Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Cha Hee-ra
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Na-young's friends must have really motivated her, because after that day, Hee-ra noona threw herself into dieting with full enthusiasm.
After intense workouts, it was obvious she'd lost a bit of weight—probably sneaking snacks behind our backs again—but it was visible.
Every now and then, though, she'd get this distant look, lost in thought as if pondering some deep meaning. Nothing seemed wrong, so no need to worry.
Anyway, if she kept this up, she'd easily sculpt herself into the world-famous model version of Hee-ra noona I remembered. The thought brought a smile to my lips.
And just like promised, the happy future where both Na-young and Hee-ra noona became my girls was right around the corner.
Or so I thought...
The weekend arrived with perfect dating weather, so Na-young and I headed downtown for a date.
After wandering around a bit, it was suddenly lunchtime. We made our way to a nearby burger joint, where I spotted a familiar figure.
Up close, sure enough. Hee-ra noona was stuffing burgers down her throat, as if obeying the law of mass conservation with all the weight she'd just lost.
I called out to her in a voice laced with chill disappointment.
"Noona...?"
She flinched!
Her massive frame trembled violently.
"You've eaten a lot, huh, noona."
Way too much.
Just from the crumpled wrappers I could see at a glance, there were over five.
French fries sets—three of those—and traces of six side menu items, plus plenty still left. I could only let out a sigh.
I'd thought seeing those pretty friends of Na-young's, who were even prettier than her, plus the 100 million won prize on the line, had given her solid motivation. Was I just being naive?
I clutched my throbbing forehead and sighed again.
"Heh, hehe... I really tried my best to hold back, but it's been so long since I had any, and they were just too delicious. So I thought, just one... just one burger."
"One...?"
For "just one," the carnage of wrappers was devastating.
And cola with free refills—who knows how many she'd chugged.
Calculate that in calories, and the future looked pitch black.
All the weight she'd barely shed over the past few days seemed to be piling right back on.
"Yeah... when did I even eat all this? Ha, haha..."
It wasn't funny at all, but she forced a laugh and shoved another half-eaten burger into her mouth.
We were starving anyway and had come here to fill up.
Na-young was drooling, staring blankly at Hee-ra noona's burgers and gulping down her dry saliva.
"Na-young, you can have all of it."
"Uh, u-uh...? For real?"
"Yeah. Eat them all."
She wanted to, but she hesitated, wary of Hee-ra noona's gaze.
"Th-this is mine!"
Even though it was bought with my money, the moment it was threatened, she hugged the steaming, unopened burgers to her chest faster than ever.
"Noona, it's 100 million won. 100 million. You gonna pass on that? If you keep this up... haa..."
I wasn't the only one bummed out—it gave me another headache.
"Um... sis, you'll gain weight. Just eat this much today. So let me take these..."
Na-young, glancing at me, reached for the burgers huddled in Hee-ra noona's arms.
"Y-you'll gain weight too!"
Hee-ra noona shrank back, swatting at Na-young's hand and yelling.
"It's fine. I'll just work out extra for whatever I eat—no gaining for me."
"M-me too... me too!"
"Then how about we head to the bathhouse right now and check?"
"......"
The bathhouse suggestion shut her mouth tight, her eyes darting away.
No wonder. Stripping naked and exposing her hideous body was bad enough, but stepping on a scale that was sure to hit triple digits? Pure trauma.
"Sis! Confiscated! My stomach's the storage!"
In the end, Na-young snatched every last burger, fry, and side menu item—like babies she'd birthed in agony.
She put up a feeble resistance midway but flinched at the mention of the bathhouse and scale, giving up.
She stared blankly as her precious food vanished into Na-young's mouth one by one, letting out a lament.
She even sneaked a hand toward the fries for a last grab, but I blocked that too.
"Ugh... j-just a little..."
"No."
"Hing..."
"Playing pitiful won't work."
With that face, it just made me more annoyed—any urge to give in vanished.
Realizing there was no way out, she dropped her head in total defeat, having lost everything.
"A-ah... n-no... ugh. Too mean... waaah...!"
She despaired repeatedly, watching them disappear into Na-young's mouth.
More tormented than any physical torture, she fidgeted restlessly.
Finally, only traces remained as everything vanished into Na-young's stomach—the long, agonizing ordeal was over.
"Okay, all eaten. Let's go."
"B-but the burgers...! Our date, just the two of us... ugh!"
No burgers now.
I wasn't teasing Hee-ra noona—we couldn't eat in front of her... wait, Na-young, you just stole and ate them, and now you want more?
Sorry, but her whining for burgers during our date was absurd.
"Hoo. Noona."
"Y-yeah...?"
"You gotta lose at least 20kg by the end of the month, right?"
"20...? Impossible...!"
Of course, dropping 20kg at once was tough.
But when you've got that much to lose, it's not impossible.
The real grind starts as you near the goal—the beginning's easy with a bit of starving and exercise.
Probably.
Feeling my intense stare, Hee-ra noona averted her eyes slightly and spoke.
"Yeah... got it. I'll try hard...!"
"It's not 'try'—you have to do it... haa. Noona."
"Yeah...?"
"If you lose it faster, I'll give you more money... no, I'll buy you an expensive couple's ring."
Even 100 million didn't faze her much, so jewelry it was.
"A ring...? For real? Hehe... you're still serious, huh?"
She chuckled at my unwavering devotion, despite her loathsome self.
"Why do you want me so bad? Even betting 100 million? I just don't get it."
"Don't try to understand. You'll see later."
"Again with that. 'You'll get pretty.' I don't believe it. Believing would just make it worse..."
No matter how hard she fought to change the unchangeable truth, despair was all that came back.
"No, sis. You'll get pretty. I thought the same about myself once, but Ji-hoon kept saying I was pretty, that he could see the beauty in me, that even if not now, the kids who tore me down for my looks would regret it. And like he said, the ones who called me ugly ended up just like he predicted."
Na-young couldn't even imagine Hee-ra noona hiding a pretty face, but since I said so, she believed it.
With her own precedent, she trusted me over doubt.
"And sis."
"Yeah... Na-young..."
"When you heard about the 100 million, you really seemed set on losing the weight properly."
"......"
Hee-ra noona didn't deny the truth.
"So would someone like that cave to hunger?"
Na-young tilted her head.
No answer still, so she shook her head.
"I don't think so. Something happened, right?"
"N-nothing... happened..."
She tried to hide it.
But.
"Liar. You've got sand grains in your hair. One or two, maybe, but it's not brushed out—plenty inside."
Not once or twice—she kept coming with sand in her hair.
And even.
"Your uniform has footprints on it..."
Marks like someone had stepped on her were clear on Hee-ra noona's uniform.
She jolted in surprise and covered it, but I'd already seen.
"Who... did that?"
Na-young's anger flared.
They'd grown close despite the short time. Her new sis being bullied? Fact now.
"Someone's harassing you, stress builds up, and you comfort-eat like this?"
"......"
Having lived it herself, Na-young perfectly understood Hee-ra noona's feelings.
"And my gut says it's not just that."
With conviction.
"There's more, right? Something else... sis?"
Touched by Na-young getting mad for her, Hee-ra noona flashed a bright smile and burst into hearty laughter.
"You're... sometimes you seem like such a pure kid who fears nothing, but other times you're so sharp and clever."
She wiped her teary eyes.
"Curious?"
"Yes, sis."
"You too, Ji-hoon?"
"Of course."
Info that didn't even show up on the future smartphone—who wouldn't be?
"Okay. I'll spill it all. Everything... all of it..."
Like she'd decided to bare her soul to kids she barely knew—three years younger, no less—her heavy lips trembled.
"Well, you see..."