Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Harmonious Family (2)
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I returned to my room after finishing the meal.
I sank into deep thought with a clear mind, having slept soundly.
I'd figured my oldest sister would ask about my ability during lunch.
But contrary to my expectations, she just focused silently on her food.
'Well, it's easier this way.'
In the end, I'd have to share my ability with all the family members anyway.
Rather than repeating explanations, it was more convenient for me to reveal it all at once when everyone was gathered.
Still, I couldn't shake the feeling from my oldest sister's subtle glances during the meal.
She clearly had something she wanted to say—what could it be?
I racked my brain over it, let out a deep sigh, and got up from the bed.
In the end, no one but my oldest sister herself would know her true feelings.
No matter how much I tried to guess, I couldn't read her perfectly.
For now, I decided to focus on what I could do immediately.
[Normal Draw (1x: 100 Points) (10x: 950 Points)]
[Premium Draw (1x: 1,000 Points) (10x: 9,500 Points)]
While my younger sister was briefly washing up, I'd only done one draw. But now that I had some leeway, I planned to go with the original plan: a 10x gacha.
Just thinking about spinning the gacha made dopamine surge through me.
Even in virtual currency gacha games, my hands shook and dopamine exploded. But this draw was for real-world skills and abilities.
Naturally, the tension and rush were on another level.
"Hoo..."
Feeling my heart pounding, I placed my hand on the premium draw button.
"Please."
I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed it.
- Ppababababbam~
If the single premium draw featured a roulette bathed in gold, the 10x was encrusted with diamonds.
The only difference was the visuals—the section sizes were the same as the single draw.
'They could've bumped up the odds a bit for 10x.'
I inwardly cursed the stingy roulette as it began to spin.
- Drurrk...
The roulette spun smoothly at high speed.
The first stop: D-rank.
Decent for a normal draw, but bottom-tier for premium.
Anxiety crept in from the start with the lowest grade.
'Bad feeling about this.'
I had a hunch this gacha would be a total flop.
But even with that foreboding, there was nothing I could do.
I'd already paid for the 10x.
No way they'd refund it now.
- Drurrk...
"Ah..."
The second spin also halted at D-rank.
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
I knew my past high-rank pulls were just luck.
I knew these results were more normal and expected.
But knowing that didn't stop the frustration from bubbling up now that it was happening.
Why did my luck tank right on the 10x...?
D, D, C, D, D...
The roulette kept spinning, but none landed in the high-rank zones.
"Ah... seriously, please..."
I prayed desperately, but out came another...
D-rank.
Just as my mentality was cracking...
The final roulette began to turn.
"I won't even ask to break even... just one B-rank, please..."
I'd secretly hoped for S-rank at the start, but as the gacha bombed, reality sank in.
Now, even a B-rank would be a blessing.
The speed slowed, and it finally stopped at...
"Ah..."
B-rank.
My expression twisted ambiguously.
Should I feel relieved for hitting the B-rank goal at the end, or depressed over the pile of D-ranks? Even I couldn't tell.
Wrapped in that odd mix of emotions, the draw results began settling.
[D-rank Item: 'Holey Condom' Acquired]
[D-rank Item: 'Baby Pacifier' Acquired]
[D-rank Item: 'Fast-Growing Baby Formula' Acquired]
[D-rank Item: 'Genius Baby Red Ginseng' Acquired]
The lowest ranks, the D-grade items, settled first.
I'd hoped for skills as the most useful, but sadly, no skills here—just baby products and adult items like the holey condom.
"Too on-the-nose, isn't it..."
I picked up the baby pacifier and felt reality hit hard.
Was this blatantly pushing me to make a kid?
"..."
Even if I'd crossed a line with my younger sister, having a child in the family would bring massive real-world problems.
Social scrutiny, and who knows what legal or institutional issues.
I'd resolved to cross some boundaries, but making a baby was off-limits.
These baby products were useless.
They didn't seem to have any special effects either.
Might as well toss them in a warehouse corner for junk.
I grabbed an old PP box to stuff them in.
These would end up boxed in the warehouse corner.
Just as I was about to pack them...
TIP: Baby products from Premium Draws grant positive buffs to children.
The status window popped up a tip at the perfect timing, as if reading my mind.
I'd thought these had no connection to me, but buffs for kids? It shook me a bit.
"..."
I swallowed hard.
Just in case, though.
No harm in keeping them clean for a real emergency, right?
I swapped the dirty PP box for a clean one and carefully packed the baby items.
Absolutely no intention of using them.
Purely for if-then scenarios.
Once neatly organized, the status window resumed settling.
[C-rank Item: 'No Worries About Teaching Baby Korean!']
[C-rank Item: 'Chocolate Healthy Even for Pregnant Women']
I froze holding the items, and the status window kindly paused to wait.
It wasn't usually this nice...
Anyway, I neatly packed these into the PP box too.
Not sure about storing chocolate like this, but since it's from an ability, it probably won't melt.
Confirming I'd sorted them, the briefly delayed status window resumed.
[B-rank Skill: 'Family Hand Warmer']
'Family Hand Warmer?'
No clue what it did.
Best to check directly.
Family Hand Warmer [Rank: B]
It's a family member's duty to keep their family member's hands from getting cold.
Warm their hands with this skill.
Effect: All family stats +20% for 30 minutes after holding hands.
It was a good ability again this time.
But 'a bit bland.'
Compared to previous skills, it felt lacking.
Still, a skill was better than nothing.
I decided to think positively.
Evening.
The table brimmed with hearty, warm dishes.
"Hello..."
"Ugh..."
The two women who'd slept all day shuffled out like zombies.
Sleep too little, and you're tired. Sleep too much, and your body still feels heavy.
For their sake, I prepared a warm bean sprout soup for dinner.
I'd read online that some compound in bean sprouts helps with foggy heads, so I gave it a shot.
I set the food out in our usual spots.
Thud.
"Huh?"
"..."
My younger sister's positioning was off.
We had an unspoken seating rule for meals.
Sister next to me.
Younger sister across.
Oldest sister in the last spot.
But my younger sister broke it, taking the spot next to me.
I thought she was still half-asleep and mistaken.
So I gently corrected her.
"Sis? This isn't your spot."
Half-slumped over the table, she slowly turned her head.
"Why... Does our Ha-seong hate me sitting next to him?"
"No... It's not that I hate it..."
I glanced at my little sister.
Her eyes were terrifying now that her usual spot was stolen.
I never knew she could make such a scary face...
She'd grumble, but real anger was rare.
Was I finally seeing her explode?
As the only man in the house, my survival hinged on playing dead quietly in situations like this.
I held my breath, not even exhaling, watching both sisters warily.
In the tense atmosphere, my little sister spoke first.
"Sis... We have a seating rule."
"Pfft, when did we ever make rules like that? We just sit wherever's comfy."
"Hng..."
The mood chilled.
Maybe my imagination, but it felt like cold air was pouring in.
Oof, scary. So scary.
Hoping the cold war ended soon, I gulped down some water needlessly.
And wondered.
'But why is little sis acting up?'
I couldn't fathom why she was so irritated.
Younger sis, well...
Hmm... I got it a bit from hearing her inner thoughts, but I didn't see why little sis was so attached to that seat...
"Still, we've sat like this forever. You should've checked first. I was startled."
"Yeah, sorry about that. I apologize."
"..."
Little sis looked surprised that younger sis apologized so readily.
Seizing the moment, younger sis smiled sweetly and said softly,
"Our cute Yu-rim, can this sis sit here from now on?"
Her tone was gentle, but the invisible pressure was intense.
Little sis's lips twitched, then she yielded.
"F-Fine..."
"Thanks!"
Little sis looked full of resentment but sat quietly in younger sis's old spot, unwilling to defy her elder.
Younger sis looked triumphant.
Little sis seemed a bit deflated.
'Hmm... hierarchy re-sort after ages?'
There was a time when little sis rebelled fiercely, leading to intense battles over house pecking order.
Because I hadn't handled it firmly then, she still nagged me.
Wondering if the silent hierarchy war was reigniting, I pondered survival tactics when...
Drurrk.
Our quietly seated oldest sister pulled back her chair and stood.
"Huh?"
We all stared at her wide-eyed.
She usually read the newspaper silently during meals without a word—now she was acting?
Oldest sis walked steadily to younger sis.
And silently pointed to her own seat.
"Go."
"Huh...?"
"No childish fights. Go there. I'll take this one—fair and square."
"..."
Younger sis, who'd been pressuring little sis, was effortlessly pushed aside by oldest sis.
"Then let's eat."
She sat calmly and picked up her spoon.
Sipping the bean sprout soup, oldest sis wore a faint, satisfied smile—barely noticeable unless you looked closely.
Clearly pleased with her power play win.
As expected, the boss of our house.
Strong.