Time flew by like an arrow.
Taewoo and Yeongha moved to U2-dong in Haeundae-gu. Geon, now in fifth grade, wished to study in a better environment. Even though his elementary school ranking wasn't determined yet, Geon excelled academically, ranking among the top in his school. They believed that studying in Seoul would offer a better chance at attending a superior university compared to studying in Busan, thus designing a potentially better life.
Geon's sister, Shihwa, lacked aptitude for studying but possessed a tough demeanor. While Geon managed to maintain an above-average rank by studying for one hour more than him, Shihwa detested the criticism aimed at her for not resembling Geon as he grew more handsome, blessed by Kamageen's favor. Despite disliking studying, Shihwa put in effort, refusing to fall behind.
Seated at her desk, Shihwa noticed Geon reading a book at the adjacent table. He was her older brother, yet he resembled a prince from a fairy tale.
However, he was slightly different from the typical prince. Princes were depicted as blond, riding white horses with blue eyes, but her brother had glossy black hair, a sharp nose, thick eyebrows, and dark eyeliner that seemed like makeup. His crimson lips appeared as if they could bleed any moment. Geon's eyes were beautiful, but overall, he seemed more aristocratic and aloof rather than resembling a prince from a fairy tale.
Sometimes, Shihwa's classmates blushed and fumbled with their faces when Geon visited their classroom.
As Shihwa lay on her desk, she glanced at Geon and spoke, "Oppa. You always read novels. How come you're good at studying? Can't you teach me?"
Geon, still engrossed in his book, replied, "Can't you handle your own studies? Everyone has their own way of studying. Just read, understand, and memorize what you need to. It's not that hard."
Shihwa's eyebrows shot up in anger. "W-what? Are you being serious? I study twice as hard as you do! Is it because I'm not as smart as you?"
Geon turned to look at Shihwa. Witnessing her furious glare, he started sweating.
Knowing that agitating Shihwa in this mood would result in a day full of nagging, Geon retreated, taking a step back.
"Fine, fine. I don't know how to help anyway. Just read your textbooks; it's simple to understand."
Standing up in response, Shihwa crossed her arms. "So, you're a genius, and I'm just dumb, is that it?"
Even though Geon was only in the fifth grade, standing tall at 170 cm, he couldn't easily dismiss his younger sister. Physically, she couldn't match him, but Shihwa possessed the ability to verbally dismantle Geon until he felt nearly defeated.
Geon feared Shihwa's relentless nagging, even forcing him to stay awake when he wanted to sleep.
"Oh, come on... What do I do..."
Shihwa unclasped her arms and approached Geon, saying, "Oppa, if you don't help me with my workbook today, you'll see."
Gradually cornered, Geon ended up against the wall. "Alright, alright. I'll help."
Shihwa, feigning anger, found joy in Geon's assistance, allowing her to complete her workbook quickly.
Not being able to see Shihwa's expression, Geon, sweating profusely, hesitated before heading towards the door.
"Uh, I'll just grab some water. Wait here."
As Shihwa stood up and followed him, she suggested, "I'll get some water too. Let's go together."
Exiting the room, Geon and Shihwa opened the fridge. Inside were two 1000 ml bottles of milk. Geon, having liked milk since childhood, used to finish a 1000 ml bottle in one go.
Grabbing the milk absentmindedly, Geon drank it in large gulps. Observing him with a cup in hand, Shihwa remarked, "Oppa, are you the tallest in your class? Drinking that much milk might be why. Are you taller than your teacher?"
Wiping his mouth, Geon replied, "Sort of similar to the teacher. They say drinking milk helps you grow taller. You should try it too."
Shihwa shook her head. "I can't handle white milk; it upsets my stomach."
Just then, Yeongha called them from the living room. "Geon, Shihwa, come to mom's room for a moment."
Rushing to their mom's room, they found Taewoo and Yeongha sitting on the bed. Shihwa quickly took her place between them, while Geon settled at the edge of the bed.
Taewoo addressed them, "Our little ones, you've grown up. Your father has an important announcement."
Curious, Geon and Shihwa exchanged glances.
Taewoo smiled, glancing between them, "We're going to Seoul. Have you heard of it? A massive city. The capital of South Korea. Let's live there."
Geon and Shihwa were astonished. They had never been to Seoul. They only knew it as the place where the president lived, a big city, from occasional news on TV.
Their opinions didn't matter much in such matters. Moving from rental to rental to save money for a deposit on a house, they'd moved eleven times in Busan, making their frequent school changes nothing out of the ordinary.
Just before Geon entered sixth grade during winter break, his family set off for Seoul.