The all-knowing Player

Red Gate (1)

"Hey..." Jin-Ah stares at her brother with unimpressed eyes, not quite understanding how he managed to change that much within a month. "Are you really Sung Jin-Woo?"

"What, is it strange?" he asks, a hand stuck in the pocket of his brand new black trousers.

But not only the trousers he wears are new. A shirt that matches his steel gray eyes, its sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms, a discreet but elegant watch clinging around his wrist and, above all, a brand new hairstyle complete his looks: wether all those changes caused his sudden assured aura or not, he seems to have grown into a whole new person overnight. He cut his thick, untamed strands that used to cover his eyes off, opting for a clean undercut instead. And Jin-Ah could swear that he grew up again. Just where did her cute older brother who'd hide his nervousness behind an awkward laugh with bent shoulders as soon as his gaze met someone else's disappear to?

"Wow... So people can change this much," she deadpans.

"I'm meeting my sister's teacher, do you want me to come in a tracksuit and slippers?" he fires back, earning a shrug.

They walk in the hallways of the school, Jin-Ah leading him towards the room where her teacher is waiting. Some students stop and gawk at Jin-Woo, wondering what link to Jin-Ah he might have. He greets them with a relaxed smile, causing them to stutter a 'Hello' with red cheeks before fleeing.

"Wow, you're pretty popular. I guess you did make some effort today. Are you sure you're not just trying to impress Hee-Jin?" Before he can deny it, a light pink dusting his cheeks, she continues her questioning with a wide grin. "I thought things were going well with her. Otherwise, what were you two doing last night that kept you out so late?"

He pinches her cheek a bit too roughly. "Don't make fun of me. I already told you, we don't have that kind of relationship." Unluckily, the red tips of his ears don't escape his sister's observant eyes.

"Ow!" Instead of apologizing unsincerely like she usually does, she somehow manages to free herself from his grip. "But you wish it was the case, don't you?" she asks, rubbing her hurting cheek.

She expects him to protest immediately. But he turns away without a word and fastens his pace as if to flee her mocking grin. She cocks an eyebrow.

Oh?

[*]

"Jin-Woo!" I call, arriving in front of the building where he asked me to meet him.

He turns around and greets me with a light smile. My heart skips a beat. I knew that he'd dress up and cut his hair for the meeting with his sister's teacher, but at his sight, a strange feeling appears in my stomach.

"You look good today," I comment, staring at his hair. I didn't notice it, but it looks fluffy, so much that I want to run my hand through it.

Objectively, he is handsome. It's a mere fact and he always has been. But this new clean appearance only makes me feel self-conscious. Maybe I should get a new haircut, too. I don't want to look miserable next to him. I want him to find me pretty. I immediately shake the thought out of my head. Have I lost my mind? Why wouldI want that?

"Thank you. You too," he answers.

I glance down at my formal black clothes. "Well, I attended Shin Chun-Hee's funeral today. It's not really the best outfit to raid, but we won't do much anyways."

Before he can answer, the sound of someone opening a door and stepping outside interrupts the conversation.

"Korea is small after all," he says, looking up to see Han Song-I climb down the stairs to join us. "As expected, it was you."