Chapter 30: Younger Sibling (4)
Chapter 30: Younger Sibling (4)
I walked around, trying to figure out what had changed and what was different.
Since a game is a game, after all, things are bound to work in a certain way.
I felt a sharp, ominous prickle shoot through my spine, but I tried not to pay it any mind. I couldn't afford to obsess over every little thing.
More importantly, I didn't want to. The current situation wasn't exactly ideal.
If anything, it was precarious. If I wanted to distract myself, find a way out, and prepare for the worst-case scenario looming ahead...
I needed more time and breathing room. That was why I’d suggested that my sister and I split up to scout the area before meeting back up.
I wasn't sure if that had been the right call.
But what was the point of regretting it now? I moved busily, trying to get a handle on the ship.
Specifically, I wanted to know what was different from before and where those changes were.
What was the goal of this game? What was it trying to make us do?
Furthermore, what would be the theme of the quests we’d be given?
After rushing around trying to deduce all of that, I came away with a significant realization.
"...It's not a survival game."
The thought struck me that this might not be a survival game at all.
Survival games inherently restrict resources and place the primary focus on survival itself.
Food is scarce, yet you must eat; water is limited, yet you must drink.
And that’s not all. They add fatigue mechanics so that if you don't sleep, you can't function properly. Those three elements act as a chain that drags the player down while simultaneously guiding their path.
That is fundamentally how survival games work. However...
Looking at the current conditions, it was clear this wasn't one.
After all, if it were a survival game, there was no way there would be this much food.
The restaurants were overflowing with ingredients and prepared dishes. Most of the items in the convenience store were still there, and the cruise ship we were using as a base was in perfect condition.
It even ran automatically. I have next to no mechanical knowledge, but even I could tell it was functioning perfectly after watching it for about thirty minutes.
So, in other words, this was...
A horror game.
Or a healing game.
They were polar opposites, but it was definitely one of the two.
Keeping the possibility of the former in mind, I hurried back to the room.
Fortunately, Yu-ri was there.
"Oh, Oppa. You're back already?"
"Yeah. I don't think this is a survival game. I couldn't leave you alone."
"Huh? It's not? Then what is it?"
My younger sister tilted her head curiously. I spoke while weighing the worst-case scenario.
"It might be a horror game."
"Really? And?"
Her reaction was somewhat underwhelming. If it had been Kang Yu-min, she would have made a huge fuss, her pupils shaking as she trembled in fear, stammering, 'S-s-s-so what? What are we supposed to do?'
But Yu-ri showed no such fear. If anything, her reaction was more like, So what if it's a horror game? We're inside a game anyway.
I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should vent about the horrors and atrocities I was imagining, but I stopped myself, worried I’d look uncool.
"Otherwise, it's a healing game."
"Ah, really? I was already healing, though..."
Yu-ri gave a bashful smile. There was a hint that she was hiding something.
But what? Even looking at her again, I couldn't tell. I pondered for a moment before shaking the thought away.
"For now, I think we should stick together. If it's a horror game, you'll get targeted if you're alone."
"Mhm, I guess. In horror movies, the people who wander off alone are usually the first to die."
My sister agreed nonchalantly, and I watched her closely.
I happened to glance out the window and saw the island getting closer.
"But why did you think that? Couldn't it still be a survival game?"
"...First of all, there's too much food."
"And?"
"Usually, survival games set the difficulty on survival itself to give the player motivation."
This wasn't much different even for a 'family-friendly' game.
For instance, take the Moon Base game—the one that served as the catalyst for me and my eldest noona to first... well, not cross the line, but certainly step on it.
To survive, we had to recreate the patterns of a platformer game in reality.
Food, shelter, and exploration were all hidden behind those challenges.
The countless survival games I’d played with Kang Yu-min were the same. We sometimes had to farm or hunt ourselves, struggling just to stay alive.
In that sense, this game was lacking as a survival game. Survival simply wasn't urgent.
"But here, getting food is incredibly easy, and it's like we already have a place to live. Plus, that's not all."
I gestured toward the outside, and my sister's eyes followed. Those obsidian-like pupils took in the view.
"Oh?"
"Right. The ship stopped. Conveniently enough for us to get off on the island."
"Then..."
"There must be something on the island..."
Content for 'healing,' or an exploration site for 'horror' elements.
Either way, there would be something on that island.
Whether it was something good or not.
"But before that, we need to get a better grasp of the situation."
"What are you going to do?"
"Let's walk around together and kill some time. If something's going to happen, some time needs to pass first."
It was something you shouldn't do in a horror game, but I was doing it precisely because it might be one.
Currently, the goal wasn't clear, and I didn't know what quests would come our way.
Besides, while I wasn't fond of horror games, there was also the 'suspension bridge effect' to worry about.
The first time Kang Yu-min and I crossed the line was because of a horror game. Who was to say the same wouldn't happen with Yu-ri?
So, my plan was an effort to kill all those birds with one stone.
By killing time together, if an anomaly occurred, we’d pivot to the objective; if nothing happened, we’d avoid the quests and just have a good time.
I was worried about whether my sister would accept such a proposal, but...
"Sure, I like hanging out with you, Oppa."
Yu-ri was a good kid. I didn't know if she truly enjoyed playing games with me or if she was just pretending.
At least, that’s what she said. And I wasn't the kind of guy to doubt my sister's words.
"Is there anywhere you want to go?"
I made the offer. The problem was...
"...I want to go to the spa with you, Oppa."
The fact that Yu-ri's suggestion was difficult to simply accept.
"Hmm? Is that a no?"
And there are very few brothers who can resist their youngest sister when she acts cute.
Before I knew it, I found myself at the spa.
Why am I here? The thought crossed my mind briefly.
Well, we're family. It wasn't like it was anything weird. The 18th floor had a spa and pool just for us.
I couldn't quite understand the intent behind coming here instead of going to a public pool or spa, but I figured she had her reasons.
Or maybe, unlike her usual self, she was being shy.
Either way, it was an unexpected side of her. So, I tried to stay relaxed and not get unnecessarily tense.
[Reach a heart rate of 130 or higher through skinship with the youngest, Kang Yu-ri. 98/130]
[Reward: 5,000,000 Won]
The quest window floating in the corner of my vision was still annoying, but if I let it get to me, I’d lose. I took a deep breath and reflected on the fact that this was the first time I’d entered a bath-like place wearing a swimsuit.
It felt a bit new. I remembered seeing in a manga once that entering a bath with clothes on felt surprisingly good.
Was this similar? It didn't feel bad. If the water had been lukewarm, it might have been unpleasant, but perhaps because it was hot, it felt alright.
I let my body go limp, exhaling a long breath as I toyed with my hair.
It had been two months since my discharge. It felt like it was getting longer. Having kept it short for nearly two years, the length felt awkward.
'You look good with a buzz cut.'
Kang Yu-min had said that, wanting me to keep it short, but it wasn't like I was her boyfriend. I didn't need to cater to her tastes.
Just as I was thinking about letting it grow out this time...
"Oppa!"
I heard a lively voice. A cute voice full of charm. Even the sound of her light, pitter-patter footsteps.
In all the world, there was only one person whose every action exuded such cuteness. I faced a beauty who boasted a freshness different from the eldest noona's charm.
"Oh, you're her—"
And then I froze.
Yu-ri was giggling at the sight of me, frozen with a smile on my face.
Normally, Yu-ri wouldn't have been able to make me feel flustered, let alone anything close to it.
But right now, I was extremely flustered.
Was it because my brain had been broken after holding my eldest noona—even if it was inside a game—and engaging in a sticky, incestuous relationship with Kang Yu-min in reality?
Yu-ri's body, which I would have looked at without a second thought in the past, possessed a charm that I couldn't just ignore.
If Kang Yu-min had a toned, slim yet voluptuous body, and the eldest noona had a lush body befitting her immense maternal aura...
Yu-ri was somewhere in between. Just the right amount of toning and just the right amount of fullness. A body that seemed to harmonize the strengths of both.
It was, so to speak, an ideal sense of balance. Nevertheless, her hips—clearly the largest among the three—stood out.
I tried desperately to look away, but it felt as if my eyes were being held captive.
And for good reason. The swimsuit Yu-ri was wearing wasn't the kind we’d bought at the mall before.
"Yu-ri... what on earth is that swimsuit...?"
"Hmm? Why? Isn't it pretty?"
"No, no. It's pretty... It's definitely pretty, but..."
What word could accurately describe this feeling? My deliberation didn't last long, and I found the word easily enough.
Yes, Yu-ri's swimsuit was certainly pretty, but...
It was indecent.
Let's set aside the bikini bottoms that were so scandalous they looked like tight-fitting panties, leaving her pelvic bones completely exposed. That part is bound to look erotic if you look closely enough anyway.
The problem was the strings wrapped around her body. Strings that clung to her skin, accentuating her figure. Following those strings upward, what I saw was a top that felt like a crop top, revealing her navel, and the faint color of a bikini top peeking through from underneath.
It was as if the inside was completely visible. A bikini that was no different from lingerie, clearly made for that very purpose.
It definitely wasn't the one we’d bought together. I barely managed to turn my head away in my flustered state, and Yu-ri laughed at me, calling me peculiar.
"I bought it to show you, Oppa. What's wrong? Look closer!"
Yu-ri approached me, whining. I didn't think that was a swimsuit appropriate for a spa, but...
I didn't have the chance to say it. Before I knew it, Yu-ri was sitting beside me.
"If you don't look... I'll just progress the quest on my own, okay?"
A hand reached out stealthily and took mine. She interlaced our fingers. Feeling her skin against mine, I barely managed to take a breath.
My brain, already ruined by a series of incestuous encounters, refused to listen to me.
I was just grateful for the murky color of the water.