The Trip with My Older Sister (2)
"Ooh..."
We had finally arrived at Haeundae, the beach I'd only ever dreamed about. True to its coastal nature, the salty scent of the sea washed over me the moment we stepped out.
"It's so refreshing~"
"It really is."
The sea breeze blew in, taking the edge off the heat and making it pleasant enough to walk around. Still, my sister must have found the sun too strong because she pulled a parasol from her bag and opened it.
"Want to share?"
"I'm okay. I put on sunscreen."
The truth was that sharing it would mean pressing close to her. It would inevitably lead to linking arms, our bodies touching. Right now, I needed to avoid any contact with her at all costs.
"That must be the ocean over there."
"What's on this side?"
"Should we check it out?"
Opposite the sea was an area packed with all kinds of restaurants and shops, reminiscent of a folk village. There were official-looking buildings too, and the path leading there was lined with graceful hanging grass that made for a beautiful view.
"This is what they call Haeridan Street."
"No wonder there were so many people."
As expected, the area was full of foreigners and a perfectly balanced crowd—not too packed, not too empty. It was exactly the kind of place I loved.
"Wow, that's pretty."
We crossed the main road into a narrow alley where walls covered in all kinds of murals appeared. Some featured characters we knew, and the whole area felt uniquely charming and artistic. I'd thought the place would only have the sea, but there were spots like this too.
"Yeah. Jiyun, remember how you cried watching that movie?"
"Did I...?"
"You did. You were sobbing when the waves came crashing in."
"Me...?"
"Yes. You."
The younger version of me really had been pathetic. Crying over something like that—and in a theater, no less. If it happened now, we'd probably get kicked out for disturbing everyone. It was a good thing it was back then.
Gurgle—
It seemed the limit of what my empty stomach could handle through gas had been reached. The sound was loud enough that my sister definitely heard it.
"Are you hungry?"
"Looks like it."
"Right. Let's go to that Michelin place we saw earlier."
"Don't we need a reservation?"
"The app's already full, so we'll probably have to wait on-site."
"Where is it?"
"Supposedly nearby."
"Then let's go right now."
People complain that Michelin does whatever it wants these days, but a Michelin star is still a Michelin star. No matter what anyone said, its reputation hadn't dropped enough to make reservations easy.
"Oh. Ice cream."
"...You're going to eat it now?"
"O-of course not~"
"Right?"
I knew why she was looking at something else while talking, but she was cute, so I didn't mind.
"It's over there."
"Oh."
Maybe because it was reservation-only, there weren't many people around. Instead, we could see several customers waiting inside through the windows.
"Ah."
"What?"
"Looks like even the walk-ins are closed."
"Seriously?"
"Well, of course a Michelin place wouldn't be that easy to get into..."
[There are currently many people waiting, making reservations difficult.]
"Then let's just go somewhere else."
"Since we're already in the mood for ramen, let's find another ramen shop."
"Sounds good."
We headed back toward the station and searched for restaurants.
"Oh, there's one... Wait, isn't this the same place as before?"
"Really? There was another one?"
"Yeah. It says they're open now, so let's go."
We arrived at a ramen shop located in an alley in the opposite direction from the Michelin place.
Grrrrrr—
"Ugh..."
"What? Was that you, Sis? I thought it was my stomach."
"Shut up."
I'd assumed it was small since there were no people outside, but once we stepped in, it was much larger than expected. There were private booths separated like in a pojangmacha, and in the center was a counter where the chefs cooked. Best of all, there were kiosks at every table—my absolute favorite. Even though my sister was with me now, I honestly couldn't live without them when eating alone.
"How many in your party~?"
"Two."
"Please take a seat and wait for a moment~"
It wasn't impossible to get a reservation like the Michelin place, but it was clearly popular. Quite a few people were waiting, which meant my sister and I had to sit right next to each other.
"I'm so hungry I have no energy left..."
"Just hold on a little longer."
My sister kept leaning against me as if her battery had died. She must have used up all her stamina masturbating earlier. A quick nap clearly wasn't going to fix that.
So...
Don't lean on me. No, please lean on me. Lean? Don't lean? Which signal am I supposed to follow?
Our arms were already touching uncomfortably. Should I hold her hand?
"Jiyun."
"Yeah?"
"...Want to drink?"
"...Out of nowhere?"
Suggesting alcohol at a time like this. The review post from the older sister who was the protagonist of the "younger brother panty thief" story suddenly flashed through my mind. Were we heading straight to a motel? Was my chance to kneel and beg for forgiveness finally here?
"Just because. I saw them ordering beer over there."
"Beer is... fine, I guess."
I wasn't a big drinker, but if I was going to drink, I preferred beer. It wasn't too hard on the stomach, and it basically tasted like barley tea mixed with carbonation and a hint of alcohol.
"We'll guide you two inside now~"
"Okay~"
Finally, the long-awaited moment to be seated. But as the saying goes, after one mountain comes another. The moment we sat down, the kiosk informed us we'd have to wait another twenty minutes. Still, since we were already here, we decided to wait it out.
"What should we get?"
"I think the Kumamoto sounds good."
"Then I'll have the same. How do you want the noodles cooked?"
"Well-done. Are you getting the same, Sis?"
"Yeah."
"Sides?"
"How about the cheese croquette?"
"That sounds delicious."
"Let's go with that then... Are we ordering beer?"
"Yes. Order two glasses. Wait, maybe just one bottle?"
"Sure. Oh, rice is only five hundred won?"
"Whoa, really? Let's order one and split it."
"Okay."
After we finished paying through the kiosk, the beer came out right away. For now, I decided to at least fill my stomach with that. It had been a long time since I'd seen a place that charged only five hundred won for rice.
"Cheers~"
"Cheers."
It was my first time ever toasting with a girl. The fact that the other person was my sister made me debate whether I should count "one, two, three" out loud, but the emotion I felt in that moment whispered for me to shut up and just do it.
It never used to be like this. Once word spreads, all kinds of weirdos start crawling in. At this rate, the gallery might actually have to shut down. I couldn't let that happen. My sister was the one running it, after all.
"Jiyun."
"Yes?!"
The second my sister reached for my phone, I frantically pressed the power button and turned the screen off. Holy shit, I almost got caught.
"Why do you keep staring at your phone?"
"It's nothing... I was just..."
My sister stared at me with a straight face. I was only checking the current state of the gallery.
"This is exactly why you don't have a girlfriend."
"Why are you suddenly attacking my weak spot..."
"Because you keep looking at your phone..."
"Phone...?"
I was about to ask if she was speaking like a Japanese person when I noticed her glass was nearly empty. When the hell did she drink all of that?
"Sis, are you drunk...?"
"No? I can hold my liquor just fine."
"...Your tongue is already slurring though?"
"Pfft. Who gets drunk off beer?"
"......When was the last time you drank?"
"Umm... three years ago? Four? I think I drank during our graduation trip with friends and haven't touched it since?"
"......"
I had never understood people who got drunk on beer, but after seeing my sister like this, it finally made sense. People's alcohol tolerance really could differ that drastically.
"Want some cola too?"
"Yours, Sis."
"I'll take the zero sugar one."
"Okay."
Once again, the cola arrived before the ramen. Thankfully, the cheese croquette and rice came out at the same time this round.
"Wow, this looks good."
"You eat first, Sis."
"Mmm."
The croquette was topped with bonito flakes and sauce. While my sister was completely focused on it, I secretly slid her beer glass over to my side, placed the cola glass next to her, and poured. She was so drunk she didn't notice at all.
"How is it?"
"Oh. It's delicious. Can you see the cheese?"
"I can."
When I took a bite myself, the cheese stretched thinly after the potato filling. It wasn't quite cheese-stick level, but the light, savory taste that remained made it incredibly good.
"Mmph... haa..."
"At this rate we're going to fill up on just the croquette—"
"Thank you for waiting. Two orders of Kumamoto ramen with well-done noodles, correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Please enjoy~"
"We're finally eating~"
The ramen had finally arrived. It looked incredibly appetizing with chashu, ajitama, and even garlic as toppings. I wouldn't go as far as saying "wow" out loud, but having waited so long made the rich umami flavor absolutely perfect.
"Aren't you going to eat the rice, Sis?"
"I'm full..."
"...I figured."
Luckily I wasn't drunk yet. After mixing in the rice and cleaning my bowl completely, the fullness brought on a wave of drowsiness.
"Is that mine...?"
"What?"
"The beer."
"You're drunk. Just drink the cola."
"I'm fine though?"
"Your face is super red, Sis."
"Is it?"
To stop her from drinking more, I poured the rest of the beer into my own glass and drank it all. I wasn't drunk, but since it had been a while since my last one-shot, I could feel my body growing sluggish.
"Are you done eating?"
"Yeah."
I casually retrieved my phone that my sister had taken earlier and stood up from my seat. Outside, the sun had begun to set, painting the sky with a red glow.
"My stomach's finally settling."
"Yeah. The alcohol has worn off too."
"You were definitely drunk though..."
We ate the ice cream we'd skipped earlier and wandered around a bit more. Before we knew it, night had fallen. It took longer than expected to make our way back to Haeundae Station.
"Now let's go to the sea. The sea."
"Alright."
When we reached the actual beach side, the number of people had increased dramatically. I'd wondered why the other area wasn't as crowded—it turned out all the restaurants and entertainment were concentrated over there.
But Sis, why have you been holding onto my arm this whole time? You said you weren't drunk.
"......"
Her intoxication must not have worn off yet. The moment I grabbed the hand that was fidgeting in mine, her movements finally stopped. In moments like this, the man should take the lead, right? I began walking toward the sea.
"The sea~"
"Oh..."
The color of the sea was more beautiful than I'd imagined. There were lots of people, but the scenery was even more stunning.
"Let's take a picture together."
"A picture...?"
"Hurry."
I had planned to just watch from a distance, but because of my sister, I ended up with sand in my shoes. We had to walk all the way to the water's edge to take a selfie.
"Little brother stick, activate!"
"What the... Oh, I see."
My arm was being used in place of a selfie stick. This really did feel like an actual date. Was this a date?
"When's the drone show?"
"Was it eight thirty?"
A drone show. I did want to see it at least once. But it was almost time to head back—
"Ah. Sis. Did you book the KTX?"
"Huh? No? I was planning to book it later when we leave."
"Look and see if there are seats."
One thing I hadn't paid attention to while on a date with my sister. A sinking feeling suddenly hit me.
"Um... there are seats, but... the ten o'clock train?"
"Ten?"
"But it's standing room only."
"......"
Standing room. We were already exhausted, and now we'd have to stand for nearly three hours. Still, we had to get home somehow, so we had no choice but to take it. I hadn't considered that today was the day before a holiday and many people would be heading back to Seoul.
"Then let's book that one—"
"Ah. It's gone."
"......"
She usually booked things so easily. Maybe drinking had clouded her judgment. Suggesting alcohol was a mistake.
"I'll keep refreshing for now."
"Okay. I'll look too."
There were seats available, but single seats were easy to get while two-person seats were nearly impossible. Even when they appeared, they were only standing room. And by the time we tried to reserve the standing tickets, they were already taken.
"What do we do... Nothing's coming up."
"Oh! I got standing room!"
"Standing room...?"
"But it's the eleven o'clock train..."
"......"
I guess catching standing room at all was lucky. But we'd have to wait until eleven and then stand for another three hours—a truly hellish schedule. Even after arriving at Seoul Station, we'd still need energy to wait for and take a taxi.
What should we really do? Maybe just sleep and—
"Since we have the day off tomorrow anyway, should we just sleep here and go back in the morning?"
"...Really?"
"Yes. Really."
"......"
My date with my sister was coming to an end. For couples, the final stop on any date course was always a motel. The chance to reach that ending had finally arrived.