Chapter 33: Don't Shove That in My Face!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: Don't Shove That in My Face!
The warm sunlight seeping through the window was dazzling. My body felt light, as if I’d had a deep sleep. I reached out to shake off the lingering drowsiness. My mom’s breasts weren’t there. Right, I’d been left at Yuseoha’s house.
I reached out again. I tried to feel for Yuseoha’s chest—the kind that only looks human if she gathers every bit of her soul to make it happen—but I caught nothing. My mind began to clear.
Now that I thought about it, all I did yesterday was give her a little encouragement to be brave, and she had the nerve to use magic to put me to sleep. How petty.
I snapped wide awake. Looking around, I realized I was in the bedroom where I’d fallen asleep yesterday. I thought I might have been abandoned outside, but it seemed she’d at least let me sleep in the bed.
Actually, she had to let me sleep here. Anyone could see I was the victim, considering she’d committed the cowardly act of using magic on a little brat just because he’d reached for his mom in his sleep and tried to suck on a breast!
I went through the house with a grin, ready to give that shameless, cold-blooded, wicked Pink Head a piece of my mind, but Yuseoha was nowhere to be found.
I wondered if she’d run away out of embarrassment, leaving a child behind, but then I figured she’d probably gone for a morning jog like my mom. That thought calmed me down a bit.
The place was far too spacious for one person. Our house was quite large, but this place was twice the size, spanning three floors including the basement.
Lying on the first-floor sofa, I stared at the shimmering water visible through the glass wall. As if possessed, I stepped outside. The air smelled slightly salty, but without the stench of rotting seafood.
I felt like I could fall in love with this scenery—a blend of the artificial and the natural that I could watch all day. The sunlight shattering over the water wasn't even that blinding.
I crouched by the water in the yard and looked inside. Fish were swimming past. I thought I could see something like a coral reef down there. And then, there was a turtle.
“A turtle?”
Perhaps hearing my voice, the swimming turtle looked my way and poked its head out of the water. It looked bigger than me.
—Kkee-kueeeek!
The turtle’s cry was cuter than I expected. Its black eyes were adorable, but I was too scared to just reach out. Its head was bigger than mine; if I held out my hand, I felt like it wouldn't just nip a finger, but bite my whole wrist off.
The turtle gave a lazy yawn while watching me and then climbed out of the water. I took two or three steps back, and the cutie poked its head toward me, eyes sparkling.
This felt like a green light to touch it. Still, just in case it bit, I moved behind it and slowly stroked its head. The turtle slowly lowered its head and closed its eyes.
“Oh...!”
Lately, every passing dog or cat had been ignoring me because I lost to Im Su-yeon, but this fellow didn't seem like that. After I stroked its head a few times, it let its head go limp against the ground.
It was such a gentle and good-natured creature that I wanted to keep it at my house. Honestly, considering the age of a turtle this size, it was definitely older than my past and current lives combined—it probably rivaled my elf mom in age.
Since it seemed so gentle and obedient, I climbed onto its wide shell. It was smooth and had a pleasant scent. Seeing as it just lay there even after I climbed on, it seemed Yuseoha was indeed raising it.
Even stretching my arms as far as they could go, I couldn't reach the edges of the shell. The massive shell, which only someone like Iris could probably span, was comfortable. Maybe it was because I’d just woken up, or maybe it was the lack of my usual routine—the absence of breasts—but I started to feel sleepy again.
“You shouldn't bully him.”
“Mng... what...?”
Someone grabbed my armpits and lifted me up. The turtle was getting further away. I reached out toward it.
“He’s a gentle boy. You shouldn't bully him.”
It was Yuseoha. I turned my head and saw my mom’s friend, wearing pink leggings and a light jacket as if she’d just come back from a run. “I wasn't! The turtle likes me. Right? Right?”
The turtle gave a long yawn and looked at me. Then it looked at Yuseoha.
When Yuseoha reached out and tickled its chin, the turtle made a kkee-kueek sound.
“Thanks for looking after him.”
As if understanding her words, the turtle nodded and went back into the water. Looking at the situation, it wasn't that I was playing with the turtle; the damn turtle was babysitting me.
“The water is deep. Dangerous.”
“I’m a good swimmer!”
“It’s deep here.”
“I’m a good swimmer!”
The Pink Bitch shook her head. My pride was starting to get hurt.
“How deep is it? I can swim in a two-meter pool!”
Her hot-pink eyes stared at me silently. She seemed to be thinking deeply. Then, she pointed at her house.
“About that much... might be a little deep...?”
If it was that deep, a mere male shouldn't even think about entering. However, Yuseoha shook her head.
“Three times that.”
Just how many meters deep was it? I thought I saw coral reefs inside. A sudden chill ran down my spine. I got goosebumps realizing I could have drowned if I’d jumped in for fun.
I had to admit that the turtle had stopped me because I was showing interest in the water. The turtle’s black eyes were staring intently at me.
“Thanks, Turtle!”
The turtle closed its eyes and shook its head from side to side. It really did seem to understand human speech. I waved as the cutie disappeared beneath the surface.
“I’m hungry, Seoha Noona.”
“Yeah. I set the table.”
Yuseoha carried me inside and sat me at the dining table. Seeing her wipe my hands with a wet towel, her hospitality wasn't bad.
The problem, however, was that the breakfast she’d prepared was a literal vegetable garden.
Since my character setting was that I don't eat unless there’s meat, I just chewed on my rice without a word. Even my mom, who worried about my small appetite, showed her 'sincerity' by putting meat side dishes in every meal, even though she didn't eat them herself.
This was the treatment a boy deserved. But a vegetable garden? This was basically telling me to starve. I continued to chew my rice in silence. “...Does it taste bad?”
I nodded. Yuseoha watched me silently for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh.
“Wait.”
Soon, the table was covered with all sorts of frozen foods.
“Pick.”
I picked as many as I could. It was more than I could eat, but seeing Yuseoha heat them up for me, I decided not to use bad words like 'Pink Whore,' 'Pink Loser,' or 'Bitch who cheats against a kid.'
“It’s a secret from your mom.”
Yuseoha gave a faint smile and put her index finger to her lips.
“Seoha Noona is the best~!”
Still, I had to get payback for yesterday’s cheating, so I wiped my mouth—covered in spaghetti sauce—on her jacket.
She didn't seem to mind much, though.
***
After finishing the meal and brushing my teeth, we faced the problem of how to spend our time.
Yuseoha’s conclusion was simple.
“I’ll teach you this.”
Teaching me an instrument.
It was a good idea. I wanted to be able to play at least one instrument. However...
“This is popular. If you have this. Everyone likes you.”
She was spouting bullshit while bringing out a Mega Ukulele.
“I hate that! It just goes vroom vroom! It’s not cool!”
“This is the base. You can’t do without it. It’s good to have. Everyone likes it.”
This woman was trying to scam a child. A bass. No, calling a four-stringed guitar by such a sophisticated name was too much for it.
“Your talent is the bass. The best.”
“I’m not doing it. I’m gonna play games.”
Yuseoha put the bass away with a gloomy expression.
“I’ll teach you the piano.”
“Okay!”
Our pink-haired sister sat me on the piano bench with a sad face. Playing around on the piano turned out to be more fun than I thought. Then again, what wouldn't be fun with a beautiful girl teaching you by your side?
“I think I have a talent for the piano!”
“You don't.”
Yuseoha shook her head. Now that her words and actions were starting to align, I actually felt a bit of trust in her. As I tried to get up from the bench, the Pink Bitch pressed down on my shoulders.
“You don't need talent.”
Yuseoha lightly struck the keys. She gestured with her eyes for me to follow. I pressed them a few times, but even though I played the same notes, it didn't have the same feeling.
“Not the action, but what’s beyond it. That’s what you need.”
I thought about her words, but nothing came to mind. It felt like those masters in martial arts novels who spout nonsense to stop their disciples from reaching a higher realm, fearing they won't be taken care of if the student surpasses them.
“That is talent.”
I’d heard that I had no talent plenty of times from that Red Dragon. I couldn't let myself lose like this.
“No talent. At all. But the bass. You have talent. Really.”
I knew very well that Yuseoha just wanted to use me as a background beat. She was so wicked and sinister.
The Pink Head had torn my young heart to shreds, but my 2nd playthrough of life wasn't going to be that easy. I repeated the notes she’d taught me several times.
“As long as you’re having fun, that’s all that matters. Don't just copy. Have fun.”
Following her words, I tried to play for fun. If I made a mistake, I just let it go; if I messed up, I smoothly moved to the next part. It actually started to feel quite fun.
Should I call it a performance? Or just pressing keys as I pleased? When I finished, Yuseoha was looking at me with a smile.
“It’s fun, right?”
“Yes!”
“Play so that both you and the listener are happy. That’s all. You don't need talent.”
“....”
My interest cooled down the moment she said I had no talent, but I could sort of see the charm.
“You can... come to learn every day.”
Yuseoha gave a small cough. This woman really didn't know me. Even when the other sisters offered to teach me things or give me good stuff, I didn't do it because it was a hassle. And she dared to say, 'You. Can. Come?'
How arrogant.
“I don't want to!”
Yuseoha’s eyes trembled in panic.
“I’m... really good. Lots of awards.”
“I don't want to!”
Yuseoha went to a display case and pulled something out. It was a shiny gold trophy. I wanted to melt it down and keep it rather than have the trophy itself.
“Look at this. Grand Prize.”
“I don't want to!”
“Then I’ll teach you something else.”
She seemed to think I refused because I hated the piano. Like someone who desperately needed the bathroom, Yuseoha ran out of the room and brought back a violin.
“No.”
“I’m good at this too. Top in the world.”
“I don't want to.”
It looked like she was struggling, trying her hardest to find a way to spend time with me.
Next was the ukulele.
“No.”
Then the drums.
“No. Not cool!”
“...Is there nothing? You want to learn?”
“Nope!”
“Why?”
Yuseoha looked at me as if she couldn't understand. The reason was simple.
“It’s not fun!”
The Pink Bitch’s shoulders slumped. I figured it was time to stop teasing and give her some bait.
“But if Seoha Noona teaches me, I’ll learn!”
I could see affection and emotion sparkling in Yuseoha’s eyes. The sisters in this neighborhood were so easy.
“...Really? Then this.”
She brought the Mega Ukulele back.
“I said no!”
“Sorry... I’ll teach you the violin.”
I could accept this much. Besides, she said she was one of the best in the world, so it didn't seem like a bad thing to learn.
“Okay!”
I really shouldn't have said that.