We Got Time On Our Hands

A/n: I understand that that Korean honorifics like 'oppa' and 'eonni'(/'unnie') have become more and more overused and even fetishized recently, or used as mockery (e.g. 'oppars' and 'u knee' etc.) even though these honorifics were, in the first place, meant to convey respect. In light of this I have made sure to use them only when it's adequate and according to how the character(s) would realistically speak. They use these terms because they are trying to be polite as in Korean culture it might be considered rude to refer to people older than them by their first names. Also, only the Korean characters would use these terms and my Chinese characters would use the Chinese counterparts. For instance, 'jie' in Chinese means 'elder sister' and corresponds to 'noona' in Korean. I hope that this will make things clearer.

~

Zitao ran down the stairs impatiently, careful not to bump into a housemaid or startle anyone. "Jie!" He hollered in excitement, skipping steps and bolting toward the front door, waiting to welcome his elder sister back home.

"Zitao! I have returned!" Victoria announced cheerily once she stepped out of the car. The butler was already helping her with her heavy suitcases so she marched into the house eagerly. "Have you missed me?"

"Wah! I've missed you so much, you have no idea! But you missed my graduation..." Zitao whined although he happily engulfed his sister in a warm, welcoming embrace. Although they were step-siblings, they did grow up together and were close.

"Aww Zitao, I'm sorry about that. I would've rushed back but I really couldn't make it. My thesis was a complete and utter mess and my advisor wasn't easy to deal with. Thank goodness it's all done now," she replied. "Have you had lunch yet? I'm hungry."

"I was waiting for you," he said with a smile. "Come on, let's sit down and eat. We have noodles and abalone. Still your favorite? Or have your preferences changed since you went abroad to study?"

"If anything stays the same, it's gotta be my love for abalone," said Victoria, rubbing her hands together as the food was served and the dishes' refreshing aroma drifted into her nostrils. "And you, my little brother, now that you've graduated — congrats, by the way, you made it! — what plans have you got for the summer?"

He sighed and shrugged. "You know that Father has been mapping out my whole future for me. So you should be asking him and not me."

"Well, then what is it that you'd want for yourself instead?" She asked curiously.

"Me? Wow, I don't know, nobody in the family ever asks me," he grumbled. "I would rather just live in the present and enjoy the moment. It's why I'm taking a gap year. I want to travel the world."

"Ah, that'd be nice, wouldn't it? What destinations have you got in mind?"

"So many! France and Dubai and New Zealand and so much more," he gushed. "Ah, talking about it is making me wanna hop on a plane already."

"Very chill. I'd honestly love that lifestyle too but," she shrugged. "School and work take priority over my travel plans right now."

"You deserve a vacation though," he insisted. "You can't just keep studying and working and studying and working. You need to rest and relax and enjoy life. Spend time with me."

"I only need two vacations each year. But each gotta be half a year long," she joked. "You plan to travel alone?"

"Nah. You can come with, if you want to. But I wanna travel with Dabin too. I always wanna be with her," he smiled sweetly.

She smiled knowingly too. "You seem really serious about her. Which actually surprises me a little because you're hardly ever serious when it comes to dating. This one must be really special, huh?"