicated expression. If this was why she had been extra prickly, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"...She should have said something."
She must have been trying to ask him something this morning but held back because of the midterms.
Moreover, it said that bringing a lunch box was mandatory.
Taeyang paused for a moment, then nodded. Knowing Moonbyul, she would rather go to the school store and buy something to eat than share a friend’s lunch.
She had barely eaten breakfast, and now she was going to have bread for lunch? That was unacceptable during this crucial growth period.
Honestly, midterms weren’t that important.
*
Arriving at school, Moonbyul slumped over her desk.
"What’s wrong with you today? Why the long face?" her desk mate asked. But Moonbyul, with her forehead pressed against the desk, just sighed deeply instead of answering.
"Today is the class observation day, remember?"
"Oh~"
Her friend finally understood and nodded. They were close enough to be called best friends. Her friend knew about Moonbyul’s family situation.
"It’s okay. Both your parents are abroad, what can you do?"
"No, that’s not it."
Moonbyul’s breath fogged up the cold desk. She lifted her head and muttered gloomily.
"I snapped at Oppa again."
"Why?" frёewebηovel.cѳm
"I wanted him to come. But I couldn’t say it, and instead, I got angry. I hate myself for being so selfish."
"Well... being a student is tough."
Moonbyul pulled her knees up to her chest, sitting on the chair.
"Yeah, I know. That’s why I didn’t say anything. Oppa already does most of the housework and goes to school, so he must be tired. He probably thinks I’m being unreasonable."
"Your oppa is a saint."
Moonbyul sighed. Adolescence is a strange time when your heart and mouth don’t align. But she felt she was worse than others.
"I know I shouldn’t be like this."
"Just apologize when you get home."
"I want to." fгeewebnovёl.com
In her heart, she had apologized a hundred, a thousand times.
But whenever she faced her oppa, the words wouldn’t come out, and it was frustrating. Her small diary had long since become a book of apologies rather than a journal.
"But for some reason, I can’t say it. At least I shouldn’t call him ’Hey.’"
"If my younger sibling did that, I’d kill them."
Moonbyul chuckled at her friend’s comment.
Exactly one year ago, she had a big fight with her parents, who were going abroad, and Taeyang had beaten her to within an inch of her life.
Society believes that men are weaker than women, but Taeyang was an exception. Of course, there was a difference in age and size. But even considering that, she had been one-sidedly beaten.
Of course, Taeyang apologized for that. She apologized too, but ever since, her heart raced whenever she saw Taeyang.
At first, she thought it was fear of being hit again, but after a year, she still felt this way, and she couldn’t figure out why.
"...Want to have lunch with me today?" her friend offered.
Moonbyul slowly shook her head.
"I’ll just get something from the school store. Bread or something."
"Hey, we’re at a crucial age for growth. Balanced nutrition, remember?"
Moonbyul laughed at her friend’s nagging, which sounded just like Taeyang’s lecture from the morning.
"Still... I’m fine."
Seeing how adamant she was, her friend shrugged.
"Okay... Let me know if you change your mind."
"Yeah."
Their conversation was interrupted by the teacher coming in for the morning assembly.
*
The class observation was scheduled for the third and fourth periods. After lunch, there would be a parent-teacher meeting, and that would be the end of the school day.
During the third period, about half the students’ parents were standing at the back of the classroom. Most were stay-at-home husbands, with a few couples attending together.
During the break, students with parents present went to the back of the classroom.
"Why did you pack so much for lunch?"
"You said you were coming for the fourth period, but you came early?"
Moonbyul put in her earphones to block out the happy family chatter. Even her desk mate’s parents had come. The break felt too long to sit alone in silence.
She rested her head on her arms on the desk. If only she could wake up and find the day was over...
Moonbyul, who had quickly fallen asleep, felt someone tapping her back.
It must be her desk mate waking her up because the break was over. She sat up and turned her head.
"......!!!"
She was so surprised she couldn’t speak.
"Hey, you’re going to catch flies with your mouth open like that."
Taeyang, standing next to her, smiled and waved gently.
