I was lazing around my room a few days past Christmas. Although we initially geared ourselves up for some leisurely skiing, our plans went down the drain when I caught a terrible cold. I would say the constant outdoor filming in freezing temperature for our faux honeymoon in ‘We Got Married’ was to blame. I couldn’t be more apologetic to my parents, who went out of their way to book reservations when it was supposed to be my job, and to So Mi, who was tremendously thrilled for the trip but had to convince me that our ruined plans weren’t a problem despite how visibly disappointed she looked.

As a result, we were left with no other option but to have a simple Christmas dinner in our home. Nevertheless, we couldn’t have celebrated that time of the year better. We felt simply content in cherishing each other’s company.

While I had somewhat gotten my health back, I didn’t want to jinx it so I took my sweet time resting.

“Unni!” So Mi’s voice came through the door.

I toned down the volume of my speakers as I remained seated on the edge of my bed. “What is it?”

The door flung open, revealing a panic-stricken So Mi who was holding two pairs of heels on each hand.

“Let me guess…fashion emergency?” I stated the obvious while chuckling.

Groaning, she dropped both pairs of heels on the floor. “Ugh. I can’t tell which pair goes better with my dress.”

Being fashion-forward, So Mi always made sure that not a single part of her ensemble was out of place. As she would follow trends and had the first dibs on the latest ‘it’ item, I frequently told her off for acting like a fashion victim.

I stared at her in disbelief and smirked. “Wow, you’ve got a serious problem right there,” I told her sarcastically.

“Yes, this is serious indeed! I spent hours searching every nook and cranny of Cheongdamdong last weekend for the perfect dress and can you imagine how ecstatic I was when I finally found ‘the one’ after going through like literally a hundred racks? But then, I scoured through my shoe closet only to find out that I don’t have the perfect shoes that can go with it. Ugh!” she complained.

I kept a straight face to keep myself from bursting out in laughter while taking a look at the heels lying on the floor. “I don’t get what your problem is. Those shoes look fine to me.”

She sighed in frustration as she got a studded ankle-strapped black sandal. “This one isn’t high enough. I need more height and it just doesn’t give me that. It will make me look stumpy in my dress.”

I rolled my eyes and snorted. “Next time, stop buying dresses that are meant for tall women. Then what’s the problem with the other one?”

She let go of the sandal and leaned down to pick up the other shoe. “Look at it! There’s just no way I can walk in it to save my life!” She said as she shook a pointed six-inch pump in front of me. “I need something that will allow me to balance at least.”

I pressed my lips together in a thin line and threw my hands up in the air. “Fine! I think I’ve got what you need. Go look in my closet,” I commanded as I massaged my temples.

She tilted her head a bit, a bashful smile in place, pretending to act coy. “May I?”

“Psh. It’s not like you won’t plead if I said no. I don’t know why you had to beat around the bush by throwing a dramatic fit when you could’ve just asked me,” I said brusquely.

“Sweet!” She threw both of her arms round me, swallowing me up in a tight, or more like suffocating embrace. “My unni is the best!”

“Okay, okay. It’s not like I didn’t know that. Do it now before I change my mind,” I muttered while I patted her back before detangling from her hold.

I watched her select a few pairs of heels from my shoe cabinet as she tried each of them out. “Why are you making a big fuss about dressing to impress anyway? It’s just a party. Yah, Kim So Mi, you’re not getting all dolled up for a guy, are you?” I asked candidly, throwing her a suspicious look.

“Haha. You’re funny, unni. So what if I am?” she stated complacently while I gave her the evil eye. “But sorry to burst your bubble, I’m not. I just want to look picture perfect is all.”

 I doubled up in laughter. “Admit it, you aim to look perfect because you want to get ahead of your friends.”

She shrugged as she slipped off the black platform peep-toe pumps she tried out. “Maybe. You know what they say, women dress up for other women. I think this is it. This is it, unni. This is it! The fit is just perfect. Thank you!”

“I wonder why I’m always the one getting people out of their fashion crisis. I did the same for Manhee.”

She paused for a moment until her lips curled into a suggestive grin, which usually didn’t mean well.

“Why are you smiling like an idiot? I can tell you’re up to something.”

Her smile grew bigger as she skipped merrily to me. She put her arms behind her back, her eyes blinking innocently. “Since you’re at it, could you lend me a nice neckpiece too?”

I gawked at her. “Aren’t you taking advantage of my kindness?”

She pouted and gave me her characteristic ‘puppy eyes’—something that she did best.

“Ugh! I can’t really say no, can I?” I gave in as she let out a loud whoop. “You know where to find them.”

I lay down for a bit while she rummaged through the piles of accessories on my dresser. I snuck a glance and couldn’t help but be in awe of how my sister was growing up beautifully. I didn’t think I could ever stop seeing her as a baby, but I couldn’t deny the reality that she was gradually transforming into a lovely lady. Just by simply looking at her made me feel like a proud unni.

I distracted myself a bit by scrolling down my playlist, deciding which song to play.

“Omo! This is sooo pretty, unni! I haven’t seen this before.”

I gave a fleeting look before explaining, “That’s because it’s new-“ I did a double take and to my horror, she was dangling something that I had been ardently taking care of. Bum’s present.

Oh no. No! Don’t even think about it!

“Where did you get this, unni? Wait, it looks like someone gave this to you, eh?” she asked, intrigue apparent in her voice as she gazed at me deviously.

One thing that drove me mad about my sister: She didn’t know when to stop. If I didn’t give her a satisfying response, she would bug me tirelessly until my patience snapped to the point that I would be left with no other choice but to give her the answer that she wanted to hear. Too bad for her, I wouldn’t fall for her ploy this time.

I let my arms hang loosely and my legs fling out casually to shun any indications of tension. “It was a present alright. I got it just this Christmas,” I said coolly.

“Ooooh…and may I ask who’s it from?”

“It was from…” I looked at her to find an enormous grin plastered on her face, “Manhee,” I lied.

She nodded with her lips pursed. “I see. Manhee unni has always been generous. But she never struck me as that generous. And it seriously looks like a couple bracelet to me.”

That thought hadn’t really occurred to me until So Mi brought it up. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.

I laughed, which sounded rather forced. “Who said it's a couple bracelet? It’s more like a...friendship bracelet.”

“Friendship bracelet, huh?” she muttered as her eyebrows went up a notch. “So may I borrow it?”

“Yah! Weren’t you asking for a neckpiece only? Besides, I haven’t worn it yet. Where are your manners?”

“Yeah, but it wouldn’t hurt to add a little extra, don’t you think? So will you let me borrow it after you’ve worn it?”

I placed my index finger ben