Chapter 6: Bad Friends (1)
Chapter 6: Bad Friends (1)
Once the desires that had filled me were drained away, it was time for that period of self-reflection commonly known as post-nut clarity.
Normally, it wouldn't have been this bad, but I couldn't help but flounder in a sea of intense misery and pain.
I had harbored sexual desire for my own sister, and even if I’d handled it alone, I had let it all out while vividly picturing her.
I was so ashamed I couldn't even look her in the eye.
It was only a moment ago that I thought I wasn't a beast. I thought I was clearly different from those guys who let themselves be swept away by lust to do terrible things.
But contrary to what I thought, it seemed I wasn't all that different. So, I stared blankly up at the ceiling with a somber expression.
When I happened to turn my head, I saw the game. A "family-friendly game"—a game whose purpose for existing was a complete mystery.
I still didn't know what kind of quest that game had given my sister. Even though she told me a quest had popped up telling her to kiss me.
Was that really the case? I closed my eyes, harboring doubts.
Why did I do that, and why did she?
It was something to think about.
And as I pondered, a few things came to mind.
First, desire.
Neither my sister nor I were the type to have a high sex drive, yet the moment we were together in the game, we lost our reason and became absorbed in kissing.
And then there were the sensations.
I had to struggle to escape the tactile memories that still felt so vivid.
Those soft lips, the fullness of her body pressing down on me.
The sound of her heart rate syncing with my own thumping chest, her hot breath that seemed to rise in proportion to her soaring body temperature.
I had to dwell on it for a long time to try and forget the way our saliva and tongues had tangled together so stickily.
Looking at my body's lingering reaction even now, the game's influence was either far greater than I thought, or…
Maybe, just maybe, I had actually wanted it.
No, that was going too far. There was no way.
Anyway, it was the game's fault.
There must have been something inside the game that made it difficult to suppress one's urges.
In the first place, considering it pulled you into virtual reality without any kind of interface device, it wouldn't be strange if it was messing with my brain.
Even if it wasn't that, there must be something about it that creates that kind of atmosphere.
As I thought, I worried about how to react the next time my eldest sister asked to play together.
Thinking about it didn't give me an answer, but fortunately, I could come up with a few more plausible reasons.
I didn't want to hurt her. Even though she was a solid, strong, and mature woman.
She had a soft side sometimes. Especially when it came to family.
If I had pushed her away, she would have been hurt, and subconsciously realizing that, I hadn't been able to reject her.
At least, that was my perspective.
Of course, that wasn't all; spending nearly two years in the military with pent-up frustrations also played a part.
But still, to see my own sister as a woman just because I was frustrated?
I stood up with a feeling of wretchedness, changed my sticky pants, and headed to the bathroom to wash up again.
This second shower took a long time as I tried to wash away the accumulated guilt and sense of depravity.
"Jin-ah, I'm heading out to work now."
I heard her voice faintly. I couldn't even see her off and let her leave, letting out a sigh as the water from the showerhead hit me.
Ha, fuck. This is going to be awkward.
It seemed like she wanted to treat it as just a game and move on, but I didn't know if I could actually do that.
Men are the type of creatures who start seeing someone as a romantic interest just from having a dirty dream about them, and even if it was a game, I had done those things of my own volition.
Could I really look at her as just my sister again? I was anxious because I couldn't even understand my own heart.
It was around the time I had been under the water for a while.
I heard the sound of the door lock opening. Was it Yuri? Or...
I felt someone rushing in, hurriedly pressing the buttons, opening the door, and then slamming it shut with a thud.
A slight vibration traveled through the floor. I soon recognized the footsteps walking toward me, and the moment a hand gripped the bathroom doorknob, I was already scowling.
"Piss off, Kang Yu-min. Someone's in here."
There was no reply. I felt the presence move away from the doorknob.
But I knew what would happen next. As I frowned, the footsteps approached again, and the door swung wide open.
"Ah, seriously. I told you to piss off. Don't you have any respect for privacy? No sense of shame?"
"Whatever. Is this your house? Besides, we're family. What's the big deal about seeing that tiny thing?"
The person entering the bathroom had a look that would leave anyone speechless, provided you ignored the words flowing out of her mouth.
If my eldest sister was the incarnation of benevolence, kindness, and femininity...
Then Kang Yu-min, based on looks alone, was a mysterious and chic beauty.
On top of that, her slender yet appropriately curvaceous figure maximized her charm.
I already had to struggle not to think about what had happened earlier.
How did she take my lukewarm attitude? Kang Yu-min let out a huffy "Hmph" and strode into the bathroom.
Immediately, her gaze swept down my body. This bitch is doing this shit again.
"Why are you scanning your brother's body like a pervert while calling it tiny? It's not like you're advertising that you're a virgin. This is average, okay?"
"What is there to even look at? You're being delusional. And calling your sister a virgin? You're a real pervert. Ugh!"
Even as she said that, Kang Yu-min didn't take her eyes off my body.
Perverted bitch.
It was also absurd that all she did after coming in was wash her hands. Didn't she just come in to peek?
She often peeked at my smartphone and used my computer in secret, too.
I growled at Kang Yu-min, who was glaring at me with a furrowed brow.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd turn your eyes away so I can keep being 'delusional.'"
"When was I even looking?"
"You're looking right now. Do you think I'm an idiot?"
"You are. An idiot."
Watching her snort while refusing to look away until the very end made something boil up inside me.
A feeling like I wanted to punish her. I felt a surge of aggression that one shouldn't feel toward family.
Maybe I need to give this bitch a real taste of reality for her to snap out of it.
But then it would be a disaster if she started crying again. I clicked my tongue and turned my head, but...
"By the way, you used my computer, didn't you?"
Kang Yu-min spoke as if this was the main point. I tried not to look flustered.
I just frowned and answered nonchalantly.
"I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"I said I didn't. Why are you being so persistent..."
"Then what's that 'Family-Friendly Game' on the desktop?"
Ah, caught.
I tried to hide the fact that my body flinched, but Kang Yu-min was already snickering.
"Idiot."
This bitch really knows how to piss someone off with just one word.
I struggled to suppress my rising temper, and Kang Yu-min giggled as she flicked the water off her hands toward me.
The cold droplets hitting my skin felt unpleasant. Especially the sudden chill that followed.
"Ah, fuck... what the hell."
"What kind of game name is that? You're like a little girl."
"Look who's talking, you're the girl here."
I said that, but I was certain of one thing.
I had definitely deleted the game. And not just deleted it.
I had cleaned up the traces perfectly. I cleared the cookies and wiped the internet history.
So she might know I used the computer, but she shouldn't be able to see the installed game.
But now wasn't the time to argue about that.
"Really, this sister of yours laments her brother's girlishness. I didn't raise you to be such a girl—"
I spoke firmly to Kang Yu-min, who was blathering on self-importantly.
"Fine, say whatever you want. I'm going to keep playing it anyway."
"Oh, where'd this sudden backbone come from?"
Kang Yu-min giggled. I shrugged and preached a simple truth.
"Do you have any idea how much I made from that in a month?"
This game was a money-maker.
"Seven million won."
At that, Kang Yu-min's eyes went wide.
And seeing her face like that, a good idea suddenly occurred to me.
"Want to try it?"
I can't say it wasn't impulsive.
Kang Yu-min's skill at getting under my skin was quite impressive, and seeing that particularly punchable face of hers made my blood boil.
So that definitely played a part in my decision.
But on the other hand, there were some logical reasons as well.
Something like... a quest might pop up, like when I played with my eldest sister.
But I told myself I could just not do it.
Even if one appeared, it wouldn't be a problem. Kang Yu-min and I weren't on great terms, and she tended to dislike me too.
There was no way an "accident" would happen.
Even if, by some miracle, the game really pushed our minds in that direction and something happened...
That wouldn't be a problem either.
With Kang Yu-min, there would be no guilt, and depending on the situation, we could just remain as a pair that enjoys themselves only within the game.
It's not like I'd feel absolutely nothing, but the sense of sin would be less than doing it with Yuri or my eldest sister.
Of course, that direction was close to the lesser of two evils, but if things really went south, that was an option.
Above all, I had this intention too.
I thought that if this bitch, who keeps acting up and picking at me, got a real taste of something intense, she might tone it down.
Combined with the feeling that I couldn't lose to Kang Yu-min, I immediately pushed forward with my decision.
"Phew, that's refreshing... Oh, for fuck's sake."
When I came out after telling her to "piss off so I can finish washing," what I saw was Kang Yu-min peeking at my smartphone even more blatantly than my eldest sister had.
I strode over, and Kang Yu-min glanced at me with her characteristic expressionless face. The corners of her eyes, tilted up like a cat's, were the same as usual.
Come to think of it, it was always like this. I wondered what she found so interesting to keep doing this.
I snatched the smartphone away from Kang Yu-min, who was busily rummaging through my gallery and bookmarks, and grumbled.
"Stop looking at my phone. Don't you have one of your own?"
"Is it going to wear out? I can take a look. Why are you always throwing a fit?"
"I'm throwing a fit because you keep looking. You won't even let me see your phone."
"Of course not. I'm the older sister and you're the younger brother."
"Why, you..."
I swallowed the curse that was about to come out and clicked my tongue, turning the smartphone face down so she couldn't see it.
Seeing how even my eldest sister peeks at it, I was starting to feel like it had become some kind of traditional family pastime.
But that wasn't something to worry about right now. I finished drying myself with a towel and got dressed.
"So, are you really going to do it?"
"You said it makes money. I'd love to make some money too. Lately, Unnie cut my allowance, so I've been strapped."
"That's why I told you to stop buying weird stuff and stop wandering around. You already have so many clothes, why do you keep buying more? Just borrow some from Noona."
It's not like she wouldn't lend them. At my words, Kang Yu-min narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Yuri spends about the same, you know? But you don't act like this toward her."
"Even if Yuri spends money, she spends less than you. And Yuri is nice. I play favorites with the good ones. Got it?"
"This guy is unbelievable."
"Hey, don't 'this guy' me. You want to get in trouble?"
"Oh, try it. I'll just cry and tell Unnie again."
"You're a real psycho."
I clicked my tongue and entered my room.
My room still faintly held my eldest sister's scent. I forced my body to move, ignoring the flinch. I changed the subject to distract myself.
There was a time when I pushed Kang Yu-min and she cried, and I got in huge trouble with Noona.
Since then, no matter how angry I got at Kang Yu-min, I never laid a finger on her, let alone a fist. Kang Yu-min knew that and used it relentlessly.
I couldn't even ask for my eldest sister's help in that matter. Her strength and weakness were that she was rational and fair.
Of course, that didn't make my sense of injustice any less.
I spoke with a scowl. It was the same repertoire I brought up every time she mentioned crying.
"And how long ago was that? You're still bringing it up? I didn't even hit you hard, I just pushed you. You cried like the world was ending."
"You don't know because you weren't the one hit, it hurt a lot! Ever heard of emotional distress?"
"There you go with the bullshit again. So, are you doing it or not?"
"I said I'm doing it! Are you deaf?"
Kang Yu-min and I bickered as we entered the room and approached the computer, which was still on.
"You really bought an expensive-looking one. How exactly do you earn money?"
It's not that Kang Yu-min knew nothing about computers, but she wasn't an expert either.
Even she could tell that my new computer had an incredible appearance.
The tower itself was massive, it emitted a subtle glow, and it was integrated with the desk, even capable of transforming.
And it certainly was an expensive computer.
A price that would make her flip out and tell Noona, and a price that would make Noona scold me severely.
A price that I personally considered an investment cost and excluded from my earnings. I answered quickly to distract her.
"Roughly speaking, it's like a QA team. Quality Assurance."
"Quality Assurance? Like, playing in advance and reporting bugs?"
"Oh, our soccer-obsessed airhead actually knows that?"
"Do you want to die? Stop looking down on me."
"Oh, the airhead who only knows soccer and cries about emotional distress after being pushed is getting angry. I really want to hit you. Seriously."
"Seriously, if I were a guy, you'd be half-dead."
"Yeah, but you're a girl, right? Can't kill me, right? You're a loser, right?"
Kang Yu-min finally surrendered to my teasing.
And her surrender took the form of violence.
She clenched her fists and swung them, pouring her frustration into my shoulder.
If she were going all out, even I would have retaliated in anger, but that didn't happen.
It didn't hurt, and if I fought back, she'd just cry again.
Kang Yu-min knew that, so she wasn't putting any strength into her punches in the first place.
The fact that we both knew this might have looked strange to an outsider.
But all of this was a kind of professional wrestling.
A highly standardized sort of show.
You could say it was a way to release the feelings we harbored for each other in our own way.
In that sense, the relationship between Kang Yu-min and me wasn't all that bad.
Not great, but not that bad either.
So to speak, we were close to being "bad friends." In that sense, she was the most comfortable to be around.
Whether Kang Yu-min thought so too was another matter.
"Anyway, that's how it is. When you perform automated quests that the AI sends by reading our psychology within the game, the company sends money."
"...AI?"
"Yeah. So the money comes even if you're not connected to the internet. Should I disconnect it?"
Kang Yu-min looked at the computer with suspicious eyes before nodding, and I unplugged the LAN cable without hesitation.
"I'm telling you in advance, you'll feel a bit dizzy or flustered for a moment when the game starts. Stay calm, okay?"
"Just how amazing is this game? If it's nothing special, you're dead."
"Always saying you'll kill me. Are you going to say you'll split me in half next?"
"Ah, seriously. Stop teasing!"
"Yeah, I'm going to keep teasing, okay?"
I continued the standardized banter and show with Kang Yu-min as I ran the game.
After the familiar dizziness and the sensation of being sucked in passed, a strange space soon welcomed us.
It was a vast, sprawling plain.
A place smelling of earth where the grass lay down and stood up in unison with the blowing wind, and short shadows flickered under the blazing sun.
An abandoned building was visible not far away, and a flashlight was in my hand.
Amidst an ominous premonition, I let out a hollow laugh as I saw the window that popped up in front of me.
[!Cooperation Quest!]
[!This quest can be viewed by both players, and rewards will be given simultaneously!]
[Ejaculate 10ml of semen into the mouth of your second sister, Kang Yu-min. 0/10ml]
[Reward: 2,500,000 Won Cash]
"Ugh, I'm dizzy..."
I watched Kang Yu-min sprawled on the ground, complaining of dizziness, and felt relieved.
She probably hadn't seen the quest yet.
Good, then I'll act like I didn't see it either.
Only after the ten seconds it took for the quest window to close naturally did I help Kang Yu-min up.