Chapter 88
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Clinging
I thought I'd just closed my eyes for a moment.
Hit by a wave of post-meal drowsiness and that blood sugar spike after eating, I'd only meant to lie down on the cozy bed for a bit.
'Life never goes quite as planned, huh.'
Rubbing my eyelids, my twitching arm was already telling me a good chunk of time had passed.
The numb muscles, the stiff joints, and the dark scenery blurring into view finally jolted my brain awake.
'How long was I out? Where's Mokhui... damn.'
My last memory was watching TV with the little one, so I glanced around.
There she was, Mokhui, lying demurely beside me in the exact same position she'd fallen asleep in, breathing softly with little sighs.
The blanket shifted a bit, and my hand brushed hers, but she didn't stir an inch. Looked like she'd been out as deeply as I had.
'No need to wake her. I'll just slip out.'
I carefully propped myself up on my elbows to check the time on my phone.
But the battery was dead and charging, and I'd left the charger plugged in at the kitchen outlet.
The curtains were drawn tight, blocking any view outside.
I splashed some water on my face and tried to guess how long I'd slept.
The sinking feeling told me it had been hours at least, sending a chill down my spine.
'Sujeong unnie and the others, Hwayeon too... facing the aftermath scares me.'
I'd been delaying contact with all sorts of excuses and rationalizations.
But after a solid nap, the worries I'd pushed aside came flooding back one by one.
Was it because I always slept and woke up with my sisters around?
Lately, I'd even spent the night with Hwayeon, which probably made it worse.
The moment I threw off the covers and stepped out of the bedroom, I could picture the family charging at me, eyes blazing with anger.
"......Maybe I should just roll around here instead."
If I were fully awake, I'd have mustered up some tears and reached out despite everything.
But still groggy, my wobbly body flopped right back onto the bed.
Just three minutes—no, five at most.
I draped my arm over my eyes, relaxed my body, and cleared my mind.
"......"
"......"
"...Huh?"
"...Snore, snore."
Was it her sleep habit?
Lost in a daze with my eyes shut, Mokhui's arm slid smoothly up over my stomach.
No other movements, so it felt like simple tossing and turning.
But then her hand spread out against my side, wrapping around it with surprising delicacy for sleep-talking.
"Mokhui, you awake?"
"......Snore."
"Mm, nope. Keep sleeping. Sweet dreams."
"......Snore, snore."
I waited just in case, but her breathing stayed steady, no other reaction.
We'd ended up half in an embrace, but she wasn't pinning me down with force, so it wasn't really a problem.
I didn't bother shoving her arm away or waking a soundly sleeping kid.
Instead, I took it as an excuse to lie there a few more minutes, sorting my thoughts as my mind cleared along with her even breaths.
'Sujeong unnie probably gets the gist, so I'll call and explain in detail.'
'Text Geumbi unnie a few apologies first, then call once she cools off.'
'Hwayeon... grit my teeth and take a few hits? She seems the maddest, and she's so unpredictable, ugh.'
She always treated everything like a joke, breezing through with lighthearted fun.
So the barrage of texts and missed calls had caught me off guard.
'Did I underestimate this? We did go all the way, after all.'
But circling back to that would just loop us around again.
No point arguing—it'd end with "We'll talk after Mom gets back," obvious as day.
'If I say I put it off for that reason, will she understand? Or pout with bitten lips? ...Or charge at me even angrier?'
The last one fit Hwayeon best.
But oddly, the image floating behind my closed eyes was from her childhood, something totally out of character.
When was it? Nothing major, really.
I'd unknowingly eaten the snacks she'd hidden away to savor, back when we were both kids.
The girl who would've normally smacked my shoulder or chucked a doll at me while yelling...
That time, she'd clung to the fridge door and wailed like the house was collapsing, leaving me flustered.
'If she cries like that now as a grown-up... what do I even say? Sigh.'
It hadn't happened yet.
No guarantee it would.
But just imagining it made my chest twinge, like Hwayeon had sneaked up and zapped me with a stun gun. I rubbed the spot.
"...Ow."
"Ah, sorry. You up, Mokhui?"
"...Snore, snore."
I grabbed the back of her hand, which had somehow ended up on my chest.
Lost in thoughts of Hwayeon, I'd gripped too hard without realizing—checking if I'd woken her.
Thankfully, the little one's eyes stayed peacefully shut.
Relieved, I added a line she surely wouldn't hear.
"Was just thinking about Hwayeon for a sec. Squeezed a bit hard, huh? Sorry."
"......Snoooore."
"Ow?! Ouch, gotta trim those nails when she wakes up. Even half-asleep, that hurts."
Unconscious reflex, maybe—Mokhui's finger shot up, her sharp nail scraping my chest.
Weak as a kitten's scratch, but the tip dug in with real pressure as I rubbed it.
'Dreaming of grabbing something? A toy? Fruit? Whatever it is, she won't let go.'
Being sharp was a good thing.
Hoping she wouldn't end up aimless like me, I gently pried her hand off and started getting up.
"Mm... Oppa?"
"Awake now? Sorry, was trying to slip out quietly."
"Where you going? It's still night out."
"Already night? No phone, so I had no clue what time it is."
"Yeah... so sleep more. Mmmnya."
"Nah, I'm good. Feels like I slept plenty. I'll grab some cold water and wake up proper."
"You'll mess up your sleep schedule... "
"Fine, then bathroom quick and back to bed. Sharing wasn't comfy, right? Sorry."
"No... Been a while since I slept with oppa. Felt nice. If you'd switched rooms, I'd have tossed and turned alone."
"Really? But you can sleep solo now, yeah? I'll crash in the living room, uh?!"
"Can't you stay? Hate being alone... Feels like the hospital..."
Hospital. Hospital room.
A white, cozy single-bed room that was too sterile to feel like a real bed.
The scene I'd popped into like clocking in at work flashed before my eyes.
Probably just sleepy mumbles—her eyes, contrary to her words, had drifted shut like a doll's.
But Mokhui's tiny hand gripped my sleeve firmer than when she'd poked my chest.
"I'll wash up, change, and be right back beside you. No worries."
"......Snore, snore."
No long deliberation—she was already asleep again, no response.
Just her hand on my collar, now splayed wide atop the blanket.
I grabbed my phone and headed to the bathroom.
Cold water on my head, then warm to loosen up—sleep fled, mind fully sharp.
'Texts later. Call Sujeong unnie first.'
Like Mokhui said, it was already early morning.
But I doubted anyone home was deeply asleep.
So, plan was to contact them one by one calmly, like I'd thought.
- Oppa? Oppa?! What's this? Where are you? Why contact now after all this time!
"Huh? H-Hwayeon? Why do you have Sujeong unnie's phone..."
- Where are you right now! Why ignore all my calls? You serious? Oppaaaa!
Her ear-piercing voice made me yank the phone away.
But the sharp tone kept blasting from the speaker at full volume, rising even more as she heard the shower.
- Shower? That's water, right?! Oppa, where the hell did you go! D-Don't tell me you're having weird thoughts...?!
"Hey, hey, nothing like that. Mokhui too—why do my sisters always twist it that way..."
- Mokhui? She's with you too? Hah, no wonder she wasn't home. Oppa, where are you really? Spill it now, quick!
"Agh, hey, give me a sec to speak. I get you're mad, but calm down first..."
- Calm down? You saying that? After I blew up your phone with calls, texts, chats—all unread... Damn it. Fine! Tell me where you are or I call the cops!
"Wait, wait, got it. Heading near home now—meet me there. We'll talk in person, okay? Yeah?"
Her tone screamed she'd dial 112 for real, so I urgently proposed a one-on-one.
Excited as she was, "meet up" calmed her by 2%—park in 15 minutes, she said.
For reference, even a taxi would've taken over an hour to the park.
Night roads with no traffic, she grumbled, but the call had already cut off.
"...So why does she have Sujeong unnie's phone?"
Staring at the ended call, I double-checked—I'd definitely dialed right.
Name and number both matched Sujeong unnie.
Early morning, so snatching it mid-shower or meal didn't fit.
And Hwayeon sneaking it from a sleeping unnie's room? Not her style.
"Maybe unnie handed it over herself? Hmm."
Another mystery piling up, I groaned and stepped out of the hotel room.
Just in case, I left a short note on the bedroom door for Mokhui.
Planned to be back quick.
But if she woke up alone, she might spiral into weird thoughts again.
Click, beep—the hotel door locked behind me.
As I headed for the elevator, I could've sworn I heard someone stirring.