Falling For The Park Brothers' Sister ⚊ Nishimura Riki

Chapter Thirty Three

The school corridors buzzed with the usual noise, but today there was a new kind of excitement in the air.

I couldn’t help but notice the amused glances and whispered conversations that seemed to follow me wherever I went.

It wasn’t exactly subtle—everyone was clearly fascinated by my newfound closeness with Ni-ki. And, of course, my brothers were fully aware of it too, their concerned looks only adding to the drama.

At lunch, Ni-ki and I were settled in our usual corner of the cafeteria.

We were in the middle of a hilarious exchange about his attempts to bake cookies, which had somehow turned into a chemistry experiment gone wrong.

His laugh was infectious, and I couldn’t stop giggling.

But then, just as I was about to dive into another bout of laughter, Jungwon appeared, sliding into the seat next to me like he was auditioning for a role in a dramatic soap opera.

“Hey, Jiyoo!” he chirped, oblivious to the awkward vibes radiating from Ni-ki.

I glanced at Ni-ki, who had suddenly turned into a human statue next to me.

“Hey, Jungwon,” I managed to say, trying to sound casual despite the tension.

Jungwon plopped down with an air of someone who had just won the lottery. “Mind if I join you guys?”

Ni-ki gave me a tight-lipped smile. “Sure, Jungwon.”

As Jungwon settled in, the conversation took on a distinctly awkward tone. Every time he leaned in to talk to me, Ni-ki’s posture grew tenser.

It was like watching a high-stakes poker game where everyone was bluffing.

Sunoo, sitting a safe distance away with Sunghoon, was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

He leaned over to Sunghoon and whispered loudly enough for me to hear, “Looks like we’re in for a front-row seat to the Jiyoo's boys drama. Popcorn, anyone?”

Sunghoon chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re terrible.”

Lunch progressed with a series of forced laughs and strained conversations. Jungwon tried to engage me in topics ranging from the latest video games to the merits of different ramen flavors, while Ni-ki threw in monosyllabic responses, clearly trying to maintain his cool.

The real comedy unfolded after school when Ni-ki and I headed to the park.

Jungwon, ever the persistent shadow, trailed behind us with a determined look on his face. Ni-ki tried his best to ignore the intrusion, but it was like trying to ignore a persistent itch.

Jungwon’s attempts to insert himself into our plans were met with varying degrees of success.

At one point, as we were walking, Jungwon casually asked, “So, where are we headed next?”

Ni-ki, with all the grace of someone balancing a stack of porcelain plates, replied, “We’re heading to the park. You’re welcome to join us if you want.”

I could see Jungwon’s eagerness and Ni-ki’s barely contained frustration. It was like watching a tug-of-war match where the rope was made of strained politeness.

When we finally reached the park, Sunoo and Sunghoon were lounging on a bench, their eyes twinkling with amusement.

Sunoo, always the observant one, gave us a thumbs-up from his spot. “Hey, Jiyoo! How’s the drama going?”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, you know, just your typical love triangle.”

Sunoo snorted. “Love triangle, more like a love trapezoid.”