Awkward Family Gathering (3)
"Hey, what're you planning to do with that album?"
"Wouldn't it be better to look at that stuff alone?"
The moment I brought out the album, those two piped up at me. They bickered constantly, but weirdly enough, they were always perfectly in sync at times like this.
Chang Kyu hyung and Jin Yu hyung stared at each other for a few seconds before nodding as if they'd reached some kind of decision.
What are they up to?
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, watching their strange behavior.
Then Chang Kyu hyung approached me first and snatched the album right out of my hands, shoving it back into the bookshelf... up on the highest shelf I couldn't even reach.
"Don't go pulling out your guy days and making things awkward."
"Yeah, you've got social phobia and depression now, right? Better to enjoy being a girl than hate yourself looking at that stuff. You've got a total babe body for once."
Jin Yu hyung, uncharacteristically sensible, lectured me like that. He claimed he'd enjoy his own gender swap if it happened and flopped onto the bed like it was no big deal.
"Oh yeah, where'd Seo Yeon and Ji Hoon hyung go? Haven't seen them since earlier."
[They went out to buy ingredients for the ancestral rite food.]
The mention of ancestral rite food made Chang Kyu hyung, who was reading a manga, pull a blatantly disgusted face.
"Oh right, we're all supposed to prep the food together this time? That's such a hassle..."
Our family always did everything as a group, so it was only natural that everyone—guys and girls alike—helped with the ancestral rite preparations. Of course... from our perspective, the whole thing was annoying and something we just didn't want to do, so usually we'd sneak off to a PC bang in secret...
[You guys planning to ditch me and my sister again?]
I asked just in case, and they both replied in unison like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Of course... they'd been planning to bail from the start. In that case, couldn't I tag along and escape too?
[I wanna bail too. Feels like it'd be super uncomfortable if I stuck around.]
"The gender transformation disease is something even we've never heard of before... Won't the adults grill you with questions?"
Jin Yu hyung sat up abruptly from rolling around on the bed. He glanced back and forth between Chang Kyu hyung and me before suggesting,
"Hey, wanna hit our usual spot?"
"Our regular PC bang? Not a bad idea... You okay with that?"
Naturally, Chang Kyu hyung's gaze turned to me.
It was the PC bang we always went to whenever we hung out—a place we frequented so much we had our assigned seats, and even the owner knew our faces and names.
So showing up there suddenly as a girl would definitely create an awkward mess.
"Aha, planning your escape?"
As we pondered where to go, the closed door swung open, and my sister's sharp voice rang out from the hallway.
We all instinctively turned toward the sound.
There was my sister, smirking with obvious irritation, and behind her, Ji Hoon hyung silently watching us.
"You little shits! Always ditching us and running off!! And now you can't have our Sua!!"
[Sis, that sounds super misleading.]
"Shut up! You're a girl now too, so get used to girl hangouts for once!"
Like all her pent-up frustration from being stuck with the adults every time had finally boiled over, she yanked my hand away from the hyungs and pulled me forcefully toward her.
"K-Kim Seo Yeon! That's tyranny!!"
"Shut up! You can barely talk to girls at school!"
"Ugh...!"
Jin Yu hyung, who'd tried to retort, shriveled up at her words without another peep.
For the record, Chang Kyu hyung and Jin Yu hyung were in the same grade and school as my sister. Apparently, when she spotted them at school and said hi first, they could hardly make eye contact and got all intimidated.
[Hyungs, still awkward around girls?]
Out of curiosity, I asked, and they shook their heads vigorously, launching into long, excuse-filled explanations.
"O-Of course! She's super popular at school!! We'd just become targets for the other kids!"
"We're total losers at our school with average looks? Totally different worlds!!"
"Ah..."
Hearing that, it kinda made sense, and I found myself nodding along unconsciously.
I could easily picture Jin Yu hyung hanging with his like-minded manga nerd friends every day at school, and Chang Kyu hyung next to him glued to his handheld game.
"You're not seriously agreeing with that, are you?"
Chang Kyu hyung scowled at me with a blatantly hurt expression.
Ah... did I nod too obviously?
[But hyungs, doesn't it make me uncomfortable too? I'm a girl now.]
"Huh, you're right. What guy hangout? Sua's a girl now too."
My sister casually lifted the hem of my shirt like it was nothing.
Through the gap peeked the pale, smooth skin typical of a girl, her slimmer waistline, and soft belly around her navel.
"Hyah?!"
Startled by her sudden move, I hurriedly grabbed the shirt hem and yanked it down.
Every action felt so naturally feminine, and even though my mind was still male, an inexplicable wave of embarrassment rushed to my face, making it burn.
"D-Don't... look..."
"Wha—what?!"
"I-I didn't see... anything..."
Chang Kyu hyung and Jin Yu hyung flailed, unsure where to look, and quickly averted their eyes.
In that instant, an awkward silence blanketed the room.
My sister watched our reactions with an amused grin stretching across her face.
"Quit messing around and come down to help with the food. Hyung Seok and Jin Uk are almost here..."
From behind her, Ji Hoon hyung—who'd been quietly observing—glanced at me once, tossed out his words, and headed downstairs.
"Hey, what's up with Ji Hoon hyung... He's even colder than usual?"
Chang Kyu hyung glanced between my sister and me as he asked.
My sister tsked, frowning like she didn't like his attitude.
"He's an idiot, that's why. I tried sounding him out while shopping today, but he wouldn't show his real feelings about Sua at all."
She grumbled unhappily, plopped her hand on my head, and ruffled my hair playfully.
"Don't mind him. At least Chang Kyu and Jin Yu treat you normal, right?"
"Nah, it's mad uncomfortable."
"Can I ask something pervy?"
Jin Yu hyung and Chang Kyu hyung took turns cracking jokes with straight faces, chuckling slyly.
**
"Aigoo, Sua's hands are so dainty."
"Your wife must love it—having such a cute daughter and a beauty too."
"They make living expenses from internet streaming, right? Covering Sua's hospital bills with that?"
The family was gathered in the living room, stuffing three-color skewers together.
I'd naturally ended up sitting next to Mom, fielding nonstop questions from Second Aunt and Third Aunt while quietly skewering and sneaking glances around.
"Hanging out in chat all day, I didn't notice... but seeing her like that, it really hits."
Hyung Seok hyung—who'd arrived late and was off to the side with the guys frying pancakes—cautiously brought me up.
Jin Uk hyung, shaping mung bean pancakes next to him, peeked up at me too.
"Eek..."
Feeling their stares, I turned, locking eyes directly with Jin Uk hyung.
Startled by the blatant gaze, I flinched and scooted right up against Mom.
"She's so cute..."
"Man... it'd be nice to have a little sister..."
Hyung Seok hyung and Jin Uk hyung blushed, now openly staring at our brother, who was silently frying pancakes.
Sensing it, he slowly opened his mouth with a blank expression.
"What?"
His curt word made them scowl and close in on him.
"Dude, be real—Sua's adorable. Ever seen the stream she does with Seo Yeon? It's blowing up."
Hyung Seok hyung slung an arm around Ji Hoon hyung's shoulder like they were buds.
But Ji Hoon hyung grimaced like it was a hassle and shrugged him off, keeping his distance.
He wasn't just cold to me—he was icy to all the excited cousins hyped about me too.
Does he hate me that much...?
I thought I'd gotten used to his behavior, but it still stung, dragging me into self-loathing.
What could I do to get him treating me nicely again?
Lost in thought, I stared blankly at his face.
"......"
"Ah..."
Our eyes met by chance, but he clamped his mouth shut, said nothing, and immediately looked away.
Like he was deliberately ignoring me, he focused solely on the sizzling pancakes.
Ah... seeing that made my mood sink again.
"Hey, if it bugs you, just talk to him. Try calling him 'oppa'—what about that?"
"Ughhh...!!"
My sister—who'd been quietly skewering while watching us—suddenly suggested it.
Asking me to call him 'oppa' in this situation... Switching honorifics out of nowhere wasn't as easy as it sounded.
The way I'd called him as a guy was so ingrained that changing overnight felt weird.
More than anything, saying 'oppa' to him felt embarrassingly shy, especially with everyone watching—it just wouldn't come out.
"Don't pressure Sua."
Dad chuckled but warned my sister subtly.
But surprisingly, she was stubborn about stuff like this and showed no sign of backing down.
"Not joking. You'll have to switch honorifics eventually anyway. Just close your eyes and do it—might feel natural."
There was a hint of regret in her eyes as she looked at me.
Would... just changing how I call him really make him care about me again...?
Her reaction stirred a strange curiosity in me too.
Maybe... just once wouldn't hurt?
I sneaked a glance at him and carefully opened my mouth.
"O...ppa?"
"Ugh...?!"
At that one word, his blank face cracked—eyes widening, shoulders jolting—before he abruptly hung his head.
Like he desperately wanted to avoid my gaze, he stared holes into the sizzling pancake griddle.
Huh... is that... a reaction?
Shocked by this new side of him, I couldn't hide my surprise and just watched him quietly.