Just the Two of Us Living Together
Just the Two of Us Living Together
"I'm sorry, Si-hyeon. I keep leaving you behind like this..."
"Don't apologize, Linnea. I'm an adult now—I've even finished my military service."
That night, the moment Linnea got home, she kept bowing her head and apologizing to me. With the mood like this, the thing I'd originally meant to ask her had become awkward to bring up.
"And since my father is so unreliable, I actually feel better knowing you're with him. Please take good care of him."
"Yes. And I'm sorry to ask this of you, Si-hyeon, but please take good care of Aria. I'm not worried, since you're so capable and mature..."
Linnea trailed off.
To me, Aria seemed perfectly capable and mature too, but I supposed parents always saw their own children as a little unreliable, a little worrying.
"Come on, Aria's mature too. And I'll be right here with her, so don't worry too much."
"No, that's not what I..."
Linnea's face turned red.
After hesitating for a long while, Linnea finally pulled something from her bag and forced herself to speak.
"I'm only saying this just in case. If anything happens, use these. Aria is capable of taking responsibility for you, so if it's what you both want, I don't mind—but you should still think carefully about when to have children."
What had I just heard?
I lowered my gaze.
What Linnea was holding out was a box of condoms.
Apparently, I hadn't needed to ask after all.
Instead of asking, I answered while avoiding her eyes.
"Um, Aria and I aren't in that kind of relationship yet."
"Ah, haha. Oh, I'm so silly. I made a fuss over nothing. I'm sorry, Si-hyeon. I was just saying strange things."
Linnea avoided my eyes too, her face still red.
Then silence stretched between us for a moment.
"..."
"..."
What on earth was this situation?
My stepmother had just handed me a box of condoms and told me to use them with my half-sister.
I'd heard that Sweden had healthy and open sex education, but was this really part of it?
Feeling awkward, I slid the box back toward Linnea, wondering if she might want to take it back.
"J-just put it away. You're at a vigorous age, Si-hyeon, and even if it's not Aria, you'll meet another woman someday."
"Wouldn't I just buy them myself when that happens...?"
"Anyway, anyway, just put it away!"
Linnea clearly suspected that two vigorous young people living together would end up causing an accident.
Aria was in the shower right now.
I didn't want her to walk out and see me bickering with Linnea over a box of condoms, so in the end I shoved it into my pants pocket.
"Then I'll just hold onto it for now."
"Yes. Good thinking, Si-hyeon."
Only then did Linnea let out a relieved sigh, as if a weight had been lifted. I was the one who wanted to sigh, but I knew she was doing this out of concern for us, so I swallowed it.
"Anyway, are you sure you'll be okay going alone this late at night? I can at least see you off to the airport."
"Don't worry. I'm driving myself, and once I get to the airport, I just board the plane and that's it."
With that, Linnea gathered her suitcase and headed for the front door. But she showed no sign of opening it right away.
It wasn't hard to tell who she was waiting for.
"Should I call Aria?"
"Would you? I'm going to be away for a whole month, and it feels wrong to leave without seeing my daughter's face."
Our bathroom must have soundproof tiles or something, because when the water was running, outside sounds didn't carry in very well. Same for voices shouting from inside.
I had no choice but to go to the bathroom and knock on the door.
"Aria. Are you still in the shower? Linnea says she's leaving right away."
"What?! Mother was here? And she's leaving right away?! J-just a moment! I'll be right out!"
It was a panicked voice I rarely heard from Aria, who was usually so composed.
That was understandable. Honestly, I was surprised too. I hadn't expected her to leave the moment she got home.
She'd said she'd already packed, so from Linnea's perspective it was probably a planned departure—but neither I, nor Aria, nor my father had known, so of course we were surprised.
She'd be rushing out, and it didn't feel right to wait right outside the bathroom door, so I went back to the front hall. I also had something I wanted to ask while I was at it.
"So is this a surprise? I talked to my father this evening, and it sounded like he didn't know you were going over there either."
I wondered why she'd hide it from us too, but if it was a surprise, I understood. If word got to my father by accident, the surprise would be ruined.
"This evening? Do you remember exactly when you called?"
"Hold on. Uh... 5:12 p.m. Why?"
"Jin-seong said he got hurt. My call was after that, so he probably got hurt right after talking to you. Fortunately, he said it wasn't a serious injury, but I couldn't help worrying, so I moved my departure date up in a hurry."
"Hurt? My father? How, and how badly?"
I understood why Linnea had left in such a rush at night without telling us properly, but along with worry, a question arose.
What could my father possibly do to get hurt?
He was a furniture broker who worked internationally, but it was literally just brokering. He didn't haul furniture himself.
And the countries he traveled to weren't exactly high-risk destinations. Of course, he did visit places like the United States often, so I couldn't say there was zero chance of him getting shot somewhere.
"I'm not sure. He says he isn't badly hurt. I'll have to see for myself to know the details. Fortunately, Norway is right next to Sweden and it's safe there, so it shouldn't be a problem."
"If you say so. Please contact me right away if anything happens."
"Heh heh, that's reassuring, Si-hyeon."
While we were talking, I heard the bathroom door open.
From a guy's perspective, that was more than enough time to towel off roughly and come out—but thinking about it from a woman's perspective, she'd actually come out pretty fast.
"Mother, are you leaving already?"
I turned my head.
More precisely, I looked toward the sound of Aria's voice, saw the state she was in, and turned my head the other way.
"Aria. No matter how at home you are, you should put on clothes before coming out. Your brother is here."
"But if you're leaving right away, you don't have much time before your flight!"
Linnea said what I wanted to say for me.
Just as she said, Aria had come out to the front hall wrapped in nothing but a towel.
Thanks to that, it was hard to keep my eyes anywhere near her.
"It's fine. I'm driving myself, so I'm not that pressed for time. But since you're out here, I should say goodbye."
Linnea pulled the approaching Aria into a hug. Then she stroked Aria's hair and gave her a warning.
"Don't make things too hard for your brother. Our Aria handles everything else well on her own, so I'm not really worried—but that one thing does worry me."
"Tch. I listen to my brother very well. Don't worry too much, and have a safe trip."
That warning was probably for my sake.
Had she said it because I told her Aria and I weren't in that kind of relationship?
In front of me, Aria was alluring and mature, but seeing her like this, she was just a girl her age.
"Si-hyeon, come here too."
When I approached, Linnea hugged me this time.
At that warmth, my chest ached without my meaning it to.
"I'm always grateful that you became my son, Si-hyeon."
"Me too. I'm grateful that you're my stepmother, Linnea."
After sharing that family warmth for a moment, we pulled apart. It was time to send her off.
"Then, Si-hyeon, Aria. I'll be going."
"Yes, have a safe trip."
"Have a safe trip, Mother."
And so Linnea left.
Only the two of us remained.
"Oof, well, I should go finish my assignments."
I muttered to myself, deliberately loud enough to be heard, and headed back to my room.
I knew she hadn't come out like that because she was conscious of me—she'd just been in a hurry and had no choice.
But still, I couldn't meet her eyes.
At the very least, I didn't want to get swept up in momentary emotion and lust.
If I did something like that, I'd end up following the same path as my father.
Fortunately, Aria seemed embarrassed too, and instead of stopping me, she avoided my eyes.
"Ahaha... Then I'll go dry my hair again, Brother. Have a good night."
"Yeah, you too, Aria."
I sighed in relief inwardly.
Genuinely relieved that my worry had been nothing but needless anxiety.
After all, hadn't Aria said she'd wait for my choice?
There was no way she'd try to seduce me just because Linnea was gone and she was fresh out of the shower in nothing but a towel.
All the recent events and physical contact must have fried my brain.
I should finish my assignments and get a good night's sleep.
Tomorrow was the weekend, so sleeping in wouldn't be a problem.
* * *
There was one.
A problem.
"Brother, wake up."
A sweet voice tickled my ear.
At the same time, I felt a subtle, heavy sensation around my lower abdomen.
My eyes were closed, but it wasn't hard to guess the situation.
Aria had climbed on top of me to wake me up.
Should I get up, or pretend to be asleep?
Maybe pretending to be asleep was actually the right answer?
If she got tired of messing with me, she'd go away on her own—
"Brother. If you don't wake up, your little sister who loves you so, so much might play a naughty prank?"
"I'm awake. Just now."
I was a little curious what the naughty prank was, but I didn't have the courage to handle it, so I just got up quietly.
'So what I was thinking yesterday wasn't entirely me being overly self-conscious after all.'
Aria's bottoms were her usual dolphin shorts, but the top was the problem.
The white T-shirt she usually wore was nowhere to be seen—today Aria was wearing only a white camisole.
It was designed for lounging around the house, so I couldn't really say anything, but one strap had slipped down her shoulder, giving it a strangely suggestive feel.
Was it just coincidence that her loungewear had gotten more revealing the moment Linnea left?
"Then I should give my brother, who got up right away, a reward. The reward is—"
I raised my upper body slightly, ready to lift Aria off me if necessary.
But the reward was more anticlimactic than I'd expected.
"A breakfast I made myself. Wash your face and come out, Brother."
Unexpectedly, Aria climbed off me without resistance and headed to the living room.
Was I the one actually possessed by a lust demon?
Shaking my head, I headed to the bathroom.
"Hoo."
I quickly washed my face with cold water and checked my phone. It was 9 a.m.
I thought I could have slept in a bit longer, but I couldn't exactly go back to sleep after my sister had come to wake me.
'Was it just my imagination?'
Spring had already reached mid-season.
Aria had lived in cold Northern Europe until recently, so the warm spring weather now could easily feel hot to her.
Come to think of it, hadn't she worn something with bare shoulders when we went to the university together last time? A T-shirt becoming a camisole could just be because of the heat.
Same with climbing on top of me to wake me up.
She might have just been playing around because I wasn't getting up. Maybe I was overreacting.
But now, with my reason restored by cold water, I was different.
"Sorry. Am I late?"
"Not at all. You came out at just the right time."
Just as Aria said, steam was rising from the appetizing rice. Far from having cooled, it was freshly cooked.
And there were plenty of side dishes too.
I hadn't tasted anything yet, but just from the looks, everything passed.
"Thank you for the food."
First, I took a bite of the braised potatoes, and my eyes widened in surprise.
I'd been in charge of the kitchen in this house until now, so I hadn't known—but Aria's cooking skills were unexpectedly excellent.
"Does it suit your taste?"
"It's really good. Where did you learn to cook?"
"I taught myself while studying in Sweden. If I'm going to be your bride, knowing my way around housework is the bare minimum."
I felt like I was gradually getting used to my sister's intense affection. The fact that I could hear something like that mid-meal without choking proved it.
At this point, I was curious enough to ask.
"Right. What was that naughty prank you mentioned earlier?"
"Ah, that? You can experience it right now, if you'd like. Shall I?"
"Sure, as long as it doesn't get in the way of eating."
Honestly, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested.
Still, since she said I could experience it during a meal, it probably wasn't anything too over the line.
"The prank was me feeding you side dishes, Brother. Here, say ah~."
Aria picked up a piece of rolled omelet with her chopsticks and held it close to my face.
I really had built up a tolerance lately. A few days ago I would've been embarrassed, but after everything that had happened, I just opened my mouth and took the omelet without thinking.
"Mm, this is good too."
"I'm glad it suits your taste, Brother."
With a pleased expression, Aria casually brought the chopsticks that had touched my mouth to her own lips.
Suddenly, I realized something, and my interest was piqued.
"Aria."
"Yes?"
"Let me feed you too. Say ah~."
In that instant, Aria's body froze.
Then she seemed to think for a moment, and as if realizing what those words meant, her face turned red.
"U-um. Brother? What did you just..."
"I said say ah~. Let me feed you a bite too."
"Oh, um. That's."
Aria flustered, her eyes darting around as she stammered. Seeing that, my interest turned into certainty.
Aria was confident when she held the upper hand, but she seemed weak when the tables were turned and she was on the receiving end.
"Hurry. My arm's going to fall off."
"O-okay. Then. Thank you for the food..."
Aria brushed her hair back with one hand and opened her mouth. When I placed the omelet into that small mouth, she began chewing it slowly.
It felt like feeding a tiny, cute bird.
A strange sense of satisfaction tickled a corner of my heart.
"One more."
"What?! B-but you need to eat too, Brother..."
"I get full just watching you eat."
It wasn't a joke.
Was this how grandmothers in the countryside felt?
Seeing her eat so happily, I wasn't hungry—I just wanted to feed her more.
"Then let's feed each other. Here, Brother, you say ah~ too!"
As if she couldn't stand to see me go hungry, Aria picked up another side dish and held it to my mouth.
She seemed like she'd refuse unless I ate first, so I accepted it. Then Aria accepted the omelet I held out. And the cycle repeated.
That was how we finished the meal.
After the meal, a thought occurred to me.
'I think we just did something even couples would be too embarrassed to do.'
With that thought, I stood in the kitchen.
Aria had insisted on doing the dishes, but no matter how I thought about it, I couldn't let her handle breakfast and then do the dishes too without my conscience bothering me—so after a firm argument, I'd won the right to wash the dishes.
Aria seemed to be thinking something similar; she sat on the sofa hugging a cushion, hiding her reddened face.
And so our noisy morning for just the two of us passed.
After finishing the dishes, I went to the living room, and Aria asked me cautiously.
"Brother. Do you have any plans today?"
"No, I think I'll just rest at home. Why?"
Aria let out a relieved sigh at my answer, then spoke to me with a serious expression.
"Then, please go on a date with me."