Chapter 1
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Older Sister
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Our family was a large household, the kind you rarely see these days.
A family of five siblings, with me as the third—two older sisters above me and two younger sisters below.
Whenever I told people about it, they'd gasp in surprise, even accounting for our well-off circumstances, chattering on about how it must never get boring at home.
'Reality is, everyone holes up in their own rooms and has no intention of coming out.'
Unlike the expectations of a bustling communal life, we were strong individualists, true to our MZ Generation roots.
The house was spacious enough that everyone had their own room, and once even the youngest hit adulthood, we barely crossed paths anymore.
'Different schedules, tastes, hobbies, personalities—everyone's world is their own. Guess it's only natural.'
That said, I was even more detached from the others than most.
Whenever the family gathered in the living room, my two older sisters would naturally huddle together swapping work stories, while my two younger sisters chatted about college life, leaving no room for me to join in.
'I'm the only guy here. If it was military talk or advice for a guy back from service, I could chat all night.'
Hmm, even I had to admit that sounded pretty boring.
Being the odd one out was unavoidable.
By now, I didn't feel particularly lonely or wistful about it.
I'd just been flipping through old photo albums after getting back from service, lost in memories of how things used to be when we were kids.
'Things felt good back when both Mom and Dad were around the house.'
But I was too young then—my recollections were hazy at best.
They'd both started going on frequent business trips by the time we were in kindergarten.
'Dad's gone forever now...'
Our parents traveled not just domestically but overseas too.
Then one day, we got the news that Dad had been in a major accident and left us for good.
We were only around elementary school age at the time.
Old enough to grasp the idea of death, but not mature enough to truly accept it.
'Is that when things started getting awkward? Mom... she was already busy, but after that, she hardly came home at all.'
Now that I'm grown, I get it.
Emotionally, stepping into a house without Dad must have been unbearable. Practically, she had to run herself ragged raising us five kids.
Still, that lingering sense of regret, longing, even resentment deep down... it was just the night air getting me all sentimental.
I closed the album, scratched my head, and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water.
"Oh, Sis."
"Jigu. You're still up?"
"What about you, Sis... what's got you up at this hour?"
I bumped into our eldest, Sujeong, while grabbing a cup from the kitchen cabinet.
She approached with her wavy hair tossed back over her shoulder.
She was wearing an old sleeveless tee and short dolphin shorts as pajamas— the slightly tight fabric made me avert my eyes.
"It's 1 a.m., Sis. Don't you have work tomorrow?"
Sujeong must have figured it was too dark to see, because she wasn't wearing a bra, her chest completely exposed without a care.
I kept my manners by shifting my gaze to the floor, the table, then the clock.
"Took the day off tomorrow. Mom said we should all make time together as a family."
"Mom...? She messaged you?"
"Yeah. Posted in the Family Group Chat yesterday... You didn't check, did you?"
"Ugh, sorry. Turned off notifications after getting nagged about sorting the trash last time."
"Typical you. If we ran into each other, I'd have told you in person, but you barely show your face... Aren't I feeling neglected, Sis?"
Sujeong pouted her lips and stepped closer to me.
She reached out and patted the head of her taller little brother, and though I felt embarrassed, I couldn't dodge the touch.
"Even with notifications off, check it once a day. Families shouldn't grow too distant, or you'll regret it later."
"Yeah... Sorry, Sis."
"No need to apologize that much. Hehe, doing okay on allowance these days, Jigu?"
"Sis, they pay pretty well in the military now. What kind of question is that for a guy fresh out?"
"Hmm, right. Our little guy went and finished his service already... Time flies."
"We're only three years apart, Sis. Aren't you babying me too much?"
"Three years is three years. I basically carried you around when you were little."
"Save that for the youngest. ...I am grateful, though. In all sorts of ways."
I mumbled my thanks, borrowing the cover of the night air despite the awkwardness.
Say what you will—in our parents' absence, it was eldest daughter Sujeong who'd played the role of guardian.
As I scratched my cheek, looked away, and gulped down my water like it was blocking my words, Sujeong giggled and spun around in front of me.
"Hehe, our third one's all grown up, huh? Saying stuff like that so straightforwardly."
"D-don't get so close. You're embarrassing me."
"Why? Ashamed of confessing your love to your big sis? Aww~"
"L-love confession? Don't overblow a simple thank-you."
"Ohhh~ So our Jigu's embarrassed~"
"Cut that baby talk. Save it for the little one, ugh."
She was really getting into teasing her little brother, even patting my butt and pursing her lips.
The "aww~" sounds were embarrassing enough, but the hand on my butt was mortifying—and worse, her chest kept brushing against mine.
'Be more careful. She's a grown woman.'
I worried for a second if she acted like this outside too, as her brother.
This wasn't ending anytime soon, so I set down my cup and pulled her into a sudden hug.
"Eek?! J-Jigu?"
"You've had it rough too, Sis... Thanks for always looking after us."
"Huh? Ah, hehe... So this is what it feels like. Getting praised back makes me all shy."
"After you've been teasing me plenty?"
"I never hugged you like this... Hmm. Our Jigu really has grown up, haha."
It was cute seeing her, who stuck so freely when attacking, flustered by the reversal.
Feeling I'd gotten enough revenge, I loosened my arms—just then, footsteps came down from the second-floor stairs.
"...What're you two doing?"
"Oh, Geumbi Sis."
"My, what's Geumbi doing up too? Hope everyone's not short on sleep."
"Not usually like this. It's been ages since I had time off, so I got carried away... But seriously, you two, what were you up to in the middle of the night?"
The one who entered the kitchen was our second sister, Geumbi.
Her hair, tied low on one side, swayed with her steps toward us.
In contrast, her unwavering gaze pierced right through me.
"Jigu, you weren't doing anything weird to your sister, were you?"
"What? N-no! As if!"
"Hmm~ As long as you're not. World's full of creeps these days."
Geumbi had come for water like me, brushing past us to fill her glass from the dispenser.
The warning shot my way seemed casual—no real suspicion in her eyes.
'It's that naturally sharp glare of hers that spooks people. Whew, got my heart racing for nothing in the dead of night.'
No reason to keep hugging anyway, so I let go of Sujeong.
But Sujeong didn't pull away, instead whispering in my ear while tugging my lobe.
"Guess you really have grown up, Jigu. Now you're getting all sorts of weird misunderstandings, hehe."
"...You enjoying this, Sis? You don't act like this outside, right?"
"Why? Worried about me?"
"Of course. Sigh, you treat people too casually—it's gonna get you in trouble."
"I don't do this with others. Only family, because you're family."
I figured as much.
But since she closed the distance even with me, a guy, she worried me more than most.
"...You two were stuck together forever."
"Oh, Geumbi wants a hug too? Our second sis feeling lonely~?"
"Pass. Don't cling so much. It's hot."
"Aww, don't be shy. Come here~"
"Sis, I said no! Ugh, seriously..."
Luckily, Sujeong's attention soon shifted to Geumbi, and I seized the chance to slip back to my room.
Sujeong was fine, but watching that would definitely earn me an earful from Geumbi.
'Geumbi Sis is scary when she's mad. Better steer clear, whew.'
If Sujeong was the warm, motherly protector type,
Then Geumbi, our second sister, was the one who kept the household in line.
Watching those two so different despite being just a year apart, I returned to my room and checked the Family Group Chat.
"She really did post it. Tomorrow at 10 a.m., video call in the living room... Wait, Mom's not back?"
She must still be overseas—I'd hoped she'd returned after so long.
The melancholy I'd buried with the album nearly resurfaced, but the warmth from hugging Sujeong lingered in my chest, soothing it away.
'...Still, way too defenseless. No wonder I avoid the second floor.'
I glanced toward the upstairs where the sisters' rooms were.
Quietly shut my door to get ready for bed... or rather, dove into NewTube Shorts instead.
Thanks to Sujeong, the sentimental mood had lifted.
Too bad to sleep right away. Time to savor the freedoms I couldn't have in the military.
I finally crashed around 5 a.m.
At 9 a.m., Geumbi's voice boomed as she flung open my door.
"What were you doing up all night? Get up already, tch."
She yelled from outside without entering, then left.
'Yup, this is the sibling distance for ya...' I rubbed my eyes and flopped back into bed.
Gathering at 10, so 30 more minutes of sleep was fine.
—That thought vanished five minutes later under a sofa cushion hurled by Geumbi.