It Was the Best♡
The look on her face was off for some reason — maybe she'd caught too much sun outside — and being the loving older sibling I was, I tossed out a considerate little remark.
"What are you staring at? Hot out there?"
Seorin flinched, then for some reason straightened up and casually slid her phone off to the side.
"Ahem. Nothing. Just surprised you even know how to say something like that."
"What? You think I can't even manage a kind word?"
"…Mm."
Seorin rolled her eyes upward for a moment like she was thinking something over, and then—
—she reached out and set her hand right on top of my head without a care in the world.
Pat. Pat.
"Honestly… I just find it adorable?"
"…Excuse me? Ado~rable??"
I glared at Seorin with a look of utter bafflement.
…And she simply wore a satisfied little smile and patted my head again.
"What? You used to pat my head and go 'good girl, Seorin' whenever I did something right when I was little, remember?"
"Hey, that is not the same thing!"
Pat… pat….
Every time her palm swept through my hair, something in me inexplicably settled down — even though I hadn't actually done anything to deserve it.
It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected. The problem was whose hand it was….
"I'm just returning the favor. Doing for you exactly what you did for me."
"Ha. Unbelievable…."
"…By the way, Oppa. Are you a puppy or something? You're supposed to be a dragon."
"What's that supposed to mean now?"
Instead of answering, Seorin tilted her chin and flicked her eyes toward the space behind me.
Swish… swish….
"…."
At some point, my tail had started swaying slowly and contentedly, without my permission whatsoever.
"This thing has a mind of its own, I swear…!"
I hastily dragged the traitorous tail around and clutched it tight against my chest. Even then, the tip kept flicking back and forth just beyond the reach of my grip.
"And it only does that when I'm in a terrible mood, so quit it right—"
"Dragons usually only wag their tails when they're absolutely delighted, but our darling here starts swaying at the tiniest bit of happiness! She's so cute!"
"Piiat!"
"H-hiik! Noxshia! Don't just blurt out useless facts like that…!"
"Oh my… is that really so?"
"Of course, sister-in-law! Like this!"
With one arm wrapped securely around Gyeoul, Noxshia extended her free hand toward me in one smooth motion.
Then she gently placed her palm beneath the very tip of the tail I was hugging to my chest and—
Rustle—
—with her fingertips, she quickly tickled the tip of it.
"…Eep."
My tail, as if it had been waiting for exactly this, coiled itself slickly around Noxshia's wrist.
Swish, tap, tap.
…It even started nuzzling against the back of her hand.
"See! Like this!"
Seorin glanced once at my tail clinging snugly around Noxshia's wrist, and the corner of her mouth crept upward.
"Ooooh… this is way more hardcore than I thought, Oppa."
'Aaagh… I want to die….'
I buried my face in both hands.
What kind of older brother broadcasts his own mood through his tail, live and uncensored….
"Would my dear sister-in-law like to give it a try as well?"
"Oh… should I?"
Seorin scooted her hips over and sidled up right next to me.
"N-no! Hey, hey — you're off limits!"
When I hurriedly cut in, Seorin narrowed her eyes.
"Hm? Why?"
"Uh? Um… that's…."
My words caught in my throat.
If I said yes, I'd basically be asking Seorin to touch my tail too. And if I said no, she was guaranteed to ask why Noxshia got to but not her.
Come to think of it, this one had lived with me for twenty-one years, while Noxshia and I had only known each other a few days….
That said, I wasn't exactly letting Noxshia do whatever she pleased either.
She stopped the instant I said I didn't like something, and above all, it was so painfully obvious how much she adored me… that I'd simply found myself permitting it to a certain degree, that's all.
'…Hold on. Why am I even debating permission? And why did you nod along so naturally when someone offered to touch your Oppa's tail?'
Just as I was starting to wonder whether this was even the right question to be agonizing over—
"So I'll take that as a yes, Oppa?"
"…."
"F-fine! Just touch it! It's not like the tail showed up by choice—"
Before I could even finish, Seorin yanked my tail over and grabbed it with both hands.
Pat pat, rub rub.
"Ooo… it's so smooth. But this part on the inside is all fluffy, like lamb's wool."
"Eep! W-wait! You're manhandling it…!"
"Ahh, sister-in-law. If you grip that hard, you'll startle my darling!"
Noxshia rose from her seat, crouched down in front of us, and carefully laid her hand over my tail where Seorin was holding it.
"Like thiiis~ nice and soft. You have to stroke it slowly, just enough to be a little ticklish!"
Stroke, stroke….
"Hn, haah…?"
My tail twitched as the hand glided slowly along the fins. The tingling sensation traveled all the way up to the small of my back, and my body curled in on itself all on its own.
"Ooh… so that's how it's done?"
"Yes! It's my darling's favorite!"
"…Now that's some very useful information."
Stroke… stroke….
"Good~ Now focus your attacks on the fins even more!"
"Hngt…! H-hey!! I take it back! Permission revoked!"
"Too late. I'm learning from my brother-in-law's husband right now."
"Since when did you two get to start teaching and taking lessons on how to touch my tail—?!"
"Piiat?"
"There you go, eat up."
When I crumbled the cookie beside me into tiny bits with my fingertips and brought them to Gyeoul's mouth, she accepted them greedily and gobbled them right down.
Nom nom nom.
Pat….
"Mmnh… slow down, sweetie. You'll choke…."
"Pii!"
Seorin watched the two of us for a moment with an odd look in her eyes, then muttered under her breath.
"Huh…."
"…What?"
"Nothing. It's just — you're way more natural at it than I expected."
"At what?"
"Taking care of a kid."
"Ha, I was always good with kids. I looked after you all the time when you were little, remember?"
"…Well, fair enough."
I brought another piece of cookie up to Gyeoul's mouth.
"Gyeoul, here. Just this last bite, okay?"
"Piiat!"
Nom.
By the time she'd finished her hearty snack, Gyeoul's mouth was smeared with fine cookie crumbs.
"Hm… you got it all over yourself again."
I brushed gently around Gyeoul's mouth with my finger and wiped away every last crumb.
"Piii…."
"There. All clean."
Pat.
Only then did I pick my chopsticks back up. I grabbed a side dish, popped it in my mouth, and chewed — a familiar, homey flavor that suited me perfectly.
"Mmm, this is good."
"Well… obviously."
Seorin crossed her arms with a gratuitously proud look on her face.
"I only made things you like."
"It's truly delicious, sister-in-law! Perhaps it's because I share blood with my darling!"
"Eat as much as you like. There's plenty left."
"Oh! And please tell me more of the foods my darling loves!"
"Gladly. My darling has surprisingly picky tastes, you see—"
…I had no idea how things had come to this, but somewhere along the way the two of them had gotten dead serious about pooling intel on my preferences. At this rate, we were headed straight into another round of that two-person "Kim Wolyang User's Manual" lecture from before dinner.
'…That's it. I'm out of here!'
I wolfed down the rest of my rice, shot up from my seat, and made my escape.
"I'm done eating! Heading in first!"
"Oppa, already?"
"Oh my, already?! My darling has never finished a meal this fast!"
"…True. You were always a pretty slow eater."
"A slow eater?! Sister-in-law, tell me that too!"
Shuffle shuffle….
The moment Noxshia's attention shifted entirely onto Seorin, I seized my chance and scurried off to my room.
We'd been glued to each other all day long — it was about time I had a little time to myself….
Thump.
I flopped face-first onto the bed.
"Huaaah…."
Truly, a person needs time alone.
A peaceful place where nobody touches my tail, nobody pats my head, and nobody shares my preferences with anyone else—
"Piiat!"
I turned my head to find Gyeoul standing below the bed, looking up at me — apparently she'd followed me in without my noticing.
"…Okay, fine. You get an exemption."
She was still a baby, after all.
The second I spread both arms wide, Gyeoul leapt up as if she'd been waiting for it and burrowed straight into my chest.
"Piii~"
"…Mmnh. Good girl."
I found myself gently patting Gyeoul's back, a small smile tugging at my lips.
Being this openly affectionate in front of Noxshia or Seorin just felt a little embarrassing for no good reason.
…It wasn't that there was some deep reason for it. It was more that doing this where people could see made it feel… like I wasn't quite myself, somehow.
Right now, though, there was no one watching.
And more than anything, Gyeoul was…
Head tilt.
"Piiat?"
Adorable.
…Ridiculously so.
I wanted her to eat well, sleep well, and grow up big and strong without a single ache or illness.
…And that was exactly why, no matter how strange and embarrassing the nursing felt, I'd done it in the end anyway.
I pulled Gyeoul a little tighter into my arms.
"Teacher's going to protect our Gyeoul, always. Got it?"
"Piiat!"
"And our Gyeoul will grow up big and healthy with nothing ever hurting, right?"
"Piiat!"
Squeeze….
Somewhere in the middle of all that, my gaze drifted downward.
To the extra-thick, extra-plush winter blanket I'd spread out on the floor as my own bed, ever since I'd given the mattress up to Noxshia.
"Gyeoul."
"Piiat?"
"Let's go down here with Teacher. It's the coziest spot in the whole room."
"Piiat!"
With Gyeoul hugged tight against my chest, I slid down off the bed onto the floor.
Ploof—
To get comfortable, I curled up on my side, drew my long tail over, and wound it in a ring around my waist and legs — exactly like a puppy curled nose-to-tail around its own tail.
The moment I buried myself in the gap between the plush blanket and my tail, every ounce of tension drained out of me.
"Hnn… this really is the best spot."
"Piii~"
Gyeoul seemed to approve too, curling herself into a little ball inside my arms.
…I just hoped she'd keep growing safe and sound right here in my embrace, without a care in the world.
"Piii…."
As if she'd understood every word of my thoughts, Gyeoul went soft and relaxed against me. She nuzzled her cheek lightly against my chest, stretched her stubby front paws out comfortably, and began to breathe slow, even little breaths.
A laugh escaped me before I knew it, and I swept my fingertips softly over her tiny head.
"Good night, Gyeoul."
Soft… soft….
Careful not to wake her, I curled my tail a little tighter around the two of us like a barrier.
Then something occurred to me, and — moving as little as possible — I lifted one corner of the blanket and peeked underneath.
Sliide—
A fragment of the eggshell Gyeoul had first hatched from. A rusted 500-won coin I'd picked up for no particular reason. And a red toothbrush I had zero memory of ever putting there.
There were a few other odds and ends besides… but those three were my current absolute favorites.
I'd started collecting them one by one just two days ago, and somehow it had already settled into a full-blown hobby.
…Honestly, I knew it was a little gross.
What kind of person sleeps with eggshells and rusty coins buried in their blanket?
Not that I never washed it, mind you. I laundered it regularly and ran it through the dryer every single time, so nobody was exactly suffering for it….
'So it's fine. Probably.'
One by one, I fished the buried treasures out from between the folds and lined them up in front of my eyes.
Clink.
I rolled the coin around on my palm for a bit….
'This one's precious, so….'
…gently brushed my fingertip over the fragment of Gyeoul's eggshell, careful as could be that it wouldn't crack….
And finally, I picked up the red toothbrush.
"…."
Strange as it was, I liked this one so much.
Sniff….
"Smells good too…."
When I held it up close, a faint blend of leftover toothpaste and damp plastic met the tip of my nose.
'It's… new, right?'
I couldn't say for certain, but I figured it was probably brand new.
I stared at the toothbrush for a long moment, and then, without really thinking about it, brought the bristles lightly against my cheek.
Brush… brush….
"Hnn…."
The way those fine little bristles skimmed over my skin, almost tickling, felt strangely wonderful, and my eyelids drifted half-closed all on their own.
This time I brought it up to my lips.
Brush… brush….
Each time the soft bristles wandered back and forth across the smooth surface of my lips, they left behind this oddly pleasant tingling.
'…I love this too much.'
The thought of giving it away crossed my mind, and I immediately decided: absolutely not.
'This one's MINE….'
I let the tip of my tongue slip out between my lips.
Starting at the end of the red handle, I gave it a light lick and traveled slowly upward.
"Lick… slurp…."
Unlike the slick handle, the bristles were unexpectedly prickly — the texture felt like they were rasping tiny scratches across the tip of my tongue.
Strangely enough, I even caught myself wanting to just hold it in my mouth and fall asleep like this.
"Slurp…. Pwah—"
The moment I pulled my lips away, a thin, transparent strand stretched between us for an instant… then snapped with a tiny pop.
'…No. Sleeping with a toothbrush in your mouth is a bridge too far, even for me.'
Before tucking it back into the blanket, I gave the bristles one last lingering suck.
'Can't just put it away all covered in drool, after all….'
As I softly drew the dampened bristles into my mouth, a faint sweetness brushed past.
…In the end, I swallowed my reluctance, returned the toothbrush to its rightful spot, and gathered Gyeoul snugly into my arms.
Between the plush blanket and the warm little body pressed against me, comfort won out over everything, and sleep came pouring down almost instantly.
Last night.
After a lovely dinner made by my darling, and after she'd finished nursing Gyeoul for the night.
"Hehe…."
I stole a glance into the room, where our baby was sleeping absolutely soundly.
…Which is precisely why I wanted to creep a little closer and look at her properly!
Tip-toe… tip-toe….
"…Excuse me! Noxshia."
"Yes?"
I'd made it as far as the door before turning my head halfway back.
"Where are you going? If you've finished eating, it's time to brush your teeth."
"…Brush my teeth?"
…Head tilt?
"And what, pray tell… is that?"
Gargle gargle….
I pressed myself right up against my darling's side and watched her every move from start to finish.
My darling put something in her mouth and scrubbed, and before long a thick foam of white bubbles had bloomed everywhere.
"And at the very end, you rinse like thiiis with water…"
Gargle gargle…
Ptoo—
"Spit it out like that, and you're all done!"
"Aha!"
So much simpler than I'd imagined!
"As for your toothbrush, Noxshia — just pick whichever one you like from these here and take it with you."
"Yes!"
But the moment my explanation ended, my darling turned right around and headed out of the bathroom.
"Hmm… then I'll go watch over Gyeoul."
"Ah… no fair, darling. I want to watch her too…."
My darling looked back and forth between the row of brand-new toothbrushes and me, saying nothing.
"…Then you'll simply have to brush your teeth first, won't you?"
"…Hnngh."
And I wanted to follow her right away, too….
"…I'll wait in the living room then. Brush quickly, and we'll go together."
"Hehe, yes~"
At last, my heart was at ease!
I set aside my longing and began examining the new toothbrushes lined up before me, one by one.
"Hmm…."
White.
Blue.
Green….
And then one of them caught my eye above all the rest.
A vivid, blood-red toothbrush.
"Oh!"
Why, this was the exact color of blood!