The Pa-ttak Appointment

I let out a long sigh. “Phew…”

I’d finally found it. Jiyun’s username. [Sister1][zㅣ존엠z]. I’d gotten lucky. Among all the users whose usernames or IDs contained a Z, he was the only one who also had exactly one older sister. I could just select him and then go confirm it with Jiyun in person. If he was staring at his phone, that would mean he’d accepted. If not, I could always claim it was a misclick.

[The results will be announced at midnight.]

Whoops. My true feelings slipped out. If this gallery existed in a world where posts registered with a simple Enter like comments, it would have collapsed long ago. But what can I do? It’s the truth.

I wanted to send it immediately, but if Jiyun started posting before I could confirm, it would be a disaster. Besides, he was working right now and I didn’t want to bother him. I’d send it exactly at midnight.

“Where are you going at this hour?”

“To see Jiyun.”

“What…? Just let the kid work in peace.”

“Then it wouldn’t be me, would it?”

“Fine. I’m going to bed first.”

“Okay, Mom. Do you need me to bring anything back?”

“Could you get some digestive medicine?”

“Got it.”

Ding~ 11:50 p.m.

I decided to watch from a distance instead of going inside early. I didn’t want to get caught.

11:59 p.m. The heat was making me sweat, but I held on. I should have brought a fan…

[00:00]

I pressed confirm. I did it…!

Please look at it, Jiyun. If this is the wrong person I really won’t be able to face them. There is a way to kick them out and appoint you instead… but I’m scared they might suddenly ask, “Do you have any incest stories?” And anyway, it has to be you!

“……”

As time passed, I felt my face growing paler. The sweat that had been dripping down my back had turned into cold sweat. Why isn’t he looking? Could it really not be you? I mean, you probably wouldn’t use such a childish username… but it was the only one with a Z in it… Or did I mix ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up the ㅋ and the Z? Please just look at it already—

‘He saw it…!’

The moment a customer left the convenience store, Jiyun glanced down at his phone. It’s you, right? You’re the pa-ttak, right?

“Hello…?”

“When… does your shift end…?”

Oh god, am I really this stupid? Even if he saw it, who just storms in like that? It’s basically advertising that I’m the ju-ttak… Idiot.

“Not until dawn… Still six hours left.”

It wasn’t the usual exhausted part-timer face. Jiyun’s mouth was stretched ear to ear in a grin. Seeing that, my own mood lifted. Thank goodness. I’d picked the right person.

“Is something going on?”

“…Why?”

Our eyes met for a second. He seemed to be deliberately avoiding my gaze. Maybe he didn’t want to tell me he’d been chosen as pa-ttak? But why would he hide it from me specifically…? Wait. Could it be…

‘He already knows I’m the ju-ttak…?’

If it was Jiyun, it was possible. Lately we’d been getting tangled up in strange situations more and more. When we went on that trip together… we even touched. And when I couldn’t hold back and tried to pounce on him, he hadn’t exactly pushed me away. Maybe he already knew what kind of person I was and had accepted it. After all, he was someone who ran an incest gallery too. Maybe he felt the same desire I did—to try something like this with me.

Of course, that was nothing but my own delusion. Nothing but wishful thinking.

“You just looked like you were in a good mood.”

I made up an excuse for now. I couldn’t exactly blurt out, “I picked you as pa-ttak!”

“Ah… It’s nothing. I just saw something funny a minute ago.”

“What did ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you see?”

“…It’s a little embarrassing.”

“What kind of story?”

Was he about to come out and admit he was the new pa-ttak? That would be perfect for me. I could finally tell him I was the ju-ttak… or maybe not? The fact that he was pa-ttak and I was ju-ttak had nothing to do with each other.

“Ah… Earlier this woman came in wearing a hat pulled way down and a mask. After she paid for the mask, I noticed there was… a box of condoms underneath.”

“……”

What the hell. I thought this was going to be about the pa-ttak thing. So the reason he was smiling wasn’t because he became pa-ttak, but because he was imagining some random woman rolling around in bed?

“What the… That’s not even funny…”

“…Sorry.”

What is this? I’m annoyed. Why is he talking about some other woman instead of us? And it’s not even someone he knows.

“I’m leaving. Ring this up.”

“Yeah… See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah.”

Jiyun was definitely the pa-ttak. The moment he looked at his phone, the acceptance notification had come through. But the real problem lay somewhere else.

I should have been happy that Jiyun became pa-ttak.

‘What the hell. That woman?’

When did she even come in that he still remembers her? What’s so funny about some woman buying condoms? And why am I getting irritated when it has absolutely nothing to do with me? It’s not like she did anything to Jiyun. Ugh, I don’t know. Why am I suddenly so pissed off when it’s not even that time of the month?

“Oh right.”

I’d forgotten Mom asked me to buy digestive medicine. Ah. I just stormed out in a huff; going back in now would be awkward. But making another trip out was annoying too… Surely Jiyun wasn’t mad at me, right?

“…You’re back?”

“I came to buy digestive medicine. Mom told me to get it.”

“It’s over there.”

“Okay.”

I silently placed it on the counter. Jiyun silently rang it up.

“I’ll pay for this.”

“Why? I can pay.”

“…Just because.”

“Thanks.”

“Noona.”

I was about to leave with the medicine when Jiyun called out to me.

“What?”

“…About that woman earlier.”

“Yeah.”

Why is he bringing her up again? Was she insanely pretty or something—

“She was really ugly.”

“…Really?”

What the hell? Why is he suddenly evaluating someone’s appearance?

“That’s why it was funny.”

“Uh… yeah.”

“Are you going straight to bed?”

“I have to. I have work tomorrow too.”

“Okay.”

I gave a small wave and stepped outside. What is this? My mood suddenly improved again. I know we shouldn’t judge people by looks, but hearing that the woman was ugly made all my anxiety vanish. Why does that make me happy? What’s wrong with me?

“Phew…”

It was a relief that Noona came back when I called her. If she hadn’t, I would have spent the rest of my shift imagining what kind of mood she was in, solving Korean language test questions at a 0% accuracy rate in my head. I couldn’t actually tell if the woman was ugly since she had her hat pulled low and was wearing a mask, but if it made Noona feel better, that was all that mattered. From the look on her face as she left, it seemed her mood had improved again.

‘So I’m the pa-ttak…’

Because Noona showed up the second I accepted, I hadn’t been able to check properly. Was I really chosen as pa-ttak…?

‘Oh.’

A menu I’d never seen before had appeared. There was a user block function and even a post management button. I really was a pa-ttak now. I should greet everyone, but I’m still on the clock so I can’t.

Noona had already posted the announcement. There was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even a screenshot of me being chosen by lottery. Wow. So it really was random. I got insanely lucky.

[new!]

When I checked my personal log, there was one new post.

She must have put some effort into writing it. I could see her speech patterns peeking through here and there.

‘What should I do…’

At least I’d avoided the horror of some other guy meeting Noona. But the real problem started now. Should I actually meet her for a meal or not? I’d wanted to be chosen so badly, but now that I had been, I was terrified.

[You may substitute it with a gift card instead.]

Thankfully there was an escape route. I could just take the gift card and keep hiding forever. But…

‘She’s going to find out eventually…’

I didn’t want to run. Sooner or later while managing the gallery, she would discover it was me. The fact that she had already found out about me was proof enough. And when I learned that she was the ju-ttak, I’d smiled instead of feeling disgusted. Maybe she would feel the same way.

That’s what I decided to believe. Thinking about it any more would only make my head hurt.

[Hello]

I sent a reply, figuring I should at least greet her.

Her way of speaking was really cute. She sounded so stiff when she posted announcements. For me, that was actually better. If she’d been super formal, I probably wouldn’t have been able to ask about the reward.

“……”

No more replies came after that. Why not? It was making me anxious. Don’t tell me she fell asleep. I finally worked up the courage to say something and she just dips? There’s nothing more awkward than that.

‘Should I message first…?’

That would make me seem really clingy. Especially with all the rumors going around that the ju-ttak is a woman. If I suddenly started pestering her to meet, she’d probably hate it.

“…Welcome.”

“Where’s the digestive medicine?”

“It’s all the way in the back in the drink section.”

There were way too many people buying digestive medicine today. It was making my own stomach feel upset… What should I do? Should I really send it or not? Ah, is this why I can’t get a girlfriend? They say life is all about timing, but I can never seize the right moment.

“I’d like to pay.”

“Ah, sorry. That’ll be 1,100 won.”

I’d almost missed the payment because I was lost in thought. Thank goodness the customer was nice. If it had been a drunk old man, he would have started cursing immediately.

‘Okay. Just do it.’

Yeah. If I kept hesitating, I’d end up missing my chance just like I almost missed that payment.

I sent it. Even I thought it was completely out of nowhere, but nothing else came to mind. Is this okay? I can’t even unsend it. What if I get my privileges revoked immediately?

She replied right away. Good thing she wasn’t asleep. Don’t tell me she was waiting for me to message first… No, that can’t be. Anyway, why isn’t she mentioning the other option? Is this some advanced strategy to make me take the gift card and leave? If I say I want to meet and eat together here, it would make me look like a total creep—

Whew. Thankfully she gave me a choice. My heart was pounding so hard I couldn’t tell if she was doing it on purpose or not.

Why did I say thank you? I mean, I had to express gratitude, but knowing it was Noona made it embarrassing to say.

If possible, I wanted to see her as soon as possible… or maybe I should push it back? Meeting her was one thing, but how was I supposed to reveal that I was her little brother? Ugh, this was really stressful.

I replied immediately to her immediate reply. Tomorrow already? That made me even more nervous. I even felt guilty. But at the same time, the thrill was overwhelming. I wondered what kind of reaction she would have when she found out the pa-ttak was me.

Whew. I finally set up the meeting. Now that the appointment was made, all that was left was actually meeting her. I was incredibly nervous. At least the story I’d posted was done as a floating user, so that was a relief.

The comments flooded in the second I posted my greeting. I wanted to get off work quickly. And I wanted to have a dinner date with Noona. Tomorrow evening would be my last chance to come clean.

“Haaam…”

“You’re home? Aren’t you hungry? Want to eat before you sleep?”

“I’m good. Have you two not left yet?”

The house was incredibly messy. Mom and Noona were getting ready to leave and had turned the place upside down.

“You’re here?”

“……Yeah.”

It felt awkward to make eye contact with Noona. After all, I would soon have to confidently tell her, “Actually, I was the pa-ttak running the incest gallery this whole time!”