The Siblings' Daily Life
If you’re a man in South Korea, the military is something you inevitably end up going through, but two years is far too long and precious a resource for any one person.
If you happen to have a family member of the same age but the opposite gender right beside you, that difference feels even more stark.
Watching my little sister sprawled on the sofa, giggling away, I couldn’t help but sigh.
My footsteps paused for a moment, and our eyes met. In an instant, her gaze turned cold.
“Why are you sighing while looking at someone’s face?”
“Because my two years feel empty.”
The moment she heard that, her sharp eyes curved into crescents.
“Ah, so next year you’ll be a sophomore?”
Her cackling laughter made me squeeze my eyes shut tightly.
We were born mere seconds apart, yet just because of one difference in gender, one of us has to go to the army while the other doesn’t—the reality of it all felt utterly hollow.
Same age, yet one’s a sophomore and the other’s a senior.
“What, are you a graduating senior or something?”
“No? I took a leave of absence.”
“A girl who doesn’t even have to go to the army, what’s with the leave of absence?”
“Even the guy who has to go to the army does it, so why can’t I?”
Is that even the same thing?
She said it so brazenly that I had nothing left to say.
There was no real reason it couldn’t be, so no solid argument either.
“It’s just so random, that’s why.”
“I just felt like resting?”
“Isn’t it a waste? You can loaf around later when you can’t find a job anyway.”
“Ah, the boomer lecture is out, huh? You sound exactly like Mom and Dad.”
She dug a finger into her ear, clearly not wanting to listen.
Once I’d said it out loud, it was kind of funny. Who was giving life advice to whom here?
“Well, if you went into Eastern Philosophy, you probably can’t even think of anything to do.”
“Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden? I already did my filial duty when I enrolled. Better than going to a junior college like you.”
“Even junior colleges have ranks, you know. These days it’s not about the school nameplate…”
“Ah, yes, yes. There it is again.”
That little brat. I’m in the middle of talking.
I wasn’t trying to get big-brother treatment just for a few seconds’ difference, but that attitude she showed every now and then made my blood boil.
I don’t know if all girls are like that, but she had this way of making expressions and gestures that really got under your skin.
Sigh, better just keep my mouth shut.
She was the one who mocked me over the school name even while entering a department like Eastern Philosophy.
No, but this was ridiculous.
Even that, if she takes a leave of absence, what’s left for her to be so confident about?
Until I returned to school, this was my world. I had some savings set aside, and allowance coming in, so I planned to live it up freely until I had to go back.
“Hey, why are you going in there? Oh, for real?”
What the hell.
Curses rose up to the tip of my tongue. Games these days seemed to be turning into some kind of disease—the more you played, the more you ran into weirdos.
I’d started for fun, but when the urge to swear came up, something felt off, so I pulled my hands away.
The sound of knocking on the door came at just the right time, and I tossed my headset aside.
“Hey, hey. You eating chicken?”
“What’s with the ‘hey’? Geez. What are you trying to eat.”
“What, you want me to call you Oppa? Ugh.”
My little sister made a gagging motion as she bent at the waist.
“Ah, just tell me what you’re eating.”
“Yeah, I already ordered. I was just asking if you wanted some.”
“Bone-in?”
“Yep. If you’re eating, we split it.”
She held out her hand without even showing the goods, which was almost absurd.
When she opened the door and came in, the smell of chicken hit me, so it wasn’t a lie at least.
I thought I’d seen some money rolling around in a drawer somewhere.
“Ah, here it is.”
“You don’t even carry a wallet?”
“Nah, too much of a hassle to carry cash around.”
“Tsk. Carry some with you.”
Even after taking the money, she tilted her head like she still had some complaint.
“I’m done eating, you have the rest.”
“Wait, so this was just leftover disposal?”
“I didn’t even eat half.”
Well, looking like her waist might snap, she probably didn’t eat much.
No, wait—I thought I’d seen people like that eat a lot before.
Anyway, getting more than half for half price wasn’t a loss.
“Ah, hey. Mom’s coming the day after tomorrow.”
“Is it already that time.”
I scratched my cheek and looked at the calendar.
Time really had passed a lot.
There hadn’t been any visits even in the military, so it was practically a reunion.
That said, it didn’t feel particularly desperate. It was nice, but just kind of whatever.
Since it was fine either way, I opened the box right in front of me.
It was leftovers, so who knew how soggy it had gotten. I reached out intending to gobble it up before the life of the fried coating ended.
But looking at the shape of the remaining pieces, I couldn’t help but get angry.
“Ah, Song Haneul!”
This little shit, she only ate the legs and wings and left the rest?
I pounded on the door, but the firmly locked door wouldn’t open.
“Just eat it! The thighs are tasty too!”
“Then you should’ve eaten them. Not even half a chicken, and you leave it like this after eating?”
“That’s why I only took half the money!”
“Hey, if I’d known it’d be like this I wouldn’t have eaten. You eat it all. Give me the money back!”
“No. I already sold it.”
The teasing tone made my blood boil.
Irritated by the fact that what was left was almost all breast meat, yet reluctant to waste the money I’d paid, I reached for it anyway.
I woke up yawning, and outside the window it was already broad daylight. It seemed like it should be transitioning into autumn, but outside looked hot.
A friend who’d been gaming late into the night had woken up too and sent a text.
Today, it seemed like alcohol was calling more than games.
“I’m going out to drink today.”
Around evening, I rummaged around and got dressed.
My little sister, sprawled out in the living room with the TV on, tilted her head back so far she was practically lying down as she looked this way.
“What, you had friends?”
“You don’t?”
“Do I look like I don’t?”
“Yeah.”
“That was bullshit just now, right?”
That annoying way she tilted her ear as if to hear better made my fist throb.
“I’m going. Watch the house well.”
“Am I a dog? Watching the house.”
“You’re not going to school anyway. When did you take leave?”
“Beginning of this year?”
“So next year you’ll return as a junior?”
“No, I was thinking of resting one more year.”
Not even the military, and taking leave that long?
Whether the department had no prospects or her grades had no future, I could tell for sure that she was just coasting.
Having seen that annoying expression yesterday, I held my tongue.
Just in case I got called a boomer again.
But was anything I said wrong?
I shook my head and headed out to the meeting place.
I met up with friends I hadn’t seen in a long time and downed drinks I hadn’t had in a long time.
“Ah, I don’t think I’ve drunk this hard since freshman year…”
A groan came out on its own. My head was spinning, but I could still keep my wits about me.
“Hangover soup?”
“You’ll just keep pouring more booze. Nah, I’m heading out.”
I waved my hand to send my friend off.
“But you quit smoking right after getting out of the military?”
“Nah, I never really smoked much. Just to skip some work.”
“Crazy willpower, this guy.”
Even the friend smoking right in front of me left, and I trudged back home.
My stomach wasn’t feeling great, so I bought a banana milk too.
Sucking on the little straw, it seemed a bit better.
The time was later than expected. It was kind of awkward.
Debating whether to wash up and sleep or just sleep when I got back, I punched in the password.
—Ahh… aahh…
What the hell is that sound.
The moment I opened the door, the sound made me doubt my ears.
My brain momentarily gave up on understanding, so the first thought was that maybe a thief had broken in. If a thief was making this kind of sound after breaking in, it would be pretty scary, though.
Two in the morning. Carefully stepping inside, I saw my little sister in the middle of the living room, half-naked, watching TV.
Whether watching porn on the TV was a hobby or what, she was biting her nails and fidgeting with her crotch—it was beyond absurd.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the rough, pounding scenes.
Watching it wasn’t weird, but the guts to connect it to the TV so openly like this—I had to give her that.
“My bones are melting.”
“Uh, uh? Ah!”
Startled, my little sister hurriedly turned off the TV.
The room, already dark with the lights off, plunged into pitch black.
“I-if you’re coming in, you should say you’re coming in!”
Instead of an explanation, I heard a voice getting angry at me.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. Would it have been fine if I’d just quietly gone to my room while she was immersed?
I did what I usually did, so I don’t know. Maybe I should’ve shown some respect in a situation like this.
But when she saw me jerking off, didn’t she tease me for days?
Thinking about it, that pisses me off.
“Ugh, whatever.”
My head was spinning. Afraid of making a bigger deal of it under the influence of alcohol, I didn’t open the door.
With heavy breaths, I leaned my body onto the bed. I wanted to wash up and sleep, but if I washed now I’d probably fall asleep in the bathroom, so I gave up.
Closing my eyes, my head buzzed and throbbed.
When I woke up, it was broad daylight again. Going out to the living room, it was quiet as if no one was there.
Watching TV and playing games, the day somehow felt empty.
Mom was coming tomorrow, was it?
What would we do when she came?
I was happy to see her, but nothing particular came to mind for what to do.
When I was in school I’d gone out claiming to live alone, and barely seeing each other, it was awkward too.
Sprawled on the sofa pressing the remote, time flew by.
“Nothing fun these days.”
Things I’d watched with interest in the military just felt so-so once I was back in society.
Maybe it had only felt fun back then because there was nothing else.
Still, seeing time pass so quickly was better than when my body had been exhausted.
It was time for dinner, but my little sister still hadn’t come out.
Whether she was embarrassed about getting caught masturbating yesterday or not, it was lasting quite a while. Should I tease her casually the same way?
“Hey, not eating anything? Let’s just boil some ramen.”
I pounded on the door. Wondering if she was asleep, I grabbed the doorknob and it went down with a whoosh.
Beyond the door that burst open, something was being written diligently.
“Ah, hey! You should knock!”
Seeing the computer window hurriedly minimize, it seemed like something she didn’t want to show.
It didn’t seem like she was watching porn.
“I knocked but there was no answer. What are you doing? Not eating?”
“Ah, I’m not eating.”
“Hey, it’s fine to masturbate a bit, you know. Acting all awkward about it just makes it last longer.”
“Stop talking bullshit. That’s sexual harassment, you know?”
“When you saw me jerking off you teased me for a whole week, what’s with the double standard?”
It was so absurd that I finally spat out the words I’d been holding, and she frowned hard.
“Is what I do the same as what you do?”
“That’s messed up.”
I’d heard Korean society was like that, but I didn’t expect to hear it directly.
“What’s messed up, get out.”
“I didn’t even go in.”
“Take your hand off.”
“Ugh, why do I have to walk on eggshells? If you’re not eating ramen, want pizza? I’ll buy.”
Hearing that, my little sister paused for a moment, then finally crawled out.
I’d known she was thrifty ever since she took half price for the chicken.
Saying free pizza, she was eating again.
“But don’t you gain weight eating delivery every day?”
“I’m only going to eat two slices.”
“So you maintain by eating little?”
I’d never seen her exercise, so I wondered how she did it, but it felt like she barely managed one meal a day.
Doesn’t she get hungry like that, I wondered, but she herself seemed fine, so I had nothing to say.
Staring blankly, my little sister glared at me a little.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what.”
“Anything.”
Having been scolded unfairly, I quietly polished off the pizza.