Netflix bingeing was the glue that held their relationship together. After a long day at the bakery, Sky loved nothing more than to cuddle into Joon’s side and watch an unhealthy amount of television.
She knew he’d rather be working than ‘wasting time’ on TV. Is he a robot or something? He’s never tired of working. Thankfully, Joon always made the sacrifice for her and though he complained afterward about how the show had sucked all his time, she suspected that he secretly enjoyed it.
While they were in the middle of an episode, Sky’s phone buzzed.
Since Joon had his arm locked over her chest, she couldn’t move to reach it. Tapping him on the knee, she said, “Babe, can you get that?”
“Get what?” Joon asked, eyes glued to the screen.
“My phone.”
“Where is it?”
“On the coffee table.”
Joon stretched forward so the blanket covering them both slid slightly off her foot. Sky scrambled to pull it back up to her hips. Joon loved having the fan blasting on them, but she got cold easily. Sky shivered and hunkered into the blanket.
After handing the cell to her, Joon settled back into the chair, this time with his hand draping around her shoulders. Sky adjusted her head so she could see the phone screen and checked the messages.
An unknown number glared at her.
UNKNOWN: Sky, I’d like to invite you and Joon over for a get-together this Saturday. We’re meeting at the docks and taking a ride on my new yacht. Interested?
UNKNOWN: This is Sun Gi
Sky crinkled her nose in confusion. Why was Sun Gi reaching out to her all of a sudden? She thought of the last time they’d met. Sun Gi hadn’t seemed like the type to get in touch first.
Suddenly, the living room went silent.
Sky glanced up and saw that Joon had paused the show. He was staring intently at her. “You okay?”
“I just got a text from Sun Gi.” She showed it to him.
Joon gritted his teeth. “What is my brother up to?”
“Have you ever thought that, maybe, he’s just trying to find a way to connect with you?”
“Sun Gi?” Joon scoffed. “No way.”
“Why’d you guys get so frosty with each other anyway?”
“We were never that close growing up. We were too different.”
Sky thought that Joon was wrong. The brothers were both tall and handsome. Both charismatic and yet cutthroat when it came to business. But she decided not to voice any of that.
“Is that why you hate each other so much?”
“I don’t hate my brother. It’s just… hard to get along with him.” He sighed. “Things didn’t get this bad until my dad passed.”
She saw his glistening eyes and took his hand, locking their fingers together.
His voice was thick with sorrow. “Dad and I had a special bond. When he got sick, I wasn’t in the country. Sun Gi was there, taking care of him, meeting his every need, but Dad kept asking for me.”
“I didn’t know.” Sky pictured a younger Sun Gi scrambling around a hospital room, struggling to receive acknowledgement from a father who’d always preferred his older brother.
I almost feel sorry for him.
She shook her head. Joon was finally opening up about his dad. She didn’t want to clam him up by saying anything about Sun Gi yet. “Where were you?”
“Stuck in Korea. My flights were cancelled. Everything that could go wrong was going wrong. I didn’t even make it to Dad’s side before he died. Sun Gi’s held it against me ever since.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Sky knew it wasn’t. “The tattoo on your arm… is it your dad’s name?”
He went quiet.
Sky nudged him with her elbow. “We’re going on a yacht this weekend, which means you’ll have to take your shirt off. I can just ask Sun Gi for a translation then.”
“So you’ve already decided we’re going?”
Sky hadn’t, actually, but at least her mission was accomplished. She’d gotten Joon to smile a little even while discussing the painful topic of his father.
“I’m not going to force you, but I think you and Sun Gi should work this out. You’re brothers. Your father wouldn’t want you to fight.”
“Sun Gi’s right though. I wasn’t there for Dad when he needed me.”
“I can hear that you have regrets,” she said. “But that’s not your fault. What happened was out of your control. Sun Gi knows that. If you two would just talk it out—”
“I tried. He’s the one who flung Dad’s death in my face.”
“You’re the older brother, though. Maybe if you’d try again, things would be different.”
Joon went steely silent.
Sky sighed. “Look, I’m not taking up for Sun Gi. He isn’t a saint. I mean, who steals their brother’s fiancée just to make a point?”
Joon was still frowning but he admitted, “I don’t regret losing Hanna. It led me to you.”
“Don’t think your sappy words will distract me. What’s the tattoo?”
“You were right before. It’s his name.” Joon stared into her eyes. “It’s my dad.”
She sucked in a breath.
Joon pressed a kiss against her shoulder and tucked his head into her neck. Murmuring against her skin, he said, “I don’t want to fight about this. Sun Gi’s the last thing we should argue about. If you think we should go, I’ll go.”
“I think we should go.”
“Then it’s settled.” He nuzzled her neck. “Can we get back to the show?”
“Sure.” Sky tried to focus on the television, but Joon’s persistent lips found hers and distracted from seeing another minute of the episode.