Chapter 177 The preparations

Chapter 177 The preparations

All through the rest of the day, Siwoo went on and on, buying decorations and arranging preparations for a party that Raven found utterly exhausting. Yet, no matter how much he complained, she kept nagging him and forcing him to keep driving from one corner of the city to the other.

They stopped at multiple locations, booking a luxurious event space, arranging catering, and finalizing decor. Finally, when it was already late into the evening and Raven was completely running on empty, Siwoo forced him into an upscale female boutique.

She dragged him through the glass doors once again.

Siwoo smiled, walking along the racks of designer clothing until her eyes rested on an exquisite, flowing royal-blue gown. She lifted it from the display and held it up against herself, turning toward Raven.

"How do you see this?" she asked, her eyes searching his face. "Does it captivate you? Does it move you?"

Raven scoffed painfully, turning on his heel once more to leave the store. But this time, Siwoo snapped. She stepped in front of him and shoved him back with a burst of frustration.

"Don't you want to get married again?!" she shouted right in the middle of the boutique, her voice echoing off the mirrors.

Raven's expression darkened dangerously. "Married? All of this... who is it actually for?"

Siwoo suddenly let out a soft laugh, her fire vanishing as quickly as it had erupted. "I was just kidding. But I really want to get this for someone... Do you like it? Please, Raven."

Raven stared at his sister's innocent, pleading face. He let out a long, defeated sigh and finally gave a quiet nod.

Without missing a beat, Siwoo reached into his pocket, snatched his credit card again, and processed the payment.

Thoroughly drained, Raven walked out to the car and sank into the driver's seat, leaning his head back against the headrest. A few minutes later, Siwoo joined him, loading the back seat with her endless shopping bags before sliding into the passenger side. Both siblings rested in silence for a brief moment.

"All these preparations..." Raven muttered, breaking the quiet. "Isn't it a bit much? The friend you talked about the one who wants to get engaged what's stopping him from doing all this himself wherever he is?"

Siwoo shook her head, completely unfazed. "Because I have a brother, and I want my brother to do it himself."

Raven turned to stare at her in absolute shock. "Aren't you ridiculous? If you were going to stress me out like this... I'd have preferred you stayed away!"

Siwoo punched him heavily on the shoulder. "So you aren't even happy that your sister is back with you?!"

A rare, faint smile broke across Raven's face. He reached over and playfully nudged her hair, messing up her style. "You are already stressing the life out of me."

He started the engine, and they drove back through the night, pulling into the driveway of their estate long after dark.

Yoon rushed out of the main house immediately, her jaw dropping as she saw the sheer mountain of packages piled in the back seat. "All of this?!" she asked, looking between the two of them. "Are you throwing a grand festival or something?"

Siwoo smiled, throwing a subtle glance at Raven. "Maybe. Who knows?"

She grabbed a few of the lighter bags and walked inside, leaving Yoon and Raven standing alone by the car.

Raven shook his head softly, leaning back against the frame of the vehicle. "She is stressing me out, Yoon. I don't even know what party she's been frantically preparing for, and now she wants us to celebrate..."

He paused abruptly, refusing to let the name leave his lips.

Yoon, however, caught his drift immediately. "Her birthday, I guess. It's July 3rd tomorrow, and honestly, I still see nothing wrong with honoring it..."

Raven shook his head, gripping the edge of the car door. "Everything is wrong, Yoon. I'm going to keep blaming myself forever. I can't find a single second of peace. What is there to celebrate when the celebrant was butchered by my own hands? How can I pretend to be happy? And I can't even talk Siwoo out of this insane plan."

Yoon exhaled softly, leaning back against the hood beside him. "Just let her do it, Raven. Besides... this will probably be the last time." She paused, her expression turning thoughtful as she straightened up to stare at him. "Speaking of which... what about her grave? Have you even gone to visit it? Why hasn't anyone mentioned where she was buried?"

A sudden, sharp wave of realization struck Raven like a physical blow. His breath hitched in his throat.

Without answering Yoon, he spun around, and the two of them rushed straight into the house to confront Siwoo.