Faking It

10. Lion's den

The day at the Kim estate was in full swing. After breakfast, the family had decided to spend time together in the garden, a rare occasion when all of Jisoo's siblings were home. Chaeyoung, feeling slightly out of place among the seemingly perfect family, was sitting with Jisoo's sisters' and brother's spouses on a patio overlooking the garden.

"So, Chaeyoung," Seola's husband, Hae, began with a friendly smile, "how are you handling the family so far? It can be a bit overwhelming the first time."

Chaeyoung chuckled, glancing over at the garden where Jisoo was sitting with her siblings. "Overwhelming is one way to put it."

"Yeah," Minseok's wife, Danelia, laughed, "but you get used to it. The arguments? The... competitive nature between them? It's all normal around here."

"Arguments?" Chaeyoung raised an eyebrow, her eyes drifting toward Jisoo, who was now standing, her voice raised slightly as she and her brother Minseok exchanged heated words. The eldest sibling, Soojin, was leaning back with crossed arms, interjecting now and then, while Seola looked caught between amusement and annoyance.

"Yeah," Hae nodded. "It's usually about nothing serious, but they've been like this since they were kids. The Kim siblings are... let's say, passionate. The trick is to just stay out of it."

"Really?" Chaeyoung's brow furrowed. "No one steps in?"

"Never." Danelia shook her head. "Trust me, it's easier that way. Jisoo and her siblings have this weird dynamic. They argue, they yell, but it's never serious enough to cause any real damage. It's just how they are. We've learned to just sit back and watch."

"Yeah, think of it like a sport," Hae added with a laugh. "Let them argue it out. They'll make up by the end of the day, and everything will be fine."

Chaeyoung looked over again, watching Jisoo's face as she defended herself against Minseok's sharp words. Chaeyoung's hands itched to intervene, to stand up for Jisoo like she had during breakfast, but she could feel the tension in the air and knew better than to jump into the middle of a sibling squabble.

"They're just... like that?" Chaeyoung asked again, still trying to process how natural this chaos seemed to be to everyone else.

"Yep," Hae said, taking a sip of his tea. "Soojin's the bossy one, Seola's usually the peacekeeper, and Minseok, well, he loves to push Jisoo's buttons. Jisoo... she's the youngest, so she's always had it the hardest. They don't always take her seriously."

Chaeyoung frowned. "That's not right."

"Maybe not," Danelia chimed in, "but that's how it's always been. And Jisoo... well, she's strong enough to handle them."

"She is," Chaeyoung agreed, though she couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration on Jisoo's behalf. She watched as Jisoo threw her hands up in the air, her frustration boiling over while Soojin shook her head, clearly unimpressed. Chaeyoung's jaw tightened.

"Look, I know it seems rough," Hae continued, noticing the way Chaeyoung's mood shifted, "but the thing with the Kim's is they've been bred for this high-standard lifestyle. Their parents always expected a lot from them, and it shows. Sometimes it's hard for them to see anything else."

Chaeyoung nodded, her mind wandering back to the breakfast. She remembered the way Jisoo's mother had shot her down for simply helping out the maids and how it had affected Jisoo. Maybe this family dynamic was normal for them, but to Chaeyoung, it still felt stifling—especially for someone like Jisoo, who clearly wanted something different.

"You think this is always how it'll be for them?" Chaeyoung asked quietly.

Hae exchanged a glance with Danelia before shrugging. "I think Jisoo will find her way eventually. But as long as she's here, living under her parents' influence... it's hard to say. They don't exactly make it easy for her to spread her wings."

Chaeyoung let out a small sigh, her gaze never leaving Jisoo. At that moment, Jisoo caught her eye, and Chaeyoung saw the silent plea for help written in her expression.

Without thinking twice, Chaeyoung stood up. "I think I'm going to check on her."

Danelia grinned knowingly. "Good luck. You're stepping into the lion's den."

Chaeyoung smirked. "I can handle it."

As she walked toward the group of siblings, she could hear Minseok's voice rising in frustration, "You can't keep acting like everything is a game, Jisoo!"

"I'm not!" Jisoo shot back. "Just because I don't want to live the way you do doesn't mean I don't take things seriously!"

Chaeyoung stepped in, her presence immediately noticed by everyone. "Hey, is everything alright here?"

Jisoo's siblings turned to her, surprised at the interruption. Minseok's mouth opened to say something, but he hesitated.

"We're fine," Jisoo muttered, though her eyes looked tired.

"You sure?" Chaeyoung pressed gently, moving closer to her. "Because it seems like you're getting a little ganged up on here."

Minseok narrowed his eyes but said nothing, while Soojin raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by Chaeyoung's boldness.

"Chaeyoung, it's fine," Jisoo insisted, though the relief in her voice was unmistakable. "This is just how it is with us."

Chaeyoung glanced at Minseok and then at the others before looking back at Jisoo. "Well, maybe it shouldn't be."

There was a tense silence for a moment. Then Seola, who had remained mostly quiet during the exchange, smiled softly and said, "Maybe she's right, Jisoo. It's okay to want something different."

Minseok scoffed, but Soojin just rolled her eyes, clearly tired of the back-and-forth.
"Let's not make a scene," Soojin said, her voice firm. "We're family. We argue. It's what we do. But we'll get over it."

Jisoo shot a grateful look at Chaeyoung before turning back to her siblings. "Yeah, we'll get over it. We always do."

Chaeyoung didn't push further, but she stayed close to Jisoo for the rest of the day, silently promising to always be there to support her, no matter how hard things got with her family.
Later, as they sat together by the garden, away from the chaos of the house, Jisoo leaned into Chaeyoung's side and sighed. "Thanks for stepping in back there."

"Anytime," Chaeyoung replied, wrapping an arm around her. "I've got your back."

Jisoo smiled softly. "I know you do."