Chapter 22
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Eldest Sister's Concerns
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Sujeong, my eldest sister, threw her arms around me.
The spot was a park. The time was early evening, not quite dark yet.
A few people wandered by here and there, some glancing our way with knowing smiles.
Do they think we're some over-the-top couple making a fuss? If they'd overheard even a snippet of our talk, they might peg us as a guy and girl in the middle of a lovers' spat.
Her question had been awkward enough to make anyone mistake us for something other than siblings who'd grown up together.
She'd asked if I loved her, and when I said yes, she pressed for what exactly that meant.
"Whether as family or as your sister, either one's fine... but what if it's neither? What's the last option then?"
It was only natural I'd clam up at that final choice.
Sujeong stroked my cheek, as if checking how tense I was, but when the heat from her flushed face brushed my fingertips, I flinched and shrank back.
She's the one who started it... what the hell is she playing at?
Unlike her flustered question, her slightly clumsy demeanor gave me a bit of breathing room.
Still, I had no clue why she'd called me out to the park or what all these actions were leading to.
Sujeong wouldn't do this without thinking it through. She's not like Geumbi sis or Hwayeon.
Unlike Geumbi or Hwayeon, Sujeong always handled big matters calmly.
Guiding things along this set path to draw out an answer—that was her way of scolding us siblings when we messed up as kids.
I dredged up those old memories and slowly replayed what she'd said.
"You asked if I love you, right?"
"Yeah. And you said you did. Why?"
"Then you asked what that love means."
"Yeah. ...Ready to answer now?"
"More or less. I think I've made up my mind."
"Really? W-what kind of feelings? Jigu?"
As I set my expression firm, Sujeong swallowed hard, the one who'd been pressuring me now on the back foot.
I slid the hand that had been around my back up to her shoulder, holding her in place so she couldn't bolt.
Just as much, I shot her a look warning her not to say it out loud—
"The truth is... I like you, sis."
"Eep? W-what do you mean by that?"
"As family. As my sister. And..."
"Hyah?! W-why are you at my ear...!"
I pulled her face close, letting my lips brush her ear.
She shuddered, like it tickled or she was embarrassed, but I held steady and whispered low.
"As a woman, too."
"Hngh?! J-Jigu, you...!"
"Not what you expected, huh?"
"Huh? Uh, u-um, yeah?! Uh...?"
I tossed out a classic drama line, then stared straight at Sujeong as she stammered, her face beet red.
When I gave her an exasperated look, she finally realized she'd been had and stomped her feet.
"J-Jigu! Is this a time for jokes? I was dead serious!"
"Yeah, I bet. If it was a joke, I'd have just said it at home and left it there."
"Th-then why try to brush it off like that...!"
"Because your thinking's so ridiculous, sis."
"Hngh?! W-what's so ridiculous about it...!"
"I get it now. All of it—what you were worried about, why you were testing me."
Sujeong's eyes darted around in obvious panic.
But with her shoulders pinned, she couldn't run, and the people milling about the park only chained her further.
She won't dare yell or make a scene here. Hoisted by her own petard, huh, sis?
Sujeong bit her lip and glared at me, fidgeting.
To that demanding look, I just shrugged and kept going.
"Hwayeon told me. She saw me asleep in Geumbi sis's room this morning."
"...Yeah. I saw it clear as day. With my own eyes."
"That's what worried you, right? We'd been getting closer lately, so maybe I was harboring weird feelings."
"...Keep going."
"But things have been awkward with Geumbi lately, and you didn't want to give us another reason to fight. Then I reached out first, so you called me out to probe. To check if I had any funny ideas about you sisters."
"......Is that really it? Jigu, you truly felt nothing?"
"Sigh, sis. We've lived together over twenty years. Until recently, I thought we were blood-related, and it's not like that's been definitively proven wrong. You think feelings sprout up in that short time? Or something happens? Does that even make sense?"
"It... doesn't, no."
"Exactly. It's nonsense. You know that, so why pull this?"
I've dealt with these tactics once or twice before—this probing was starting to wear thin.
Sujeong nodded, admitting her fault, but she wasn't done; she wagged a finger and pressed on.
"Still, we've gotta clear a few things up. I didn't do this for no reason."
"Sigh... Fine. What had you so suspicious?"
"First off. Why'd you sleep in Geumbi's room this morning? Actually, you didn't even come to my room last night, did you?"
"...It was my room first, sis."
"Don't dodge. Answer straight."
The whole mess started with crashing in Geumbi sis's room.
No excuse for that one, so I laid it out honestly.
"We were talking last night, conversation dragged on, so we moved to her room. By the time we wrapped up, it was dawn, so I just crashed there."
"It just... happened? You fell asleep without realizing?"
"...Geumbi said it was fine. Figured I'd let you sleep alone comfortably for once."
"For my sake?"
"You were drunk last night, remember? Reeked of booze, and if you started thrashing around, it'd be a hassle all around... Mmph?"
"Ow, s-stop! Okay, got it. We'll skip this one."
Bringing up her drunken state made her flush with embarrassment; she clapped a hand over my mouth and dropped the interrogation.
...Saved me there. Being fully honest would've been tricky—I had to skip the middle bits.
Couldn't exactly spill why the talk went so long or why Geumbi insisted I stay the night.
I stuck to the truth as far as I could say it.
Sujeong shook her head furiously, face still red, and jumped to the next question.
"Next, number two. Jigu... why do you keep getting excited when you sleep with me?"
"Huh?"
"Don't deny it. I saw it with my own eyes."
"W-what? Wait, what are you even talking about?!"
"I said no pretending. I saw it every morning when you woke up... your, uh, down there all puffed up...!"
"Whoa?! Time out, time out! Sis, that was a total accident, a morning mishap. It's biology!"
"B-biology? So you were thinking naughty things about me while we slept...!"
"I said no! Didn't you have sex ed in school? How do you know less about this than Geumbi sis... Mmph!"
Her absurd misunderstanding got me too worked up.
My voice rose without thinking, and a few passersby started staring.
I ducked my burning face and whispered urgently to Sujeong.
"Listen, sis."
"Y-yeah?"
"Guys... in the morning, it just... happens sometimes. No reason needed."
"Huh? R-really? Just like that, no matter what?"
"Didn't they cover this in sex ed? Or did you figure it out from dating...?"
"We'd all get embarrassed and look away when that topic came up... Never dated anyone."
"You too? But someone like you, Sujeong sis—you must've been super popular."
Geumbi sis might scare guys off with her tough personality, but Sujeong was all gentle and kind from the start.
No way guys left her alone.
"School days, never crossed my mind. As an adult, I was busy looking after you all. Geumbi was in her senior year at twenty, then the younger ones hit puberty at twenty-one. Next year, you were the senior... and somehow..."
Sujeong trailed off, explaining her situation haltingly. I couldn't bring myself to add anything.
All because of us...? She didn't have to give up dating for that.
Maybe Geumbi was the same. Guilt toward my two sisters swelled up.
So I dropped the questioning, giving Sujeong just a quick rundown on male biology.
"Anyway, remember this, sis: morning wood's unavoidable. Happens even alone, no thoughts involved."
"Got it... Your face says you're serious."
I didn't ask what my face looked like.
Even a fingertip graze burned—temperature here must've spiked degrees.
Good thing we're in the shade. It's dim, so no one'll see my face clearly.
Least not the other people around.
Sujeong right in front of me... well, she already knew everything.
"So, we're done talking? Explanation over?"
"No...... There's one big one left."
"What? Nothing bigger than before, right?"
"In my book... this is the biggest issue."
These had been heavy enough already—something even worse?
I went beyond swallowing; my legs shook as I braced for impact.
"If it'd just been me or Geumbi, I'd have scolded you and let it go."
"Yeah, and?"
"But I heard you... went after our little sisters too."
"Huh? No, what? Little sisters—you mean Hwayeon? Mokhui?"
"Hwayeon."
It hit like a meteor crashing into my skull from the intro alone.
My legs trembled, then the arm holding Sujeong shook too. I held my breath.
Her third reason came out in confession—
"Last one... Jigu, they say you jerked off right in front of Hwayeon?"
"......What the actual fuck is that bullshit?!"
I bellowed at the absurd rumor that'd dragged this mess this far.
All the eyes I'd dodged in the park locked onto us at once.
I slammed my head down toward the ground, trembling, grinding my teeth.
Yang Hwayeon, should've taken that 100,000 won back. Hell, I should've shaken her down!
The most infuriating part? It all clicked into place now—Sujeong's actions today made total sense.
Her little brother pitching tents every morning, sleeping in another sister's room one day... then rumors of him whacking off in front of a younger sister? Of course she'd test me.
Lucky she didn't deck me on sight. Guess being Sujeong, she heard me out first. Sigh.
One ridiculous misunderstanding after another drew endless sighs from me.
Sujeong blinked, face asking what happened, but I needed time to cool off.
Had to plot how to off Hwayeon too.
Just wait a sec, sis.
Clear your throat and hold tight, Yang Hwayeon.