SWAY

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine : Crush

Noon was already approaching as Chaeryeong entered the house, her parents were still in the kitchen while her sisters, Yeji and Lia, were seated in the living room, their gazes fixated on her. There was an air of anticipation surrounding them, anticipating her arrival.

She closed the door softly behind her, a sense of unease washing over her at the sight of her sisters waiting for her.

"Who the hell was that?" Chaeryeong's heart skipped a beat at Yeji's direct question. She had hoped to avoid this conversation, at least for a while longer.

She exhaled softly, trying to appear nonchalant. "Just a friend," she replied, her voice betraying a slight hint of nervosity.

"Just a friend but you were cuddling on a skateboard as if your Romeo and Juliet." Chaeryeong felt the heat rising to her cheeks at Yeji's words. She had to admit that it did look a bit like that, but she wasn't ready to admit the true nature of their relationship.

"It's not like that," she protested, a slight defensive note in her voice. "He's just a friend, really. Plus..."

"Plus?" Yeji asked as Chaeryeong glanced at them, a flicker of determination crossing her face. She knew her sisters had their own skeletons in the closet and that she could use their past mistakes as leverage in this situation.

"You're one to talk," she retorted, her voice firm. "You're not exactly a saint yourself, Yeji eonnie." The words seemed to hit home, as Yeji's expression darkened slightly. Chaeryeong continued, now turning her gaze to Lia.

"And don't even get me started on you, Lia," she said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Remember your viral kissing video?"

An agreement seemed to be reached without words. A silent understanding passed between the sisters. They recognized the knowledge they each held about each other's past mishaps and the consequences they could all face if those secrets were revealed to their parents.

"Fine," Yeji begrudgingly relented, a hint of resignation in her voice.

"We won't tell them," Lia added, her expression a mix of annoyance and resignation.

"But... get a way from that boy as soon as possible. Learn from our mistakes Ryeong." Chaeryeong nodded, acknowledging her sisters' warning. She knew they were speaking from experience, having made their own share of blunders in the past. They genuinely seemed to care about her well-being, in their own grumpy way.

"I know," she replied, a note of determination in her voice. "I'll be careful. But I can handle it."

"No relationships till graduation. Stop being a dummy like Julia." Chaeryeong rolled her eyes almost instinctively at Yeji's comment. She hated being compared to Julia, who was the prime example of a dramatic and reckless person in their family.

"I'm not an airhead like Julia eonnie," she retorted, her voice slightly sharper. "I know the difference between a harmless flirtation and something serious."

"Even flirting can lead to something look at Yeji." Julia states. Yeji shot them a glare, clearly not keen on being reminded of her past mistakes.

Chaeryeong couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy towards her sister, knowing that the memory of her teenage pregnancy must still be painful. But at the same time, she felt a flicker of annoyance, as if her sister was taking out her own regrets on her.