Marking
Marking
"That's a relief. That he's all right. Yes, yes. We're doing well, of course. Yes. Please call if anything comes up."
I ended the call with Linnea.
Aria, who had just come out into the living room, saw the scene and asked.
"What did Mother say?"
"She said Father's fine. That he hadn't had the time to get in touch because of one thing or another."
The situation was this.
To accommodate a demanding client's tastes, my father had gone to Norway to personally select the finest lumber.
But while inspecting the site, he had slipped in a Norwegian forest where the ice still hadn't fully melted, hit his head, and ended up with a mild concussion.
Just hearing about it sounded extremely dangerous, but fortunately he hadn't gone down headfirst, so he had apparently come to quickly.
Still, because there could have been some hidden problem, he had undergone a thorough brain scan, and in the meantime Linnea had been handling both the lumber selection and the supply orders at once, which was why the call had only come now.
And according to the CT and MRI results, Father truly had no abnormalities.
"That's good. That he's safe."
"Yeah. My heart dropped at first."
If I had to say whether I liked or disliked my father, I thought I leaned toward disliking him.
The resentment I'd built up as a child still hadn't easily dissolved and remained lodged in a corner of my heart.
Even so, when something like this happened, worry came first.
Because that's what family is.
"Wasn't yesterday more heart-dropping?"
"That's true. If something like yesterday happens one more time, I might actually collapse."
I'd now become able to handle Aria's mischievous jokes with a straight face.
Not that my answer was a joke, though.
If something like yesterday happened again, I was confident I really would collapse. Please, just don't let the number of people increase any further.
Of course, some people would call it a happy dilemma.
But what am I supposed to do when my full biological sister is a genuine bomb?
And no matter which one I pick, it's a bomb.
It's absurd that the safest option available is my half-sister.
On top of that, it isn't even a single-answer question but a multiple-answer one.
It was a situation that made me feel like I was losing my mind, but at least I could set my mind at ease about Victoria, which was truly fortunate.
After all, Victoria didn't truly love me, and when I thought about it, she'd never agreed to me setting up a polygamous household.
Hadn't I even asked Aria if she was out of her mind?
At the very least, Victoria was unquestionably the easiest person to turn down.
"Later, once Father has fully recovered, shouldn't we tell him about our relationship? Mother knows, but Father doesn't."
"I'll be the one to tell him."
"Wouldn't you get in less trouble if I told him?"
"Either way, I'm pretty sure I'm dead."
Report to my father that daughter-in-law candidate number one is my half-sister and daughter-in-law candidate number two is my full biological sister?
Setting everything else aside, I was fairly certain it would at least end in him cutting ties with me.
Maybe because of the guilt over the affair he'd committed, my father had never once gotten angry at me since then.
But even imagining how a father like that would react, the best-case scenario was that cutting ties would be the extent of it.
And on top of that, wouldn't even Linnea, who had permitted my relationship with Aria, get angry if she learned about this?
That Linnea, who had never once gotten angry or irritated with me and had always spoken to me gently and kindly.
"Ah, I'm going crazy..."
The solution was simple.
I just had to choose one.
But I couldn't make that choice easily.
Just as it had been with Aria, once I learned how Seo-yeon felt, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her too.
Because I was the one who had chosen to stay by my father's side and be separated from Seo-yeon, which had driven her to that state.
In my own way, I'd meant it as consideration so that Seo-yeon could grow up loved in a better environment, but I suppose my thinking at the time, young as I was, had been shortsighted.
"Is it because of what happened yesterday?"
"Yeah. I don't know about Victoria, but I can't bring myself to just cast Seo-yeon aside like that."
Right now, anyone could see that Seo-yeon was in an unstable state.
At the end, she seemed to have sorted out her feelings in her own way and steeled herself, but what she'd shown before that had been shocking.
Just how brutal was the Hancheon Group succession competition that she'd grown up carrying so many emotional wounds?
What had happened to make her dependence on me—someone who hadn't even been by her side—so severe?
Beside Seo-yeon had been my mother, Han Ji-young.
Even if my mother wasn't an ideal parent, she was absolutely not the kind of person who would have made Seo-yeon that way or just stood by while Seo-yeon became like that.
'Later, at Mother's birthday, I should ask around about how Hancheon Group actually operates.'
And as for Seo-yeon, my plan for now was to rebuild the lost time between us as siblings.
Once we fully reestablished our relationship as brother and sister, wouldn't Seo-yeon naturally come to see me as her "brother" rather than as a "man"?
It was still only speculation, but it seemed that the fact I hadn't been by her side during hard times had left a wound in her heart and made her crave my presence.
If so, I thought spending time together and filling that wound would be enough.
"Still, it seems you've made up your mind."
"Yeah. If I just sit around doing nothing, things are only going to get more tangled."
"What do you plan to do?"
"For now, I'm going to spend more time with Seo-yeon and reestablish our relationship as siblings. If we do that, won't her feelings for me settle down quickly?"
But Aria made an odd expression at my words.
"Then what if Seo-yeon's feelings stay the same, or even grow stronger?"
"Then it'll be my turn to seriously think it over again. Because it would mean Seo-yeon's feelings for me aren't simply born from an emotional wound—or even if they are, that she truly loves me that much."
I hadn't entirely ruled out that possibility either.
But honestly, I doubted it would happen.
From an objective standpoint, I thought Seo-yeon was beautiful.
She'd inherited our parents' superior genes like I had, and she'd grown up in a good family and taken good care of herself.
Wouldn't a girl as pretty as Seo-yeon and from such a good family naturally meet men better than me in the future?
If we just got our sibling relationship back on track, wouldn't Seo-yeon's gaze naturally turn that way?
"Then until then, you won't choose anyone?"
"That's the plan for now. Seo-yeon said she wanted to stand on the same starting line, so I have to give her a fair chance if she's going to be fully satisfied."
"Then I'll have to wait longer. For you to answer my confession."
"I'm not going to apologize this time. You brought this on yourself, Aria. And surprisingly, sorting out my relationship with Seo-yeon might happen faster than figuring out how I'm going to make a living."
"You don't have to apologize."
Aria giggled, then climbed right on top of me where I was sprawled on the sofa.
"I told you, didn't I? Your happiness comes first for me. Whatever choice you make, if it's a decision you reached after careful thought, I'm on your side."
"So in other words, if I make a rash decision, you might not be on my side?"
"That's right. Because if you decide rashly, there's a high chance you'll regret it later."
Aria buried her face in my chest just like that.
Even though she was completely on top of me, I didn't feel much weight. So much so that I thought I could probably lift her with one hand.
"Speaking from experience?"
"Almost. Before I fell for you, I desperately wanted to go back to Sweden."
"You probably would've done well. Maybe you'd still be active in the music world, the way Victoria wanted."
"Boo. Do you also think it would be better for me to return to music?"
Aria puffed out her cheeks adorably.
When I poked Aria's cheek with my index finger, I felt a softness and squishiness beyond imagination.
Wait, what is this.
Is a texture like this even allowed to exist in the world?
"O-oh, Brother? If you suddenly do that..."
When Aria opened her mouth, the air naturally went out of her cheek.
But ignoring that, this time I carefully took hold of her cheek with my thumb and index finger.
Seriously, I doubted even baby skin was this soft and squishy.
This time I pulled on her cheek just a little—just the slightest bit.
"B-brother!"
The way it stretched felt like rice cake.
But Aria thumped my chest with her fists, so I soon let go of her cheek.
Because I'd feel bad if my cute little sister's cheek swelled up.
"Ugh, why did you suddenly grab my cheek..."
"Sorry. It was so soft and squishy that I got carried away for a second."
Honestly, I still wanted to touch it.
The addictiveness was on the level of an illegal drug. Maybe Aria's cheeks ought to be banned nationally.
"Did it leave a red mark?"
"A little. But it'll fade quickly."
Because Aria's skin was especially fair and clear, the redness showed quite vividly even though I'd touched her as gently as I could.
I hadn't handled her roughly, so it would fade soon, but seeing it red still made me feel a bit sorry.
"Then I'll get my revenge too."
"My cheek wouldn't be fun to touch, though?"
"No. That's fine too, but I'm going to leave a mark the same way. Like this."
A crisp yet subtle winter-forest scent rushed in.
Aria, who had climbed on top of me and wrapped her arms around me, lightly bit the nape of my neck.
It didn't hurt that much. It didn't hurt, but...
"Hah... mmph..."
Whether she'd felt bad about actually breaking my skin, or whether she'd wanted to leave a different kind of mark, this time she started kissing the nape of my neck.
It was more like she was trying to suck on it than kiss it.
Because if you suck hard on skin, it leaves a mark that doesn't fade quickly.
Honestly, it felt quite strange. Because she'd switched from biting to kissing, I could feel Aria's saliva on me, and the sounds were fairly suggestive too.
"Hah... Now I've left a mark on you too."
When Aria pulled her mouth away from my neck, a silver thread stretched and then broke.
I didn't know what the nape of my neck looked like. Probably a fairly dark mark had been left.
"Did it leave a dark mark?"
"Yes. I made sure to leave it clearly."
"I have an afternoon lecture, so I have to go out today. I guess I'll have to wear a shirt and cover my neck with the collar."
"Ehh, can't you leave it uncovered? I want to show off to other people that you're my man."
"I'm the one who has to deal with the fallout and do all the suffering. Cut your brother some slack."
Even as I said that, I wasn't angry at Aria.
Basically, this much fell under cute mischief, and the nape of the neck wasn't hard to cover.
"Tch. Then at least hold my hand on the way to campus. That much is fine, right?"
"Sure, that much is fine. But with our height difference, other people might see us as uncle and niece rather than a couple."
By rough eye, Aria's height was in the mid-150s. I was over 180 and close to 190 centimeters.
Naturally, since the difference was more than a full head, a stranger glancing at us might well think we were a pair with a considerable age gap rather than lovers.
"That probably won't happen. Because even if I'm short, I have a mature air about me!"
Aria said it confidently.
It wasn't entirely wrong, actually.
It was only in front of me that she smiled brightly and looked a bit young. When Aria kept her mouth shut as she usually did, she seemed so unapproachable that she looked far more mature.
"Our Aria is mature, all right. Then will you maturely move aside so your brother can get ready to go out?"
"Hmm, I think it's fine if I'm not mature all of a sudden!"
"Then I'll treat you like a child. Heave-ho."
I slipped both hands under Aria's armpits and lifted her up as I rose to my feet.
She really was too light.
Worried she might get hurt, I carefully set Aria down beside me, and she spoke with a wistful look.
"There's still plenty of time..."
"A person should always move with time to spare. That way, even if something comes up, you won't be late, right?"
"That's true. All right. Then I'll get ready to go out too."
Aria left.
I finished a quick shower, and today I deliberately put on a white shirt instead of comfortable clothes.
After checking in the mirror that the kiss mark was well hidden by the collar, I went out to the front entrance first and waited about twenty minutes for Aria.
While I was looking at my smartphone, Aria, finished getting ready, came trotting over to me.
"Brother, did you wait long?"
"It's fine. This is exactly why I always leave with plenty of time to spare."
It was only natural for women to take longer than men to get ready.
If anything, I thought she'd actually finished quickly for a woman.
While we were heading out to the bus stop and waiting for the bus, I voiced the question that had occurred to me earlier.
"Aria, have you been eating properly these days?"
"Yes. These days I eat almost every meal with you anyway. Why do you suddenly ask..."
"When I lifted you earlier, you were too light. I could've lifted you with one hand."
It was only a rough estimate using my body as a scale, so it wouldn't be exact, but wasn't she just slightly over forty kilograms?
Of course, I didn't voice my guess. However inexperienced in dating and however dense I might be, I at least knew I shouldn't casually bring up a woman's weight.
"Hey, but wouldn't one hand be hard?"
"Heave-ho."
"Eek?!"
Instead of answering, I bent down and wrapped my arm around Aria's waist. As I straightened up with Aria's body secured, Aria let out a small shriek.
"You really are light."
"Ugh..."
Aria was frowning, so I immediately set her down carefully. Aria averted her gaze and turned her head away from me.
"Sorry. Did you hate it?"
"No. I-it's not that I hated it. It's more like I realized all over again how incredibly strong you are..."
"Hey, is it really that much?"
Of course, I was a healthy adult man and worked out fairly hard, so I was probably stronger than average.
But when I went to the gym, there were plenty of people lifting heavier weights than me, so being told I was incredibly strong didn't quite land.
We chatted about this and that until the bus arrived.
As always, I walked Aria to the chapel and then headed toward the lecture hall, and on the way I happened to run into Seo-yeon.
"Fancy seeing you here."
"...Hi, big brother."
Seo-yeon averted her gaze as if she found it awkward to react.
Well, after what had happened yesterday, it was only natural she'd be embarrassed.
I was about to leave her be and head to the lecture hall when Seo-yeon reached out and grabbed my back.
"S-so, is it awkward for you too, big brother?"
"No, it's not awkward for me."
"But you were about to leave right away."
"Because the lecture's about to start. If you have something to say, I'll listen, so let go of my clothes, okay?"
Having my shirt pulled from behind made me look a bit ridiculous.
Seo-yeon unexpectedly let go without resistance. While I was absently straightening my clothes as usual, I noticed where Seo-yeon's gaze had gone.
The kiss mark and bite mark that had been exposed when my clothes were disheveled.
Seo-yeon's eyes narrowed.
Just as I was bracing myself for her to get angry again, Seo-yeon asked in a low voice.
"Did Aria leave this?"
"Y-yeah. We were messing around this morning..."
I worried it would sound like an excuse, but it was the truth, so what could I do.
Just as I was inwardly praying it would pass without incident, Seo-yeon said carefully.
"Lean forward for a second."
"Like this?"
When I leaned forward slightly, Seo-yeon bit down hard on the nape of my neck.
"Agh! Hey, what's the big idea actually biting me!"
It wasn't hard enough to draw blood, but when I checked with my phone's selfie camera, the mark left behind was darker than the one Aria had made.
That was only natural. Unlike Aria, who had bitten lightly, she had bitten much harder.
Seo-yeon lowered her head deeply with her face flushed and said.
"Sorry if it hurt. But you're the one at fault for showing it off without even covering it with concealer. Reflect on that."
Ah, so concealer was an option.
As a guy, I had no interest in cosmetics, so it was a method that had never crossed my mind.
"So today, go around like that. It's your punishment."
Leaving those words behind, Seo-yeon fled as if running away.
I rubbed the back of my neck, where a stinging sensation still lingered, and headed to the lecture hall too.