Chapter 32: Island (1)
Chapter 32: Island (1)
“We made some money, so should we call it a day?”
My sister couldn't have cared less about the game. If anything, she seemed like she wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.
I realized this the moment she vanished with a whoosh right after speaking.
“…What was that all about?”
I was already wallowing in self-loathing, chewing over my actions and feeling a profound sense of depravity. I didn't have the mental energy to stop her.
Without any interference, my sister vanished back into reality.
I stared at my right hand with a heavy heart before logging out of the game myself.
There was no point in moping around here; nothing was going to change, and there wasn't anything more I could do.
When I exited the game, the first thing I saw was my younger sister flinching violently as she stuffed something into her handbag.
“…What’s that?”
“Huh? What’s what?”
She blinked at me, looking puzzled. I stared at her for a moment before scratching my head.
“I thought I saw you putting something in your bag…”
“Oh? Ah, I just grabbed a snack!”
“Ah.”
I let out a small laugh at her behavior. Even though something unsavory had almost happened inside the game, she was still my sister after all.
Cute, acting like the kid she still was. I felt relieved, as if the events of a moment ago had been nothing more than an illusion.
“You could’ve just taken it openly. Why hide it? It’s not like anyone’s going to scold you for eating.”
“My weight would have something to say about it. You know how it is.”
Yu-ri pouted, and I gave her a faint smile. We were acting as if nothing had happened just a few minutes ago.
Perhaps Yu-ri realized she had been a bit too bold for the sake of five million won. I certainly hoped so.
With self-loathing still swirling through my system, it wasn't easy to keep my composure.
“Anyway… check your phone banking. The money should be in.”
At those words, Yu-ri adjusted her handbag and pulled out her smartphone.
She typed at a speed I could never hope to match, then used her thumbprint to log into her banking app all in one fluid motion.
Suddenly, her eyes went wide, and she clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Oh my god…”
“It’s really there, right?”
“Yeah…”
Yu-ri stared at her phone with a dazed expression. I could empathize with how she felt.
I felt the same way when money first hit my account—even if mine was only 200,000 won and not five million.
Still, it was impossible not to let one's imagination run wild. In that sense, my sister and I were quite alike.
“Is it… is it really okay for me to take this money? What about taxes?”
“…Hmm.”
How was I supposed to explain this?
Should I tell her it was closer to a supernatural phenomenon, so they didn't collect taxes and there hadn't been any issues so far?
After a moment’s thought, I realized there was a more suitable answer.
“It comes out with the taxes already deducted, so it’s fine.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, really. So don’t worry about it.”
Since it was my sister, she probably knew I was lying.
It wasn't just anyone; it was family, and specifically Yu-ri.
She was quick-witted, socially savvy, full of charm, yet surprisingly observant of others' moods—the youngest of our siblings.
Having spent the most time stuck to my side, she could likely detect a lie just from the tone of my voice or my aura.
But at the same time, she would have sensed that my "don't worry" was sincere.
She would know that there truly were no problems and that I hadn't run into any trouble playing this game for over two months.
And Yu-ri wasn't the type to dig into the nitty-gritty details. She looked at me for a moment, then beamed.
“Got it. Five million won… now that I suddenly have all this money, there are so many things I want to buy.”
Yu-ri grinned ear to ear, looking satisfied as she stared at the seven-digit number on her screen.
Unlike her, I was just relieved that I’d turned the game off before an even more serious quest could pop up.
…But wait, what kind of snack did she pack?
I didn't get a chance to ask.
The incident with my sister passed like a dream.
As the cruise continued, I realized one thing.
A cruise trip is fundamentally different from a vacation where you’re constantly busy doing things.
At its core, a cruise is about leisure and enjoying a "vacation."
Every facility on the ship existed solely for that purpose.
Whether it was movies or performances—which naturally take up more time than other travel activities—or the art galleries and exhibition halls, everything was designed to be enjoyed at a relaxed pace.
That was why I was quite happy about the change in our itinerary.
“An island?”
“Yeah. I asked, and they said the original route is blocked by a storm, so we’re making an emergency stop at an uninhabited island owned by the company.”
Eldest Noona explained as she sent me an image via chat. It was a map of an island that looked strangely familiar.
I definitely felt like I’d seen it somewhere before. But I couldn't recall exactly where.
“Really? What are we doing there?”
“Here… the schedule!”
Noona gave me a warm, bright smile as she held out her smartphone.
Just as she said, there was a schedule.
“Let’s see… Oh, a barbecue.”
It felt a bit odd to have a barbecue on such a luxury cruise, but then again, I figured it would be a luxury barbecue befitting the ship.
“Since you get seasick, Jin-i, I thought it might be good to step onto solid ground for a bit.”
She was right. Even though the cruise ship was so stable that I didn't actually get seasick, it wouldn't be strange to get "land sickness" if I didn't step off the boat once in a while.
“Other than the barbecue… it’s mostly free time.”
“But they said there’s a lot to do. There’s skydiving and surfing, too.”
Oh, wow.
Aside from the fact that I’d never done either, they were attractive options.
“They said they’ll even teach us, so why don't you give it a try? Hmm?”
For some reason, her request sounded different to my ears.
“Isn't it just that you want to try it, Noona?”
“You caught me. But still, it’ll be really fun if you do it with me, Jin-i.”
Noona, who was flashing a clear smile, used to be an athlete.
Actually, everyone in our family had done sports at some point.
But among us, Noona had trained the longest. It wasn't surprising that she was hungry for leisure sports like these.
“What about Kang Yu-min and Yu-ri?”
“I sent it to them in the group chat. Min-i and Yu-ri will probably come out too.”
“Well, as the only male in this family, I can’t exactly back out.”
“Right? I’m counting on you.”
Noona welcomed my answer with a laugh, and I knew why.
Out of the four of us, the three girls—including Kang Yu-min—were all quite pretty and cute.
If they went to a pool, they’d get hit on so much they’d barely be able to enjoy themselves.
That was when I was needed.
The only male among the four siblings. The one who could tell the creeps trying to hit on them to get lost in every language possible.
A sergeant who had completed his full term of service, a proud son of the Republic of Korea.
Kang Yu-jin.
My presence was essential as a "totem" so the other three could play in peace.
And so, pushing aside the fact that I had almost made a huge mistake by lusting after my sister’s swimsuit earlier, I packed my own swimwear.
“I’m looking forward to surfing~”
“Me too. Have you ever surfed before, Unnie?”
“Yeah, a long time ago with Mom…”
“What about you, Yu-ri? And you, Kang Yu-jin?”
“When would I have had the chance?”
“Me neither.”
Still, if we were all together, there wouldn't be any room for mistakes—and even if I did mess up, Kang Yu-min would be there to fix it.
So, without any burden, I prepared to disembark from the stationary cruise ship. It was only right before we stepped off that I finally noticed the source of my unease.
“Oh.”
“Ah.”
It was a sense of dissonance that only Yu-ri and I could understand.
And for good reason—we were the only ones who had seen this island before.
“Oppa, this place…”
“…Yeah, you’re right.”
This island was the exact same one I had seen just a little while ago while playing that "family-friendly game" alone with Yu-ri.
Contrary to my expectations, however, there was nothing strange about the island.
In fact, aside from the fact that I’d seen it beforehand, it had all the qualities of a magnificent resort.
First off, there were mansions for VIPs like us.
There were a few others, but it went without saying that the one we were using was the largest.
The more I saw of this, the more I couldn't even fathom the value of these tickets, but whatever. If you have the tickets, you might as well use them.
Staying here wasn't uncomfortable at all. In fact, it was better for someone like me who suffered from motion sickness…
“…The internet works here?”
You’d think an uninhabited island would have limited facilities, but it was surprisingly well-equipped.
There were countless solar panels and water purification systems, and they even said staff stay here periodically to keep the place tidy.
On top of that, the internet speed was barely different from what I used back in Korea. It truly lived up to the name "VIP Mansion."
There was no need to even unpack.
Aside from a change of clothes and swimwear, they said all meals would be provided here, and other daily necessities were fully stocked.
Essentially, we could just come here with nothing, rest, and get back on the ship.
There were no real problems. All I had to do was have fun with my sisters…
But I couldn't be entirely at ease.
Because even before we got off the ship, a message had popped up on my smartphone.
[Hug your eldest Noona, Kang Yu-dam, for at least 180 minutes while wearing swimsuits. 0/180]
[Reward: 1,200,000 Won]
[! If this quest is not completed, the eligibility to perform it will be transferred to your eldest Noona, Kang Yu-dam!]
“…This is driving me crazy, seriously.”
The beach was bustling with people taking surfing lessons or relaxing under parasols on sunbeds.
I clutched my smartphone with the quest displayed on the screen and watched my eldest Noona approach.
She was wearing a swimsuit so vividly black that it made her look even more provocative.
I instinctively knew that a hug would inevitably lead to certain… physical changes.