Chapter 30: Hugs and Ambitions

Good thing Seung Hee wasn’t holding anything, or she’d have dropped it like she almost did with her coffee earlier. Embarrassed, I tried to pry Do Yoon off, but he clung tighter, like he was glued to me. His grip was so strong I could barely breathe.

Seung Hee looked confused, then revolted.

“Alright… I definitely misunderstood something.”

Her voice was cold, but she wobbled slightly as she headed upstairs. She was clearly shocked, despite not saying it. I shouldn’t laugh, but seeing ice-cold Choi Seung Hee make that face was hilarious. I glanced at Do Yoon, still stuck to my side like gum, and stifled a chuckle.

“What’s with you, Choi Do Yoon?”

“Noona asked what we did yesterday, so I showed her.”

His voice carried a grim determination. What a funny kid. This definitely proved I didn’t hit him. Clever guy…

“Let go now. I’m suffocating. Noona’s gone.”

He loosened his grip but didn’t let go, looking up at me pitifully.

“Are you really getting a job?”

Why’s this kid so fixated on my job? Feeling a rivalry already? Nah, can’t be… I answered vaguely.

“Yeah, I’m applying to a company I’m interested in.”

His face brightened slightly.

“So you’re not starting tomorrow?”

He must’ve thought I’d parachute into a manager role. I shook my head.

“Nope, just applying normally. It’s mid-September, so I need to prepare.”

Technically, with Seung Hee’s help, “normally” was a stretch, but let’s call it the price of transmigrating into this mess of a family. Do Yoon thought for a moment.

“Mid-September… not much time. Which company?”

“Haewon E&M. You know it? They make movies and dramas. I’m aiming for their marketing team.”

His eyes widened.

“You’re into that? I thought you’d like bigger places like Haewon Electronics…”

Damn. How much did the original Seung Hyun blab that even high-schooler Do Yoon knows I was into Haewon Electronics? It’s not like he knows much at this point, but feeling exposed, I doubled down on my entertainment pitch to avoid him thinking I’m after his future spot.

“Of course! I love movies and dramas. Even enjoy filming stuff.”

But Do Yoon didn’t brighten. He looked almost glum, tightening his grip.

“Marketing team… just office work, right? No meeting celebrities?”

“Dunno, never done it. Why, you wanna see celebrities? Become a PD, you’d see them all day. Too grueling to recommend, though.”

I said, reminiscing. Man, I’m dying here. I tried to peel him off, but he wouldn’t budge. Then he buried his face in my chest, mumbling.

“You’ve met tons of celebrities without being a PD…”

“Huh?”

“N-nothing.”

When I pressed, he jumped back, finally letting go. Free at last! This kid’s morning workout gave him insane strength.

“But do you have to move out? You could commute.”

“Maybe as an intern, but if I go full-time next year, I’ll move out. Easier, right?”

Saying it, I grinned at the perfect plan. A job as an excuse to escape the family elders, improve things with Seung Hee, and Do Yoon… well, we’re close enough now, aren’t we? He’s not sending me to a mental hospital anytime soon.

I chuckled, thinking of a bright future.

“When I move, you can have my room. It’s bigger.”

“No way!”

He shouted, startling me. Our main character’s so moody…

“Anyway, you need to study to get hired, right? Write applications, all that? You’re applying to similar companies too?”

With Seung Hee’s info, failing Haewon E&M was near impossible. Even if I did, Grandfather wouldn’t let me work elsewhere. But Do Yoon’s sparkling eyes made me nod.

“Yeah… sure.”

“Then… can we keep studying together?”

“Huh?”

“Noona keeps suspecting stuff. If we’re seen together, she won’t misunderstand like today.”

“Hmm?”

The conversation veered oddly, but it wasn’t wrong. He wanted to hang out, and I had no reason to refuse.

“Alright, let’s do it.”

His face lit up like the sun. A budding heartthrob’s smile was dazzling.

Guess he just wanted to hang out. Letting him be a bit clingy was cute—he’s secretly a lonely kid.

In the novel, the heroine initially saw Director Choi Do Yoon as a cold robot but fell hard for his surprising charm after dating.

Studying with Do Yoon—no, preparing for my job—flew by. My September application passed easily, and I aced the early October aptitude test. Why? I spent most of my time with Do Yoon on those tests, not the application.

Solving dozens of questions like “What’s the shape of paper folded four times and cut at a corner?” in limited time was dizzying. Whoever made those deserves hell.

I also passed applications for other companies I applied to for practice. Seung Hee didn’t say much, but her shocked looks at my acceptances made me smug.

My past-life job experience and the original Seung Hyun’s studies helped. In my old life, I’d fail 90 out of 100 applications; now, 10 out of 20 passed. Seung Hyun’s solid specs helped too.

Despite being overshadowed by stellar siblings, he wasn’t bad—above average, honestly. I’d underestimated him because the novel painted him as hopeless.

Also, I learned the original Seung Hyun was American. Meaning? No military service! First time I was grateful for him. If I had to do the army again in a chaebol body, I’d lose it.

Mother returned home three weeks after our hotel talk. She frowned seeing me with Do Yoon but didn’t comment. I couldn’t read her thoughts but hoped for a change of heart.

The household stopped finding it odd that Do Yoon and I were always together.

Sometimes, lounging on the second-floor sofa, Do Yoon studied nearby. When I tackled aptitude questions, he’d nap across from me. Hungry? We’d grab snacks downstairs. Studying mostly happened on weekends since he had school, but he seemed content just being around me.

Glancing over, I saw him grading his workbook—all perfect, as usual. Whose brother is this brilliant? He looked up, met my eyes, and smiled, eyes curving like crescents.

“Your interview’s tomorrow at 8 a.m., right? Super early.”

“Yeah, so I’m wrapping up early to sleep.”

“You worked so hard, you’ll get great results.”

He sounded more determined than me, the interviewee. Initially, he’d grilled me about my job, but after learning marketing rarely goes to sets, he stopped asking. Guess he lost interest when he realized I wouldn’t meet celebrities.

I’d told him to keep it secret from the adults, so he clenched his fist, mouthing “fighting” silently—adorable. I reached out, ruffling his hair, and laughed.