“What was the number again?” You ask Chen, walking through the carpet covered corridors of the apartment building.

“2903, agasshi,” Chen stops, indicating that he had found your sister’s apartment.  When he lifts his hand to press the bell, you gently stop him and pull his hand back.

“I want to press the bell,” You mutter.

Chen laughs at this, knowing well that at home, bells do not have any presence whatsoever.  Everything goes through the intercom system.  Nor do you often visit other people’s houses, and even if you do, the same system is applied to their house, considering that they are people whose state resembles your family’s.  And thus your excitement when you see bells.

A ‘ding-dong’ rings inside your sister’s apartment, followed by the pad of footsteps that gradually increases in volume, approaching the door.

The door opens and you are greeted by a deep, velvety voice you often hear.

“Rin, your sister’s here,” Kris announces as he guides you into the apartment.  “Pretty as always, little sister,” He says, a smile in his voice.

“Hello to you, too, Kris-ssi,” You smile back, thanking him for the guidance.

“Lil’ sis!” Your sister runs into you, wrapping her arms tightly around you. 

You reply to her hug and follow her lead onto the dining table, the delicious smell of her cooking entering your nose.

“So,” She says after she swallows a spoonful of rice.  “How is school?” Rin asks, but then continues.  “And don’t say that it’s just ‘fine’, I want details,”

You chuckle at this and answer.  “It’s nice.  I’m very familiar towards everything and the teachers are nice.  The friends too,” You explain, going on with how your studies are getting by at school.

Notice the difference? Yes.  The two of you know better than well to keep your manners and etiquettes in front of your parents, to minimize chatter and small talk when it isn’t particularly necessary and to only speak when an important matter is at hand.  But now, with only Kris and Chen around you, the tension is loosened, and you and your sister go back to being, well, yourselves.

The food is finished and Rin goes to the sink behind the dining table to wash up the dishes, turning down any offer of help from either Kris, you, or Chen.  The three of you sit on the table and let the sound of the rushing tap water fill the living room.

“Kris-ssi,” You start.  “How is my sister?”

“Rin is,” Kris answers.  “Rin is—“

“Unnie, don’t try to eavesdrop,” You cut Kris’ sentence, the descending volume of the tap water’s rush noticeable to your ears.

You grin at your sister’s muffled grunt and her evident sigh. 

Kris laughs and lowers his tone.  “Rin is delightful.  She knows what she’s doing and she handles pressure very well.  Being the ‘heiress’ to the Park company, she’s faced with a lot of confrontations from the people she both knows and don’t.  With me or without, it’s something she handles with her eyes closed.   And even though out there, she’s Park Rin, to me, she’s always Rin.  Just Rin,”

“And?” You lean forward, expecting more. 

Kris questions back. “And....?”

You playfully scoff and continue.  “Do you love her?”

At this, the tap water is turned off and you do nothing to stop your sister from listening to her fiancee’s answer.

“Yes, I do,”

Rin giggles and playfully pinches your cheek.  “So cheesy,” She says before going over to where Kris was seating.

“I’m leaving then,” Kris stands up and you hear a short, quiet smooch, your hearing percepting that your sister and her fiancee had shared a goodbye kiss, and then Kris pats your head and walks out the door to leave the apartment.

They don’t live together.  They know their limits and even though they’re engaged, they don’t live together because it’s common sense.  Rin herself doesn’t stay at home because the clever reasoning she had given your parents gained her the permission to live alone in an apartment.  The condition was that the apartment can’t be one that is positioned out of the city.  Your parents.  Always with the conditions.  It’s true, though.  Rin does handle everything well by herself.  She can do practically anything.  As expected from the Park family’s first born.

“Unnie,” You respond to Rin’s offer of hand and stand up, Chen pushing the chair under the table behind you.  It was time for the both of you to go and for your sister to get her sleep.  Before you and Chen walk out the door, you continue your call.  “Do you love Kris?”

Rin waits for a few seconds before answering until she finally says.  “It’s a secret,” She giggles, closing the door and locking it with a click.