Chapter 27: Younger Sibling (1)
Chapter 27: Younger Sibling (1)
"What are you two talking about so intently?"
For once, I felt a spark of resentment toward my eldest noona. If she had intervened just a little sooner, I might have been able to dodge giving a definitive answer.
I barely swallowed my regret and shook my head.
"It was nothing much. She was just asking what I did with Kang Yu-min..."
There was no need to be overly cautious with my explanation. Unlike Yu-min, Yu-ri was quite sharp.
"Mhm. I heard you and Yu-min Unnie were drinking, so I was curious what you talked about."
A beaming smile paired with a comment that pierced right through the situation.
Yu-min was forced to play along since she was the one trying to deceive our eldest sister, and Yu-ri already knew that Yu-min and I hadn't actually been drinking.
I was struck once again by how clever my younger sister was.
How did she even know it was a lie? I suppressed a sigh and turned my head.
My room, a VIP suite, and the room next to it weren't just simple guest rooms. In reality, the entire floor was practically ours.
Perhaps that was why, instead of a standard hallway connecting the rooms, there was a space that looked like a parlor or a dining area.
It featured tables and chairs, and a terrace that took full advantage of the top-floor view to look out over the ocean.
It seemed that room service was meant to be ordered from there. At this point, I suspected the two-room setup was designed specifically to accommodate large VIP families.
I opened the detailed menu via the QR code and scanned the various options.
"...There are a lot of surprisingly normal things here."
I had expected the menu to be littered with things like caviar, but unexpectedly, there were more ordinary items.
First, there were hamburgers, pizza, and chicken—the so-called "Big Three" of fast food.
Of course, since they used top-quality domestic ingredients, they would normally be expensive, but since I could order for free, it didn't matter.
There were many other dishes, but since breakfast was long gone, there weren't many things I felt like eating at this hour.
Maybe it was because it was room service. Usually, people would have lunch or dinner at one of the restaurants on the cruise.
I should do that tomorrow, I thought as I selected a burger labeled as a chicken sandwich.
"Are you sure you want a burger as soon as you wake up? You said you were drinking last night. Wouldn't a stew be better...?"
"Ah, it's fine. I didn't drink that much. Neither did Yu-min. We just had a light drink while watching a movie."
Yu-min smiled and agreed, and Eldest Noona accepted it without a hint of suspicion.
"What movie did you watch?"
Yu-ri asked me. It was a question clearly intended to test me, as she already knew the truth.
I hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Logan. It’s got that buddy-film vibe..."
"Ah, Hugh Jackman is so cool. You watched a good one. We watched a movie too."
Yu-ri’s gaze shifted to Eldest Noona. Our sister, who had been carefully browsing the menu, gave a soft smile.
"That's right. They said they show movies continuously on the outdoor screen on the 10th floor late at night. So we went and watched one."
"Oh... really? Let's go together next time."
"Of course."
For a split second, I felt Noona’s gaze was a bit strange, but I couldn't dwell on it. In truth, I was too preoccupied with my younger sister to notice.
Specifically, the fact that she had made a request and I hadn't been able to refuse was eating away at my mind.
It stayed with me even until the food arrived. Well, it had to.
The Family-Friendly Game wanted me to commit incest.
It hadn't been so obvious at first, but now it was different. I was certain of it. The moment I entered the game with my younger sister, a quest like that would pop up immediately.
I could take some comfort in the fact that such quests weren't being given in reality yet, but still, not my younger sister.
With Eldest Noona, I could dismiss it as something that only happened in the game, and Yu-min... well, she was Yu-min.
But not Yu-ri. I wanted Yu-ri to remain pure.
Perhaps it was because she had followed me around so well since we were kids. Just imagining her becoming like that was painful.
The little kid who had always trusted me and toddled after me, back when she could barely even walk straight...
If I were to do that to her with my own hands...
The self-loathing would be unbearable.
Of course, I might feel a sense of excitement from the sense of depravity and the thrill of crossing a line I had set for myself, but the post-nut clarity afterward would be just as massive.
It was only natural that I was agonizing over how to tactfully avoid playing the game.
Even as the room service arrived and Noona brought it over to distribute it to us, my worries didn't stop.
I pondered while eating the chicken burger, wondering why it was even called a chicken sandwich.
Right, if I set up a schedule for something the whole family can do together, there won't be any time to play the game...
"What do you plan on doing today?"
The timing was perfect. I smiled at Eldest Noona’s question. She seemed a bit taken aback by my sudden grin and tilted her head, but she smiled back.
"Well, I didn't have anything specific in mind. I was thinking it would be nice for the whole family to spend time together."
"That sounds lovely. We haven't seen any of the performances yet, have we? It might be nice to go see one... I heard there's a ballet today."
Noona was truly herself. Even though she said she had given up on ballet, her interest clearly remained.
"There's also a pool. Everyone bought new swimsuits, so wouldn't it be nice to check it out?"
Yu-min suggested this while glancing at me. Was she thinking about the private pool on the 18th floor?
Did she want to do it there? I wanted to tell her that there would be no chance if the whole family went together, but Yu-min probably wouldn't listen.
At most, she’d probably just want the thrill of having sex in the men's shower room...
Just as I was thinking that might not be so bad—
"Oppa, you promised to go to the Aesthe-tech with me to get a massage."
I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sudden voice. I turned my head, still wearing a smile, and saw...
My cute younger sister, pouting her cheeks as if she were upset.
She was a clever and adorable girl who knew exactly how cute she was, understood her position as the most pampered member of the family, and knew how to use that to her advantage.
As I blinked, Eldest Noona let out a soft "Oh."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. Unnie, do you want to come too?"
"A massage... Hmm, I'm okay."
It was obvious what Eldest Noona was thinking. She was probably remembering the sex we had while massaging each other not long ago. There was no way she’d want to go get a massage now.
Even besides that, Noona tended to avoid things like massages, saying they felt 'too extravagant,' so it was clear Yu-ri had asked knowing what the answer would be.
"What about Yu-min Unnie?"
"Uh, well, that..."
"Are you still feeling a bit tired?"
"I guess so..."
Yu-min laughed awkwardly. Honestly, this girl was low-key socially awkward.
The option of going to get a massage from a stranger didn't even exist for her. I barely managed to swallow a sigh, realizing I had fallen right into Yu-ri's plan.
"Then I guess it's just me and Oppa. That's a shame. I'm sure you unnies would have loved the massage."
I don't remember what I said when she asked "Right?", but it didn't really matter.
My fate had been decided, after all.
I just hoped that such a quest wouldn't appear in the game.
"...We're actually going?"
"Mhm? Of course."
"I thought it was just an excuse to trick the others."
"Oppa... do you not trust me?"
"No, no, no! Of course not. How could I not trust our sweet Yu-ri?"
A beauty whose mere expression of sadness was enough to shake any man's heart.
That was Yu-ri.
She was the "Top Beauty in the City," a girl with a massive following on short-form social media and a significant influence as a model for our sister's fashion mall.
The scary thing about Yu-ri was that she had the best social skills among us.
Even without having spent her school years with her, I could tell she was skilled at swaying people by utilizing her strengths and weaknesses.
During school festivals, she would captivate her classmates with idol-like choreography alongside the popular kids, and during exams, she would charm the teachers with her high grades.
Not only that, but her bright and flawless personality meant there wasn't a single kid who disliked her, and she received nothing but love and trust from her teachers.
She was a superhuman, just in a different direction than Eldest Noona.
It was enough to make me wonder if we really shared the same genes as her and Yu-min.
Yu-ri let out a clear, playful giggle as if she could read my mind.
"I'm joking, just joking! You always get so flustered whenever I look like I'm about to cry."
"Well, of course... you're my sister."
"Do you like me that much?"
"Of course. We're family."
"You always have to add that one extra bit! I just like you because you're you, Oppa!"
Yu-ri led me along with a bright laugh. I thought back to when she was little.
A six-year age gap wasn't small. Yu-ri was born around the time I started elementary school, and when she started school, I was already in middle school.
Despite the age gap, she had always followed me around, calling me "Oppa, Oppa," and relying on me more than anyone.
I adored my younger sister too. Perhaps it was because I had been the youngest until she came along.
I tried my best to take care of her. Even during my peak middle school edge-lord phase, that never changed.
As if to prove my efforts weren't in vain, Yu-ri had always been close to me.
Even now that we were all grown up, that hadn't changed much.
That was why I couldn't just say yes when she asked to play the game together. I ended up agreeing eventually, but...
Giving in to Yu-ri's whims was practically an instinct for me.
Still, this was better.
Get a good massage, have fun together, and make her completely forget about the game.
With that goal in mind, I stepped into the Aesthe-tech with Yu-ri.
...Was it even right to call this an Aesthe-tech? It felt unfamiliar.
"Hi, we have a reservation for two!"
"The name for the reservation is..."
When did she make a reservation? Despite my confusion, Yu-ri smiled and held up two fingers.
"It should be under Kang Yu-ri and Kang Yu-jin."
"Yes, I've confirmed it. Please come this way."
It wasn't just unfamiliar; it was awkward. How often would a guy walk into a place like this alone?
Luckily, Yu-ri was with me. If I had been with Yu-min, we probably would have both stood there stuttering before turning around and leaving, even if we'd already paid a deposit.
In that sense, this was a completely new experience. I wondered if it was really okay to do this with family.
"...What is this?"
After changing clothes and lying down on a wholesome-looking massage bed—completely different from the ones I'd seen before—I received the massage.
When it was over, I was blinking in a state of unimaginable refreshment and clarity.
"...What just happened?"
"Oppa, why are you talking so weirdly?"
"No, but seriously. I feel... like I've been born again... Like I'm a different being than I was five minutes ago..."
"Have you been watching too many cartoons?"
My sister teased me with a giggle.
Fortunately, Yu-ri seemed to be in a great mood.
She didn't even bring up the game; while getting the massage, we just chatted about ordinary things.
From which university she wanted to go to and what major she was aiming for...
To how she was worried because her subscriber count had plateaued lately...
To how she was glad I wasn't getting seasick.
I realized all over again what a thoughtful and kind girl she was. Right, Yu-ri was always like this.
Realizing all my suspicions were unnecessary, I simply tried to enjoy the time with my sister.
That was why I let my guard down, even after the massage ended and two hours had passed.
"It would be nice to come to a place like this occasionally, even if we're not on a cruise. I was worried since it was my first time, but..."
"Right? Right? Let's come together again later!"
"Sure, sure. Though I don't think I could ever come alone."
It was right after we got up, changed back into our clothes, and stepped out of the Aesthe-tech.
"So, Oppa."
"Mhm?"
I was completely relaxed and off-guard. A random thought crossed my mind about a barber who kills a mafia boss while shaving him in a movie.
"Now we're going back to play the game, right?"
A strike delivered at the moment of greatest vulnerability is always the most effective.
My body gave a violent jolt, and I looked at Yu-ri with trembling eyes.
Yu-ri was smiling. But it wasn't her usual cute, aegyo-filled smile.
It was a smile that carried a certain chill. A smile I had seen occasionally, the source of which I could never quite identify.
I could only nod, even as I started to hiccup.
Regrettably, there was no one else in the room.
There was only me and my sister, Kang Yu-ri.
I groaned at the fate that was about to befall me.