Um, Unnie... Can I Stay Here With You?
Sarang looked ready to bolt straight into Areum's room at any second.
Her nose was flaring with long, heavy breaths, and if she'd had a tail, it would have been thrashing wildly up and down and side to side by now.
"Can I go ask Unnie right now?"
"Ha, haha... You wanna?"
"Yes! I want to ask her!"
Sarang's face was lit up with pure excitement.
And with my half-hearted permission, she rose from the sofa—just as the doorbell rang at the entrance, the delivery arriving right on cue.
"Chicken's here. Mind bringing Areum out first?"
"Yes, I'll go get her!"
Watching Sarang dash off to the room, I headed for the front door first.
"Haa..."
I had the feeling that something had been going wrong from the start.
Sure, my big mouth had gotten us into this... but after seeing that expression earlier, it was like I'd been possessed.
And if I'd steeled myself at the end and laughed it off as a joke, that would have been fine—but facing Sarang's bright, expectant face, I just couldn't bring myself to refuse.
Click—
Just as I'd requested, the chicken was neatly placed in front of the door.
I grabbed the bag wafting with that savory, sweet aroma and headed back inside.
Thud- thud-
And right on cue, Areum and Sarang emerged, walking side by side into the living room with their arms linked.
Sarang seemed to be clinging more aggressively, while Areum looked a bit awkward about it.
Their builds looked similar at a glance, but Sarang was a bit taller after all.
Not by a huge margin, though.
And with similar body proportions and hair lengths, they really did look like sisters.
"...Shall we eat at the table?"
"Ah! I want to eat while watching TV..."
"Yeah? Then living room's fine."
Following Sarang's wishes, I set the chicken bag on the sofa table.
"You gonna put a top on to eat? Might get sauce on you. And aren't those jeans uncomfortable? Want some pajamas?"
"The pants are fine... I'll just take the top off a bit."
Sarang slipped off the cardigan she'd been wearing and set it on the sofa.
Underneath was a loose white short-sleeved T-shirt.
"Ah, I'll tie my hair up."
Sarang came right up to the table like she was about to sit close, then suddenly stepped back.
And she started gathering that long, cascading hair to tie it up.
That long clump of hair hanging down seemed to be crying out for me to pull it.
My hand rose naturally, but then my eyes met Areum's, who was side-eyeing me from next to her.
"......"
"......"
We stared at each other in silence for a moment, until Sarang's cry broke the quiet.
"Waaah! It smells so good! Can we eat now?"
In that brief standoff, Sarang must have been starving, because she plopped right down into her seat, hands clasped together, staring at the table with sparkling eyes.
"Of course. Let's eat."
"Yes! Thank you for the meal!!"
With Sarang's booming shout, the rustling of plastic bags echoed several times.
"Hey, let's eat too."
"Haa......"
Areum let out a deep sigh, her face clearly failing to hide her expression.
Whatever she was so dissatisfied about, I shot her a look that said please stop with those damn thoughts as I sat down.
"Um, can I eat the cheese balls first?"
"Hmph... You can eat them all, so stop asking and just dig in."
"Thank you."
The chicken, potato wedges, and cheese balls laid out neatly on the table.
Sarang picked up a cheese ball with her chopsticks and brought it to her mouth.
Then she chewed, puffing out her cheeks.
"Hey, A... never mind."
"What."
"Nothing."
I almost habitually asked Areum to bring me a cup.
I could already hear her snarky voice in my ear like always.
"I'll get the cups."
"Ah, gulp. I'll go!"
Sarang, whose chopsticks were heading for the next cheese ball, flinched.
"It's fine, do you know where they are?"
"Ah... the kitchen?"
I chuckled and stood up.
"No ice needed?"
"Ah! I'm fine. Just a cup is okay."
"Don't like the fizz going flat, huh?"
Sarang nodded slightly.
"Hey, you're putting ice in, right?"
"...Yeah."
"Then get it yourself."
"Aish..."
I'd meant for her to follow me with some sense, but Areum glared at me.
"Hurry up."
"Ha!"
Fortunately, whether she was desperate for ice or caught on, Areum got up and followed me.
Thud- thud- thud-
Once we were far enough that Sarang couldn't hear, I asked Areum in a low voice just in case.
"Hey, you hear?"
"...Yeah."
"Sarang said she wants to stay at our place."
"You fucking bastard, you said you'd live together... Ha, this is fucking ridiculous. Who the hell are you to just decide that on your own?"
"Hey... it just came up while we were talking, okay? And fuck... can you do something about those damn eyes? Thinking those shitty thoughts again?"
"How can I not? Suddenly living with her, what for? What, you're gonna feed her and do all the laundry too?"
"No, so... you just refuse her."
"Haa... fuck. Why do you only pick the useless shit to do."
"I said I didn't do it on purpose? It just happened that way."
"...Idiot bastard."
Areum grabbed the prepared ice cup and an empty cup and headed back to the living room.
I took a cup and followed behind her.
"Sarang, you want to stay at our place?"
In a completely flat voice, Areum suddenly said that.
Sarang set down the chopsticks she'd been holding and looked at us with a serious expression.
"Yes, if Unnie just allows it, I'd like to. O-Oppa already said yes..."
Sarang trailed off and looked at me.
At that look begging me to chime in quickly, I nodded and said,
"Y-Yeah. From what I heard, her house and school are far... she'd have to take the bus alone for a long time."
"Yes... just the bus takes over an hour a day... From here it's right nearby, and I can see Unnie and Oppa often too..."
"Hmmmm..."
Areum's reluctant groan rang out loudly, and Sarang, seeming urgent, continued.
"I-I clean well! I used to do the laundry too, and, um, following Mom... I cooked often too... hic..."
But with Sarang's sobs and her eyes turning red, the atmosphere instantly turned gloomy.
Areum also looked quite flustered, as if she hadn't expected things to go this way.
"A-Ah... Sarang. Why are you suddenly crying."
"Hic... Mommyyyy..."
At Areum's comforting pats, Sarang's tears finally burst out.
"Hiiing... Mommyyyy... hic, sob..."
"It's okay, it's okay..."
Since Areum shared the same pain, she might be the one who could understand Sarang best right now.
"Hic, sob... I'm sorry... sob, I'm... okay now..."
"...No, you can cry more."
Fortunately, the surging emotions seemed to have settled.
Rather, she seemed embarrassed about crying, peeking at us while covering her face with her hands and sniffling.
"Hey, stop staring. Sarang's uncomfortable."
"...Me?"
"Then who else?"
"Ha!"
"Sarang, want to go wash your face with Unnie?"
"Hic... Yeees..."
And so Areum supported Sarang and took her to the bathroom.
Suddenly left alone, I poured cola into the cup I'd brought and drank.
"Huu..."
After downing two cups of cola by myself, my throat starting to tingle a bit, the two finally reappeared.
"...Shall we eat the chicken now?"
Her eyes were still red and watery.
It looked like if you poked her, tears would spill right out.
"Yes..."
Sarang nodded slightly at my words, but she just sat there like a stone statue, unable to pick up her chopsticks.
"Why aren't you eating."
"I-I'm embarrassed... Please forget just now... I-I feel like I'm going to die of shame..."
"What's so embarrassing."
"Hey! Stop prying. Just eat the damn chicken."
Suddenly Areum started shielding Sarang.
I wondered what this was, but there was an atmosphere between them that couldn't be put into words.
They must have exchanged some conversation, and somehow I felt a bit left out.
"Fine. Why so snappy, so snappy."
Sarang had become as gloomy as right after arriving home.
With that dark, haggard look, I poured her a cup of cola and handed it over.
"Drink some cola."
"Thank you..."
The sound of Sarang gulping echoed in the living room.
"Huu..."
Then she set the cup down on the table with a clack and turned to Areum next to her.
"U-Unnie... Can I stay here with you? Just until graduation, sob... I'll stay."
Sarang spoke in a small, trembling voice.
"A-Ah? H-Here?"
"Yes..."
Areum swallowed a deep groan, making a reluctant face.
But that expression only lasted a moment.
Gazing at Sarang's pitiful face, she eventually nodded up and down as if she had no choice.