009. Don't Worry About That
009. Don't Worry About That
I'm embarrassed.
I feel like I'm going to die of embarrassment.
As I stood under the stream of water and recalled what happened a moment ago, my face flushed hot.
...What on earth did I just do?
Hugging my younger sister?
I think a close brother and sister could do that.
But.
Burying my face in my younger sister's neck just because my mental state shattered a little.
Sniffing her scent and hugging her tightly...,
Where in the world does an oppa like that exist?
It's not like I was drinking alcohol,
nor was I drunk on late-night sentimentality.
Even if I treasure my younger sister that much.
Even though we became close rapidly after coming home,
honestly, before that, we weren't even that affectionate with each other.
"...Is it because it's hot?"
Yeah, this is all because of the weather.
It's obvious I got heatstroke because we didn't turn on the air conditioner enough.
Otherwise, there's no way a person would suddenly snap and lose their mind like that.
I turned the faucet as cold as it could go and splashed water on my face.
As I washed away the heat that had risen all the way to the top of my head with freezing cold water, I felt like my senses were finally returning a bit.
After finishing a cold shower, I changed my clothes.
Drying off roughly with a towel, I came out to the living room and didn't see my younger sister.
Her bedroom door was closed, so I thought about knocking, but stopped.
Haeun must have been flustered too.
She was just trying to comfort me,
but her oppa suddenly flew off the handle, grabbed her, and wouldn't let go.
"...Haa."
I don't want things to get awkward.
What should I do?
First, I went back to the living room and blasted the air conditioner.
After a little time passed, even the remaining heat completely vanished.
It started getting a bit cold, so I raised the temperature slightly.
"...."
It's quiet.
Today of all days, I can't even hear the cicadas.
Only the sound of the air conditioner wind lingers in the living room.
I anxiously wandered around the house, standing up and sitting down on the sofa.
Then, thinking about it carefully, I felt it was unfair.
It's not like I did anything particularly weird.
She was nice and warm,
soft,
and smelled good... though.
Hey, if an oppa gets flustered, he can embrace his younger sister a little. Right?
Maybe I'm the only one overreacting.
Yeah. I just need to be confident.
Haeun stayed still too.
If I just act like it's no big deal—
"...."
"...."
Just as I was thinking that and about to knock on the door,
I bumped into my younger sister opening her bedroom door and stepping out.
We froze in identical postures like a mirror image.
Haeun, and me.
Without saying a word, we just stared into each other's eyes.
"...Did you finish washing up? Did you dry your hair too?"
"...Yeah."
"Do you want to eat... watermelon?"
"...No. ...I'm a bit, cold."
"Ah, I'll turn off the air conditioner."
"...Yeah."
I hurriedly turned off the air conditioner and sat on the sofa.
Haeun also came and sat next to me without a word.
Silence descended.
"...."
What am I gonna do with this awkward atmosphere?
Do something, Yoo Haram.
You're the oppa.
"...Uh."
"...Um."
Our voices overlapped.
As if proving we're brother and sister, we're even alike in things like this.
"...Oppa, you speak first."
"...Then."
I slowly took a deep breath.
And, carefully chose my words.
"Um..., sorry about earlier. I guess I got flustered all of a sudden. I'll be careful next time."
"...Mhm."
Haeun nodded as if she understood.
Thank goodness.
I let out a sigh of relief internally.
"...?"
Haeun tilts her head.
She has a look on her face asking if I don't have anything more to say.
"...Oppa? Is that it?"
"Yeah...?"
Is this not it?
Is there something else I did wrong?
Haeun let out a soft sigh and rubbed her face.
"Haa...."
"...Haeun-ah?"
My younger sister opened the gaps between her fingers slightly, glanced at me through them, and then.
After rubbing around her eyes a couple of times, she raised her head.
"Oppa."
"Yeah."
"Oppa knows you're clueless, right?"
"...Yeah."
I am aware that I'm on the dense side.
Even though it's something I consider a flaw myself, hearing it from my younger sister's mouth hit even closer to home.
"Like I said earlier."
"Yeah."
"I like things just the way they are now."
"...."
My younger sister stared at me with a serious expression.
"Do you get what I mean?"
"...No."
"...I mean."
Haeun said, pulling up her t-shirt that kept slipping below her shoulders.
"I'm telling you not to act awkward over something that's no big deal."
"...."
"I'm really okay, so oppa walking on eggshells around me all the time is more uncomfortable."
"...Got it."
My younger sister looked into empty air for a moment, then quietly stood up from her seat.
Then, just like earlier, she climbed on top of me and hugged my head tightly.
"Oppa."
"Yeah."
"Whenever it's tough, just tell me. ...I can at least hug oppa."
"...."
My younger sister slowly stroked the back of my head.
Her cozy body scent tickled the tip of my nose,
and a plush cushiony feel softly enveloped my face.
My younger sister's hair falling down to her chest touched my cheek, tickling me.
"...."
It was a posture like a young child held by their mom, but
it wasn't particularly embarrassing or unpleasant.
**
For dinner, we made do simply with sandwiches and fruit.
It was partly because we weren't very hungry, but above all, we were planning to hold my younger sister's retirement commemoration party starting now.
It was an idea that suddenly popped into my head, but my younger sister seemed to quite like it.
Haeun quitting her athlete career... I decided to just think of it as a good thing.
If she had stayed at the athletes' village, there's no telling what would have happened.
And I wouldn't have gotten this close to my younger sister either.
Placing candles on the cake bought from the supermarket, I took out frozen chicken from the air fryer.
It was a humble spread, but it was enough for the two of us.
"Happy retirement to~ dear~ Haeun-i~"
Singing a song celebrating her retirement,
"Phooew—"
blowing out the candles too,
"Jjan!"
we also pulled out the wine we saved and made a toast.
Neither of us was good at drinking, so we couldn't drink much, though.
After that, I tore into chicken while watching a variety show with my younger sister.
A dating show that gathered people around our age and observed them flirting with each other.
On the screen, the final choice scene of the cast members was playing out.
Connecting hearts to become a couple, or ending up single.
The chosen cast members smiled happily,
while the unchosen ones sometimes shed tears.
For the record, the couple we were rooting for ended up connecting in the final choice.
"Wow..., that actually worked out."
My younger sister, who was lying down using my thigh as a pillow, muttered.
She had only drunk a mere two glasses of wine, but her entire face was dyed red.
I plucked a piece of strawberry from the cake, put it into my younger sister's mouth, and said,
"I heard those people got married."
"Really?"
"Yeah. When I searched on social media, that's what it said?"
"Oh...."
My younger sister looked at me as if it was fascinating.
"Why?"
"I was just wondering if oppa looks up stuff like that too."
"You're curious about what happened after it ended, aren't you?"
I like happy stories.
No matter the process, my personal philosophy is that in the end, it must finish with a lived-happily-ever-after conclusion.
Only after watching all the way through the end credits did my younger sister sit up.
The time had already passed midnight.
"Shall we clean up now?"
"Yeah."
I cleared the emptied dishes and washed the greasy plates.
After finishing the dishes and even brushing my teeth, just as I was about to go into my room, my younger sister grabbed the hem of my clothes.
"What is it?"
"Say goodnight to me."
Whether the buzz still hadn't faded, my younger sister stared at me with a bright red face while spreading her arms wide.
"...You want a hug?"
"Yeah."
"...."
"Hurry."
I only hesitated for a brief moment, but my younger sister flapped her arms and urged me on.
Giving a bitter smile, I wrapped one arm around my younger sister and hugged her.
"...."
It's another first, hugging while standing face-to-face.
I didn't notice when we were sitting down, but because there's a bit of a height difference, she fits right into my arms.
When I gently placed my hand on top of my younger sister's head to measure, she was about a hand span shorter than me.
Is she roughly around 165 cm?
"Is this enough?"
"Tighter."
My younger sister muttered in a small voice, grabbed my hand, and placed it against her back.
Because that sight was both funny and cute,
without realizing it, I looked down at my younger sister while grinning foolishly.
"...."
Our eyes met.
My younger sister slyly lowered her head, then pressed her face firmly against my chest.
"...Hurry."
"...."
"Hurrry...!"
Haeun-i, who was rubbing her face against me as if whining.
Her cheeks, which hadn't even lost all their baby fat yet, squished freely.
...I must absolutely never let her drink alcohol outside.
Putting a bit of strength into my hands, I hugged my younger sister tightly.
Then, strength went into my younger sister's arms wrapped around my waist as well.
Was it my imagination that heat seemed to rise from my younger sister's head?
When I gently touched the top of my younger sister's head, it really was warm.
How much time passed like that?
I gently eased my strength and let go of my younger sister.
"...From now on, this is our house's greeting."
"You want me to hug you like this every night before bed?"
"Why, do you hate it? I hugged oppa like that during the day though?"
"No, it's not that I hate it."
I have no reason to hate it, of course.
Because thanks to you, I realized just how warm and good human warmth is.
"But isn't it a bit hot standing like this? If we aren't careful, we'll get all sweaty."
I blurted out the thought that popped into my head.
It was because the tension had snapped in that moment.
"...Are you serious?"
My younger sister looked at me as if she couldn't believe it,
turned her head, bit my forearm hard, then whipped around and stormed into her room.
...It didn't particularly hurt.
"...."
Ah.
She left teeth marks.