Chapter 27
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Only My Hand Hurt
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Sia wore a slightly angry expression.
"No way, you knew about it and just let her keep wandering around like this?"
Si-woo flailed his hands in panic as he replied.
"Ah, no, I only found out today myself."
"There's no way you didn't know! You didn't deliberately keep it from me, did you?"
"I-I'm telling you, it's true."
"Eun-hae o—, ah. Seriously, unnie. What time works? No, make time. This weekend. I know your schedule's empty. Even if it's not, clear it."
It was true that my schedule was completely open, with nothing I could argue against, but it stung a little that she knew every bit of it.
"Why... why do that..."
Sia stated firmly.
"We're going shopping for underwear."
"D-don't I not need any at my size? It's small..."
"Even if it's small, you still have to wear some...! No matter what, it's different for guys and girls."
"It doesn't even show, so what's the point...? When I look at myself alone, it doesn't feel like that, and guys have them poking out over their clothes too...!"
The moment I started arguing back, Si-woo hung his head.
"Is it the same for guys and girls? So what, does that mean you could take off your top right here? Can you? If there's really no difference?"
"No, that's a bit..."
"Then let's go buy some."
"I'll order online... Tomorrow... No, I'll go straight home today and order right away."
"No. We're going together."
My throat was parched, so I chugged the cola in front of me.
It had been sitting there long enough that the fizz was mostly gone, leaving it just like sugary water.
"Anyway, I had nothing to do before school starts. You know you'll buy them and actually wear them, right? You don't? Then don't buy something weird and have to get them twice—just come with me."
Sia grabbed my hand, looked me straight in the eyes, and declared confidently.
"I'll teach you all about being a girl."
"Pfft—!"
This time, I was the one who spat out my cola.
We left the barbecue place. Si-woo paid the whole bill.
I offered to go Dutch, but he insisted on covering it.
I'm a total freeloader, and his little sister is his little sister, so as the employed one, he said it was only right—and he practically shoved us out before swiping his card.
It was still cold enough that your breath fogged up at night.
Si-woo and I were headed the same way, while only Sia was going a different direction, so we decided to walk her to her stop.
The three of us walked side by side down the sidewalk.
Sia stuck close to Si-woo, and I was next to Sia.
Walking like this meant we had to dodge whenever someone came from the opposite direction.
I'd rather have them go ahead and me follow looking at their feet—that'd feel more comfortable—but Si-woo and Sia wouldn't have it.
While we walked, Sia wrapped her arm around my shoulders from behind my neck.
Even Sia was using me as an armrest now.
Si-woo used to use me as one sometimes before, but thinking about it, he hadn't done that since this body change.
Maybe because I'd gotten shorter, making the angle awkward for him to hook his arm comfortably.
As if calling me, a bit of strength entered Sia's hand resting on my shoulder.
"Unnie, what's your Outstagram ID?"
I didn't do Outstagram or anything like that—I wasn't into those SNS.
The only social media I bothered with was S.
That service with the black icon and a stark font spelling out a single 'S'.
I'd blocked out all the irrelevant content, curating my feed to show only what I wanted: info on games I played, cute animal pics, posts from my favorite illustrators.
I was fine blocking everything else.
I didn't want to waste this precious time on unpleasant stuff when I could fill it with happy, beautiful things.
"I, uh, don't do that one..."
"...Huh? For real?"
Seeing Sia's genuinely shocked face made me realize just how different our worlds were.
"Si-woo doesn't either... right?"
I called for backup, but Si-woo was ice cold.
"I do."
"You didn't say you did..."
"No need to mention it, so I didn't."
I felt betrayed by Si-woo.
Am I really the only one? The only one who doesn't?
"Then at least give me your number."
"Okay..."
I gave Sia my phone number.
Curious how she'd saved my name, I sneaked a peek—it was [Eun-hae Oppa (Unnie)].
Si-woo pointed at Sia as if warning her.
"Don't go spreading rumors to other people."
Sia raised her index finger to her lips.
"Of course not. You know I'm great at keeping secrets. I won't say a word."
She lowered her finger and added,
"But you hid it well, oppa. I seriously had no clue."
"Eun-hae's so quiet because she has no friends. If word got out, weirdos would start hitting her up."
Was Si-woo insulting me or worrying about me?
Yeah, my social circle was small, but still—saying it so bluntly with me right there...
"Hey, I'm human too—I can slip up sometimes, right? You can cut me some slack for that?"
Sia flashed a playful smile while gauging Si-woo's reaction. He grew even firmer.
"That's exactly what you need to be careful about."
Listening to them talk revealed the source of that faint sense of dissonance I'd felt since we met up.
"By the way, Sia."
"Yes? Oh, yeah! Eun-hae o—, unnie."
"Didn't you always talk casually to me before? Why keep adding polite endings?"
"Uh... um... well."
Sia seemed uncomfortable, hemming and hawing with little groans, not answering for a while.
Then she stared right at my face and let her shoulders slump.
"I'm having cognitive dissonance right now. For real. We just met today, right? But you look younger than me, and you're supposed to be unnie. But that unnie is Eun-hae oppa. I'm all confused."
She'd groped me just fine earlier, but women were incomprehensible.
Sia kept staring at me.
"...You can talk casually. Like before."
"I'll try."
"...Even now."
It wasn't far to Sia's drop-off. At the bus stop, she declared firmly.
"Eun-hae oppa, don't forget our promise. This weekend. You have to come. Absolutely."
Sensing something off, she waved her hand and rephrased it.
She still wasn't used to the title.
For me, oddly, this old one felt more natural than 'unnie'.
As if she had to correct it to feel satisfied, Sia repeated herself.
"Ah, unnie. Right. Unnie, don't forget the promise—you have to come this weekend. If you don't, I'll tell oppa."
With that, Sia boarded the bus.
Si-woo watched her go and gave a short farewell.
"Take care."
I just waved quietly.
Once the bus pulled away, we turned back.
Heading home again.
I stared at Si-woo's profile and hesitantly spoke up.
"Hey, seriously... is it really okay if I go?"
"What can I do if she insists? I can't stop her. Just go."
Si-woo walked ahead casually, eyes forward.
I stopped in my tracks.
"I'm asking if you're really okay with it."
Hearing my voice from behind, Si-woo halted and turned.
He looked at me standing there and let out a short, hollow chuckle.
Not quite a sneer—more like a relaxed laugh with a hint of playfulness.
That irritated me even more.
"Why wouldn't I be okay? Ah, you could learn about girls while you're at it."
Si-woo faced forward again and strolled off leisurely.
I hurried to catch up and match his pace.
"Your little sister going off alone with your friend? And to... that place, no less."
"So what."
Si-woo shrugged, cutting me off. I lowered my voice so only he could hear.
"Sh-shopping for underwear? With your little sister? Me?"
"I'm not in a position to say anything. Let my sister do what she wants. Hey, she's an adult too. Even if I tried to stop her, it wouldn't work, and there's no reason to anyway."
Was Si-woo really that unbothered?
I quickened my steps to block his path.
"...You really didn't notice all this time, right?"
Si-woo's eyes flickered ever so slightly, but I caught it.
Imagining it now or something? He cleared his throat awkwardly, averting his gaze.
"Wh-what didn't I notice."
"You know exactly what. Don't play dumb. You've seen it this whole time and just didn't say anything. Did you like it?"
A curse slipped out before I knew it. I failed to control my volume, so passersby glanced our way as they went past.
I hoped they just thought we were a couple fighting.
Si-woo jumped in surprise, grabbed one of my arms, and clapped a hand over my mouth.
"Hey, no cursing in public. And why are you yelling...? Everyone's staring. I really didn't know."
I turned my head to pry his hand off.
"Pah... Why are you avoiding my eyes? Look at me. If you're so confident, look me in the eye..."
Si-woo muttered softly.
"Look at your clothes. They're baggy—how's anyone supposed to see easily...!"
"What about it. Say it properly."
"......"
"Say it."
Si-woo whispered so no one else could hear.
"I couldn't see your nipples...! You only wear that hoodie anyway, so it's loose. That's why I didn't notice...!"
Couldn't see them well.
Not a flat-out "couldn't see"—it was "couldn't see well," leaving room to interpret that a close look would've revealed them.
Shame welled up in me, along with a twinge of betrayal.
"Damn it, 'not well' means you could've seen if you focused...!"
My face burned. Memories of roaming around outside replayed in my head.
No way... even back then? Every time I went out?
Were all those stares because of this?
"This is so freaking embarrassing—the guy next to me earlier was staring too...!"
"Why blame me? You didn't buy any."
"......"
Si-woo's comeback left me speechless for a moment.
It was definitely my call not to buy any.
"Ughhh...!"
He wasn't wrong, and that pissed me off more.
I slammed my fist into Si-woo's arm as hard as I could.
He let go of my wrist and just kept walking, ignoring the hit.
Only my hand hurt.