Chapter 12
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Sleepy Tangle
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Hmm, what is this?
Feels like I just dozed off for a bit... but why does my body feel so refreshingly light?
I rubbed my bleary eyes and scanned my surroundings.
The ceiling above me was definitely our house's, but the air in the room felt somehow different from my own bedroom.
Sweet, fragrant, and cozy somehow.
Maybe because of the sister lying next to me.
I turned my head, and a soft breast bumped against my cheek.
Sujeong always lacks caution like this. Even in the bathroom, always giving advice to others.
'Acting the most dangerously herself... Ha. At least it's good that I woke up first.'
If Sujeong had opened her eyes first, she might have freaked out at this awkward position.
I tried to push away the flesh pressing against my cheek and sit up, but something tangled around my legs.
'Oof? Did our calves get tangled while sleeping? So her sleeping habits aren't that tame after all... She was even groping my butt this morning.'
Late sleeping followed by bad habits—my image of Sujeong was steadily crumbling.
...But didn't she go to bed in dolphin pants? Why is she wearing short jeans now?
'Come to think of it, her breasts seem a bit smaller than Sujeong's... Huh? And when did I even lie down on the bed? My last memory was finishing cleaning, and someone dragging me off...?'
"Jigu Yang."
"Yeah? Huh?"
"Where exactly are you groping right now?"
"Uh...? Geumbi? Why are you here?"
"Because this is my room. More importantly, what are you touching?"
"Huh? Whoa, what is this! No, it's not like that, sis!"
"Explain properly. I'm not that mad yet, so I'll hear you out."
I remembered.
After cleaning, I was staggering, and Geumbi called me over.
We somehow made it up to the second-floor room... and then my memory cut off.
'Fell asleep on Geumbi's bed? When? How? But more than that, how do I explain this groping?'
I could say I collapsed from exhaustion without realizing.
But groping her breast just now... even in the best light, it was caught red-handed. And with her eyes wide open watching, denial was impossible.
"Ugh, okay, it was a total accident. I absolutely wasn't trying to touch anything."
"You turned your head right after waking up and grabbed my breast, and it wasn't on purpose?"
"I-I was still groggy from sleep! Something bumped my face, it was annoying, so I tried to brush it away, and I didn't even know it was your breast, Geumbi!"
"Fine, let's say you meant to brush it at first. Then why did you stop midway and squeeze?"
"Ah, something was tangled lower down, so I was checking that for a sec... Anyway, it was a mistake. I really didn't have any weird thoughts...!"
It was a misunderstanding born from a tangle of circumstances.
...I desperately tried to explain it that way, but Geumbi's narrowed eyes didn't soften a bit.
'Of course not. Even I know it sounds ridiculous? Ugh.'
Honestly, I couldn't say there wasn't even the slightest impure motive.
Of course, I never had lewd thoughts about my sister, but when that soft sensation hit my hand... I did instinctively squeeze a little in my half-sleep. Can't help it; that's instinct territory.
I swallowed hard, awaiting Geumbi's verdict.
She was shorter than me, but since she was positioned higher up on the bed, her presence felt even more intimidating.
'The positioning was wrong from the start. Maybe I lay down first, and she came later? Arguing it's not all my fault... yeah, I'd get beaten for real.'
I didn't know where to look under her sharp gaze.
Then, as expected, Geumbi's hand touched my cheek.
"Hey."
"Y-Yes...!"
"Why so tense? You could've just said it was a sleepy mistake."
"Ah, yeah. That's what I meant... Right."
"I could tell it was a mistake at a glance, but you thought I'd get seriously mad over it?"
"No, but... you were glaring so scarily."
"You know my eyes look fierce. It's my complex, you wanna point it out like that?"
"S-Sorry. My bad."
"Good you know. As a bonus, I'll forgive that earlier thing too, heh."
Unlike me, all tensed up, Geumbi was relaxed.
She exuded mature charm, generously overlooking my mistake as sleepy squirming.
'W-Whew. Dodged a bullet. How long ago was Sujeong's advice, and I thought I'd be in deep trouble already...'
I finally exhaled in relief and tried to get up properly from the bed.
But Geumbi's foot, still tangled around my leg, pressed down firmly, stopping me.
"Oof? Sis?"
"But you know, Jigu."
"Yeah, what...?"
"There was something in your explanation that didn't add up."
"What?"
"You said you groped me without knowing it was me, right?"
"Yeah, that's right? Not a lie, I really didn't know it was you, Geumbi."
"Then who did you think it was?"
"...Huh?"
"Everyone else in the house besides you is a girl. Whose breasts did you think were okay to touch?"
Squeeze.
The toes pressing my calf increased the pressure.
Before I knew it, Geumbi's hand, which had been stroking my cheek, gripped my nape, and I was pinned top and bottom, locking eyes with her.
The look in Geumbi's eyes as I looked up...
Was burning incomparably hotter than before.
"Think carefully before you answer. Depending on it, I'll seriously decide what to do with you, Jigu."
"......Gulp."
What did that 'decide' mean?
This was Geumbi's room, door locked, so... no way she'd kill me or lock me up, right?
'Th-Think. Tell the truth? Say I thought it was Sujeong and touched?'
That had its own problems.
But if it was one of the others... that'd be way worse? She'd never let it slide if I touched the little ones.
'No choice. Sorry, Sujeong...!'
After agonizing, I picked the name with the least fallout.
I squeezed my eyes shut, clasped my hands in plea, and bowed deeply to Geumbi.
"I thought it was Sujeong. In the mornings, we sometimes get tangled while tossing... Sorry!"
"......"
No response to my apology.
I gulped repeatedly, holding my breath, and after about 30 seconds, cracked my eyes open to peek up.
"Eek!"
"I see? So you two have been playing around in bed like this?"
"N-No. It's just occasionally in the morning, accidental... "
"So it's not just once? You said it wasn't me, but you've been going to your room and sleeping there every night?"
"E-Even so, it's only been two nights so far..."
"Two nights or two weeks, same thing. You lied to me, right? Isn't it?"
"Y-Yes... Sorry."
Like a cat grabbing her kitten, my nape was caught in Geumbi's hand.
Did she feel my trembling through her grip? Every time I got scared, her eyes gleamed more as she glared.
"Just one question."
"Y-Yeah, ask anything..."
"Jigu, do you like Sujeong?"
"Huh? ...W-What do you mean?"
"You said you couldn't talk about the adoption thing, and it was related to Sujeong, right?"
"Yeah...? But why?"
"Maybe she's the adopted one, and that's why you two secretly... "
"What?! N-No! Absolutely not. Don't imagine weird stuff, sis!"
"You're making it easy to imagine. Then why does she come to your room to sleep?"
I said it was for counseling, but Geumbi didn't seem convinced by that alone.
Having just experienced suspicious skinship on her own body, her suspicions were only fueling further.
To survive this, I had no choice but to reveal a bit about my relationship with Sujeong.
"Actually, Sujeong's been pretty mentally unstable lately. She says she can't sleep alone, so we've been sleeping together sometimes."
"When there's a girl like me, she goes to your room?"
"It's because things got awkward with you recently... And the little ones are too young to go to."
"That... Ugh. We were awkward for a bit, but..."
"She said if she seemed shaken, we'd all worry, so keep it secret. So you pretend not to know too, Geumbi."
"......If that's the situation, what can I say."
Maybe embarrassed at suspecting something lewd, Geumbi blushed and averted her eyes.
I sighed as her fiery glare finally subsided and wrapped up the talk.
"But you're right too, so I'll be more careful from now on. So this doesn't happen."
"...Yeah. As long as you know."
"Then can you let go now? I wanna get up."
"What are you talking about?"
"Huh?"
"I haven't even started what I wanted yet."
"Eh? Huh? Oh...?"
Come to think of it, she called me up to the second floor, right?
I completely forgot while asleep.
"What is it? Some favor?"
"I told you, listen to my counseling during the day."
"Mm, got it. But do we have to be in this position... "
"I've been feeling anxious lately too. So do the same as with Sujeong."
"W-What?"
"Like with her... L-Let's take a nap together. One or two hours a day is fine, even 30 minutes."
"Like Sujeong, meaning in the same bed like this?"
"...I hadn't thought that far, but trying it once like this, it feels pretty good. I slept deeper than expected."
Not intentional, but I'd accidentally given Geumbi a taste of what she hoped for.
Only then did I realize why she'd climbed into the same bed, and I couldn't firmly refuse her pleading eyes.
"......Until Mom gets back, we'll do it sometimes."
"Yeah. I'm just imposing for a while... Not planning to do this forever."
Come to think of it, Geumbi had been the first to wake up among us lately.
I thought she was just diligent, but if it was all from insomnia due to anxiety... maybe that's why her eyes looked especially fierce.
"Call anytime. I'll even stroke your hair if you need."
"Don't need that. Don't treat me like a little kid, idiot."
I accepted Geumbi's request, mixing in light jokes.
Geumbi showed her first bright smile on the bed and pinched my cheek while grumbling.
Anyway, crisis averted—thank goodness.
And comforting for Geumbi too, this bed felt reassuring.
That night, Sujeong came to my room as if it were now daily routine.
She climbed onto the bed skillfully and took her spot on my right.
"Jigu... you took a nap with Geumbi in her room today?"
I wondered how much closer their sisterly bond had gotten since reconciling—she started grilling me about it the moment she lay down.
'Geumbi... keeps Sujeong's thing secret but blabs about her own? Geez.'
I frowned thinking of her excessive honesty.
I looked at Sujeong beside me and somehow forced up the corners of my mouth.