Chapter 30
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: My Wrist Was Grabbed
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Thinking about it, meeting Sia might actually count as a date.
Even if she's my friend's little sister, this was my first time going out alone with a girl to do something.
I finished applying a bandage and got ready to head out.
The sensation of something sticking to my chest felt more familiar than the first time.
The place I was heading to now was uncharted territory. And it was quite a distance away.
To keep the appointment on time, I made sure not to miss the subway.
I'd planned to leave a bit early to arrive at the station ten minutes ahead, but...
Just in case something happened in those ten minutes, I left twenty minutes early.
Thanks to that, I luckily caught the subway without issue.
But the unexpected part was that when I had to transfer from the subway to the bus, luck was on my side, and I made the connection right away.
By the time I arrived at the department store, it was thirty minutes before the appointed time.
'I got here way too early...'
I stood there awkwardly in a black-and-white hoodie and track pants that didn't match the department store vibe at all.
Feeling like the only one dressed casually, it seemed like everyone else was staring at me.
Where should I wait?
My heart started pounding faster.
People were passing by around me.
If I kept waiting inside the department store like this, all the gazes pouring in from every direction would suffocate me.
I couldn't even lift my head to check if they were really looking, but it felt like they were.
To kill time until the appointment without drawing attention, I slipped out of the department store and headed into a quiet, secluded alley that looked sparsely populated.
Maybe because it was still early, there weren't many shops open, but it seemed like the street would get pretty crowded once business hours started.
There were far fewer people than in the department store, and since it was daytime, it didn't feel scary at all.
That's when someone approached me there.
"Excuse me. Um..."
I wondered what they wanted, but just like last time, they asked for my number.
"I, uh, like girls... Sorry."
I refused the same way as before.
I gave a light nod and quickly turned to leave.
But this time, the reaction was a bit different.
"Wait a second."
The guy grabbed my wrist firmly.
"...You're lying, right? Why reject me like that? You're embarrassing me."
What? Normally, they'd just leave at this point...
"N-no, it's true. Let go... please."
I tried to pull my hand away, but his grip tightened. Cold sweat trickled down my neck.
"If you don't like it, just say no cleanly."
My first attempt failed.
I spoke again in a trembling voice, trying to shake off his grip on my wrist.
"Let go...!"
I resisted a bit more roughly than before, and he finally let go, like he'd given up.
"Ugh..."
As soon as the strength left his hand, I yanked my arm back and bolted out of the alley without a second's hesitation.
I ran, breathing heavily, toward a crowded area.
"Haa... haa..."
The feel of his grip lingered vividly on my wrist.
'Creepy, creepy, creepy.'
I glanced back while running, but thankfully, he wasn't chasing me.
I'd planned to wait at the department store, but even so, places with lots of foot traffic were tough.
I went into the nearest department store bathroom to kill time.
"Hoo..."
I fiddled with my smartphone, trying to think of other things, but that scene kept replaying in my head.
My wrist, where he'd grabbed it, still throbbed.
'How else was I supposed to reject him...?'
Why do people keep asking for my number anyway?
If they didn't, stuff like this wouldn't happen.
I killed time in the department store bathroom.
Five minutes before the appointment.
Five minutes—I figured I could tough it out with sheer willpower—so I left the bathroom.
The department store was still buzzing with people milling about.
Voices chatting, the click-clack of heels.
Still, knowing I'd meet someone familiar soon made it better than before.
"Phew..."
I took a deep breath and looked around for Sia, but with so many people, it was hard to spot her.
After scanning around while standing there, I finally pulled out my smartphone.
[I'm here.]
The reply came right away.
[Where's oppa?]
[Seems like the center... There's a sign that says FOL.]
[I'll head there.]
She called me "oppa" again in the text, but I just ignored it.
Sia seemed pretty confused about it anyway.
While I waited a moment, someone tapped my back.
I was a little startled, but given the timing, it had to be Sia.
I steadied myself and turned around.
Sure enough, there she was.
Beige knit sweater and jeans, with a neat little crossbody bag on her shoulder.
But Sia's expression as she looked at me was a bit odd.
"...Is that all the clothes you have? I spotted you right away because of your outfit."
She seemed to misunderstand—I don't wear the same clothes multiple times.
The design was the same, but this was a different one from before.
I tugged at the hem of my shirt and protested.
"Ah, this is different from that time... Same color, but I have two more just like it..."
"Oh, I see..."
Sia crossed her arms and stared at me intently for a moment.
What was she pondering?
Finally, she seemed to decide, uncrossing her arms.
"...We're buying clothes too."
"......"
"Answer me."
"Got it..."
This was definitely Si-woo's sister.
I followed Sia without a word. She walked ahead confidently, like she already knew exactly where we were going.
As soon as we got on the escalator, she stuck right by my side, no sense of distance.
"...Do you know when I first became absolutely sure that Eun-hae oppa was my unnie? The words were a bit weird, but you get what I mean, right?"
Sia smiled with her eyes and met my gaze naturally. It was hard for me to look back, so I turned my head slightly.
"When was that...?"
"When I saw you weren't wearing a bra. No matter how small your chest is, not wearing one doesn't make sense. Know when I started? Elementary school."
Sia said it proudly, puffing out her chest. She had every right to be confident.
"Well, if you're dressing comfy, maybe you just let it slide for real. I don't wear one at home when I'm relaxing either."
I listened silently as Sia chattered on happily—she was good at keeping a conversation going by herself.
"But when I saw it poking through your shirt, I was shocked. If you're going braless, at least use patches, right? Or you're a perv."
Her words weren't fully registering because something irritating kept buzzing in my ear.
"...You're using formal speech again."
When I pointed it out, Sia pouted.
"Argh, seriously. We've only met twice—how can you be so casual right away? Or maybe drop the 'unnie' and it'll be fine."
"Huh?"
"You look younger than me. Like a little sister. But I keep using formal speech because I feel awkward."
Sia placed her hand on my shoulder with a grinning face. She had no issues with physical contact.
Formal speech made me uncomfortable, though.
With my shy personality, adding formal language on top made it impossible to get close.
If you don't speak casually, the emotional distance doesn't shrink.
It feels like we're kept apart.
Formal speech was a wall for me, creating that sense of distance.
I couldn't stand it.
So I said,
"Then just treat me super casually. Like a friend."
Sia looked a bit surprised, like she hadn't expected that.
"For real?"
"Yeah. It's fine. I prefer it that way too..."
"Okay, Eun-ha! What do you wanna shop for first?"
It felt like she adapted way too fast, but still.
Others might call it "getting eaten up," but I liked it this way.
"...Let's get clothes first."
It didn't take long before I regretted suggesting we drop the formalities.
Something felt off, very off.
"Getting eaten up" was the perfect way to put it. I'd been completely devoured.
It felt like being treated like a kid.
After switching to casual speech, the physical contact ramped up big time, and Sia was clinging to me even now.
I looked up at her—had to tilt my head a bit to meet her eyes—and said,
"Sia, remember I used to be a guy."
"...Yeah, I know. So what?"
Maybe I shouldn't have dropped the formalities.
"...It touches."
The moment she heard that, Sia leaned into me more. She definitely knew.
"Touches? What? Oh, your chest?"
"You know, and you still do it..."
"What's wrong with girl-on-girl?"
"No, but inside I'm still a guy..."
"You've lived as a girl for a month—shouldn't you be used to this by now? You have to get used to it."
'I don't have these fat lumps on my body, so the sensation's still weird.'
I wanted to say it, but I didn't spell it out bluntly.
"My body's familiar, but someone else's isn't yet..."
Sia snickered.
"You're embarrassed..."
With that, she finally backed off a little.
Ah, finally, I could breathe.
Sia's steps were quick, so I had to hustle to keep up.
Before I knew it, we were in front of a women's clothing store.
Short shorts exposing thighs, skirts, dresses.
Wasn't this a bit too much for me to wear?
"S-Sia, I think we came to the wrong place..."
"What?"
I pointed at the mannequins.
"There's... nothing here I'd wear...?"
"No chit-chat. Follow me."
Sia grabbed my wrist and dragged me in. I didn't even have the strength to shake her off.
I tried maximizing friction by planting my feet, leaning back to shift my center of gravity, but Sia kept marching forward.
Why was she so strong? I got pulled along helplessly.
"Uwaaa..."
She paused just before we were fully inside and whispered in my ear.
"I said I'd teach you about being a girl, right...?"
Her face had a smile, but it felt kinda scary.
Was Sia always this type of character?
Or was it just me thinking that?
Either way, one thing was clear.
...I might've latched onto the wrong person.