Falling For The Park Brothers' Sister ⚊ Nishimura Riki

Chapter Forty Six

As the final bell rang, I felt a mix of relief and exhaustion. School was over for the day, and the usual buzz of students chatting and heading to their respective homes filled the air. I walked with Ni-ki towards the parking lot, my backpack slung lazily over my shoulder.

Jungwon and Sunoo had already taken a different path, waving us off with playful grins.

"See you guys tomorrow!" I called after them, waving back.

Sunoo shot me a teasing wink before disappearing around the corner, and I couldn’t help but shake my head, smiling.

As I walked next to Ni-ki, I noticed he was quieter than usual. Maybe it was the lingering awkwardness from all the weird encounters with Heeseung today—or maybe he was just tired.

Whatever it was, I didn’t have much time to dwell on it.

“Unnie!”

I heard the sweet, high-pitched voice before I saw her. Turning toward the sound, I spotted a small figure in a pink dress sprinting across the parking lot. Jiwoo. A huge smile broke across my face as I knelt down, arms open to catch her.

She flew into my arms with the kind of enthusiasm that only a kid could muster.

“Jiwoo!” I laughed, spinning her around before setting her on the ground. “What are you doing here?”

She giggled, her arms wrapping tightly around my neck for a moment before she pulled back, her little face beaming with excitement. “Oppa told me you were here, and I wanted to see you, unnie! I missed you!”

I melted instantly at her words. There was something about Jiwoo’s innocence that always made my heart swell. I brushed her bangs out of her face and smiled down at her, noticing just how much she had grown since the last time I saw her.

“Well, I’m really happy to see you too,” I said, ruffling her hair affectionately.

I stood up, finally noticing Heeseung approaching from a few steps behind Jiwoo. His usual calm smile was in place, hands tucked casually into his pockets.

He stopped just short of us, nodding at me with a faint smile.

“My stepdad wanted to meet you,” Heeseung said, his voice light but carrying a certain seriousness I hadn’t noticed before.

I blinked, unsure how to respond. My attention shifted back to Jiwoo, who was still holding onto my hand, her bright eyes looking up at me expectantly.

“He really wanted to see you, unnie,” Jiwoo chimed in, her tiny fingers tugging on my shirt. “Can you come with us? Please?”

I knelt down to her height again, examining her adorable, eager face. It was hard not to notice how much she looked like a younger version of me—the same round eyes, the same playful smile.

My heart tugged at the resemblance.

Jiwoo hugged me around my neck again and looked up at me with those pleading eyes. “Unnie, will you carry me to the car?”

I was about to answer when Ni-ki, who had been awkwardly quiet this entire time, suddenly grabbed my arm with a sense of urgency. His face was pale, and his eyes were wide with panic.

“I—uh—I have the worst case of diarrhea,” Ni-ki blurted out, his voice breaking into the moment like an unwelcome thunderstorm.

He clung to my arm like a lifeline, his grip tightening as if the situation was life or death. “I need help. Like, right now.”

My eyes went wide in shock. “Diarrhea? Right now?”

He nodded furiously, his face twisted in a mix of desperation and embarrassment. “Yes, now! Please, I’m serious.”