With My Sister's Boyfriend (3)

"Don't girls usually hate talking about that kind of thing?"

"So what. I'm just telling you what my sister's into…."

"…It's still dirty talk, though."

"I don't care. And what's wrong with dirty talk between grown adults?"

Lee Jiyoon let out a light, bubbling laugh, as if none of it mattered to her—as if I were the ridiculous one for worrying about it now.

Over the secret spilling out inside the cramped karaoke booth, the blare of the backing track laid itself down in a noisy wash. Lee Hayun's porn preferences. Information that, by this point, wasn't exactly useful. Anyway.

Honestly, I was thrown. I'd never once imagined I'd already be having this kind of conversation with Lee Jiyoon. Up until now we were nothing more than people who played games together, and people who met now and then under the pretext of treatment. I'd been planning to spend about a month seeing her under the excuse of date practice, closing the distance little by little—which was why I'd been swallowing the urge to move on pure want, keeping up a kindly act that didn't suit me in the slightest. And now she was offering to teach me her own sister's porn tastes.

Hmm. Had playing games together landed in Jiyoon's heart even better than I'd thought? Or was there some other reason?

Hard to say.

If I could read a person's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heart all the way through, it wouldn't matter. I can't. One thing, though, was certain.

"…So. What's Noona into?"

"You are curious, huh?"

"Of course I am. I'm not asexual…."

My first chance to talk dirty with Lee Jiyoon. I absolutely could not let it slip.

"But how do you even know that? You and Hayun-noona watch porn together or something?"

"What kind of— Would you watch porn with your older brother?"

"That's…. uh, sorry."

The image of watching something dirty alongside her sister must have been revolting. Jiyoon gave my shoulder a couple of light punches with her fist. Still, there was a faint smile on her face, like she found the whole thing absurd, so she didn't seem all that offended.

Good. Keep it exactly like this.

"Saw it in high school, while I was clearing the browser history. The only computer in our house is the one in my room. That enough?"

If you don't want to leave a record, don't people usually use something like incognito mode? The thought that it was somehow very Lee Hayun flickered through me, and then I blurted out the idea that had just come up.

"Why were you clearing the browser history?"

"…Why did the conversation suddenly jump there?"

"Because I'm curious?"

"……."

In front of my face, one corner of my mouth tugged up, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her eyelids blinked—blink, blink. Lips that had snapped shut all at once, unable to let out a single sound. Deep-green eyes darting left, right, all over the place. Only after a few more seconds of that silence did one line squeeze its way out.

"Just because it's dangerous to leave personal information on the internet."

"Is that so?"

Suspicious.

Well, whatever. She seemed to want it hidden, so I'd let it slide this once. At most it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was traces of some embarrassing site—same reason as her sister, I figured.

"Anyway, about my sister's tastes…."

Jiyoon, having tossed out a sloppy answer, needlessly straightened her clothes and went on.

"…They're a little rough."

"Rough?"

"Like…. just…. ah, shit…. how am I supposed to say this…."

I knew. I knew exactly what she was trying to say. Lately I'd even been handling Lee Hayun that way, on and on. But hearing it in her own voice was a different thing entirely.

Play innocent. Pretend I don't understand.

I tilted my head and looked at her, just to tease.

…And then.

"…Okay. Say I'm the guy, and you're the girl."

Jiyoon, who a moment ago had been sitting quietly on the sofa, lifted herself a little, set her knees up on the cushion, and pressed her ass down onto my thigh. Then, furtively, she checked outside the karaoke booth.

"…Like… this."

She came in close, as if she meant to pin me. Close enough that the scent of Jiyoon's body, soaked into her clothes, reached me whole. Close enough that her bangs and mine tangled together, lightly.

Close.

"Roughly like this, and then—like this. Grab the wrist tight. Force a kiss…. …and…."

"……."

"Y-you get what I mean, right? That it's rough?"

"…Yeah."

"…Then that's enough. If you get a chance later, use it on my sister. She…. likes this kind of thing."

"…Okay."

For a moment all I could do was answer in a daze, thrown by a move I hadn't seen coming. Then the light weight on my thigh was gone, and the karaoke booth that had been shut tight swung wide open. Cool air from outside skimmed the nape of my neck, where a cold sweat had broken.

"…Let's head out. We're done here, so I'll at least sh-show you a date course."

She bit her tongue, pulled her cap low, and slipped out of the karaoke room in a hurry.

…What the hell was that just now.

Was I seeing things? Had I eaten something I shouldn't have and started hallucinating?

Still sitting on the sofa, I pinched the top of my thigh, hard, without even meaning to. The result was the same. Pain fading faintly off the thigh. And a warm heat. The spot between my brows, ticklish where someone else's hair had touched. Even Jiyoon's scent, still sharp at the tip of my nose. Not a single thing had changed.

"……."

Fuck. What is this, seriously?

Because we were friends? No way. There was no chance things would already be like this over something that small. As payment for treating her? No way. That was a little strange too, wasn't it.

In the end I sat there blinking like a fucking idiot before slowly getting up off the sofa. Getting closer to Jiyoon was good. A little casual contact was, obviously, good too. That was why I was grinding away at a game I didn't even care about. But Jiyoon climbing onto my thigh of her own accord and pressing her forehead to mine, this early—wasn't that a little off?

"Mmm…."

…I'm a little dizzy.

"…Maybe I should just take it the good way……."

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠let out a sigh tangled with doubt and walked quickly after her.

Have I lost my mind?

"Kyaaaaaaa…."

Home again, Lee Jiyoon burrowed into her blanket and screamed in silence.

Fine—teaching him her sister's sex preferences, she could let that much slide. Later, when Seo Woojin and her sister went off somewhere like a motel, he'd be able to put it to use. That was basically a kind of dating advice, wasn't it? But why did she have to go and demonstrate it herself, you crazy bitch? She could have just explained it somehow with words, and now how was she supposed to look Seo Woojin in the face….

"Uwaah, uwaah…."

And then why did you clear your browser history—the question had come flying out of nowhere and slammed her mouth shut….

…Anyway. Should she call it a small mercy, at least. Seo Woojin hadn't been able to hide how dazed he was, but in the end he'd treated her as much like usual as he could, right through to the last. Asking if she was gaming tonight, and other things she couldn't quite remember now that she thought about it—anyway, with thoroughly ordinary conversation. She'd answered that she would, for a start, and in the end they'd said bye-bye and parted without anything happening. But would her aim even come out in its usual shape. She was worried that on Discord, too, she wouldn't be able to say anything besides callouts.

She felt like a dumbass. Seriously.

"Aaaaaah…."

And so Lee Jiyoon, who still hadn't even changed her clothes, was hugging her blanket and rolling around on the bed when—

"Eek…!"

A ringtone sounded from the phone she'd left plugged into the charger. She wriggled a hand out to see who it was.

…She couldn't ignore the call just because she was embarrassed.

…Damn it….

Unlike her, about to go down with a spectacular crash from sheer embarrassment, Woojin's voice came through no different from usual. At the same time her eyes went to the digital clock at the top of the phone. 8:10 p.m. Ten minutes past the time they'd agreed on.

I feel like I'm going to die of embarrassment just talking to you like this.

She couldn't say that, so she buried it deep in her chest.

Well, yeah. The only thing CZ and Woojin had in common was her. They'd played together for a few days, but leave the two of them alone and of course it would be awkward.

With a groan, Jiyoon extracted herself from the bed, turned the computer on at once, and connected to Discord first.

"Ah! Jiyoon!"

"…Hello."

Unlike Woojin's low, even register, a thin, high, distinctive voice spilled out of the headset. Voices came in every kind, and each had its own charm, sure—but she had a feeling she was going to start hating clear, bright tones because of this person.

"Woojin went to the convenience store. I think he might've stepped out for a smoke."

"Ah, yes…."

"You were a little late, though. Something come up?"

"Uh…. Dinner."

"What'd you have? Korean? Western?"

"…Kimchi stew. There was some at home."

All of it, of course, was a lie. She'd spent that time face-down on the bed, screaming into her blanket. Too much of a pain to humor him point by point, she brushed him off with whatever came to mind and booted the game. And right then, CZ's voice came through again.

"Oh, right—I heard you're not going to the Valorant meetup tomorrow?"

"I've got my part-time job."

Word must have gotten around; he did seem to know a lot of people. She didn't think much of it and accepted the party invite first.

"Shame. Everyone was saying they wanted to meet you."

"They will, someday. Maybe they'll run into someone with the exact same voice at college, or on the street."

"If I recognize you then, will you acknowledge me?"

"After I see your face."

"If I'm ugly, you're gonna say no?"

"Yes."

"That's harsh, seriously. I think I look pretty decent, though. Think I'd pass?"

"Who knows."

"Want me to send a photo?"

"No."

She'd heard most guys think of their own faces as at least average. The problem was that whether they were ugly or handsome, it all got lumped together as ordinary. Jiyoon looked at Woojin's mic, still dark, and swallowed a sigh.

Right. You had to be at least on Woojin's level before you could say, without shame, that you were actually good-looking—

"I'll send it, so take a look."

"…I said I don't need it."

"Sent."

"……."

Since he'd sent it, she looked once, and it was just Generic Guy No. 1, the kind you see all over the street. Other features: tall, maybe? His body was ordinary too. Besides that, not much. Hmm. Oh, and some lettering on his wrist that really didn't suit him. That was about it…?

She didn't really understand what decent-looking, by guy standards was supposed to mean.

"What do you think?"

"You look decent."

"Decent, huh…. Then compared to Woojin?"

"What?"

"You said you know each other in real life. You'd both know each other's faces, right?"

"……."

A brief silence. Then Jiyoon looked at Woojin's muted mic and let out a single line. The moment she said who was better-looking, things would get exhausting….

"…You're similar. The two of you."

"If you had to pick one?"

"I don't know. There's not really a difference…."

Just then a new notification—a 1—appeared on the left side of Discord. No profile picture, so she clicked it wondering who it was, and there was a familiar name.

Of course…. Mic off, and he'd been listening to everything. She'd said they were similar on purpose, in case of exactly this.

CZ, more confident in his own looks than she'd expected, kept running his mouth. Ignoring him, Jiyoon quietly forwarded his photo to Woojin. About thirty seconds later, an indicator that Woojin was typing appeared at the bottom of Discord.

"Pfft…."

"…? Jiyoon?"

"Ah, sorry. My sister just texted me…."

"Ahh."

She'd thought he didn't take much pride in his looks. Still, he really didn't like getting dragged, did he. Holding her breath so CZ wouldn't hear, giggling under it, Jiyoon typed a message into Discord, tak-tak.

At some point, the embarrassing incident with Seo Woojin had vanished from her head.

The reason? Well.

She didn't really know.