Family (3)
Family (3)
"Guess my body was just one that built muscle easily."
I scratched the back of my head, embarrassed.
Is this some kind of sexy flirting vibe?
Yeah, no. No way.
It was just simple admiration.
Her eyes were a bit wider, like she was looking at something amazing, but her tone was flat.
"As I said, the S-X Virus being too tightly bound to your body is probably a big factor."
"Can't say that's not the case."
"A height like this... a build like this... even among women, there's none."
Rina stood on her tiptoes and, out of nowhere, stared at the top of my head like she was possessed.
Even if we were alone, this was so unlike her that I was flustered.
'No, maybe this is the real Rina... Seo-yoon was like that when she was little, too.'
I nodded to myself, recalling the past.
Seo-yoon used to do stuff like this before puberty hit.
Getting lost in her own thoughts, mumbling to herself, doing weird things.
Rina's an adult, but if her childhood was unhappy... maybe she skipped the kid phase altogether.
I gave an awkward smile and replied.
"You're saying weird stuff, Rina. Of course there wouldn't be. Normally, men are stronger, right?"
"...Hmm, looks like we need to start with common sense education after all."
"......"
"Physical abilities are superior in women compared to men. That's common sense in this world."
My dumb comment seemed to snap Rina back to reality.
She lowered her heels, stepped back a bit, and spoke like she was teaching a lesson.
"Memorize the common sense of this world thoroughly. At the very least, don't forget it."
"...Yes... world... com... mon... sense... input..."
"What's with that? That weak voice? Why do your eyes look so glazed over?"
"Oh, I was going for a brainwashing concept, but it flopped? I was trying to memorize it fast..."
"I don't get it. You're such a goofball, ancestor from 400 years ago. As a descendant, I might even feel disillusioned..."
"Gah, that's brutally cold. Don't lump everyone together just because of me."
"You must've been an odd one back then, too."
I could tell Rina was being surprisingly gentle with me, considering her personality.
It'd only been a few hours, but for her, this was already a lot.
"Still, I'm glad."
I was about to head into the Penthouse room, swept up in a sense of defeat—like I'd tried and failed to get close to my niece-granddaughter in every way—when Rina spoke from behind me.
"Huh?"
"I grew up alone without any siblings. No relatives to speak of. My parents passed early, too..."
"......"
"By blood, it's been 11 generations, so we're not exactly close, but... we're still relatives, right? So I'm glad. Anyway, I'll be taking care of you for the time being, so it's fine to call us family."
"Hey, you..."
She could say some pretty cute stuff.
Just as I was getting touched, Rina added firmly, cutting like a knife.
"Even if it's a man."
"......"
Mood killed.
How extreme is this gender divide, anyway?
Anyway, shoving my touched feelings aside, Rina headed back to the elevator.
"Good night, Head of the Family-nim."
The doors closed, and Rina's expressionless pale face vanished.
*
Was it anxiety about the future? I opened my eyes in the darkness.
'Slept for 400 years, no way I'm sleepy again...'
I turned on a few indirect lights, revealing the expansive interior of the Penthouse.
For a 400-year gap, there weren't many furnishings I couldn't figure out the purpose of at all.
Like that huge sofa—sure, the material was unknown, but I could still tell it was something to sit or lie on. The hologram function was there, but the device next to it was obviously a phone or similar for sending and receiving messages.
...Honestly, though, I'm a total tech idiot.
Always have been.
So I wasn't using any of the gadgets here except the familiar ones.
No matter how much time passes, a soft spot is still a soft spot to lie on—that's easy enough to get.
I was deliberately ignoring the big panel on the wall and all those buttons.
Yep, I was still an Australopithecus.
Meanwhile, Rina's aesthetic sense was evident here and there.
Framed abstract paintings hung at just the right heights, mostly sleek and refined.
And statues? Sculptures? Whatever they were, a few were on display.
I stroked one that was gold and pillar-shaped, thinking.
'No matter how I look at it, this is a boner dick... But if I ask, I'll get treated like a monkey?'
There was a fancy chandelier on the ceiling, too.
In this era, it might even count as ancient style, but it was beautiful.
The future cityscape sprawled out through the massive windows.
The city's reddish night lights were awakening the night.
With one switch, I could block or open the windows—I'd turned them off before sleep, but now that they were open, the view was astonishingly clear, with zero distortion.
The thing I'd struggled with over the past few days to master was this remote.
You could feel Eden Genesis's prestige just from this view.
It was truly the gaze of a god overlooking the city.
I touched it with my finger.
Flexible, like the surface of water.
It was called a window, but it didn't seem made of glass.
Some unimaginable new material.
Standing before this gigantic window taller than me, I held a wine glass in one hand.
Below, I was just in a robe and panties.
TMI, but they were a thong.
They said boxer briefs were hard to find.
So yeah, it was squeezing down there way too tight.
"...The size is big, but no way it's women's, right? Nah, it definitely is..."
This was a women's thong.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be this uncomfortable.
Thongs were often comfier once you got used to them.
Back in the day, I'd even had partners over 100kg.
So yeah, they make women's thongs for men's bodies.
But the two are clearly different.
"......"
I usually slept naked anyway, so panties were already pretty decent.
But if they were gonna torment me this much, maybe I should just go commando.
Planning to switch to no panties soon.
Warning: no-panties future...
The liquid in my wine glass was cola-flavored.
No, it was really Cola.
I peered into it, purely amazed.
"Cola... you magnificent bastard. Surviving 400 years? How good is your management...?"
The taste was subtly different.
Zero-sugar vibe, scent a bit off.
But... not bad.
This was modern craftsmanship holding onto its originality pretty well.
Today was the day for my S-X Virus checkup with Rina.
It was 4 a.m. now, and she'd come wake me around 1 p.m.
In the future, breakfast was around 11 a.m.
So after eating and prepping, it'd be about 1 p.m.
'Or I could prepare based on 400 years ago standards.'
Rina had offered, but I declined.
I needed to adapt to the future, too.
"So much has changed. Seo-yoon... Dad, Mom... Can I survive here?"
The city glittered like it had no night, but unless I opened it special, the soundproofing was solid, so I was immersed in the perfect silence of 4 a.m.
Looking back, my life had been filled with pleasure.
Until the Cryogenic Device, I'd lived like a total playboy.
Skipped heir training.
Used the S-X disease as an excuse to chase urges everywhere.
Switched partners every time.
Flaunted my wealth, pulled rank, too, I think.
Seo-yoon waking me from a hangover with that pitiful look—now I get it.
But now, I didn't even need to run the company.
There was nothing I 'had' to do anymore.
It felt empty.
What was I supposed to live for?
Starting a family didn't seem allowed.
Love with one woman, normal back in 400 B.F.
Living for my bloodline.
Here, men were treated like society's enemies.
No way a normal 'family' concept worked.
Ridiculous.
I'd craved 'freedom' so bad.
But now, with every path blocked, I wanted 'my family,' 'my bloodline' more than ever.
Eden Genesis was already inherited by Rina.
As a 'man,' could I even get a proper job in this era?
"Maybe I've finally grown up... Should've done it sooner. Right, Seo-yoon? That's what Mom and Dad wanted, too..."
A self-mocking laugh escaped.
If I hadn't lived so wildly, maybe I could've avoided the S-X Virus infection.
"No woman in this era to fit me, huh?"
Rina had said it.
Women in 2430 Korea don't see men as equals.
It was unbreakable common sense, spread by the S-X disease and Women's Revolution.
She didn't say it outright, but from her nuance, women who fuck men get treated like they fuck dogs.
Men get less than pet-dog status.
She said this era's 'men' were basically neutered, so not like me.
But I, awakened after 400 years, was the same.
Dog or monkey—at best, that's the difference.
Adapting to this new world would be a rough road.
"...Wonder if there's porn?"
No woman partner? Better learn to handle it solo.
Can't ask Rina, so once I adapt, I'll ask around.
"Fuck, this is so pathetic... me..."
Waking after 400 years and hunting for porn first thing.
I sighed, then chugged the Cola in my wine glass.
"Kkel, kkelok, keuk, puhat-"
Choked hard.