Chapter 18: Family Trip (3)
Chapter 18: Family Trip (3)
A luxury cruise. As the word "luxury" in the name suggested, the price of the tickets alone was bordering on the surreal.
It wasn't just about having money; apparently, you needed connections and social standing as well. Normally, no matter how hard we tried, my siblings and I could never have gotten our hands on them...
Still, what’s given is given. Since this game itself was unrealistic, I just accepted it.
A corporation with immense power, or perhaps something even greater—that "something" had created a family-friendly game. I couldn't shake that impression.
There was also a lingering sense of creepiness. If there was any consolation, it was this:
If it wanted to harm us, it could have done so long ago, and I wasn't that afraid of it.
While there were unrealistic aspects to it, it was an element that had entered my life regardless, and I figured it wouldn't be good to just let it drift by.
Above all, my family needed a break.
Yu-ri had her CSATs, and I had the military.
Noona had her business, and Kang Yu-min... well, she didn't have much going on, but she’d tag along for the sake of it.
Regardless, our family needed a rest.
So, putting everything else aside, this looked like nothing but an opportunity. I was racking my brain for a way to convince Yu-ri, when—
"I'm in!"
"Wait, really?"
"Huh? Of course I am! Did you think I’d give a fake 'yes'? Honestly, Oppa."
Yu-ri replied with a goofy grin. I blinked blankly.
"Uh, well, are you sure it’s okay to go so suddenly?"
"Of course! It’s fine. Even if I go to school, I just spend the day chatting with friends anyway."
Yu-ri agreed easily. Of course, I knew from experience that she probably would.
But she was even more enthusiastic than I expected. It gave me the nagging feeling that I was missing something.
But surely not.
If it were Kang Yu-min, maybe, but this was Yu-ri. Because I trusted her, I ignored the intuition that naturally bubbled up.
"Or did you want me to say no? Were you planning on leaving me behind and going with just the three of you?"
"Uh, no, no way! How could we go on a trip and leave our Yu-ri behind?"
"Right? Right?"
Yu-ri, grinning ear to ear, was just that kind of girl.
Always bright and energetic, often playful.
Yet, she was also thoughtful enough to read the room and liven up the atmosphere.
Usually, hearing that your mother passed away while giving birth to you might make a child grow up gloomy, but Yu-ri grew up bright, without a trace of that temperament.
Every time I saw her like that, it made me so happy as an older brother. I let out a sigh of relief and smiled.
"So, when do we leave and when do we get back?"
"Let’s see..."
I pulled my smartphone back out. There was the travel pass that had arrived via email.
"It’s for three weeks, starting next Tuesday. When did you say graduation was?"
"It’s perfect! It’s the Thursday three weeks from now."
"Thursday? Won't you be tired?"
"Oh, come on! It’s a vacation. How tired could I possibly be?"
Among us siblings, Yu-ri had the best stamina.
Noona had stopped exercising a long time ago, and Kang Yu-min’s stamina was flagging now that she was past her teens.
But Yu-ri was still a teenager.
Of course, I should be excluded since I just got back from the military, but even considering that, Yu-ri’s stamina was exceptionally good.
Well then, there shouldn't be a problem. I put my phone away.
"So, what do we need to prepare?"
I was taken aback by Yu-ri’s momentum.
"Huh?"
"I’ve never been on a cruise before. Aren't there things we need to get ready?"
I rolled my eyes at her words. True, there were quite a few things to prepare.
"First, a suit or tuxedo for the formal dinners... or a dress for the ladies? And that."
"Mm-hmm."
"We'll need swimsuits if we want to use the pool or the spa..."
"Can I buy a new one?"
Yu-ri looked at me with sparkling eyes. Looking into those eyes, I couldn't possibly say no.
"...I'm the one paying, right?"
"Yep!"
Well, Yu-ri knew I’d been making decent money lately.
"Other than that, just passports and credit cards...? We'll be together anyway..."
"Oppa, Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"Instead of just talking about it, let’s go out now!"
I heard a creak from inside the bathroom. Even though I knew Kang Yu-min was eavesdropping, I answered.
"Shall we?"
It was a rare chance to go out with my sister. How could I resist?
And so, this impromptu date-that-wasn't-quite-a-date began.
*
"Ugh, it's too bright..."
"What are you even saying? There you go with the weird comments again!"
To be fair, it really was dazzling.
Under a sun so bright it felt like it would blind me, I fumbled with my clothes and sighed.
"It’s been a while since I’ve been out..."
"You should get out more often. They say you only get Vitamin D from the sun."
"Wow, you sound just like Noona."
"Call me Noona then!"
"Yes, Ma'am Yu-ri."
"Stop it! That makes me sound old!"
Yu-ri was a vibrant girl. Anyone could see that.
She loved jokes and could be mischievous at times.
But at her core, she was a good kid. I was so lucky to have such a sweet younger sister.
To put it bluntly, if she had been like Kang Yu-min, I would have wanted to flick her forehead constantly.
I followed Yu-ri, pulling my coat tighter.
"It’s cold again this year."
Even though my hair had grown out and it had been a while since I escaped the military's crack-of-dawn wake-up calls, I felt like my body was still shackled to the army.
The cold didn't feel like cold, and I found myself waking up automatically before it was even time to get up.
Perhaps it was because it had been a habit for nearly two years. I looked at the street, still awkwardly running my hand through my lengthening hair.
"...Come to think of it, we'll be spending Christmas on the cruise."
"Ah, you're right! We'll get to have a fancy one this year."
"They'll probably have some kind of event planned. I'm looking forward to it."
I wouldn't say we were poor, but a luxury cruise was something foreign even to a middle-class family like ours.
In other words, we had no idea what kind of scale or vibe a Christmas party there would have.
I walked toward the department store with Yu-ri, feeling quite a bit of anticipation.
"Oppa, do you still get motion sickness?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I still do."
"I heard it gets better after the military... still?"
"Yeah, it’s still there. That’s why riding in the deuce-and-a-half... I mean, the trucks, was a nightmare every time."
I let out a hollow laugh, but it was the truth. My motion sickness was particularly bad, so whenever we were in a car, I used to rely on Noona’s or Yu-ri’s lap.
"Will you be okay? A cruise is still a ship..."
"It should be fine, right? It’s a ship, but it’s massive."
Of course, size was no guarantee against motion sickness, but surely it would be better? Or so I thought.
"Mmm... I looked it up, and some people still get sick! We should buy some motion sickness medicine before we go."
"Really? That’s a bit... concerning."
"They say most people adjust after a day or two, so let’s just hang in there."
"Yeah, okay. We'll have to."
It was a luxury trip for free, after all. I didn't want my family to miss out on such an opportunity just because of my physical condition.
"Great, great. So, motion sickness medicine! And a swimsuit for you and one for me, a suit for you and a dress for me..."
Yu-ri was surprisingly meticulous and steady, though it didn't often show because our eldest sister was so thorough and had taken on the motherly role.
Based on her looks alone, it would be easy to mistake her for a party girl, but in reality, she was a top student and a model daughter.
She had smooth social relationships, was obedient, and while she played pranks, they were always within the realm of being cute.
She was incomparable to a family headache like Kang Yu-min.
For me, walking around outside with Yu-ri wasn't bad at all. Even though I was an introvert and didn't like wandering about.
To put it another way, it was pleasant enough that I could handle even minor incidents with ease.
"Hey, Kang Yu-ri!"
At the sound of the voice, Yu-ri’s expression stiffened. As if the stiffening had been an illusion, Yu-ri turned her head with a bright smile.
"Hye-yeon!"
So her name was Hye-yeon. I watched Yu-ri’s friend approach.
She wasn't alone. The presence approaching was massive.
The overwhelming kind of vibrant energy that only active high school girls can radiate. I felt crushed by it already and hunched my shoulders.
Yu-ri, Hye-yeon, and the other friends exchanged talk about things I knew nothing about.
It was similar to the way the rest of the world talked, but from my perspective, lacking any context, it might as well have been a foreign language.
Um, this is kind of painful to be in the middle of.
Even though I’d gone to a co-ed school, I was awkward around women who weren't my family. This was torture. I felt like my life force was being drained just by existing here.
As I was visibly shriveling up in real-time, Yu-ri glanced at me.
The problem was, that was a mistake.
"By the way, who is this? Is he...?"
Eek, no. High school girls are scary. I tried to stand with dignity while swallowing my internal terror, but such attempts were useless against active high school girls.
Interest immediately flared in their eyes. It was the look of someone who had discovered a fun new toy.
It reminded me of high school. Whenever I was being teased or bothered, Kang Yu-min would come over and "borrow" me to help me out.
"Yu-ri’s brother? Yu-ri’s talked about you a lot!"
"O-oh, has she?"
Other comments echoed around me. They teased me, saying things like I was really handsome, and as I tried to laugh it off and respond appropriately, the giggling high school girls surrounded me and picked me apart.
Verbally, that is.
If they were physically shaking me down, it might have been better, but being mentally drained made me feel my energy hitting rock bottom in real-time.
This level of liveliness was far too powerful for a gloomy person like me to endure. I felt as limp as a piece of chewed gum or a wrung-out rag.
"Hye-yeon, I need to head to the department store with my brother soon..."
"Huh? The department store? Why?"
"We're going on a trip. Since the CSAT is over, we're going on a family trip we've had planned for a while."
"Really? Where to? If you're buying clothes, is it overseas? I'm so jealous..."
Amidst the clamor of high school girls, I tried my best to shift the topic away from myself.
"W-we're going on a cruise. We need to buy suits and swimsuits..."
And at that moment, a collective shout erupted. I flinched, feeling like my eardrums and my heart had dropped at the same time.
"A cruise! Like the Titanic?"
"What’s the Titanic?"
"You don't know the Titanic? The movie! The famous one!"
"Uh, y-yeah... something like the Titanic..."
"See?" came the high-pitched chorus.
I couldn't just brush it off by thinking, Wow, high school girls really have a lot of energy. The gazes focusing on me were becoming unbearable.
I turned to Yu-ri, hoping to make an escape.
Help me, this is painful. Let’s get out of here.
But when I turned my head, what I encountered was—
"Yu-ri...?"
My sister was staring at me with an expression so void of emotion it felt chilling.
The look vanished the moment our eyes met, replaced by a smile. It was so cold I wondered if I’d imagined it.
As I swallowed a rising hiccup, my sister laughed.
"Hmm? What is it, Oppa?"
"Uh, u-uh... no, it’s..."
"Can we come too? We'll help you pick out clothes!"
"Huh? Uh-uh-uh?"
In response to my pleading gaze, my sister gave a heartless smile.
"Shall we? Do you guys want to help me look at some clothes?"
Betrayed by the sister I trusted, I squeezed my eyes shut amidst the crowd of high school girls.