I'm Not Hating My Pretty Sister

Two days had passed since the transmigration.

Living in Jung Tae-woo's body, I had arrived at a single, unshakable conclusion.

"Handsome really is the best."

Jung Woo-sung, sir — you were right all along.

A genuine downside to being this good-looking?

There wasn't a single one.

Everyone treated me like I hung the moon, and I'd been asked for my number more times than I could count — something that had never happened even once when I was Kim Chan-ki.

"Um… are you Jung Tae-woo? The player?"

"Wow, you're so handsome. Could I get an autograph… no, wait — could I get your number?"

If I'd had to live without Jung Tae-woo's memories, a lot of this would have been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a nightmare. Fortunately, I didn't have to.

"Thinking about it again still pisses me off. And this is supposed to be the Goddess of Soccer."

I let out a long sigh and shook my head.

Who knew a being called the Goddess of Soccer could be this childish and this irresponsible.

Knock. Knock.

"Hey, get out here. Mom says breakfast is ready."

Ah… let me revise that.

Not everyone was kind to me.

Standing on the other side of that door was Jung Tae-woo's little sister, Jung Mi-na.

The power of genetics was no joke. She was a stunning beauty, as you'd expect from Jung Tae-woo's sister — and yet something about her just put me off…

BANG!

"Oh my god, would you hurry up already?"

Jung Mi-na took one look at my face and sneered.

"Don't tell me you're in there drooling over your own reflection again."

"Get out while I'm still asking nicely. I'll come out on my own."

"Geeet ouuut whiile I'm stiiill aasking niiicely. I'll cooome ouuut on my ooown~"

We're not in elementary school.

"Ah, just fuck off."

I cocked a fist like I was actually going to hit her.

"Mom! Oppa's hitting me!"

Jung Mi-na wailed in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a voice that cracked on cue. The acting was so good I almost applauded.

That kid shouldn't be in a girl group. She should be an actress.

Jung Mi-na was a trainee at GY Entertainment, one of the three biggest agencies in the novel. With a face like that and talent to match, she'd been a so-called can't-miss prospect since her trainee days, already pulling a serious following.

"Your fans should see you like this."

"Hate to break it to you, but my fans love this side of me too~"

"Jung Tae-woo! Stop picking on your sister and get out here!"

Mom's voice carried down the hall. I sighed.

Jung Mi-na flashed a victory smile and scrunched her face up at me, just to twist the knife.

The whole scene felt familiar and brand-new at the same time. I'd never had a family morning like this when I was Kim Chan-ki.

"I'm coming!"

I locked eyes with my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sister.

"You. This isn't over."

She snickered her way out of the room, and I followed.

Mom was already sitting at the table when we walked into the kitchen.

"You need to get up earlier. Today's the soccer championship final."

Right. Today was the final of the National High School Soccer Championship.

This was the day the protagonist and Jung Tae-woo's relationship started to fall apart, wasn't it?

"Tae-woo, eat before it gets cold."

Yeah. Later. No thinking in front of this soybean-paste stew.

A steaming pot of doenjang-jjigae, grilled mackerel, and a spread of namul side dishes filled the table. I picked up my spoon and put a bite of rice in my mouth.

Mmm. Still incredible. I've officially become a man who can't live without home cooking.

"Tae-woo, winning matters, but don't you dare get hurt."

"Please. Oppa's a goalkeeper. What's he going to get hurt doing?"

"Is that how you talk to your brother? You could at least cheer for him."

Mom scolded her.

"Fine. Oppa, good lu—"

"Aagh! No. Absolutely not."

I sat there chewing a mouthful ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of rice and side dishes, listening to the ordinary back-and-forth of this family.

A warm breakfast I had never known as Kim Chan-ki. Good food and conversation with people who were mine. It was awkward, and it was good.

"Oh my god, who is that guy?"

"Wow, he's gorgeous. And the girl next to him is stunning too."

"They're a picture-perfect pair."

On the way to school, I was walking side by side with Jung Mi-na.

I hadn't been in Jung Tae-woo's body for long, but this kind of attention was already settling into something like routine.

"Stop acting like you're hot. I'm gonna puke."

I stopped walking and put on my most shameless smile.

"You dense little sister. I'm not acting like I'm hot. I was born this way."

"Are you serious right now?"

I winked and let a lazy, lidded smile slide across Jung Tae-woo's face. The expression still felt a little foreign on it. The effect, unfortunately, did not.

"Yeah. Dead serious."

"Ugh. You're the worst."

"The worst, little sister, is what comes out of my mouth when I look at your face."

She stared at me like I'd grown a second head, then shook hers.

"Aigoo. Your personality's been so weird lately. I'm going ahead."

"Well. Could've been worse."

As she pulled away, I caught her muttering something under her breath, too low to make out.

What did she just say?

I tilted my head, then shrugged.

"Probably nothing."

I took my time walking the rest of the way to school, cutting through the stream of students heading in. The stares were still there.

I should get used to this. Hell, if I had this face, I'd stare too.

I passed through the front gate and headed straight for the gym, where the soccer team's locker room was.

"Hey, Jung Tae-woo!"

Someone shouted my name from a distance. I turned, and there was Lee Tae-yang — Jung Tae-woo's best friend and Poongwol High's striker — jogging toward me.

"How are you still ugly even when you're running?"

"I haven't even said hello and you're already talking shit. Hurry up. The seniors are all here."

"Okay, okay. Let's go."

I pushed open the locker room door.

"Yo, our crown prince is glowing first thing in the morning!"

"Tae-woo, when are you introducing us to your girlfriend's friends?"

"What are you talking about? Tae-woo said he doesn't have a girlfriend."

"He showed up this morning with a pretty girl. That's not a girlfriend?"

"Tae-woo, don't tell me you lied to me. This hyung's heart is broken. Truly."

Is it because this is a novel? These seniors have zero sense of hierarchy.

"The girl I walked in with this morning is my little sister."

The locker room went dead quiet.

Out of that silence, Kim Min-woo — third-year captain of the soccer club — walked up to me with a suddenly solemn face.

"Tae-woo."

"Yes?"

Kim Min-woo planted a hand on my shoulder and spoke in a voice of grave ceremony.

"Give me your sister. I will love her for the rest of my life."

The quiet locker room exploded.

"Puhahaha, Min-woo's on one today."

"Min-woo, if you had any shame you'd put your face away before saying that."

"Sorry, Min-woo hyung. But my sister's got eyes too…"

"Khuh-kuh-kuh, Min-woo just got demolished!"

"Puhaha, it's Tae-woo's sister. Of course she's going to look at his face."

Kim Min-woo's ears went red, but he couldn't stop laughing either.

"Alright, you idiots. Let's take this energy straight into the match."

The locker room door flew open, and Kim Seung-hyun — Poongwol High's head coach — stepped in.

"Everyone ready?"

His sharp gaze swept over all of us.

"Yes!"

"Good. Today we show them everything we've been building toward. Loosen up — but do not lose focus. Understood?"

"Yes, Coach!"

Coach Kim nodded and went on.

"Alright. Grab your gear and be at the front gate in ten minutes. We're taking the bus to the stadium."

The moment he left, we scrambled through a last check. Jersey, boots, shin guards — every piece accounted for, packed into our bags.

"Hey, Tae-woo."

Lee Tae-yang came up beside me and dropped his voice.

"You're not nervous?"

I snorted.

Nervous? Me — the one they used to call the God of Football — getting nervous over a high school match?

"Nervous for what."

"Ah, shit, I'm losing my mind over here."

"Hey. You freeze up and miss, I'll go score it myself."

"Tae-woo, why do you say jokes like that with a straight face? You sound like you mean it."

"Do I sound like I'm joking?"

Lee Tae-yang stared at me like I'd lost it.

"Dude. You're a goalkeeper."

"Is there a law that says a goalkeeper can't score?"

He went blank for a second, then burst out laughing.

"Ah, seriously. What's with you today? You don't even make jokes."

I shrugged.

If he didn't believe me, that was his problem.

I'd just have to show him on the pitch why they used to call me the God of Football.

Thud!

"Aaaagh!"

"Ah, shit… does he think he lives here alone?"

My brother, who was always so calm, was being unbearably loud today for some reason.

Had the finals finally driven him insane?

"Aigoo~ He'll quiet down eventually."

That's what I told myself. The muttering did not stop.

"Damn it. I'll rack up achievements somehow and get out of here within ten years."

What on earth was he talking about?

"Would you shut up already? Stop barking like a dog!"

…

…

He's probably a wreck over the final. Maybe I was too harsh.

Yeah. That wasn't like him, not without a reason.

Worried in spite of myself, I opened his door and stepped in.

"Ha… it's annoying as hell, but I am so handsome."

"A face like this and the world just rolls over for you."

My brother was staring at his own face on his phone camera, talking to himself.

And then it got worse.

His finger was stroking the face on the screen like it was the real thing.

What was I looking at? A hidden camera? There didn't seem to be one…

"Oppa?"

"Huh?"

He saw me standing in the doorway, jolted so hard he dropped the phone, and his entire face went scarlet in a heartbeat.

"What— when did you— Mina, wait, calm down, I can explain every—"

BANG!!

I slammed the door before he could finish and went back to my room.

"AAAAAGH!"

His scream came through the wall a second later. I shook my head.

"He's definitely lost it because of the finals…"