Sibling Rivalry and Big News
1174 Words
Chapter 6: Sibling Rivalry and Big News
Rim watched the suffocating display with a painful mixture of second-hand embarrassment and genuine concern for his neighbor's actual breathing space. Step by step, Dia was completely overwhelming the quiet atmosphere they had built.
"Hey, sis, leave her, or you will suffocate her," Rim said, stepping forward quickly to physically intervene and rescue Maku from the vice-like grip.
Dia finally let go of Maku, but she didn't stop her high-energy rampage. She turned around instantly, her sharp eyes locking onto Rim, and grabbed him instead before he could even think about taking a step backward. Before he could escape her reach, she started doing the exact same thing to him, pulling him into a crushing headlock and ruthlessly tossing his neatly styled hair with her knuckles.
"Oh, Rim, my little baby, you've grown so much!" Dia said loudly, completely ignoring his muffled groans and frantic protests as she squeezed him against her shoulder.
"Sis! Why are you acting like a mother who hasn't seen her child in 20 years?" Rim said in a sharp, highly sarcastic tone, using all his strength to pry her slender but surprisingly strong arms away from his neck.
Dia scoffed loudly, finally letting him go with a theatrical sigh, though she didn't hesitate to flick his forehead playfully before stepping back. "Well, I did things to you that a mother would have done to her child," she countered proudly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I played with you, I bathed with you, I babysat you for hours when you were a crying little mess," Dia said, counting each embarrassing item off on her manicured fingers with an immense sense of satisfaction.
Rim rolled his eyes so hard it almost hurt, quickly fixing his crumpled shirt collar and smoothing down his ruined hair. "Stop, why are you... yeah, yeah, I get it," Rim said, cutting her off in a desperate panic before she could list any more highly embarrassing childhood stories in front of his new neighbor.
Despite his annoyed words, Dia simply laughed at his flustered reaction and stepped forward to hug Rim tightly again, holding onto him for almost three minutes while completely ignoring his heavy groans of annoyance. Rim flailed his arms weekly against her back, his strength entirely sapped by the sheer absurdity of her arrival. "Hey, sis, stop hugging me, I'll suffocate for real," Rim said, his voice entirely muffled by the thick fabric of her denim jacket.
"Nooo!" Dia said, giggling loudly with pure joy as she finally released him from the embrace, patting his red cheeks playfully.
Meanwhile, Maku had quietly retreated to sit safely on the plush couch in the living hall, out of the direct blast radius of Dia's affection. Seeing their close, chaotic sibling bond unfold in silence, a warm, soft smile touched her lips. The explosive and lively energy that Dia brought into the room made the massive, otherwise quiet apartment feel incredibly vibrant and full of life, reminding her faintly of the noisy family gatherings back in her hometown.
Rim exhaled a long, exhausted breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he checked the digital kitchen clock. The food on the stove required his immediate attention before the curry burned. "I have to cook food," Rim said, gesturing weakly toward the kitchen door with his fabric towel.
Dia’s eyes lit up instantly at the mere mention of dinner, her entrepreneurial focus completely shifting to her stomach. "What food?" Dia asked eagerly, stepping closer to him.
Rim smiled faintly, knowing exactly how to placate his troublesome cousin whenever she disrupted his schedule. "Well fortunately, it's your favorite food," Rim said, referring to the rich vegetable curry he had been preparing.
Hearing that, Dia finally stopped torturing Rim and turned around, walking over to sit comfortably on the couch along with Maku. Rim adjusted his cooking apron, letting out one last sigh. "Ok, then I'm going to cook food," Rim said, disappearing back into the safety of the independent modular kitchen to finish up the meal preparation.
With Rim safely occupied with the pots and pans, Dia turned her full, undivided attention back to the quiet girl sitting next to her on the cushions. She shifted much closer, practically beaming with curiosity. Dia clung to Maku's arm naturally and started chatting with her, her heavily extroverted nature taking over the conversation completely.
"What's your name?" Dia asked with immense, unbridled enthusiasm, leaning in so close that Maku could smell her perfume.
Maku blinked, slightly overwhelmed by the proximity but smiling back politely. "Ah! I'm Maku," Maku said.
"What a cute name!" Dia said, her voice full of a warm, complimenting tone that instantly made Maku's cheeks turn pink all over again. Dia rested her chin on her palm, looking at her thoughtfully as she analyzed her. "So, do you go to the same university as Rim?" Dia asked.
"Yeah," Maku said, nodding her head.
"Oh, so then you two are in the same year," Dia said, naturally assuming they were classmates because they were hanging out on a weekday evening.
Maku shook her head quickly to correct the misconception, a small sense of pride entering her voice. "No-no, I'm in the third year, and he's in second year," Maku said, reminding her of her senior academic status.
Dia’s eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise, a mischievous glint entering her eye as she realized her younger cousin was keeping company with an older student. She crossed her legs and leaned back comfortably against the soft sofa cushions.
"So, big sis, how old are you?" Maku asked, turning the conversation around in an effort to be polite and learn more about the whirlwind who had just entered the flat.
"I'm 25, girlie," Dia said with a bright, highly confident laugh that filled the room. She puffed out her chest proudly, smoothing down the front of her denim jacket. "I actually run my own business now. I'm an entrepreneur!"
Maku's eyes went wide with genuine admiration, her posture straightening. "Wow, an entrepreneur at 25? That is absolutely amazing, Big Sis Dia. But what brings you to this specific building tonight? Are you just visiting Rim before a meeting?"
Dia laughed loudly, waving her hand dismissively in the air as if a simple visit was far too mundane for her taste. "Nope! That is the big surprise, and Rim doesn't even know it yet," Dia beamed, leaning in to deliver the news with an immense amount of drama. "I'm not just visiting. I officially signed a lease last week, and I am actually gonna move into the next apartment right beside him! We are going to be neighbors starting tomorrow!"
Maku sat in absolute astonishment, realizing that the quiet, peaceful hallway of their floor was about to become the epicenter of an incredibly chaotic, lively new chapter.
- Writer
