Chapter 16. Parents' Day (1)

A little while earlier, rewinding the clock to the evening when Lee Dojin had left the house.

"Should I pick something up on the way?"

"Do whatever."

Lee Sea, who had seen her brother off at the entrance, replied curtly before heading back to her room. From beyond the door, she heard Lee Dojin call out a bit louder, "I'll be back." Then came the sound of the front door closing. The lock clicking shut.

Having heard all that, Lee Sea emerged from her room again. In her hands were her underwear and a change of clothes. She headed to the bathroom and turned on the warm water, but suddenly thought.

Should I just fill the tub and soak?

The bathtub at home was spacious and comfortable. She could adjust the water temperature, and it even had whirlpool and spa functions. They didn't use it often, but with the house empty tonight and her body feeling languid, a nice long bath sounded perfect. And there was one more reason.

I'll bathe and crash right after.

Truth be told, she couldn't be sure. After the Silver Demon Mountain incident, she felt she could trust Lee Dojin more than before, but even she had to admit her near-obsessive anxiety—what bordered on mental illness—hadn't vanished entirely. Still, even though it was all but confirmed she'd be alone until dawn, she wasn't as anxious as usual. So Lee Sea decided: She'd relax her body with a bath, pile on the exhaustion from the school trip, and turn in early. Just in case anxiety crept in at midnight.

Sleep earlier than usual, and when she woke, her brother would be home. If the timing lined up perfectly...

Will he get back around when I wake up?

It wouldn't thrill her if he missed the first bus back, but going to bed early meant no downside. Except for that one scenario where she woke and he still wasn't home.

But he'd promised to be back by two or three at the latest, and now that she'd resolved to trust him more, Lee Sea knew it was nearly impossible to wake before then if she slept properly. So early to bed it was. As long as he kept ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his word.

A while later, the tub was filled with steaming water. Stripping off her clothes and underwear, Lee Sea gave her bare body a quick rinse, grabbed a single towel, and stepped into the tub.

"Huuu..."

The water was hotter than just right. Submerging up to her neck without a second thought, a sigh escaped her lips. It was more heat than warmth. Less than a minute in, her body was flushing hot, and she thought.

Should I get out?

Slender and delicate in appearance. Quiet and composed by nature. People often formed preconceptions based on that, but in truth, Lee Sea wasn't all that patient or tolerant. She liked what she liked, hated what she hated. She just didn't broadcast it.

And hating how hot the bath was? That wasn't something to complain about to anyone.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Even after lowering the temperature a bit, the heat lingered, so she finally decided to escape the tub for a moment.

Splash—

As she stood, the water sloshed and spilled slightly over the edge. Lee Sea gathered her wet hair, draping it from her left shoulder down toward her chest, and approached the sink.

Good call bringing this.

On the sink sat three yogurts she'd grabbed from the fridge to sip if thirsty. She picked one up, poked the lid open with her finger, and brought it to her lips.

Slurp, slurp.

The quiet sucking sounds echoed in the silent bathroom. She splashed water on the fogged-up mirror and gazed at her reflection. Her cheeks flushed red, her heat-flushed expression looking hazy and dreamy. Soon, her eyes drifted a bit lower.

"..."

Definitely more filled out than last year. Her frame was still petite, but her curves traced pretty lines now—not skinny anymore, but soft and plush. Even pressing with her own hand confirmed the supple feel. She wasn't used to it, but... it didn't look bad. Not at all.

Still, I don't want more fat here...

Poking open a second yogurt and slurping it down, Lee Sea thought. She needed to be pickier about snacking from now on.

Stick to drinks like yogurt...

Because... yogurt was healthy. No real basis for it. It just felt right. Better than soda, anyway. She had no idea the sugar and calories were just as bad.

More fruit than chocolate.

What came to mind were sugar-coated dried mangoes or fried banana chips. The former packed insane sugar, the latter calorie bombs—but she didn't know that. They were fruit, not snacks, so better, right? Dried, so less fattening. She could munch freely. Wishful, uninformed thinking.

Unwittingly plotting an even stricter diet shift, Lee Sea slipped back into the tub. She'd downed two yogurts back-to-back and had a third in her mouth. Her body had cooled a bit, a languid mood settling in. She figured she could lounge here thoughtfully for a good hour.

And...

Hot.

She couldn't last twenty more minutes. Lee Sea ended her bath. An hour was too much. This was plenty. Twenty minutes was twelve hundred seconds, after all.

Flipping her earlier resolve like a pancake at the slightest heat, she rinsed off as a finale and left the bathroom. The clock read past 7:30 p.m. Assuming she slept now, she'd wake around dawn.

Drying her hair roughly and slipping into soft pajamas, Lee Sea lay on the bed. But as she lay there...

This feels off.

Her body was relaxed, yet sleep wouldn't come—a contradictory sensation. Sleepy, but not drowsy. Even wrapping herself in blankets like a sleeping bag brought coziness, but no drowsiness. Her mind naturally wandered.

The murals at Silver Demon Mountain. The power gained there. Her brother, now more trustworthy. Jin Yu-ri, who'd picked fights for four years only to spout nonsense now. Training with Charlotte Tate resuming Sunday after a day off tomorrow. And... one odd thing from the school trip she hadn't called out amid the chaos.

Why'd she...?

Why was Yoo Hae-bin wearing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Lee Dojin's clothes?

She'd already been in them when they met inside the Silver Demon Mountain ruins. And she hadn't returned them even after exiting or back at the dorm.

Not suspicious, exactly. Just weird. With sleep eluding her, Lee Sea grabbed her phone.

The photo Yoo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hae-bin sent showed a clothes rack in her room, with the jacket from Silver Demon Mountain—the one that was originally Lee Dojin's—laid out on it.

Lee Sea asked again. Not hugely suspicious, but the situation was so odd it came out almost accusatory.

By then, not a shred of doubt lingered in Lee Sea's mind. It all fit logically.

She shoved her phone aside and closed her eyes, focusing. Her post-bath languor peaked. A few minutes like this, and sleep might come.

But...

Bzzz— bzzzz—

As drowsiness peeked out, her phone vibrated. The sleepiness sheepishly retreated, like it'd come too soon. Irritated but curious who it was, Lee Sea reached for it. The name on the screen made her eyes narrow faintly.

What the...?

It wasn't Lee Dojin—it was Jin Yu-ri. No wonder irritation surged. She tapped the messenger app anyway.

So that's it...

Lee Sea realized why Jin Yu-ri had messaged out of the blue. Waking her just as sleep neared only fueled her anger. Contrary to Jin Yu-ri's guess, her brother had gone out right after getting home.

So, childishly, she vented back.

After ending the chat, Lee Sea felt utterly drained. Her words to Jin Yu-ri had boomeranged back on her. Just how pretty and amazing was this person that Jin Yu-ri rushed to meet right after a 2-night, 3-day trip? She couldn't help wondering who deserved such devotion.

Lee Sea finally dozed off around 9 p.m., after tossing and turning. And because the sleep was so iffy, she woke at an equally iffy time.

Four a.m...

Sweaty clothes clung to her, and her throat was parched. Stumbling out of bed, Lee Sea shuffled to the kitchen for a glass of water. The house was deathly quiet. No signs of life—Lee Dojin wasn't back yet.

But right then.

Beep, beep, ring—

The door lock. The front door opening. Footsteps entering, careless and heavy as shoes came off. Rustling plastic bags.

Then the kitchen light flicked on.

"Whoa, you scared me."

Lee Dojin, clearly hammered, startled and blurted it out. Lee Sea, standing in the kitchen shadows like an assassin, stared at her brother and said flatly.

"You're back?"

Not a welcome. More like, Two or three a.m., my ass—now you show up?

But drunk as he was, Lee Dojin missed the subtext, grinning proudly.

"Before the first bus, right?"

He stepped closer, so Lee Sea backed away.

"You reek of booze."

Not just booze. The occasional cigarette smell was thick too, and his slack face screamed blackout drunk. No way she was letting that near her in her right mind.

Lee Dojin shook the bag in his hand.

"Ah, yeah, I was in a good mood today... had a few. Got some food. Wanna eat now? I could use a bite before bed too."

"...What'd you get?"

"Uh... sandwiches, kimbap, milk, snacks, ice cream, this and that. Even ramen—gonna have that before crashing."

"...Shower first."

"Huh?"

"...I'll boil it."

"...Huh?"

"..."

Lee Dojin stared as if the alcohol had vanished. Lee Sea snatched the convenience store bag from his hand. It was heavy, and spotting the mango jelly inside pleased her. She said coolly again.

"Cigarette stink, booze stink—wash up quick. I'll have the ramen ready when you're out."

"...Did I do something to you? Break something? Just confess if—"

"Go."

Setting the bag on the table, Lee Sea spun him around with both hands and shoved him toward his room. Light leaked from his door crack as he flicked it on inside. He just needed shower stuff, but rustling sounds came. It grated on her nerves for some reason. Soon, Lee Dojin emerged with clothes, muttering to himself.

"Room looks fine... Want more allowance?"

"Don't need it. Fifteen minutes—shower, and want egg in it?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. But measure the water with the cup. Half the time you make it like the Han River—"

"...Don't piss me off more."

"Ah... Got it, be right out."

Still pleased, Lee Dojin headed to the bathroom. Lee Sea filled a pot with water—no measuring cup. That'd feel like admitting she didn't trust herself to him. But for hangover ramen, she'd be generous with toppings.

Sprouts... we have any?

Lee Sea only knew the fridge spots for frequent sides, drinks, ice cream, eggs, sauces. Veggies? Not so much. Rummaging till the door beeped in protest, she found the bean sprout bag.

Worried over-washing would kill the hangover cure (her guess), she just rinsed them lightly and dumped into the boiling pot. Then ramen packets, egg, lid on.

Lee Dojin would've sighed at cramming it all in at once, but she had her logic. Early sprouts for max extraction (probably), rest as grabbed.

Five minutes later, fretting the noodles might mush, Lee Dojin emerged. She jabbed her index finger at the living room.

"Done—sit."

"You'll have a bite too, right? Chopsticks, kimchi, water—I'll get—"

"Already set. Go."

"...?"

"...What."

"It's not you who messed up... Did I?"

"Nothing like that. Just go."

Her low, edged warning sent Lee Dojin shuffling to the living room. Everything ready, Lee Sea carried the pot over and set it down. Anticipating his reaction, she lifted the lid. Spotting sprouts, he looked shocked as expected.

Silence, then a grave stare.

"Seriously... something up?"

"Nothing. No allowance hike. Nothing broken. No screw-ups. Not mad. Eat before it cools."

"Okay then... Can I hug my lil sis for old times' sake?"

"Ugh, no."

"............"

"..."

Lee Dojin looked hurt; Lee Sea felt awkward. She hadn't meant to shut him down so hard. Reflex.

Hate was hate. Though she recalled clinging to him desperately at Silver Demon Mountain...

That was different.

She'd been truly desperate—mitigating circumstances. This was everyday ramen time, both fine.

Sure, her 30cm-taller brother looking like a rain-soaked puppy tugged at her, but no was no. Why? Embarrassment, really. Admitting that? More embarrassing.

Silence filled the room. Lee Dojin listlessly picked up chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu..."

"...Yeah."

He ate sprouts and broth mostly. She fished a few noodles. Chopsticks clinked quietly in the hush. Feeling guilty, Lee Sea tried lightening the mood.

"Today's Parents' Day, huh..."

Current time: Around 4:30 a.m., May 8th. The day to honor parents.

Lee Dojin replied tenderly.

"You thinking about that?"

"...Not on purpose. Just popped up."

Kindergarten memories were fuzzy—pinning carnations on her parents, maybe. She trusted Lee Dojin's word on it.

Soon he suggested.

"Sleep, then hit the memorial plaza together?"

"...Yeah."

Lee Sea didn't refuse. Last time at Namsan Memorial Plaza with him? Middle school or earlier—elementary, probably.

And then.

"The ones in Korea now—Charlotte and the other two."

"...?"

"If they're free... We five could go together."

His eyes looked oddly cold as he said it, Lee Sea thought inexplicably.