Oh, Oppa… Please Don't!
The noisy afternoon dragged on.
If I was just going to sit around wasting time like this, I might as well go back to school and finish my degree. If I had no intention of returning at all, then I should at least follow Dad and learn the family business. What exactly did I want to do with my life? Just say something, anything. The usual bitter parental lecture left my head throbbing.
And just like every other time, I dodged it with one excuse after another.
But Areum—who was just as unemployed as I was—got none of that scolding. They said it was because they trusted her to figure things out on her own. From where I stood, that trust was just another kind of stress.
Especially when I thought about how that precious daughter they believed in so much was actually flashing her tits on the internet and living off donations from horny guys. The idea of them finding out almost made me smile.
I sat there fighting the urge to spill everything until evening finally rolled around.
"So you'll be home by noon tomorrow? Better eat before you leave."
"…If we're taking two cars anyway, wouldn't it be smarter to just leave separately? Coming all the way back here first just means extra driving."
"This kid! Mom just wants you to eat a home-cooked meal for once. Do you hate Mom's cooking that much? And we can all ride together nicely."
"Who said I hated it? It's a long trip—I'm just trying to cut down on the driving."
My family stared at me like I was hopeless. Their gazes burned. I ignored them as best I could and fidgeted with my fingers.
"…What about you, honey? Should we just tell that son of ours to come alone and the rest of us can eat something delicious and leave together?"
"Hehe… I'm fine with that."
"Then why don't you just come with us now, sweetheart?"
That actually sounded pretty good to me. Since we were all going on the same trip anyway, even a little less face time with Areum wouldn't hurt. As long as she kept her mouth shut in front of our parents—and judging by the mood so far, she didn't seem about to explode.
"Ah… no. I'll drive and… take Down with me."
"Oh my, our daughter is so thoughtful—unlike someone else. Mom will make lots of delicious food tomorrow."
Park Areum was disgustingly sweet in front of our parents. I couldn't believe she could spit out lines like that after everything she'd said to my face.
"Oh, but are you leaving now? What about dinner?"
"How could I freeload a meal on top of everything else? Looking at your kitchen earlier, it seemed like you needed to go grocery shopping right away."
"Hehe… we could just order delivery…"
"We're fine, so don't worry about us. Sarang, shall we head out?"
Our parents looked ready to leave right around dinner time. Exactly what I'd been hoping for—I was about to walk them out when Sarang, who'd been hovering awkwardly beside me, finally opened her mouth.
"Um…… th-that is… would it be okay if I stayed here with Unnie tonight and… m-met up again tomorrow…?"
"Oh my! Would you like that? Well, of course Sarang would rather be with her Unnie and Oppa than some old auntie and uncle."
"N-no! It's not that… it's just been so long since we saw each other… I wanted to talk a little more…"
"Of course that's fine with us. What about you two?"
Sarang's surprise request sent everything spinning in a weird direction. Knowing her situation, turning her down wasn't easy. And the way she kept glancing back and forth between me and Areum, reading the room, was kind of cute—I couldn't help a small laugh.
"Heh… I'm fine with it. Hey, you?"
"…I'm fine too. Then the three of us will head home together tomorrow."
"Haha, it's nice to see you all getting along like the old days. Well then, Mom and Dad will head out first. You young ones can chat and hang out."
Our parents, who'd barged in so suddenly, vanished just as fast. I tried to at least walk them to the parking lot, but they insisted they were fine and shoved us back inside.
"…Want to eat something first?"
"Yes… that sounds good."
And once it was just the three of us, the atmosphere was more awkward than I'd expected.
Just like Mom said, the house was pretty bare. If it had been just me and Areum like usual, we would've slapped something together and called it dinner. But with Sarang here tonight, we needed at least a little more effort.
"Sarang, anything you like?"
"Uh… a-anything's fine…"
"Oh, really?"
Anything. Probably the hardest people in the world to feed are the ones who say anything's fine.
"Hmm… is chicken okay?"
"Ah, yes! I like chicken…"
But there was no need to overthink it—chicken was a safe bet. At least no one hated it.
"Any place you prefer? Pretty much everywhere around here delivers."
"Um… can I look and order?"
"Sure, hang on."
I opened the delivery app on my phone, tapped the chicken tab, and handed it straight to her.
"If you see something you want, just say so. I'll order it."
"Hee… thank you."
Her face lit up over such a small kindness. It was cute. We weren't that far apart in age, but something about her still being a student made her feel like a niece or little daughter I didn't have.
Dinner was just delivery chicken, but Sarang looked thoroughly satisfied. I watched her happily scrolling with her little fingers, feeling oddly warm.
"Hey… what are you grinning about."
Areum's chilly whisper slid into my ear. The fresh, bright feeling Sarang had given me vanished, replaced by something dark and heavy.
"Wh-what."
"Why are you grinning while looking at Sarang."
"…I wasn't."
The look Areum gave me was hard to read.
"Hey."
"What."
"Come here a second."
"For what."
"Just come."
She crooked a finger at me from a few steps away, then disappeared into her room without waiting for an answer. I almost ignored her, but that twisted expression from a moment ago kept nagging at me, so I followed.
Creeeak—
The moment the wide-open door shut behind us:
"You, fuck… why the hell were you grinning like an idiot looking at Sarang? Answer me."
Areum spat it out without warning.
"Bullshit. I'm not even allowed to smile now?"
"…D-don't look at Sarang and think dirty shit, that's what I'm saying."
"…Are you crazy? Is that all your fucking brain can come up with?"
"Why so worked up? Feeling guilty? Huh?"
I let out a long sigh at her completely baseless accusations and pressed a hand to my forehead as a headache started throbbing.
"Haa… is that even a real question? You're the one talking dirty about a kid right now."
"Then fix those fucking eyes of yours, you bastard. You were staring at her all lecherous."
I was speechless. Just because I'd smiled a little at how cute Sarang looked picking chicken, she was treating me like some pervert.
"Hey, if you're gonna pick a fight, get lost. What the fuck… picking the most bullshit things to say."
I turned to leave. Then Areum's voice suddenly dropped, heavy and sullen, filling the room.
"You… do you even have a conscience?"
"What the fuck is this conscience talk all of a sudden."
"You said you were sorry to me, right? Is this how someone who's sorry acts? And are you even actually sorry?"
"Ha! Look at this bitch. Don't get it twisted. You and me? We're the same. If you count the beatings I took, I should be the one who's more pissed off. Look at my face when you talk."
Honestly, when our bodies swapped, I'd already paid back everything I owed her and then some. If anything, she still owed me.
"…I got my ass hit too back then. We called it even, didn't we? And fuck… after that you forced me, you fucking… did it…"
"I was really worked up then, and yeah, I feel fucking terrible about it, but think about when we swapped. Because of you I almost died twice. And you? You don't even think about apologizing, do you?"
"Th-that was because you did it first!"
"So that makes it okay to choke someone and shove their head underwater telling them to die? Ha, crazy bitch…"
Our voices kept getting louder. Areum especially—shoulders shaking, fists clenched so tight I half expected one to fly at my face any second. I stayed ready.
"Let me make this clear. Until you apologize first, I'm never apologizing again. Tell our parents, call the cops, do whatever the fuck you want. But if you've got even a scrap of conscience, you won't."
I left her with that and walked out. That should've been enough to scare her into backing off for a while.
As I slipped through the door, my eyes met Sarang's. For a second I worried our argument had carried, but she just beamed and waved my phone at me.
"O-Oppa! I-I picked something…"
"Yeah? What'd you get?"
I hurried over to the couch where she sat, forcing a friendly smile.
"Um, this. Half fried, half seasoned… and cheese balls… is this okay?"
"Heh… if you want more, just say so. Anything else?"
Sarang's eyes went wide. She dove back into the phone, scrolling like she might fall in, then held the screen out again.
"Ah… then can we get wedge potatoes too…?"
"Hehe, sure. Order away. That everything?"
"…Is upgrading to a large cola too much…?"
She kept blushing as the order grew one item at a time. The shy look on her face was so funny I reached out without thinking—old habit—and ruffled her hair roughly.
"Ah…… d-don't… please don't…"
"Then I won't order the chicken? I'll cancel the cheese balls and potatoes and just give you the flat leftover cola in the fridge. That okay?"
"Ah… m-my hair smells…"
Sarang squirmed, twisting her thighs together and ducking her head, completely embarrassed.
"Sniff sniff, seems fine to me?"
"E-eek! O-Oppa… please don't…!"
Her reaction felt completely fresh. If it had been someone else in this house, a fist would've already been flying. Sarang just twisted and tried to escape.
"Tsk, where do you think you're going. Get over here."
"Nnngh! P-please… my hair really does smell…!"
"It does not. Sniff sniff—just shampoo."
Fresh and clean. The scent sank deep into my lungs and turned me into a total brat.
"Eeeek! U-Unnieee! Oppa's bullying meee!!"
With my arm still around her neck, Sarang thrashed and called for Areum. I figured Areum was still sulking in her room by now.
"Yaaah!! Have you lost your mind!?"
Wrong again. Areum's shout filled the living room.
"…Jesus, you scared me. Why yell so loud. You startled Sarang too."
"A-aah… U-Unnie… I-I'm f-fine…"
Half-cradled in my arms, Sarang stared at Areum with wide, startled eyes.