Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Harmonious Family (3)
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Se-yeon Jeong, the head of the Jeong family, was feeling perplexed.
The staring contest between Yu-rim and Da-jeong just moments ago.
If it had been the old her, she wouldn't have intervened.
She believed that siblings occasionally bickering helped deepen their bond.
Yet somehow, before she knew it, she'd jumped into the fray.
She'd even declared she'd take the seat next to Ha-seong—the very cause of their spat.
"…"
Se-yeon touched the corners of her mouth, where a smile had unconsciously formed.
Why had she pushed Yu-rim and Da-jeong aside to sit here?
And why had she smiled like that?
Se-yeon had always thought of herself as someone whose emotions had dulled.
Since childhood, taking on the role of family head had forced her to suppress expressions to maintain her dignity.
And after getting splattered with the blood of grotesque dungeon monsters, her ability to show emotions vanished entirely at some point.
But yesterday, she'd snapped at Da-jeong and Ha-seong for coming home late.
That much, she could understand.
Her younger siblings sneaking off for an overnight outing alone?
Anyone who wasn't pissed about that would be the psycho.
But what just happened was a bit different.
Whether Da-jeong sat next to Ha-seong or not wasn't something she should've cared much about.
And taking that seat herself gave her no reason to feel glad.
Yet a smile had come naturally.
'Why did I smile... Why did I push Da-jeong aside and take that seat...'
Se-yeon pondered deeply even as she sipped her bean sprout soup.
Unfortunately, she reached no conclusion.
With the big storm passed, dinner resumed in quiet harmony.
The big sister down to the little sister all kept their heads bowed, picking at their food.
Poke, poke.
My adorable little sister couldn't sit still and was already teasing me.
She often did it when sitting beside me, but now across from me, it was even easier.
Her pale toes wiggled, brushing my knee.
It didn't hurt, but the ticklish sensation made it impossible to focus on eating.
I shot her a blatant glare of silent protest, but she just rested her chin on her hand, utterly unfazed.
Seeing that drove home how I was dead last in the family hierarchy.
All because I'd spoiled her rotten when she was little.
Pitying her when she got picked on, I'd taken her side a bit—and now this was the payback.
I bit my lip hard, ignored her, and scanned the table.
Everyone seemed to be picking at their food, but somehow their bowls were nearly empty.
The meal was wrapping up, so now was the time to bring it up.
"Ahem..."
I cleared my throat lightly to draw their eyes.
All of them looked my way at once.
A bit nervous, I revealed my awakening to them.
Of course, I couldn't be fully honest, so I claimed it was a massage-related ability.
I hid the mental ones like Family Counselor.
They'd instinctively feel uneasy knowing it affected their minds.
"I knew it... You were too good! So the massage you gave me had ability support, huh?"
My sister reacted first upon hearing about my power.
For some reason, she looked relieved.
I had no idea why she'd be relieved about me having a massage ability.
Since it was true she'd gotten support, I nodded.
"Good thing. I thought something was wrong with me."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"N-nothing... It's nothing."
My sister averted her gaze, clearly dodging the question.
I couldn't fathom why she'd react that way.
But she seemed happy, so no harm done—I let it slide.
Apparently, I was the only one who did.
The big and little sisters looked distinctly uncomfortable.
My little sister's blazing glare swept past me.
She was probably miffed I hadn't massaged her yet.
Hmm, better lock my door tonight.
The big sister looked sullen too, her face stiff.
Even if it was ability-related, she probably didn't love the idea of siblings massaging each other.
Still, it was just a hunch.
I wasn't sure why she seemed so displeased.
"…"
Munching crunchy bean sprouts while mulling it over.
Suddenly, I recalled the ability I'd drawn this morning.
Family Counselor: Once a day upon skill use, read a family member's inner thoughts.
Reading their minds felt a tad invasive.
But the effect was so overpowered, hard to ignore.
'It's all for our peaceful family, right.'
I muttered a self-justification.
'Family Counselor.'
Please select a target: Yu-rim Jeong, Da-jeong Jeong, Se-yeon Jeong
Skill ready for use
'Se-yeon.'
That instant.
A brief status window appeared.
[Me too...]
I fell silent upon seeing it.
So big sister wanted a massage too?
Makes sense—she thinks only little sister and Da-jeong got one.
Being the only one left out in the family would sting.
'Should I visit her later?'
Lost in thought.
Skinship with Big Sister Se-yeon Jeong (0/100h)
🎁 Reward: Se-yeon's Strength +10%, Family Points 30,000
The perfectly timed quest gave me a nudge.
First it made me whisper "I love you."
Then play boyfriend.
Now skinship?
I'd suspected the quests were escalating.
So next would be...
My head throbbed, but it wasn't immediate, so I pushed it aside.
Focus on big sister's quest for now.
Crunch...
Back in her room, Da-jeong gnawed at her nails.
She'd thrown that move to check Yu-rim, who seemed oddly close to Ha-seong lately.
But it backfired, benefiting Se-yeon instead.
She'd ended up with an even worse seat.
"Haa..."
Of course, she knew Se-yeon hadn't meant anything by it.
With her and Yu-rim fighting, Se-yeon had probably sat there to stay neutral and fair.
So resenting her would be petty—she knew that.
But unlike the ever-calm and rational Se-yeon, Da-jeong was just an ordinary person.
She understood logically, but her heart wouldn't follow.
"I'm such an idiot... me..."
Hating herself for it, Da-jeong slapped her cheeks.
Se-yeon worked so hard for family harmony, yet here she was, just taking and complaining.
Determined to reflect, Da-jeong left her room for the living room.
She planned to chug some cold water and cool her heated head.
"Hmm..."
First thing she saw leaving was Yu-rim's room.
As always, it was firmly shut.
Seeing that sealed door stirred her up again.
'Gave it to Yu-rim...'
Ha-seong had already massaged Yu-rim.
They'd agreed to pretend it never happened, but after sharing true feelings, why skip her and only do Yu-rim?
"Ugh..."
She'd vowed to reflect, but bad thoughts crept back—she hurried to the water dispenser for a cold glass.
And downed it in one go.
The chill soothed her stuffy chest a bit.
"…"
Da-jeong's gaze naturally drifted to Ha-seong's room.
She figured his door would be shut tight too, but bizarrely, it was wide open.
"Hmm..."
Tempted, Da-jeong peeked inside through the open door.
Just a little...
A quick glance wouldn't hurt, right?
She set down her cup and crept toward Ha-seong's room.
Peering through the gap.
"Huh?"
For some reason, no one was inside.
Ha-seong was always lounging on his bed unless doing chores.
Not seeing him felt off, but...
'Convenience store run, maybe?'
Da-jeong didn't dwell and headed back to her room.
Pondering ways to naturally check Yu-rim, who lately shared a weird vibe with Ha-seong.