The moment Noon stepped through the door, he froze.
It was… an unusual sight.
Standing right in front of him was a little girl, no older than nine, wearing a beautiful black dress. She pointed her finger directly at him like he was the main suspect in some miniature courtroom. She was Sin's younger sister.
Her black eyes widened as she stared at him with intense focus. A confident expression lit up her small face, giving her a strangely charming presence. Then, in an elevated, commanding tone, she asked:
"You're Noon, right?"
Noon froze in place, unsure how to react. But he held himself back from any rash reply. Just as his older sister stepped in behind him, he smiled softly and responded calmly:
"Yes, I'm Noon."
The girl gave him a quick once-over, eyes scanning him from head to toe. Then she sighed, turned away, and muttered:
"Not interesting."
That comment stung more than he'd like to admit.
From the doorway she was heading toward, two boys emerged—one looked around thirteen, the other eleven. Both had neat black hair and were laughing as they approached.
Noon greeted them politely… but they walked right past him without so much as a glance, as if he didn't exist.
Well... that was strike three. The first three siblings he met, and not a single one had a positive impression of him.
His sister gently patted his shoulder for a brief moment, then walked off confidently as if she owned the place, lightly pushing open the living room door.
Noon and his younger brother followed silently behind. Unlike Noon, his brother looked perfectly relaxed, completely unfazed by the surroundings.
Noon glanced sideways at him, irritation creeping into his expression.
"He's always been so annoyingly confident..."
He finally entered the living room. His sister was already hugging Mika, while several other people were scattered around chatting. But Noon's eyes searched the room for someone specific.
He was eager to see her.
But… Sin wasn't there.
No matter where he looked, she was nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, a girl with blonde hair sitting to the left spoke up:
"Oh my, such a passionate boyfriend! How about sitting down first? If you're looking for Sin, she ran off the moment she heard you were coming."
That hit Noon like a punch to the gut. Something inside him cracked. He had expected… more.
But it wasn't the time to sulk. He stepped forward and greeted everyone quietly. Just as he was about to sit beside his sister, a cheerful blond man grabbed him by the arm and pulled him down next to him.
With a beaming smile and eyes sparkling with mischief, he said:
"So… you're the guy who melted my little Sin's frozen heart? You must have something special. But don't think I'm giving her away that easily."
Noon's face flushed red. He had no idea how to respond. As expected… he wasn't good at social situations, especially not with older men. Maybe because he'd always been the oldest sibling himself. Or maybe because his father was rarely around.
He just… couldn't get the words out.
But Sin's father let out a hearty laugh and continued in a friendly tone:
"Birds of a feather, huh? Since Sin barely talks, I guess you picked up that habit from her?"
Suddenly, Sin's mother cut in sharply:
"Stop harassing the boy. You're making him uncomfortable."
Then, turning to Saya, she asked kindly:
"Did the lady not come with you as well?"
Saya, focused on something on Mika's phone, replied casually:
"Oh, she went to meet our dad, you know how it is. So you'll have to forgive her. But hey, are we not enough for you?"
She gave her an exaggeratedly sad look.
Sin's mother quickly backtracked, flustered:
"Of course you're more than enough! I couldn't have hoped for better company."
But in her head, she thought:
"This girl… honestly scares me sometimes."
Through all of this, Noon was physically present… but mentally elsewhere. His thoughts kept circling the same question: Where is Sin? And what is she doing right now?
Family visits were a long-standing tradition in this country. Hospitality and strong family bonds were deeply valued. But Noon… was never a fan of such gatherings. He was naturally introverted.
Just then, Reem opened her mouth to speak, her usual mischievous smile playing on her lips. Noon was starting to realize that his sister was right… this girl would definitely wear him out.
She asked:
"So, Noon, mind telling me how you and my sister met?"
Sin's father looked his way. Actually, everyone in the room turned to face him, hanging on his answer.
Noon tensed. Not because he couldn't speak… but because the situation was too much for him. Still, he decided to respond:
"It was just… a coincidence. At the university. I lent her something, not knowing she lived in the same neighborhood… and, well, that's how we met."
It was short and a little scattered, but for someone like Noon… it was solid progress.
Reem leaned in slightly, her voice teasing:
"Wow, such a gentleman… So you just lend your stuff to any random girl?"
But before Noon could even think of a response—
His younger brother placed his game console on the floor and said firmly, directing his words at Reem:
"You all seem like a nice family, but it looks like you didn't do a great job raising this cat."
Reem snapped back, louder:
"Who are you calling a cat, you fox?!"
He shot back instantly:
"How dare you talk to my big brother like that? A noisy cat like you—"
She screamed:
"Who are you calling noisy, you arrogant brat?! If I hadn't helped you that day, you would've been expelled from school!"
He looked away and muttered:
"That's a separate matter. Helping me doesn't mean you get to bully my big brother."
Silence fell over the room as the two continued bickering. Sin's family looked stunned—someone had actually managed to outtalk Reem.
As for Noon… he was stunned by his younger brother.
"Wow... I didn't think he had that much fire in him. Looks like he and Reem go to the same middle school. Alright… I owe him one. Thanks to him, I'm out of the spotlight."
While Mika and Saya were busy chatting, and Reem was deep in a verbal battle with Noon's younger brother, the younger children seemed to have wandered out of the room—leaving Noon with a rare chance to finally catch his breath.
Sen's mother stood up and headed toward the kitchen.
At that exact moment, Sen's father stood as well, grabbed Noon by the arm, and gently pulled him along...
They were now outside the house, in what looked like a garden. Scattered around them were plants easy to grow—watermelons, tomatoes, carrots. Sen's father picked up a water hose and began watering the crops, then handed another one to Noon.
Neither spoke.
Only the sound of flowing water broke the silence between them. Sen's father said nothing. Noon followed suit.
After finishing the watering, they both sat quietly on a wooden bench. Sen's father looked at Noon, his expression suddenly serious—nothing like the cheerful demeanor he had shown earlier. His tone matched that intensity:
"What exactly are you trying to achieve?"
Noon froze. He wasn't startled by the setting—but by the weight of the question. He had no answer. Not even a vague idea.
"…I'm not sure I understand, sir."
The man responded without hesitation:
"What do you think you're doing right now, exactly?"
Questions began to whirl in Noon's mind, dragging him into a spiral of confusion and unease.
"I… I'm in the garden with you. But what are you trying to get at with these questions?"
The man didn't flinch. He pressed on, his tone firm and unwavering:
"What's the first thing that comes to your mind? Right now. Be exact."
Noon's brows furrowed. The confusion shifted into real concern—maybe even fear.
"I don't know… I guess something like, 'Why are you asking me all this?' Something like that."
Suddenly, Sen's mother appeared at the door and scolded her husband in a chastising tone:
"What do you think you're doing to the poor boy? Didn't I tell you to stop bothering him?"
Sen's father's entire expression shifted in an instant—as if someone flipped a switch. A bright smile spread across his face, and his voice turned lighthearted and lazy again:
"I wasn't bothering him! Noon and I were just having some quality bonding time, right buddy?"
He turned to Noon and gave him a playful smile:
"Sorry if I pressured you. I was just trying to act like a cool dad… You can answer those questions some other time!"
With that, he burst into ridiculous laughter and trotted toward his wife. He wrapped her in a big hug that turned her cheeks bright red, then laughed again and walked back inside.
Sen's mother took a moment to compose herself, then turned to Noon, who looked utterly lost in a sea of questions.
"Oh dear, sorry if he made you uncomfortable. Please don't mind him—he doesn't mean any harm. He's just... not the most straightforward man."
Noon stood still, thinking: Not straightforward? That man? Really?
Sen's mother continued with a faint smile:
"Also, I think he likes you. If he didn't, there's no way he'd let you into his garden. He won't even let me in there sometimes."
Those words, though simple, somehow brought Noon a little sense of calm.
He looked at her. He knew what he was about to ask might come off as rude, but he'd had enough. If it was embarrassment, he was drowning in it. If it was fear of how they viewed his relationship with Sen—it seemed like they'd already misunderstood it anyway.
He had nothing left to lose.
"Ms. Yuki… if you don't mind me asking… could you please tell me where Sen is?"
She looked surprised for a moment, clearly not expecting the question. But then she let out a soft sigh and replied gently:
"She's upstairs. Hiding in her room. You can go talk to her… Just don't take things too far, okay? I know how fired-up young hearts can be."
Noon gave her a puzzled look, but something inside him pushed him to ask:
"…Too far? What do you mean by that?"
Ms. Yuki hesitated, seeming to search for the right words—but her imagination appeared to wander a bit too far. Her entire face flushed red.
Noon chuckled quietly at the sight, then walked past her, leaving her lost in thought.
He stepped into the house again, ignoring the lively noise coming from the living room—his sister's energetic chatter with Sen's sister, and his little brother's mock battle with Reem.
Climbing the stairs slowly, he finally stood in front of the door.
He knocked gently and spoke with a soft, warm voice:
"…Will you open the door, Sin?"