Chapter 28: Younger Sibling (2)
Chapter 28: Younger Sibling (2)
“Oppa, your room looks exactly like ours.”
“The rooms are attached like a mirror image.”
“Hmm, I guess so.”
Yuri acted as if it were nothing. Well, it made sense, since I was the only one who knew what was about to happen.
I was the only person here who knew the truth behind this game.
So, I gave half-hearted answers to my sister’s chatter while my mind raced. I wanted to find some excuse to back out even now, but...
“So, how do we do this? Are we using the PC in here?”
Seeing how excited she was, I couldn't bring myself to stop.
To begin with, she knew nothing. She didn't know what happened in this game or what its purpose was.
That was why she was looking forward to it, thinking it was just a normal virtual reality game. Telling her the truth now would be a terrible move.
It would be no different from revealing that Kang Yu-min and I were in that kind of relationship, and she might even realize I’d done it with our eldest sister too.
It would be better to come clean only after things had already gone too far and the problem had already—
No, what the hell am I thinking?
I shook my head vigorously, trying to snap out of it.
“Oppa?”
“Uh, yeah?”
“How are we going to play the game?”
“Oh, first...”
I couldn't stall any longer. I pulled out my smartphone, trying my best to ensure such quests wouldn't pop up—and trying even harder not to think about them myself.
“We’re using this.”
“Eh? That’s just a phone. If we play on a phone, won't the graphics be terrible?”
I didn't ask how she knew about things like that. Yuri was still a high schooler, after all. Instead, I just shook my head.
“The... method is a bit different. Whatever you’re imagining, there won't be any technical shortcomings.”
“Really? I thought we’d use VR gear or something.”
“Well, it’s more like...”
To be honest, I didn't know how to explain this method either.
Was there even a way to explain it? Setting aside my lack of knowledge, this wasn't even a game or technology to begin with.
So, after some internal conflict, I explained it the only way it appeared to me.
“Hypnosis...?”
“Hyp-no-sis?”
“Yeah. Honestly, experiencing it for yourself will be faster than me explaining it.”
Yuri looked at me with skeptical eyes. I wanted to argue back, but I had no way to do so.
“Seriously. Just trust me.”
Appealing to her trust was the best I could do. Fortunately...
“Fine, I’ll give it a try. You shouldn't judge something before you try it.”
Yuri was a good sister. Though she looked vaguely displeased, she didn't press further and threw herself onto the bed, rolling around.
“Oh, snacks!”
“Uh, yeah. Right. There were snacks.”
“There’s alcohol, too.”
“Not that.”
“Hmph, stingy.”
Alcohol was a sensitive issue in this context. The fact that I was actively encouraging a game that could lead to potential incest while forbidding alcohol gave me an indescribable sense of reality.
Still, rules were rules. If she was going to drink, I’d rather she did it after her birthday.
“Come to think of it, your birthday is coming up soon.”
“Ah, right. It is.”
“It’s your own birthday, Yuri. You should try to remember it.”
“Mmm, well, Oppa will celebrate it with me anyway. You always do.”
That was true. I nodded in agreement while looking at my smartphone.
Yuri’s birthday was January 7th. It really wasn't far off.
Once that day passed, Yuri would be an adult. That little kid who used to follow me around everywhere, always acting cute...
As I was getting sentimental, a hand tugged at my sleeve.
“Forget that, let’s play the game first.”
“...Then, you should finish the snacks first.”
“Huh? Really? I want to eat while I play. You’re so picky.”
“Well, it’s not that...”
She’d find out once we started anyway. I waited for her to finish the snacks, munching on a few myself.
They were nacho cheese flavored. They were annoying because they got stuck in your teeth, but they were tasty and addictive.
“I like the seasoned chicken flavor better than this.”
“That’s because you like sweet things, Oppa~”
“And you don't like sweets much, even though you're a high school girl.”
Thinking about it, Yuri had several traits that didn't match her appearance.
She disliked sweets, and while she liked cute and pretty things, she wasn't obsessed with them.
Usually, with looks like hers, one would expect her to hate studying and never touch a book, but she loved reading and enjoyed her studies.
And unlike the typical 'outsider' types who like those things, she was social, had many friends, and would confidently take the stage during school festivals or field trips.
Yuri was a unique and charming girl. It was almost a miracle that a girl like her didn't have a boyfriend.
If it had been some random loser, I wouldn't have allowed it, but regardless... I wanted to avoid having an unsavory relationship with her.
“Okay... I’m done, so I’ll eat the rest after the game.”
Yuri finished one bag of snacks, set the rest aside for later, and came over to sit next to me.
“What do I do now?”
I sat her down beside me and looked at the White Goat icon on my smartphone's home screen.
It was a mysterious app. An incomprehensible app that had already gifted me the ability of contraception.
Honestly, I couldn't even tell if the technology used here was actually technology. To put it bluntly, it felt more like something from the realm of the occult.
And I wasn't the type of person who stupidly chose to resist in horror games or movies. I felt relieved that the entity capable of this was still favorable toward me.
I would just use what I could and not let myself be jerked around. Of course, I wasn't doing a very good job of the 'not being jerked around' part.
Anyway. I tapped the White Goat icon and spoke.
“Don't be nervous. No matter what happens, don't panic. Just accept it.”
“Huh? What do you mean...?”
Yuri didn't get to finish. Instead, a wave of dizziness hit us.
It was similar to motion sickness, but a sensation where consciousness faded into the distance. Then, that fading sensation reassembled itself like a scattered puzzle being put back together.
What was revealed was...
“...Huh?”
We were in the exact same spot. The familiar room, the same familiar space.
The opened snack bags and the black convenience store bag filled with various other treats.
From the closed door to the arrangement of the furniture, everything was exactly the same.
“...I felt dizzy for a second, but what happened?”
Yuri looked confused. I felt the same way. I thought something had gone wrong, but...
It wasn't. I realized the truth when I looked at my smartphone.
[Family-Friendly Game]
[Quest]
[Settings]
[Exit Game]
The status window that used to appear inside the game was flickering on my smartphone screen.
After checking the empty quest window and the familiar settings, I was certain.
We were inside the game.
*
“...This is a game?”
Yuri seemed bewildered by my explanation. It was only natural, considering she’d been thrown into virtual reality without any equipment or preparation.
I fully understood her feelings, but I had no other way to explain it.
“Yeah. It’s basically the same level as reality, right?”
Yuri was a smart girl. Even before I could explain, she had already used all sorts of physical laws to check if this was reality or a game.
Tilting a water bottle, spilling it on the floor.
Watching the spilled water move, checking the effects of gravity and the inertia caused by the ship’s movement.
The result was something even I hadn't expected.
“The physics are exactly the same as reality... You’re saying a virtual reality like this actually exists?”
I didn't know it was exactly the same. I thought it would be at least a little different.
Then again, considering the moon base I went to with my eldest sister was so intricately crafted, it wasn't surprising given that the game could manifest an entire world.
I figured this much wouldn't be difficult for it. Still, there was one thing I could say with certainty.
“But it’s not the reality we were in. Look over there.”
Outside the cabin window, beyond the shore that Yuri had missed while she was busy testing things, an island was visible.
The ship was heading toward the island. I didn't know exactly what island it was or why we were going there.
But I knew what kind of game this was.
“A ship isn't something convenient enough to move automatically. It’ll run aground on that island soon.”
“Wh-what?”
“Don't worry. It’s a game, not reality. But since we’re doing this... we might as well do it right, yeah?”
“What do you mean?”
Thinking I could finally act like a proper big brother for once, I placed a hand on Yuri’s shoulder.
“This is probably a survival game. Our goal is to survive on that island using the supplies on the ship. Once we run aground, a lot of things will become unusable or inaccessible, so let’s move now.”
As I stood up, my sister’s bewildered gaze followed me.
I spoke confidently.
“Even if it’s not, we’ll get a better grasp of things if we look around. It’s better to move now.”
“O-okay.”
I felt relieved that at least that kind of quest hadn't appeared.
As I took Yuri’s hand and smiled, desperately hoping that no such quests would pop up in the future...
[!Sudden Quest Triggered!]
[!Cooperation Quest!]
[!This quest is visible to both players, and rewards will be granted simultaneously!]
[Reach a heart rate of 130 or higher through skinship with the youngest sibling, Kang Yu-ri. 91/130]
[Reward: 5,000,000 KRW]
The quest appeared in giant letters right in front of me and Yuri.
It was vivid as could be, a quest that—just like the ones before—actively encouraged that kind of relationship. I had thought it wouldn't show up because the quest window was separate on the smartphone.
My pupils shook with a sense of utter betrayal.