Reunion with siblings (part-2)

After a while;

Tae-jin scoffed, swirling the whiskey in his glass before taking a slow sip. "That's exactly my point. The whole country will talk about it—for all the wrong reasons. It's ridiculous. You have degrees in law, an established career, and international recognition as an Olympic gold medalist, yet you want to waste it all running around after celebrities?"

Sungjun leaned back in his chair, unfazed by his brother's sharp words. His fingers tapped against the armrest, slow and deliberate. "It's not a waste if it's something I want to do."

Tae-jin exhaled through his nose, clearly unconvinced. "If you need a job, I can make a few calls. My company—"

"No," Sungjun cut him off, voice calm but firm. "I appreciate it, but I don't need a handout."

Sae-ri, who had been quietly observing, smirked. "Oppa, only that exterior of his changed. His stubbornness hasn't changed a bit. I was already tired of convincing him. He has already decided to change his career. So, we came to an arrangement."

Tae-jin's eyebrow raised slightly. "What is it?"

"What else, Oppa? He works with me for Gravity." Sae-ri smiled, taking a sip of soju.

Han Ji-hyun considered this, nodding slightly. "It makes more sense to follow you."

Tae-jin, however, scoffed, shaking his head. "It's ridiculous. Do you even understand how people will see this? A three-time Olympic gold medalist, a former legal consultant for one of the most powerful conglomerates in Russia—now running errands for celebrities? How does that make sense?"

Sungjun took a slow sip of his coffee before setting the cup down with a quiet clink. His expression remained calm, unreadable. "And yet, I don't see an issue with it."

Tae-jin let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "Of course, you don't. You were always like this—making spontaneous decisions that make no sense to anyone else and sticking with them because you chose that path. When Dad wanted you to study at an international school, you chose a public school that wasn't even in the same neighborhood. You then chose the path of an unpopular sport like archery and quit the baseball team in your middle school."

"Well, to be fair, I did become a pro, Hyung." Sungjun shrugged.

The room went quiet for a moment. Tae-jin looked like he wasn't pleased with Sungjun, the kids stayed as silent spectators as they were. Ji-hyun was about to speak something, but before he could open his mouth, Kim Seol-ah, the second eldest brother's wife, swiftly changed the subject. She leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "By the way, Sungjun-ssi, are you seeing anyone these days?"

"Eh?" Sungjun was momentarily caught off guard by the change of topic. It wasn't just him. The others were also taken aback. They couldn't help but glance at Jihyeon, his daughter sitting right there.

Jihyeon immediately rolled her eyes, responding to her aunt-in-law instead of her dad. "It's good that you bring it up, Sukmo-nim (aunt-in-law)." She groaned, crossing her arms. "I've been begging him to date someone. He doesn't listen. He's so stubborn about it. He even turned down my friend's aunt!"

Everyone looked at Jiyeon in surprise. Sungjun felt his face redden.

"Oh, yes," Jiyeon continued with a dramatic sigh. "She's highly educated, runs a business, has twenty million Instagram followers, and, guess what? She likes him. But noooo, Dad won't even give her a chance! Why? Because she's not a Korean. I was so flustered when I played the matchmaker."

Jiyeon gave Sungjun an exaggerated look, and everyone chuckled.

Sungjun rubbed his temple. "She is not a Korean indeed. She was a Japanese. She's not my type."

"I mean, come on," Jiyeon said, her voice raising in complaint. "Then, when Uncle Vlad secretly arranges a blind date with a former Korean actress—what did you come up with the reason? Yes, 'She's too short.' Dad, she is 5' 7". How is that too short?"

Even the adults became silent spectators, watching Sungjun in amusement.

"I did not say that. Well, I did point out that I'm 6'2", and she is a bit shorter than my type, but her height wasn't the main issue." He leaned back, the discomfort creeping in. "She was... a bit too reserved. I mean, she is an actress who has done like two dozen movies and many dramas. It is strange for her to be too shy and all."

Jiyeon wasn't finished. "Oh, then you're going to tell me that when a model—a supermodel, a 5'10"—comes along, very forward as you want. But you still rejected her."

"She kissed me on the first date and even invited me to her apartment!" Sungjun almost squealed, trying to defend himself. "I don't like that. That's too fast. I like women who prefer men to plan dates during the earlier stages and show interest in long-term potential rather than short-term flings… actually, you know what, I don't want to explain the complicated world of adults. You are too young to understand romance and dating."

"Dad, I'm not a kid. And FYI, I'm the best example here that resulted in what you call rushing." Jiyeon didn't back down from the argument, pointing at her own face. She didn't offer any further explanation, but everyone could simply analyze what she meant. As far as the kids know so far, their uncle married a girl when he was 18 years old.

Sungjun became silent after that. He didn't try to defend himself this time. Because if he says that it was simply a drunken mistake, it will hurt his daughter. Not to mention she is in a rebellious phase. Compared to the consequences, he would rather be defeated and take accusations from her.

Meanwhile, Jiyeon was filled with expressing her frustration that she didn't think too much and shot off everything that was stuck in her throat. "Can someone beat some sense into this guy?!"

Sungjun chuckled nervously, observing the room. His siblings and their respective spouses and children looked certainly surprised, although many of them were smiling in amusement. "Jiyeon," he said softly, "I'm just not ready. I don't need anyone. I've had my time."

"Yeah, well," Jiyeon shot back, "Your time's over, old man. It's time to move on. Let's get you out there. I'm done trying to play matchmaker."

His siblings could no longer suppress their laughter. Ji-hyun was the first to burst into laughter and the others cracked up sooner, watching him getting lectured by his own daughter. They were also amused by how effortlessly their niece spoke her mind. It was a rare thing in their family, where the kids, especially the younger ones, tended to be more reserved. Maybe it was because Jiyeon had grown up abroad; she had always been more open, unafraid to speak her mind.

Sungjun, still red in the face, tried to brush it off, but the warmth in the room made him feel oddly comfortable.

"Alright, alright," Kim Seol-ah said, still chuckling, but a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "If you're serious about wanting to settle down, I can arrange a blind date for you, Sungjun-ssi."

Jiyeon froze. "For real?". Sungjun felt his heart drop.

"What?" Sungjun asked, eyeing Seol-ah warily.

"Well, you know," Seol-ah continued, not missing a beat. "One of our company's board members has a daughter who finished her education at Harvard and has come back to work as the director of food and management. She's quite pretty too. A little older than you, but I'm sure you'd like her. If you're interested, I can set it up."

Sungjun leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. "I'm not sure about this, Hyeong-su-nim (sister-in-law)."

Seo Eun-ji, always keen on setting people up, piped up. "Actually, Sae-ri can set you up as well. She's in the entertainment industry. Plus, you'll be in that area for work soon, right? You'll meet women from actresses to hair stylists. She can be your matchmaker. It is way better than Hyeongnim's idea."

Seol-ah narrowed her eyes, gazing at her fellow daughter-in-law.

Sungjun then smiled politely, trying not to show how uncomfortable the conversation made him. "I'm still young," he said lightly, tapping the side of his glass.

Sae-ri, the quiet observer until now, nodded, chiming in. "People get married later in life these days. Late thirties isn't unheard of."

Seol-ah wasn't done, though. She raised a brow and pushed the conversation further. "But you know what? It's not just about you, Sungjun. Think about your future kids. You want to be healthy enough to play with your grandkids and spend your years with them. If you wait too long, by the time you have kids at forty, you'll be pushing seventy when they're still young."

She paused, making sure everyone was listening.

"And when my kids reach twenty-five," she continued, her tone becoming more matter-of-fact, "I'll start sending them to blind dates, and they'll get married before thirty. I don't care if they become celebrities or not."

The twin girls, sitting nearby, gasped in unison, protesting the idea.

"Mom, no way!" one of them, Minji, squealed, her face scrunching up in disbelief.

"That's way too early!" the other, Eunji, protested, shaking her head as if the idea of marriage before thirty was outrageous.

The room fell into playful chaos, with everyone laughing at Seol-ah's bold proclamation. Sungjun, however, took a deep breath, trying to calm the mood.

He leaned forward, raising his hand as if to get everyone's attention. "Well," he began slowly, his tone light but sincere, "I'm not in any rush to get married, but…" He paused, considering his next words carefully. "…I wouldn't turn down a blind date if it means getting to meet someone new."

Jiyeon, sitting beside him, gave him a teasing grin. "tuck you dolzhno byt, papa. ya gorzhus toboy."

"Oy, zatknis." Sungjun rolled his eyes.

Seol-ah didn't understand it as usual but smiled widely. "I'll arrange a perfect match for you, Sungjun-ssi. Trust me."

Sungjun was about to respond, but before he could say anything more, the door to the dining room opened with a soft creak. The room fell silent, all eyes turning toward the newcomer.

A lawyer, sharp-suited and with an air of authority, stepped inside. His gaze scanned the room, and the mood shifted in an instant, the atmosphere growing formal and tense.

Sungjun straightened in his chair, his calm expression returning as he adjusted to the shift in energy. It looked like the evening's lighter mood was about to change.