I Became an Artist in a Romantic Comedy

Chapter 47

How long did it take humanity to conquer the skies?

From what I know, the first powered airplane was the Flyer 1, created by the Wright brothers, who revolutionized aviation and allowed humanity to touch the heavens.

It’s astounding that in less than 200 years, airplanes have developed to the point of dominating the skies.

As we headed toward Incheon Airport, I shared this bit of trivia with my sister, Yoon.

"And that’s why the best thing is to avoid flying altogether."

"Why does your conclusion end up like that, Oppa?"

Because once you experience a plane crash, you’ll never want to fly again.

People have an odd way of rationalizing risk.

If a perfectly functional plane suddenly crashes, killing 200 people, anyone hearing the news would seriously question whether they should travel abroad.

But car accidents? People shrug them off like they’re no big deal, even though they can be just as sudden and fatal.

"Oppa, be honest with me."

"About what?"

Yoon’s eyes glinted mischievously as she smirked.

"Are you afraid of flying?"

The vein in my forehead throbbed.

"Afraid? Me? What’s there to be scared of?"

My lips trembled slightly as I turned my gaze out the window.

We were currently on the highway, approaching the toll gate.

Soon, we’d arrive at the chaotic Incheon Airport.

Yoon, Mom, and even Dad, who was sneaking glances at me through the rearview mirror, all seemed to enjoy my discomfort.

No, seriously, Dad, keep your eyes on the road.

"Son~. Are you scared of planes?"

"...Can we not?"

This family really just wants to tease me, huh?

I should’ve known better than to bring up planes, especially after being baited by Yoon.

"But Oppa, how tall are you again?"

"Late 170s?"

"Pfft, sure, you’re 174. I know."

Then why did you ask, dear sister? You already knew...

"Ha! Not much of a difference."

"...And how tall are you?"

"168. Pretty amazing, right?"

Considering Yoon was only 13, her height was undeniably impressive.

At this rate, she might end up becoming an idol or an actress.

Honestly... I kind of wish she’d stop growing. How can a brother be shorter than his little sister?

What happened to my adorable, tiny little sister?

Well, she’s still cute, but... her height’s not.

"Why did all of Dad’s genes go to you?"

They say sons take after their mothers, and daughters take after their fathers.

"Then maybe you should’ve been born as a girl, Oppa. Hehe."

Ugh, no thanks. I’m fine as I am.

"Maybe if I’d been born as a girl, I’d at least be healthier..."

At Mom’s murmuring from the front seat, both Yoon and I fell silent.

Mom wasn’t in the best mood today.

To understand why, we’d have to go back to this morning.

"Son? Can you come here for a moment?"

It was early in the morning, and I was packing my things when Mom called me from the living room.

I put down the essentials I was holding and walked out to see her holding a piece of paper, smiling brightly.

"Remember the checkup earlier this week? You forgot to pick up the medical report, so I got it for you."

Oh, right. I’d been in such a rush to use the restroom that I’d completely forgotten about it.

We needed the report for insurance purposes.

"Zolair injections! You don’t need them anymore?!"

Mom’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, her excitement radiating.

Ah, I forgot to mention that.

But there wasn’t much point in making a big deal out of it, so I just nodded.

"Yeah, they said I don’t need them anymore."

"Come on! What happened?!"

At the time, Yoon had been sound asleep in her room and missed everything.

I leaned close and whispered in her ear.

"Mom cast a stun spell."

"Mom did what?!"

Yoon couldn’t hold it in and burst into laughter.

Honestly, aside from Mom, the rest of the family could now joke about my condition.

Dad hadn’t been too thrilled at first, but after seeing how nonchalant I was about it, he eventually got used to hearing it and even tolerated the occasional joke.

Yoon, however, found it hilarious.

She wasn’t laughing at my condition itself—she was cracking up because Mom had broken her own rule by saying the forbidden word.

Somehow, there’s nothing funnier in the world than seeing someone break their own rule.

Or maybe there’s a better term for this situation?

Anyway, in our family, Mom was the only one feeling down.

She’d cheer up soon enough after eating something tasty at the airport.

By the way, as I mentioned earlier, Mom’s health had improved a lot compared to mine. It was genuinely a relief.

Dad was ecstatic when they received her health check results.

The two of them were ridiculously close, almost sickeningly so.

Of course, Mom was still weaker than most people and had to take a lot of medication.

But the fact that her condition was improving was fantastic news for our family.

"Terminal 1, right?"

Dad’s voice brought me back to reality. I nodded.

"Yeah. Parking lot P4 for long-term parking."

"Looks like we’ve still got a little way to go."

Dad refocused on the road as we continued driving.

Meanwhile, Mom and Yoon, clearly first-timers at the airport, were marveling at the sights, their eyes sparkling.

It looked like Mom had regained her energy. That was a relief.

The reason our entire family could travel to the U.S. together was simple:

It coincided with Dad’s hard-earned vacation days.

Though, technically, it’s not a vacation—it’s a business trip.

He just called it a vacation to make it sound better.

In reality, Dad would be traveling for work, which was kind of a bummer.

Yoon had been granted an educational leave from her school, but since it was over a month long, her teachers had to make special arrangements.

Not my problem, though. That was between Yoon and her school.

Even Ms. Lee Ah-Reum seemed enthusiastic about our family trip.

She’d even gone so far as to cover the cost of my ticket and those of my family.

Not only that, but while Dad and I would be busy running around, she arranged for a guide to help us explore.

It seemed like Ms. Lee had plenty of money to spare.

We parked the car and entered the airport.

While pulling my suitcase with one hand, I called Ms. Lee on the phone.

"Ms. Lee, where should we go?"

["Head to section H!"]

"Got it."

Navigating through the vast airport, passing the giant yellow signs marked with letters, we finally reached her.

"Over here!"

We met up with Ms. Lee at section H.

After exchanging greetings with my family, we started making our way to the departure area.

As we walked, I sidled up to Ms. Lee and whispered,

"So, what’s my rank?"

"You’re asking because you already know, right?"

"Yes, but it’s nice to hear it directly."

"Fine, fine. Congratulations, Lee Ha-Eun, you’re ranked first overall."

As expected, I’d maintained my top position in the finals a week ago.

First semester rankings: Number one, all grades.

Once again, my first-place title remained unchallenged.

And just yesterday, we’d had the end-of-term ceremony.

Glancing at a clock mounted on the wall as we walked, I realized there were only 20 minutes left until our flight.