Chapter 56
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Tipsy
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As soon as our glasses emptied, we filled each other's without a second thought about who went first.
The soju ratio seemed higher than before, but I didn't care and stirred the somaek vigorously with a spoon.
Across from me, Hwayeon tapped two chopsticks inside her glass to mix her drink.
After about ten taps, I casually opened my mouth.
"So, to sum it up... you're just curious? Nothing like rational attraction?"
"Yeah. After living together for over twenty years, it'd be weirder to suddenly fall for you, right?"
"...But sexual curiosity kicked in?"
"Well...! You got a nicer body after coming back from the military, and knowing you're adopted, I couldn't just brush it off..."
I could roughly understand.
We weren't drama protagonists where learning one side was adopted sparked some forbidden love melodrama.
On the flip side, after leaning on each other for so many years, we could openly discuss even guy-girl issues... right? Hmm.
She calls it consulting, but it's straight-up sexual interest. Even if adopted, would you ask your bro about that?
I had no idea.
Adoptive families aren't that common, so who could I even ask? Jeez.
Normally, you'd yell nonsense and chew them out. But with all the mess with my sisters, do I even have the right to say that?
I had too many skeletons to scream that they were crazy.
Yeah, a ton. Way too many.
Compared to my confessions, Hwayeon's was something I could laugh off as drunken affection.
I was conflicted in all sorts of ways, so I took another sip.
Hwayeon seemed aware of her embarrassing confession and downed her drink too, nonstop grabbing snacks.
It wasn't like her throat was parched or she was hungry; she was just keeping her mouth and throat busy to hold back words.
Her face, growing redder by the second, clearly wasn't just from the booze.
"Anyway, can I think about it a bit more?"
"Yeah. Hey, bro, don't overthink it... I just blurted it out accidentally."
"I know. If we're assigning blame, it started with me groping your chest while drunk. I was trying to smooth things over so we wouldn't get awkward, and that's how it happened, right?"
"Uh-huh. But if we go further, my kneading your butt was the real trigger... Ugh. So it all started with me."
"I'll factor that in. Anyway, let's use this as a chance to tone down the excessive pranks between us."
"Obviously. I swear I won't do it again... For real, ugh."
We tied up the two mutual crimes as mere pranks between us.
Nothing had really happened yet, so what was there to agonize over?
But worrying ahead isn't a bad thing. Even with my sisters, I fumbled and it got that far.
Given the situation, I kept comparing Hwayeon to my sisters.
Might as well analyze objectively now, so I openly dissected the two relationships point by point.
My sisters... whatever now, the start was for someone else, right? If another family member got involved, they'd sacrifice themselves first.
At some point, it turned sticky and ambiguous.
But it began from selfless care for the other.
Hwayeon, on the other hand... pure self-interest. Even nicely put, it's just satisfying sexual curiosity.
That made her refreshingly honest.
Harshly, selfish, but it also drew a chuckle.
Funny thing is, it means she trusts and relies on me that much. Knowing I'm adopted, she could've worried about real trouble... but she says this stuff anyway.
I wondered if we had that level of trust.
But reassuring your little sister as her bro felt good anyway.
That means my sisters didn't trust me? They thought, reasons aside, I might go after someone else.
Of course, guy-girl stuff doesn't always play out that way.
But it implied doubt that I'd firmly reject if someone approached me first.
Looking at my current sisters situation, it wasn't entirely wrong.
Funny. Hwayeon put her desires first but trusted me. My sisters worried so much they doubted me instead. Heh.
The booze, maybe.
What should've been a quick chuckle kept bringing smiles.
Human relationships being this ironic made me shake my head in disbelief the more I thought.
Hwayeon, watching my odd head shake, grew anxious without knowing why.
She tapped my knee with her foot, scolding me.
"What? Why are you laughing alone and making me anxious?"
"Nothing. Just found the situation amusing."
"What amusing? Don't get the wrong idea. I don't have dark feelings for you or anything?"
"I know, I know. You're just interested in my body? ...Saying it out loud makes me sound like the creepy one."
"Argh, forget it! Pretend you didn't hear. It was a drunken mistake. Done! Happy?"
Now she waved her hands wildly, trying to rewind time.
Too late, after dragging us to drinks.
"Hey, think I'll just go 'Oh, okay~' and let it slide? My little sis saying she sees me as a guy?"
"Ugh, that's not it! Why twist it weird?"
"Oh? So you see me as a girl? Should I make you call me 'unnie' from today?"
"Eww... Never do that again. Creepy, gross. Makes me wanna puke just looking."
"You play along then get serious. Whatever, clink glasses. I've about sorted my thoughts."
The somaek glasses, mixed in similar ratios, clinked and sloshed on the table.
Hwayeon seemed confident with booze like me; she drank without flinching, savoring the taste.
"Puha. Anyway, the key point is that? Since I'm adopted, you're unsure how to see me."
"Huh? What? How'd the talk go there?"
"Listen. Setting aside your curiosity, back in the day, you never would've consulted on this."
"No kidding. Crazy to say that to your real bro? Family meeting that night."
"...Even if adopted, probably same. Anyway, bad premise. Let me clear it up: it's not confirmed I'm the adopted one in our house."
"Huh? Wait, what? Last time I asked, you didn't deny it?"
"That was 'cause it was so absurd I didn't bother. We agreed to wait till Mom returns, remember? Your wild guess."
I munched dry snacks, twirling one finger upward.
Hwayeon retraced our past talk following my hand, but still clutched her head, groaning in disbelief.
"No, but... then what about last time?"
"What?"
"You sticking to the sisters, all that skinship, messing around? If not adopted, how's that family behavior?"
"Wha, what...? Me? When...?"
"When? More than a day or two. I saw four times, heard over ten."
I nearly dropped my snack.
Hwayeon tilted her head, thinking, but scenes flashed in my mind.
Where'd she catch us? My room? Changing room? Second-floor sisters' rooms? Since when? Is that why she consulted me...!
My pounding heart drowned out my phone's vibration.
No wonder she approached so boldly.
Not trust, but seeing sisters unbothered reassured her.
Yeah, we weren't that close as adults, yet she dives in. So she knows everything and asks this?
I tried poker face, but the buzz made my eyes betray me.
Seeing my obvious fluster, Hwayeon eyed me slyly.
"What's with that reaction...? Just mentioning past stuff, why panic? Don't tell me more than I saw?"
"Uh, well... What exactly did you see? What'd you hear?"
"What I heard? Family stuff has no 'how far.' You talk like you progressed with the sisters."
"P-progress? Not dating them, what're you saying..."
"Dating? You just said you don't know if you're adopted, why say that? Unsure if blood siblings, isn't assuming weird?"
"No, that's...... Urgh."
The more I panicked, the sharper her gaze.
The flustered, blushing sister vanished; she grabbed the bottle like a predator eyeing prey.
"No choice, drink up. Pour more, spill it all. I confessed honestly, so no secrets from you?"
"Hey, wait. I'm already pretty drunk... Huh?! Brat, is this ratio right? Practically 1:1."
"Fine, I'll match. First one's a shot, cheers!"
"Brat, first one? We've clinked beer glasses over five times... Haa, cheeers."
Dodge this, she'd push for answers again.
So I chugged, snacked, stalled, and my glass refilled.
Our table had four empty 500cc beers and soju shots each.
With the new soju bottle done, my mind snapped into a haze.
Later learned Hwayeon adjusted her drinks midway, padding bottoms.
Snuck somaek ratios when I looked away.
How'd I know?
Right before passing out, noticed our somaek colors differed. Yours looked like barley tea, Hwayeon.
Too late now, ugh.
Stumbling, Hwayeon supported me.
Embarrassing, but no choice but to lean on her.
"Ugh, didn't mean to get you this wasted... Can you walk, bro?"
"Ugh, not a step. Gonna puke, urp."
"Taxi then? Sure you won't get carsick?"
"Ugh, no way, no. Guaranteed puke."
"Oh no? 30 minutes walk home...... Snap out of it, hey."
Hwayeon's chatter faded.
Just wanted to lie down somewhere; felt someone grab me yelling "That's the street, brat!"
Then blackout; no clue how it went.
Good thing: woke safe in bed, unscathed.
Problem: shady motel room near the bar.
What happened...? Hwayeon, in just a robe, sat by the bed glaring daggers.
"You caused a huge mess. What now, jerk?"
Fixing her robe, she shot me a look.
Head throbbed; faked sleep from hangover...
She pinched my nose bridge, yanking me into her arms.
The night with my buzzed little sister began.