Chapter 19: Family Trip (4)
Chapter 19: Family Trip (4)
Exhaustion. That was one of the few things I was actually feeling.
It made sense, considering there was a six-year age gap between me and these high school girls.
It would have been one thing if they had been considerate enough to choose topics I could join in on, but that wasn't the case.
I found myself walking with my shoulders hunched, feeling utterly intimidated in the midst of all these high schoolers.
Yu-ri offered me no salvation. She simply walked ahead, coolly ignoring the gaze I fixed on her back.
Ugh, this is painful. Noona, help me.
But as they say, salvation never arrives exactly when you want it.
Shedding internal tears, I watched the department store draw closer.
"Oh."
One of the girls suddenly let out a soft exclamation. When I looked over, she gave me a playful grin.
"You're a college student; are you sure a place like this is okay for you?"
She seemed like a mature kid. The type whose manner of speaking carried a certain air of refinement.
I didn't know her name yet, but I figured she was the one who handled the "economic reality" of the group.
"Mmm, I have plenty of money. It’s fine."
"I’m planning on buying Yu-ri’s stuff, too," I added, which sent the girls into a noisy frenzy.
They started clamoring for me to buy them things as well, half-joking, and I put on a troubled expression.
They probably weren't serious about me actually buying them things. They were just high school girls acting like high school girls; soon enough, that behavior would shift into that of college girls.
I knew that all of this was a kind of game—a form of roleplay.
In fact, most people are like that. I acted like an older brother because I was one, and Yu-ri acted like a younger sister because she was one.
Not many people ever stepped outside those boundaries.
The only person who came to mind was Kang Yu-min. Maybe my eldest noona, too.
We had already crossed the line, and the traditional roles we once held had long since vanished. I hoped Yu-ri wouldn't end up like that.
But I wondered if that was something I could decide through my will alone.
As my thoughts deepened, we finally reached the department store.
Originally a company that sold smartphones and claimed to be an IT giant, they had aggressively acquired various businesses to create this department store.
I didn't visit department stores often, so I wasn't familiar with the layout, but fortunately, I wasn't alone this time.
I had been worried since it was my first time here, but unexpectedly, Yu-ri seemed to have some experience with the place.
"Oppa, over here!"
"Uh, right. Coming."
Yu-ri seemed to know the geography perfectly. Surrounded by the high school girls, I began trying on various suits.
It was... how should I put it?
"No, no. A darker color would suit him better than this."
"No way! A brighter tone would look great on Oppa, right? Right, Oppa?"
"...I wouldn't know. I've only worn military uniforms until recently..."
I felt like a living doll. Specifically, a dress-up doll.
Listening to the high school girls argue over which suit fit their personal tastes better only reinforced that feeling.
I even felt a bit self-conscious. I was only going to buy one or two things; I wasn't sure if it was okay to just try on everything like this.
"Oppa, why are you looking so nervous?"
"Well, is it really okay to try on this many? I feel like people are watching..."
"What are you talking about? You have to try them on before you buy! You're going to buy an expensive one anyway, right?"
"I mean, yeah."
Despite her words, I couldn't help but feel self-conscious. Feeling small, I followed the girls' lead and tried on various suits.
If there was one silver lining, it was that the girls' exaggerated reactions every time I stepped out provided a fair amount of comfort.
If they had booed or reacted like I looked terrible...
Well, I might have actually been hurt.
Fortunately, being my sister's friends, they were all good kids. Hearing them say things like "it suits you" or "you're handsome"—even if I knew it was just flattery—made me feel good.
"...You look pretty happy, Oppa."
"Huh? Oh, well, it feels good to be complimented, even if it's just empty talk."
"Is that so? You don't seem to care when I compliment you."
"No, it's not like that. You're reading too much into it."
I gave an awkward laugh and tried my best to soothe my sister's mood.
I didn't exactly know why she was upset.
But she seemed to let go of her anger just by seeing me scramble to please her.
[General Bank Account]
[36,512,317 KRW]
My balance was quite angry, but as long as my sister was happy, it didn't matter.
How can a suit cost 1.4 million won? I wondered, but looking at the finish and the craftsmanship, it made sense.
It reminded me of a friend who wore his suit everywhere for a month after getting it tailored...
As for me, I'd wear it for the cruise trip and then probably not very often after that.
With that in mind, the next purchase was a dress.
"A dress for Yu-ri? Do you really need one for a cruise?"
"That's what they said... Suits or dresses are mandatory for the formal dinners..."
"Don't you have a dress?"
"I do, but since we're going anyway..."
Yu-ri smiled brightly as she chatted with her friends, picking out a dress with their advice.
Watching her pick out a dress and try on various styles...
As her older brother, it stirred many emotions in me.
It felt like only yesterday she was a tiny thing following me around calling me "Oppa," but now she was mature enough to choose her own clothes.
I was filled with a new sense of appreciation. Seeing how much she had grown made me feel a bit resentful of how quickly time had passed.
As I was feeling a mix of touched, satisfied, and wistful...
"Oppa, how do I look?"
Yu-ri appeared before me in a dress.
"...Isn't that a bit too revealing?"
To put it bluntly, the dress Yu-ri was wearing was nothing short of scandalous.
It had a plunging neckline that showed off her cleavage, a short skirt, and a fluttery feel that made it seem like it would fly up with the slightest breeze.
As her brother, I couldn't possibly approve of such an outfit. Yu-ri pouted, clearly unhappy with my perfectly reasonable reaction.
"This is actually the most modest one here."
"...Then I guess it can't be helped."
So, despite my personal disapproval as a brother, I bought the dress.
"So, do you hate it?"
"No, how could I hate anything you wear? You look beautiful in everything."
"That sounds so half-hearted."
"It's just hard to make a big deal out of it with all your friends around..."
It wasn't that it didn't suit her. In fact, the dress complemented her fair skin and her physique—which seemed to have inherited the best traits of both our eldest noona and Kang Yu-min—giving her a cute yet fresh charm.
Personally, I would have preferred something that covered more, but if this was the most modest option, what could I do?
"What are we buying next?"
The high school girls had even calmed down a bit after I bought them drinks.
I suppose you could say I was learning how to handle them.
But that didn't mean the problems were over.
The grand finale—the swimwear—remained.
I thought they might not have any since it was winter, but contrary to my expectations, they still had stock.
[General Bank Account]
[36,207,317 KRW]
My balance was more than enough. I had already set aside the business funds for Noona, and in reality, all this money was mine to use however I pleased.
I headed to the swimwear section with Yu-ri and her friends.
The shop sold various leisure sports apparel alongside brands I didn't recognize, and the prices looked expensive even at a glance.
It was at the point where I felt a fresh wave of gratitude toward the Game.
I picked out something for myself quickly, since I wasn't planning on showing off to anyone.
I chose a plain-looking piece that cost a staggering 220,000 won. There were cheaper options, but...
It's human nature to want to spend when you have the money.
Once I was done, it was Yu-ri's turn. She bustled around with her friends, picking out swimsuits and holding them up to herself one after another.
"Oppa, how about this one?"
She tried them on and frequently asked for my opinion.
"Isn't too much skin showing? I'd prefer something less revealing..."
"The only thing less revealing than this would be a diving suit."
"Then... should we go with that?"
"I hate diving suits!"
"Tsk, then I guess there's no choice."
After a long time of agonizing and choosing, my sister and her friends finally made a selection. Taking my opinion into account, they chose a rash guard.
I felt a wave of relief that she had picked a rash guard.
Phew, right. This is the perfect swimsuit for a younger sister. She would probably complain about not being able to pick something prettier.
But as her brother, protecting her was important.
Fortunately, she didn't seem to hate it that much.
Even her friends' reactions weren't bad.
Amidst her friends' praise—saying it suited her and looked cool—the corners of her mouth relaxed into a comfortable, happy smile.
What a relief. Even if it was going to cost a bit.
"Oppa, what do you think? Does it suit me?"
"Yeah, it looks great on you."
Honestly, I would have preferred a rash guard with long pants, but I knew she would hate that. This was a fair compromise between my ideal and hers.
So I smiled, and seeing me smile, she smiled back.
It was a somewhat devious smile.
Corners of the mouth turned up, eyes half-lidded. It was a smile far too wicked to appear on Yu-ri's face. It was a look I had never even imagined her making.
Why all of a sudden?
Just as I was looking at her in confusion...
"This too?"
She lowered the zipper of the rash guard. In the moment I flinched in surprise, I saw it.
The vivid skin revealed underneath—a bikini that was clearly much smaller in surface area than the rash guard, despite its beauty.
Before I could even scold her as a brother for such a blatant display of skin, I was reminded of a similar sight.
My eldest noona's oil-slicked, glistening breasts as she panted beneath me.
And Kang Yu-min's water-drenched skin as she took my desire during our shower just a short while ago.
As if erasing all of that, her cleavage, her prominent midriff, and her long, slender legs leading up from her lower body were vividly revealed.
While I stood there, stunned and unable to utter a word, she gave a mischievous smirk and zipped it back up before her friends or the clerk could see.
"That's a relief."
She let the words slip out casually. Before I could react, she turned away with her friends and headed back to the fitting room.
It was as if she had done it just to see my reaction.
[General Bank Account]
[35,517,317 KRW]
What the hell was that just now?
I couldn't bring myself to ask, and we left the department store.
Leaving behind only...
"Let's come just the two of us next time, okay?"
...those mysterious words from my sister.