Sisterly Confessions and the Paparazzi Ambush
The underwear was a pure, pristine white. The conversation with my sister, who had just finished her call, stretched on until dawn. We talked about everything—what had happened during that time, how I'd come back, and what had gone down while I was gone. We gazed at each other steadily, unraveling it all bit by bit.
To cut to the chase, my life had been full of ups and downs but ultimately satisfying, while the ordeals my sister had faced in my absence were downright bleak. I just felt sorry. While I'd been living carefree, she'd been suffering and struggling all alone.
"I-kwon... you kinda had a feeling, didn't you?"
"...Yeah, the moment I saw you, I knew something had happened."
"Right... Well, your parents' wedding anniversary is in two days, so let's go see them then. Heh, wonder how shocked they'll be to see their son turned daughter?"
"But didn't I used to wear your hand-me-down clothes when I was little? Looking back, maybe Mom had some big plan?"
"Big plan, my ass... It was just short pants or tops at most. She knew you wore skirts too, anyway. Kids that age don't care about boy or girl clothes."
"No, still—that pink T-shirt with the bunny on it was too much!! Do you know how much I got teased at school because of that?! It's in my top five life black histories, a total trauma!!"
"Sigh... How does a grown man have so many black histories... Oh, right... you're a girl now?"
"...?! Half of my black histories are connected to you!!"
Her appearance had changed a bit, but my sister was the same as ever. The 'stay away or I'll kill you' vibe from our first meeting had vanished, and now the sister I knew was sitting right in front of me. Just like always, she poked at me with her brutally honest jabs, tormenting me.
This was a parallel world different from the one I'd lived in, but our sibling bond hadn't changed—and deep down, I was relieved, even if it felt a little off. After all, the Yu I-kwon my sister knew wasn't me. What had happened to the me who'd gone missing in this world? Maybe, like me with my gender swap, that version was hustling hard in some other world.
If this world's me came back... what would I do? The more I thought about it, the messier it got. It might be selfish, but at least while I was here, I hoped this world's me stayed gone.
"Why the long face?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You look like you're about to drift off somewhere far away."
"...Kinda, but no need to worry."
"..."
Couldn't fool her, as expected. She always spotted my lies before our parents did. I'd been thinking I'd have to leave someday... but she looked uneasy and spoke cautiously.
"I-kwon... If what you say is true, you have family over there too... If you want to go back, I..."
"Nah~ Like I said earlier, my role over there is done. They'll worry a bit since I vanished suddenly, but things'll snap back quick. Witches are flaky like that anyway."
In a world at war where anyone could die anytime, that was reality. At first, I grieved when people close to me left, missing them terribly. But the other witches didn't. In Nihilum, I was the weird one. Weirdos get weeded out and ignored in a group. So I worked hard to become one of Nihilum's great witches. I wanted them to understand me.
But eventually, their reactions started feeling normal. In endless war, friends died off, and comrades I'd laughed with yesterday turned up as cold corpses the next day. Getting emotional in that mess just hurt you more. So witches unconsciously stopped feeling sadness or longing for those who left.
I grew numb too, exhausted by the grief, and before I knew it, I'd become just like them. They weren't heartless—they were just scared of piling on more scars, so they chose numbness. Poor souls.
Inside the speeding car. The new-car leather scent was always a treat. I'd resisted my sister's dawn-patrol shopping trip to the department store, but I never really had a choice.
Wasn't she sleepy? We'd both crashed at 4 a.m., but why was I wiped while she was fine?
The reason for the department store was simple: I had no clothes. Luckily, I'd sent yesterday's outfit to the hotel laundry and was wearing it now. Going in a bathrobe was just a pipe dream.
"When my friend talked about shopping with her little sister, I was jealous. Never thought it'd happen to me."
My sister, behind the wheel, seemed in high spirits.
"Seriously, how much shopping are we talking?"
"Dunno? Might as well grab winter clothes too while we're at it."
"Ugh... No! Just a few long-sleeves for the season will do..."
As I freaked at her words, something I'd forgotten hit me.
"Hey... sis."
"Yeah?"
"I'm... a girl now, right? Won't it be weird if I keep calling you 'sis'?"
"Hmm... Nah, it's fine. Some girls call older guys 'hyung' instead of 'oppa' too."
"No... Isn't that just girls being tsundere with nicknames?"
"I thought so too, but they do it with close guy friends. So just keep calling me sis. Or 'unnie' in front of others."
"Oh... Yeah, that works."
Bit of a weird example, but whatever. Westerners use 'sister' or 'brother' universally anyway—let's say we're influenced by that.
"Can't keep wandering around like that, so we'll change there. First up, underwear? You know your size?"
"Probably G-cup? Over there, I skipped tops and just did bottoms, so not sure."
"But why guess G? Gotta know your measurements. Or it'll sag weird when you age."
"Dunno, I don't age? Unlike you, who passed 30..."
"Wanna die?"
"Sorry."
Awakened mana extends lifespan and slows aging, varying by mastery—but that's universal here too. As a witch, mine's innate, with constant mana circulation halting aging entirely. I'd assumed she was the same. Fooled ya.
Her mood lightened a bit, and she kept talking.
"Still, you're a girl now. Gotta wear proper stuff."
"Mm... Yeah, thick clothes have limits. Let's get a few tops. Bottoms are fine with what I have."
"Sets, obviously. What nonsense—gonna keep wearing those panties?"
"Duh! Like I said yesterday, these are made from Arachne silk—insanely soft, indestructible forever, engraved with the Rune of Purity so they never get dirty. Ultimate undies!"
"Heard you, but how am I supposed to believe that?"
"You believe I lived 200 years as a witch but not this?! Try 'em yourself!"
"As if... You crazy bitch—why're you suddenly dropping your pants?!?!"
She lunged to smack me mid-drive, so I yanked my dolphin pants back up.
"Hmph! Don't beg later."
"Who'd steal their sister's undies?"
"Who's the one who crashed in my boxer briefs last summer 'cause they were 'breathable'?"
"They... were comfy..."
No way I'd give 'em up later. They're practically part of me now!
As I geared up to rave about Arachne silk again, the dashboard screen lit up with [Cheon So-hee], and the phone rang.
Sis, driving, shushed me for "work talk" and hit accept.
"Hey, So-hee, what's up?"
"Ji-na, you seen the news?"
"News?"
"Aigoo... Your reaction says no. Where are you?"
"Heading to the department store—sis needs clothes. Oh, your car's awesome. Tell me if they re-release it."
"You bitch, taking my car that far...!! Whatever—get back to the hotel NOW! Don't step out till I get there!"
Sis and I exchanged puzzled looks, then she U-turned toward the hotel per the instructions. At the entrance, crowds waited—big cameras on shoulders, reporters swarming for something.
Sis whipped the car around, parked nearby, and called somewhere.
"So-hee, we're back at the hotel—what's with that crowd...?"
"Haa... You're there already. Guild building's swarmed too. I'll handle the hotel—sneak in another way."
We wrapped up, waited at the spot minutes later—a hotel staffer led us through a freight door hauling supplies, back to the room.
Sis flicked on the TV right away. Seeing it, we realized department store would've been disaster.