Chapter 67
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: And It Burned Hotly
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Whenever trouble arose, I tried to stay calm, even if I had to force it.
Since my natural temperament wasn't cold or ruthless, I wanted to be deliberately cool-headed, at least during tough moments.
Of course, just making that resolution didn't make it happen.
Maybe because of all those years of effort, even amid the throbbing pain in my thigh and the surrounding chaos, I managed to organize my thoughts reasonably well.
'Sujeong's totally pissed off, and Geumbi's at a loss. The atmosphere's the complete opposite of usual.'
That must mean Hwayeon's remark had been that serious.
So, what had our cute little sister, Yang Hwayeon, intended with those words?
'Looking at her face... it's more playful than sincere. Either she didn't think it through seriously, or she wants to brush it off lightly. One or the other.'
Hwayeon might've leaned toward the former, but...
Here, I'd trust my little sister's smarts and go along with the latter myself.
"Sujeong sis, calm down. Hwayeon's not entirely wrong, but... ugh?!"
"Not wrong, so calm down? Jigu, do you really think those words make sense?"
"S-Sis, you're the one who said you weren't mad, but now you're doing this—that's inconsistent... aaack! Stop, stop, my thigh's really gonna tear...!"
"Yeah, sorry for being an inconsistent sis. Acting all sweet in front of someone, only to pull all sorts of stunts behind their back, right?"
"Th-That's not what I meant... Anyway, listen. What Hwayeon said is this: I passed out drunk, so they had no choice but to lay me on the motel bed—kyaaak! Wait, that one really hurts, sis!"
I tried to string my words together slowly, but Sujeong gave me no breathing room, grinding down on my thigh.
And with Geumbi approaching too, if I dragged this out, both my legs might vanish tonight. So I rapped it out in a hurry, like a freestyle.
"I-I collapsed and just slept it off! I got wasted and face-planted, Hwayeon just moved me—that's it. While I was out, she showered, nothing happened. I only heard the full story after I woke up."
"...For real? Then why was Hwayeon in the photo you sent Geumbi wearing just a bathrobe? Even right after a shower, you don't parade around like that in front of your brother, do you?"
"Well, apparently I puked on her clothes while I was drunk. So she did laundry, and drying took time... We just ended up crashing at the motel. Really, sis."
"Hmm~ Hwayeon, is that true? Can your sis trust it?"
As my desperate explanation sank in, Sujeong slowly eased off, glancing over at Hwayeon on the other side of the sofa.
Geumbi stood with arms crossed, staring her down like it was the last chance.
Under those two sharp gazes pinning her down...
"Hehe, of course it's true. What, you think I did something shady with bro? Sisses, what kinda wild imagination is this~?"
She played it off to the end with that cheeky tone, even adding a little finger wag.
Only then did the sisters' expressions cool a bit, though not enough to fully deflate—they still shot her dirty looks while pressing further.
"Still, Hwayeon, you sent Geumbi that misleading photo. And you were radio silent since last night... We had every reason to worry."
"Erm, sorry about that. Phone battery died, and the motel charger was busted... Left it on power-save, so I didn't notice. The pic to Geumbi sis was just to tease, hehe."
"You brat, 'hehe' what?! You've got plenty of other things to mess with—why lie with crap like that?!"
"Lie? What lie? Bro got drunk and crashed—that's fact. Laid him on the motel bed—fact. I stripped and showered—fact too?"
"No, but still...... Gah, seriously!"
Hwayeon meekly backed off and apologized to Sujeong's scolding.
But she kept poking at Geumbi with obvious jabs, finally making her snatch a sofa cushion and hurl it.
Dodging it like she'd seen it coming, sticking out her tongue—Geumbi looked ready to charge her outright.
Sujeong stepped in to separate them, pressing her forehead with a deep sigh.
"Haa, enough, enough. Behave, or sis'll get mad again? I'm beat from work—don't make more headaches."
"But sis! Hwayeon's keep provoking me."
"Whoa, I'm the victim here. I go out of my way to check in, and she turns it around on me."
"Turns it around? Hey, you gonna say that with a straight face?"
"See, Sujeong sis! Geumbi sis is bullying innocent me~."
"I said behave, for real? Last warning, both of you!"
Sujeong's sighs dragged on two or three more times, and only after her shout did the living room quiet down.
What... it was quiet on the surface, but with Hwayeon giggling, Geumbi gritting her teeth, and Sujeong rubbing her temple—everyone had plenty to say.
They all swallowed their feelings and stayed silent.
Breaking that brief reprieve was Sujeong, who took a breath and smoothed her expression.
"Fine, I get how yesterday started. But Jigu... one last thing I'm curious about—can I ask?"
"Yeah, what? More questions left?"
"Nothing big... after you passed out drunk."
"Yeah."
"Nothing happened while you were being moved or sleeping, right? The photo was just Hwayeon messing around post-shower."
"...Yeah, that's right. Why?"
"Just wondering. After just one night together... you two seem awfully close now."
"......!"
I thought it was over, but Sujeong drew a hidden blade at the end, aiming it at my throat.
Her composed face was a sign of resolve—she'd struck right at the core.
Exactly as her words pierced: everything so far had just been wordplay.
'Nothing till that photo... ahem. But after waking up? Total mess. Hwayeon came on strong, I got riled up too... Ha. How do I explain that honestly?'
I couldn't answer right away, so Sujeong—of course—and Geumbi closed in again.
At the sound of footsteps retreating behind us, the two sisters' shouts filled the living room.
"Yang Hwayeon, you stop right there?"
"Hwayeon, come here too?"
"Ah, no... Geumbi sis, Sujeong sis."
"You were yapping fine earlier—why run now?"
"We're not mad, sis. Just wanna talk a sec, so come here quick?"
Geumbi's eyes flashed sharply, Sujeong coaxed with a smile.
Different approaches, same intent. Hwayeon, unable to withstand the pressure like I had, slunk behind my back.
"Okay, fine. I get it up to what Sujeong sis said. Now you two explain? After Jigu woke up in the motel bed? What were you up to the whole time~?"
"It's okay, just be honest. Ramble like before. Nothing happened, no worries, got it?"
Geumbi and Sujeong alternated stares at us, questioning sweetly... or not.
With them digging this deep, lies were my only escape—
"Agh, fine! We did it, okay?! Did all that stuff with bro, so what?!"
"Ugh?! No, Yang Hwayeon, you...?"
"Hwayeon... 'all that stuff'? You don't mean...?"
Hwayeon, huddled behind me gripping the sofa, suddenly yelled out in defiance.
No time to align stories, but her bold frontal assault left me speechless.
Once the floodgates opened, she didn't stop, even pointing fingers at the sisters.
"But if we're talking fault, you sisses started it! I just followed your lead—what's the problem?!"
"Hey, Yang Hwayeon, what're you...!"
"First off, Geumbi sis! Think I don't know? What you and bro get up to in your room all the time?"
"Eek?! Hey, Jigu! You didn't tell Hwayeon everything...!"
"No, sis! I didn't say a word—she figured it out herself!"
Like a cornered rat biting a cat, Hwayeon's desperate play was mutual destruction.
Caught off-guard, Geumbi panicked and admitted her guilt, wrinkling Sujeong's brow further as she stood between them.
"What're you all talking about...? Geumbi, I told you not to, and you've been doing that with Jigu...!"
"W-What about you, sis? Think I don't know? Sneaking out with Jigu at night for weird stuff?"
"Huh?! Why drag me in? When did I ever... with Jigu."
"Sis, denying it alone now? Even when we slept together, you couldn't keep your hands off him whenever you got the chance?"
"N-No! That was just tossing in my sleep... Anyway, no! Jigu, don't misunderstand, okay?!"
Geumbi, dragged into Hwayeon's self-destruct, shoved the bomb right back at Sujeong—no way she'd go down alone.
Sujeong's earlier glare vanished; her face flushed red as she waved her hands in denial.
"Y-You, Geumbi! Spreading rumors in front of Jigu? The kids'll misunderstand!"
"Misunderstand what? You started it all from the beginning. I got pulled in trying to stop you."
"You've been like this all night...! I only stepped in 'cause I was worried about you and Jigu!"
"Tch, you did great. So worried about your siblings, you got to have all the fun with Jigu alone?"
"Yang Geumbi, keep talking like that? What kinda mouth in front of everyone."
"Acting serious now won't fly. And why pick on me? If anything, Hwayeon's the one who blew it up."
"Hold on, why's the fire turning to me! I only got swept up 'cause you sisses dragged bro into weird stuff—I'm the most wronged here, really!"
The argument between Sujeong and Geumbi spilled back to Hwayeon, and the flames spread uncontrollably.
The once-quiet living room filled with noise again.
Quelling the chaos... ironically, was someone totally unrelated to it.
"Sis? Brooo? What's up, everyone's home already? Why so loud?"
""""......!"""
Our youngest, Mokhui, came padding down the stairs.
We shut our mouths in unison, exchanging glances and nodding silently.
"Ah, nothing. Just caught up with the kids after forever, talking work stuff."
"Y-Yeah. Mid-chat with Sujeong sis, these two jumped in, got loud with the side-gig talk... haha."
"Ahem, anyway, that's enough? Woke the youngest for nothing. Let's head in."
"Sure, bro~. I've got side-gig talk left—can join in your room? I'll head there, sisses rest up~."
""......?!"
We were hastily wrapping up when Hwayeon clung to my arm, tugging me toward my room.
The sisters' eyes reignited for a moment, but with Mokhui fully down the stairs, no one raised their voice.
"......Fine. Jigu, we'll head up first?"
"......Hoo. Jigu, talk later, just us?"
Hwayeon was the one dragging me off, so why were the arrows turning to me again?
As the sisters mentioned me one by one and left, I barely swallowed the lump in my throat.
"...Why'd everyone scatter when I showed? Suspicious..."
With Mokhui scratching her cheek, we each headed to our rooms.
I barely made it to mine on wobbly legs, slammed the door, grabbed Hwayeon, and shook her.
"Heyyy...! What the hell was that? You lost your mind? How am I supposed to face the sisses now...?"
My voice echoed in the room—quiet enough not to leak out, but raw with emotion.
Hwayeon, caught by me—
"Sorryyy. I mean, I tried to play it off as a joke, but they kept pressing, sooo, hehe."
She mumbled shamelessly, trying to laugh it off.
...No way that sloppy grin would fly.
I flipped her straight onto the bed for some heated sibling skinship.
Locking her torso with my legs from behind.
In wrestling terms, a body scissors—to convey my burning sincerity to my sister.
......And that night, as if it were natural, the sisters came knocking one by one.
First at the door, lips bitten tight: Geumbi.