Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Younger sister who shows no mercy
Yuri wiped away the moisture clinging to the tips of her long eyelashes with her fingers.
… I need to stay strong.
There’s no reason for me to be down like this.
I didn’t do anything wrong.
She’s the one who suddenly changed.
How can a person be that rude?
She let out a crooked scoff toward Marie, who had coldly pushed her away.
“Hero…!? Hah! What hero? Like I’d get caught. Acting like she can catch me anytime…”
Her voice cracked again mid-mockery, slipping back into tears. Yuri quickly slapped both her cheeks lightly with trembling hands.
“Hngh.”
She sniffed, then forced her shaky legs to stand.
The walk home was only five minutes.
But she decided to walk it anyway. The cold night air might clear the tight feeling in her chest.
“Haa…”
She wanted to scream, but it was too late at night in the residential complex.
By the time she reached her front door, she couldn’t even remember how she got there.
After checking her hair and clothes, she stepped inside.
“Welcome back?”
“…Huh? Yuri unni.”
In the living room, her younger sister Jieun and Seolyoung were sitting across from each other, studying.
Jieun greeted her calmly, but Seolyoung stared at Yuri’s swollen face.
“Unni, what happened to your face? Are you okay?”
Seolyoung asked with clear concern, but Yuri didn’t even have the energy to answer. She only waved her hand weakly and dragged herself to her bed.
She collapsed face-first onto it.
Then started punching the mattress.
Thump. Thump.
Jieun and Seolyoung exchanged a glance, then shrugged lightly.
Yuri sniffled for a long while, then turned around with red, puffy eyes.
Jieun glanced at her, then looked away immediately. Seolyoung, however, watched her with a soft smile.
Feeling the loneliness hit again, Yuri crawled toward Jieun.
If she couldn’t have human warmth, then at least her sister’s legs would do.
But when she reached out to cling to Jieun’s leg, the girl immediately pulled it away.
“I’m wearing shorts. I don’t like skin contact.”
Yuri’s face crumpled instantly.
“Too much…”
But all she could do was whimper helplessly.
She turned away sulking, then crawled toward Seolyoung instead.
Seolyoung didn’t avoid her. Instead, she slightly moved her chair, letting Yuri cling to her leg, and gently patted her back.
Jieun finally pointed at her with a pen.
“You’re going to give her bad habits. What are you doing?”
“Don’t be like that, Jieun unni,” Seolyoung laughed softly, continuing to pat Yuri.
Yuri hugged Seolyoung’s legs tighter like a koala.
“Pouting again,” Jieun muttered.
Seolyoung laughed, brushing Yuri’s head gently.
“Unni, what happened? Why are you so sad?”
That gentle voice broke Yuri again.
“…Sniff…”
She buried her face into Seolyoung’s pants and cried for a long time.
Later.
Yuri couldn’t tell Seolyoung she was Pink Witch, so she simplified everything.
“They said they’ll hit me.”
“They’ll lock me up.”
“They’ll chase me until I run away.”
Seolyoung’s gentle face hardened instantly.
“What kind of person is that? Should we report them to the police?”
Yuri panicked and waved her hands frantically.
“No! Absolutely not!”
If police got involved, she’d be the one arrested.
Seolyoung left after a while, reminding her to be careful with a warm smile.
Then silence returned.
Jieun, lying beside Yuri on the bed, spoke.
“It can’t be helped. Hero and villain are opposites. It was bound to happen eventually.”
“But how can someone just change like that?”
“Maybe it wasn’t sudden for her.”
That sentence hit like a blow.
Yuri froze.
Maybe… it wasn’t sudden for Marie.
Maybe it had been building up all along.
But even if her mind understood, her heart refused.
Her pink eyes slowly lit with stubborn fire.
Jieun sighed and pushed her slightly.
“Move over. I’m sleeping.”
“Okay…”
Yuri crawled inward to make space.
Fine.
If that’s how it is, then I’ll be a stubborn, annoying villain too.
Let’s see who wins.
Even if it’s pathetic, right now all she wanted was to see Marie again.
She settled under the blanket and closed her eyes.
Next morning.
Yuri woke up early and sat in front of the mirror, carefully putting on makeup.
She even applied eyeshadow and eyeliner, lifting the corners of her eyes sharply.
“Too much? No, this is perfect. Sunglasses anyway…”
Still, she adjusted everything carefully.
A neat outfit, skirt, cardigan.
She examined herself in the mirror.
Not bad.
Actually… pretty.
This should make her look back at least once.
Then her mood sank again.
But Yuri shook her head.
No crying today.
Jieun, watching from the bed, asked,
“Where are you going?”
“To get revenge on unni.”
“Eat breakfast first.”
“No.”
Jieun forced her to sit anyway.
“Revenge requires fuel. You look like you’ll faint otherwise.”
She fed Yuri rice wrapped in seaweed like a child.
Yuri protested, but still ate.
“…I’m full.”
Jieun sighed and treated her injuries, even putting a bandage on her knee and helping her with stockings.
“Be careful.”
“…Okay!”
Yuri stood up, adjusting her sunglasses dramatically.
And walked out toward the café facing the Hero Association building.