NOVEL NEXT Chapter 117
After setting the wedding date, we became extremely busy.
Most of the trivial matters were resolved by my father-in-law sending someone to take care of them, but ultimately, it was our role to paint a concrete picture of the wedding, so there was no way around it.
My older sister also hadn’t been going to the company much lately, and aside from when I was broadcasting, I was also so busy with wedding-related tasks that I hardly had any time to breathe.
As a result, we ended up having very little time to hang out together, and feeling that this couldn’t go on, we decided to choose today for a date and went out.
It was the first time in my life that I saw my older sister fussing like that. She must have been really bored because she came to my room while I was broadcasting, clinging to me, and throwing a fit, saying she wanted to go on a date. I was almost blinded by the shock.
On the other hand, the viewers were probably seething with jealousy.
I have no words for that. If you’re jealous, just start dating too.
“Ah…! Wow, it’s been a while since our last date, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess we were too busy.”
These days, we had been on the go so much that my older sister, looking refreshed after stretching, directed her brightened face towards me.
Recently, I’ve developed a small habit; in the past, I would look at her face first when I saw her, but nowadays, my gaze keeps drifting downward. There’s no ill intent; it’s just that I can’t help but worry about the little life sleeping in her small belly.
On one hand, I’m also anxious about whether something might happen.
In fact, I had thought about keeping my sister at home for a while because of that… but this time, I couldn’t. It was clear she was gradually reaching her limit.
Fortunately, the doctor said that as long as it’s not excessive exercise, everything is fine for now, so I guess I don’t need to worry too much.
I’m also here to jump in if anything happens.
“So, where are we going after this aquarium?”
“Hmm, it’s all planned out. Want to take a look at the schedule?”
“Sure.”
When I pulled up the dating schedule I had noted down just in case, my sister came closer and smiled widely as she checked it.
To be honest, the date schedule isn’t something that extraordinary that would warrant such joy. It’s pretty standard.
We plan to visit the aquarium, watch a movie, and have dinner at a nice place with a view of the night skyline. I even managed to reserve a spot at a popular restaurant that’s hard to book for today.
“Thinking about it, there were a lot of places we couldn’t go just the two of us.”
“I thought we had at least gone to the movie theater together, but it turns out we haven’t.”
“Well, we always watched movies at home, so we never even thought about going out.”
As my sister said, if we were to watch a movie together, it wouldn’t have been in a cinema but rather at home. Just packing some snacks, sitting side by side on the sofa, and watching a movie together made all our fatigue vanish.
But watching a movie in a theater has its own unique flavor. People aren’t just going to theaters and spending money for nothing, especially in this OTT era.
“By the way, an aquarium… so Uju really likes animals, huh?”
“I don’t dislike them.”
“Oh come on, it’s more than that. Your eyes sparkle every time you see an animal!”
“Ahem. Did I?”
Liking animals isn’t something to be embarrassed about, but I felt bashful to have my inner thoughts exposed, so I cleared my throat awkwardly.
Honestly, I wasn’t that into animals before, but after going to university and living alone with nothing to do at home, I ended up spending time on YouTube, watching cat and dog videos, and got completely hooked.
The Woo-yu we have at home is a prime example.
“Well, first off, let’s hit the aquarium. I wonder if they have penguins?”
I tilted my head slightly, watching my sister’s eyes light up with excitement in front of the aquarium entrance.
Of course, it’s not new for her to be this excited during a date, but today seemed different; her energy was especially high.
“Do you like penguins?”
“Yeah, I do. They waddle around so cutely, don’t you think?”
“They are cute. I’m relieved to hear that.”
“Relieved, you say?”
Seeing me exhale in relief, my sister looked puzzled.
I silently showed her the tickets I had already purchased. The words “Special Event Admission” sparkled in foil on the tickets.
“Actually, there’s a special attraction here today. It involves feeding penguins and dolphin touch experiences…”
“Wow, really!? I’ve always wanted to try something like that!”
“I’m glad to hear that. I was worried you might dislike this kind of thing.”
If it’s something I prepared for her, she’d probably hide her dislike out of courtesy, but I genuinely want us to enjoy it together.
That’s why I nervously entered a sweepstakes for this high-demand special attraction ticket, hoping I hadn’t prepared for nothing.
Fortunately, such an accident doesn’t seem to happen, though.
“All right, shall we go? Hold my hand just in case you stumble, okay?”
In front of the entrance, feeling a bit awkward, I courteously extended my hand like a fantasy novel’s knight. With a smile, my sister gently placed her hand on mine.
“Today, you’re totally in escort mode!”
“Well, of course, I have to take care of two important people.”
Even if I should treat just one sister well, the valuable being in her belly deserves no less respect, so I couldn’t help but be courteous.
If my sister were to stumble, I’d rather break my arm than let her fall. That’s been a thought I keep ingrained in my mind lately.
“Welcome to AquaLand. Excuse me, could I check your tickets?”
“Yes, here they are.”
“Thank you for your confirmation.”
As I showed the two tickets, the staff member quickly placed admission bracelets on our empty wrists and gestured for us to enter.
I nodded slightly in greeting and, when we stepped inside, warm air enveloped us, slightly warmer than outside.
“If you start feeling tired, just let me know. We can head straight to the movie theater to take a break.”
“So the next stop is the movie theater, huh? Good sense, our husband!”
“Just basic stuff.”
Trying to be cheeky despite it not being my style, I swiped my finger under my nose, and my sister tightened her grip on our joined hands, slipping her arm around mine.
In the past, I’d feel slightly awkward doing this outside, but now I can smile and look at my sister without a care, which is a reminder of how adaptable people can be.
“Oh, Uju. Look at this! Doesn’t it look really grumpy?”
As we started exploring the aquarium, my sister pointed at a large fish in a tank on the left wall.
As I approached it, indeed, just as she said, there was a peculiar-looking fish with its lower lip pushing up against its upper lip, swimming around.
“It really does. Its mouth is sticking out like it’s angry… But isn’t it called an angel fish?”
“Angel fish? It looks more like a devil fish!”
Wow, it’s the first time my sister has been this straightforwardly critical about something’s looks.
Surely, she doesn’t mean any harm? Sorry, angel fish, I’ll apologize on behalf of my girlfriend.
“Let’s see, French angel fish… our country’s name is French blue angelfish. Is it also a type of grouper?”
“Similar, but different, I think. It’s written down below.”
“Then it might not be tasty.”
“Yeah, but they say it’s an extremely expensive species. It only lives in the Atlantic, you know?”
“Oh wow…”
It certainly seems fitting for it to be called a grouper. The golden patterns etched on its scales give it quite the flair.
Even if its face looks rather grumpy.
“According to recent studies reported at conferences, once French angel fish bond for life, they never part and stick together for their lifetime—whether hunting, parenting, or traveling. That never changes.”
As my sister read the explanation below, I couldn’t help but reevaluate that fish. It seems that despite its grumpy appearance, it knows what true love is all about.
It’s true; you shouldn’t judge someone by their looks.
“They have a great relationship.”
“Right? I didn’t know such fish even existed!”
“Could we live like those guys?”
Given that we’re about to get married, even the description of a fish I would have normally ignored hit me differently.
That’s probably why I ended up saying something foolish, causing my sister, who had been resting her hands on her knees and bending slightly, to turn her head, blinking her eyes silently at me.
Then she made a slightly pouty face and poked my nose with her finger, saying, “You should be saying, ‘We live like this,’ instead of ‘Could we live like this?’”
“…I guess I was short-sighted. I still have a lot to learn from you.”
Realizing yet again that I still didn’t understand women’s hearts well and putting on a wry smile, my sister shook her head and took my hand again.
“It’s okay. Helping fill each other’s shortcomings is a couple’s job, right?”
The warmth from that touch was more than just from the cozy air; it was distinctly comforting.