Enough With the Pretense

I gave Mom a brief rundown of everything that had happened. I cut out the more stimulating or slightly sensitive details and kept the explanation as concise as possible, but there was still a lot to cover, so it took quite a while.

After hearing the full story, Mom silently pulled each of the heroines into a tight hug. Then, without missing a beat—

She delivered my punishment. I obediently slammed my forehead to the floor in a perfect dogeza. Mom climbed onto my back and started berating me.

"You should be grateful that three such beautiful girls like you."

"...I'd be a lot more grateful if you got off me right now."

Instead of getting off, Mom simply shifted more of her weight onto me. She even dug her elbow into my spine.

You son of a bitch.

Mom's voice grew unusually serious. "It's already hard for one person to love another for an entire lifetime. And you're talking about three. Do you understand what that means?"

This time I didn't talk back. I just listened quietly.

"Do your absolute best to love them with everything you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have in every single moment, so none of them ever feels neglected."

"Yes."

"And if you're not going to give up on any of them, then all the more so."

She was right. That was exactly what I planned to do. When someone gives you more love than you deserve, the least you can do is repay it properly.

Mom let out a heavy sigh and looked at me with pity.

"No matter how many times I see it, you really are a pathetic excuse for a son."

Any other time I would've shot back with I get it from you, Mom, but she would brush off a line like that without even blinking. Because she was our mom.

So she went for something more primal. On the surface she looked exactly the same as always, but the second she planted herself on my back I already knew what was coming. My mouth moved on its own.

"Mom, have you gained weight?"

"Die."

"Fuck."

Her answer was a vicious back-smash that came flying down like a meteor. No matter how used to getting hit I was, a mother's strike always hurt like hell. My back was literally on fire.

"What kind of mother uses her fire ability while beating her own son!"

"From ancient times, fools were meant to be burned. Everyone knows that."

It was genuinely scorching. Mom's real-deal flame smash delivered a burning impact without so much as singeing my clothes. Then she noticed the heroines watching and smiled awkwardly.

"Sorry about that, girls. Still, it's a bit much for his own mother to call him an idiot in front of his girlfriends."

Mom seemed conscious of everyone else's eyes. The heroines, however, didn't even flinch.

"There's not a single false word in what you said."

"Mother is correct. My husband does have a slightly idiotic side."

"It was an extremely accurate statement."

"As expected, my daughters-in-law have excellent taste in men."

The heroines had already been fully accepted into the family while I was still stuck on the outside looking in.

After the light corporal punishment came dinner. Truthfully, we hadn't eaten anything since the buffet at Ayeon's house. When the sudden wave of hunger hit, I started shoveling food into my mouth.

"If you don't want to eat off the floor, slow down."

At Mom's warning ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I returned to a normal pace. Then a sudden worry struck me. Normally the insane Elsia would have already conquered the entire table by herself.

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠quickly glanced her way.

- Clink.

"Thank you for the meal, Mother. It was delicious."

An unbelievable scene unfolded. Elsia had eaten only a tiny portion and finished politely, completely unlike her usual self.

"Is that really enough for you? Does it not suit your taste?"

"Not at all. It was wonderful. I simply have a small appetite by nature."

Piece was horrified.

Bring back the meat soul!

The heroines seemed to reach a silent agreement; they kept exchanging glances. It was obvious that if any one of them started spilling the truth, it would turn into an endless, muddy brawl.

"Dear, if there's anything you want to eat, just tell me. Anything at all."

"Thank you so much for your consideration, Mother."

Mom clearly had no idea how old Elsia actually was and kept trying to take care of her. The dissonance was so strong that my mouth moved before I could stop it.

"Mom, even if Elsia looks like that, her age—"

Before I could finish, Elsia's gaze snapped toward me like a blade. The pure killing intent in her eyes sent a clear silent message.

It was the first time I'd ever felt genuine fear toward Elsia. Mom, however, didn't notice the look and pressed me for an answer.

"Well, son? What about Elsia's age?"

"...She's an elf, but she's basically the same age as me. Just a bit older."

"Oh my! No wonder she looks so young!"

"Thank you so much for the compliment, Mother."

It was a good lie. I'd managed to protect both my physical life and Elsia's social life.

Hye-ji and Ayeon wisely looked away from the miserable scene. Then Mom turned to Elsia again.

"So, pink dear, what did you do before you met Shinu at the academy?"

It was a surprisingly sharp question. Elsia froze for a second, then answered in a perfectly casual voice.

"...I worked as a personal investor for a while."

"Our daughter-in-law is so talented! This mother is truly blessed."

This was getting dangerous.

Crazy bitch crazy bitch crazy bitch crazy bitch crazy bitch.

My mouth was practically begging me to expose her, but I held it in. Elsia's next glare was too terrifying to risk it.

Fuck. This is too hard.

Hye-ji and Ayeon had lowered their heads and were visibly trembling, doing everything they could to hold back their laughter.

But the situation flipped in an instant. This time Mom's arrow flew toward Hye-ji.

"Our Hye-ji looks so delicate every time I see her. I'm worried she'll come down with anemia."

"Thank you for your concern."

Delicate?

Hye-ji shyly clasped her hands together and gave a small smile. Her fingertips were shaking violently, but I pretended not to notice.

Mom watched with a warm expression, then suddenly turned and glared at me.

"If a frail child like Hye-ji ever gets bullied, you're dead."

Hye-ji was definitely not the one getting bullied. She was the one dishing out pain. And if it were only pain, that would be one thing, but she was an existence that planted unforgettable terror.

Hye-ji was fidgeting, clearly worried about what might come out of my mouth. Elsia and Ayeon were making desperate faces from Mom's blind spots, begging me not to say anything stupid.

"No answer?"

"...Yesh."

I barely managed to grind the words out through clenched teeth. While Hye-ji breathed a sigh of relief, it was finally Ayeon's turn.

"Our Ayeon's outfit is quite unique. Is that a training uniform?"

"Yes, Mother."

"A training uniform paired with demon wings. How distinctive! Are you perhaps the Heavenly Demon?"

Ayeon was about to nod in agreement. She was probably going to say yes. At that exact moment, Mom muttered to herself.

"No, it couldn't be. These days there are so many idiots calling themselves the Heavenly Demon or whatever and charging monsters with their bare bodies like suicides."

"......."

Ayeon's mouth froze halfway open. Mom noticed the sudden silence and apologized.

"Sorry, dear. It suddenly came to mind and slipped out."

"...I am Cheonma, the abbreviation for genius magician."

"As expected of a half-human, half-demon! Well, you're so beautiful that hiding your true nature behind a training uniform isn't a bad idea."

Ayeon answered with a gentle smile. Though it looked like bloody tears were streaming from her eyes.

Hye-ji and Elsia, watching the whole thing, were clearly suffering as they fought to contain their laughter.

"Then if the chance arises, please show this mother some magic later!"

"I will show you as much as you like, Mother."

They had all come to greet her and ended up getting their sore spots ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠poked one after another. It was a meeting full of emotional scars.

When an awkward silence suddenly settled over the room, I asked Mom something I'd been wondering.

"Mom, where's Choco-hyung?"

Dad would have left for work by now. But even Choco-hyung—one of the main reasons I'd come home—was nowhere to be seen. It was only natural to wonder where he was.

Mom answered calmly.

"He started living on his own a while ago. Said he got a girlfriend."

As expected of my brother. He beat me to independence and even got a girlfriend first. At least I had one good older brother.

What problems are you talking about?

Right on cue, Mom handed me a container of kimchi. At the same time she sent me an address through KakaoTalk.

"Since you're going anyway, deliver this kimchi for me."

"Got it."

The address wasn't far at all. I told the heroines to wait at the house, but—

"Shinu, take us with you!"

"Please don't abandon us, husband!"

"Please take this humble one along as well!"

They begged so earnestly that Mom couldn't hear. It seemed they couldn't keep up the innocent act any longer.

I smirked at them.

"Heh heh heh. This is your new prison."

Of course, the moment Mom wasn't looking I got bombarded with attacks and immediately shriveled up. Still, since they were going to be family anyway, I decided this was a good time to introduce them to Choco-hyung. Hye-ji already knew him, but the others didn't.

"Let's go together. We'll pick up some gifts on the way."

We left the house quickly and stopped by a large supermarket to buy simple presents. Chicken breast, sweet potatoes, supplements, and vitamins. The perfect gift set.

"...Shinu. Wasn't Choco-hyung a Chihuahua?"

"I prepared stuff that would help with his workout routine."

"Fuck. Seriously."

I had also bought dog treats and beef jerky originally. Snacks for Choco-hyung and gifts for his girlfriends. But they were all gone now. If anyone was to blame, it was me. I should have seen it coming.

In that short amount of time, Elsia had devoured everything.

"You crazy bitch, those were gifts! Why the hell did you eat them!"

"I was too hungry! I thought I was going to die!"

"Then why didn't you eat properly earlier like a normal person?"

Just then I noticed Ayeon. She had been chewing on the last piece of jerky next to Elsia and jumped when she caught my stare.

"What are you doing?"

"...I was hungry."

"No wonder you barely touched your food earlier, you fucking—"

At that moment, my phone rang. It was Caersi.

"I was getting gifts for Choco-hyung. Since we were already here, I figured I'd grab a few of your churu too. Want some?"

We finished shopping, carefully selecting two boxes of churu along with everything else. With the gifts taken care of, we headed to the new officetel where Choco-hyung was now living alone.

With a slightly nervous heart, I gently pressed the doorbell.

It was time to meet my older brother.