Chapter 83
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: After Leaving
I'd stormed out of the house in a huff, dragging the youngest along with me.
But honestly, even after stepping out of the taxi, I still had no idea what to do.
'The ride-share was waiting right in front of the house, so I couldn't just kill time forever. And I was too uneasy to leave her home alone... so I brought her. But now what the hell?'
An awkward silence trailed after us.
It wasn't until we'd wandered into a hotel district a short distance from the airport that Mokhui finally mumbled something under her breath.
"Uh... this place... Oppa?"
"What?"
"No, it's just... Uwuu. Nothing."
The carry-on in my hand felt heavy, but in stark contrast, our outfits were way too casual.
Mokhui seemed to have finally pieced together where we were headed.
And yet, she didn't just come out and ask.
We'd come too far to turn back now, she knew I hadn't planned on bringing her in the first place, and more than anything...
She just didn't have the nerve to blurt it out loud on the street.
"Ugh, I told you not to come to places like this with some random guy."
The mumbling from behind made my shoulders twitch every now and then.
I almost stopped in my tracks once or twice, but whatever hardships had toughened me up kept my feet moving steadily to the end.
'Still, Mokhui... you're lumping me in with other guys too? Even if you're not the adopted one, haa.'
I swallowed a silent sigh and came to a stop in front of the hotel front desk.
Mokhui had been trailing half a step behind me the whole time, head bowed, but she had to look up when the staff called out.
"Excuse me, sir? Could I see some ID if that's alright? And the young lady behind you too."
"Ah, sure. Mokhui, you got your ID on you, right?"
"Eh? Like I'd have grabbed something like that... I'm still in my pajamas, uwuu."
"Then just show your mobile ID. Authenticate it in the app, should be fine."
"Ugh, got it... Guess I have to do it too. Yeees."
I hadn't meant to drag her here by force or anything.
But since I'd practically shoved her into the taxi, she must've felt like she was being coerced all the way to the hotel room.
'No point denying it—she wouldn't buy it anyway. And I can't exactly spill what we need to talk about in a crowded spot.'
I kept my mouth shut and showed the front desk staff my ID.
Unlike mine, which wrapped up quick, they alternated between Mokhui's phone and her face for a good ten seconds before nodding.
"All verified. One-week stay, right? Here's your key."
"Yes, thank you~."
"Hweh? One week? Oppa, that long... What are you even planning, eua?"
Whatever wild thoughts crossed her mind, Mokhui kept tilting her head in confusion, startling, and flushing her cheeks over and over.
I boarded the elevator and headed up to the room, holding my silence right up until we stepped inside.
The moment we arrived and I'd tossed aside the luggage and jackets...
"Mokhui."
"Hyaat! Y-yes, Oppa... what's up?"
"Mind sitting here for a sec?"
"Here... the kitchen chair? N-not in the bedroom?"
"If you wanna head into the bedroom, be my guest."
"Ah, no! This is fine, yes. I wanna sit right here, yup yup!"
I'd cracked open the bedroom door figuring her butt might be sore from the ride.
But maybe perching on the mattress felt off, because she scurried right over and planted herself in the chair by the dining table.
Watching our youngest fidget in place after sitting down, peeking all around—probably her first time in a spot like this.
I brewed her a cup of tea to help her unwind, then glanced toward the bathroom.
"Before we chat, wanna wash up first? We skipped the bus, but if you feel grimy..."
"W-wash up? Nooo, I'm good like this!"
"Alright. I'll just rinse my hands at the sink then."
"Huh? Oh, hand-washing... Ah, me too! Since we went out, I wanna wash mine tooo."
For someone so shy, Mokhui sure had her capricious streak, and soon we were scrubbing our hands side by side at the sink.
Her tiny fingers worked with such dainty precision—it was adorable. I toyed with the idea of splashing some water on her face to lighten the mood but held off.
'The little one's not Hwayeon—no roughhousing.'
How siblings could feel so utterly different was beyond me.
I just shook the water off against the wall and called it good, but she meticulously patted hers dry with the towel, even the backs of her hands.
"Stuff like this makes it easy to see why you'd think that way."
"Eh? Think what?"
"Nothing. Still, you take after Sujeong unnie, so no need to go there."
"...Feels like you're comparing me to someone, and it bugs me. Why bring up the eldest unnie? Huh?"
Back in the kitchen, Mokhui shot me a glare, but her eyes just looked like a pissed-off baby bird.
Nothing like Geumbi unnie's predator vibe—instead, she was the spitting image of gentle Sujeong unnie. Made me wonder if I should feel relieved or not.
'If that's the case, maybe I'm the adopted one? Sisters pairing off two-by-two leaves the odd one out... Hm. Too much process of elimination?'
With gender differences in the mix too, I shelved the pointless theorizing.
I chugged the steaming coffee and spoke up calmly.
"What I wanna talk about... you probably guessed. It's the adoption thing in our family."
"Ugh! Y-yees... I'm braced for it, gulp."
"You don't need to brace yourself or anything, haa."
I tapped the table idly, watching Mokhui swallow hard with her hands folded neatly on her lap.
Spotting the tissue box nearby, I pulled out sheets one by one to lay it out simply.
"Okay, this wide-open tissue is Sujeong unnie. She's the eldest, so if she were adopted, no surprise we siblings never caught on, right?"
"Yees... Makes sense."
"Next up, this slightly crumpled one—Geumbi unnie. Just a year behind Sujeong unnie, so we might've missed it if she was the one."
"Yeees... Yeah, that tracks."
"Then this moderately wadded-up me. Hmm, honestly, things get fuzzy from here. Say I was adopted—Sujeong unnie would've been at least four. Not so young she'd forget entirely, but can't swear to it either. Fifty-fifty?"
"Uhm, sounds about right."
"Next, super-crumpled Hwayeon. No need to dwell—she was born when the two unnies were already in kindergarten. Impossible they'd have zero memory or suspicion, yeah?"
"Totally. Gotta rule out Hwayeon unnie."
"Which brings us to our baby of the family last. You see where this is going? Odds of you being the adopted kid? Zero. Not even worth crumpling the tissue for."
"......Were you pulling those tissues just to demo the probabilities like that?"
I'd lined them up to make it crystal clear.
But the visual of the more spread-out ones signaling higher odds must've clicked late.
"Anyway, I get what you're saying, Oppa."
"Good. Glad that landed—seemed like you were pretty worked up back home."
"But if we're going by your logic... doesn't this leave room for another angle?"
"Like what? ...Huh?"
Mokhui plunged her hand straight into the box, grabbed a fistful of tissues, and yanked them out.
Suddenly, next to my neat lineup sat a clump big enough to pass as a towel.
"Like this—dropped into some blind spot where nobody noticed and got fooled."
Her eyes wide as saucers, Mokhui made it clear her worries hadn't budged an inch.
"Not saying you or the unnies tricked me or anything. But I've been stuck in hospitals forever... even if little Oppa didn't know, that wouldn't be weird, right?"
She dredged up old memories just like that, leaving me momentarily speechless that she'd brought it up herself.
"I... stayed cooped up in hospitals until I was seven."
No matter what, I couldn't treat our youngest as casually as the unnies or as roughly as Hwayeon.
Even now, if I closed my eyes, I could still picture her in that hospital room, some tube dangling from her arm.
"Honestly, I figure my odds are the highest. If it stayed hidden without a peep all these years, doesn't this feel the most natural?"
"Mokhui, that's..."
"Plus, just looking at personality or looks—I'm the odd one out. ...No fancy tests needed for that."
"Personality isn't purely genetic, y'know? And on the growth side, you're less active and were sick a lot as a kid, so maybe..."
"Oppa? I never singled out just growth. Stuff like eye shape or hand and foot structure—tons of little differences?"
"Ugh?! No, that was just an example! Ahem, cough cough."
"......Well, yeah, I'm smaller than the unnies in all sorts of ways. All sorts."
I'd been in the middle of some serious reassurance-slash-counterargument when her sneak attack pierced right through my guard.
Mokhui patted the top of her head in self-mocking fashion, zeroing in on her height.
I hacked out a string of fake coughs, inwardly relieved she'd stuck to height and nothing else.
"Legs and arms too, but other spots are waaay smaller than the unnies'."
"Cough?! Ahem, gulp gulp... Hoo!"
Damn, was Mokhui past the point of being just a little kid?
I'd deliberately averted my eyes, but the way she slid her hand from her head down toward her chest had me clamping my mouth shut with coffee in a panic.
"Oppa, you're freaking out big time. Hehe, did I go too far?"
"...Cut that hand gesture crap. Where'd you pick that up?"
"You think I'm still some middle or high schooler? I go to college like everyone else, drink booze, haven't hit up clubs or whatever—but I know the score."
"Lord have mercy, end times indeed. Even our baby sis dipping into that world, sigh."
I knew I was overprotective, but part of me hoped she was still clueless about the taste of booze.
I sighed out the window while Mokhui stifled giggles behind her hand like it was the funniest thing.
"Hehet, thanks though—tension's eased up. Appreciate it, Oppa."
"You fought me tooth and nail through all my efforts, and now you're good? Unbelievable."
"Tch, can you blame me? You're the one being all reckless. Shoving me in a cab outta nowhere, dragging me here—who wouldn't freak?"
"You were standing in the entryway looking like death warmed over..."
"Sure, not like there's much up top to get all worked up about."
"Pfft?! Hey, you little punk! You gonna start yapping like Hwayeon now? Don't pick up that habit!"
"Hehe, but it's fun—now I get why Hwayeon unnie ribs you all the time."
Even if we ended up in Timbuktu, long as we hit Seoul eventually. Good to see her spirits lifting anyway.
But that sly line from our usually innocent maknae had me shaking my head like I could shake it from my ears.
"Anyway... so the adoption mystery's still unsolved? Sounds like no fresh leads since that day."
"Yeah, driving me nuts. Just waiting on Mom to get in touch ASAP."
"...This whole bolting from home and booking near the airport—is that tied to it too?"
"Spot on. Makes it easy to go straight pick her up when she lands."
"Hmm... I see, hm."
Mokhui sipped her tea, letting out a lukewarm hum.
The noise carried a vibe like she still had more to say, so I waited her out until she eased into the real point.
"But that's not the only reason, is it?"
"Huh?"
"You running off from home. You told me it was a trip, but obvious lie. Mom's return could be ages off—why book a room this early just to greet her?"
"...You're family through and through. Always sharpest on the irrelevant bits."
"Would be weirder if I missed it. ...Especially if you're into Oppa."
She seemed embarrassed even saying it aloud, lifting her teacup again.
It had to be lukewarm by now, steam long gone, but a faint red warmth crept into her cheeks bit by bit.
I took in the sight, mulling over just how much to lay out for her.
Once she heard the whole truth, would she still look at me with those same eyes...? My heart gave an uneasy flutter at the thought.
Oblivious to it all, Mokhui set her cup down with a sweet smile.
For now, I decided to savor that smile—one that might not last.