From Today Onward, We Are Brothers
I tried to crack open that Chihuahua's thick skull. But the quick-witted little bastard immediately started clinging to Hye-ji instead. And unlike when he was around me, he was laying on every possible bit of cuteness he could muster. He was the very definition of a dog in heat.
'Looks like I'll have to establish the pecking order soon.'
'I won't actually hit him no matter what.'
No matter how insane I might be, I'm still a civilized person. I can't just swing my fists whenever I feel like it.
'I'll sort out the hierarchy through conversation.'
Piece still didn't seem to get it. That there's a way for anyone to become a dog.
'Don't I turn into a dog whenever I drink?'
'So after I drink a little, conversation should be possible.'
Right on cue, Mom came out and called for both me and Hye-ji, as if dinner was ready.
"Hye-ji? It's getting late—why don't you stay for dinner before you go?"
"Huh? Really?"
"Of course. You're the first person our Shinwoo has ever invited over."
"Yes! Thank you so much!"
Mom always said treating a first-time guest to a meal was basic manners. For some reason, though, her voice was filled with pure relief.
"Besides, who would've thought this idiot son of mine would bring home such a pretty girl? This mother is truly relieved."
"Hey, Mom, why are you suddenly attacking me?"
The temperature difference in how she treated me versus Hye-ji was extreme. And hey, I'm a guy too. Of course I prefer pretty girls over random dudes.
At that exact moment, Mom shot me an icy glare.
"Son. You know how I cleaned out your room when we moved, right?"
"....Yes?"
"Do you have any idea how shocked this mother was when she saw what was in there?"
".......Fuck. No way."
"At first I thought you had that kind of preference—"
She was about to drag something that should stay sealed in the abyss into the light. I quickly cut her off and shouted in panic.
"No, fuck! That was the crazy bastard next door who gave it to me as a prank, saying it was his life's masterpiece!!!"
"Hearing that makes it somewhat relieving. Up until yesterday I was seriously debating whether to kick you off the family register."
It seems your mother saw it.
'Ryu Kanghyuk, you son of a bitch. Seriously.'
Of course Hye-ji, who had no idea what was going on, simply tilted her head in confusion. Then she looked at me with a questioning gaze.
"Shinwoo? What was that about?"
"......Sometimes human malice really does walk around in reality."
I ignored Hye-ji, who kept trying to dig for answers, and sat down at the dinner table.
The table was loaded with a truly bountiful spread. Mom must have gone all out because Hye-ji was here.
However.
"......Mom? Isn't this menu a little weird?"
"What's the problem? Isn't everything necessary?"
'Very much so.'
The dishes were incredibly varied. Nutritionally there were no issues, but the selection was heavily biased in one particular direction.
Grilled eel. Black garlic. Asparagus. Oysters. Kelp. Butter-roasted abalone. Abalone porridge. Chive pancakes. Bokbunja wine to drink with the meal. And even almonds and bananas prepared as post-meal snacks.
It was extremely blatant. Like someone was trying to forcibly inject energy into a specific target.
Yes. The person sitting directly across from me—Dad.
Dad was forcing a smile while his hands trembled violently.
"H-honey? There's quite a variety today, isn't there?"
"Our son brought home a pretty girl. We have to do at least this much, don't we?"
"Ha... haha."
By this point even Hye-ji seemed to have caught on to the menu's true purpose. Her face was turning bright red.
She was clearly being misunderstood as my girlfriend. Misunderstandings needed to be cleared up immediately.
"Ah, um, that..."
"...Mom? Just so there's no misunderstanding, I invited Hye-ji over today as a friend."
"Is that so? Looks like Mom jumped to conclusions. Just wait a moment, okay?"
"Ah.... yeah... friend... right... fuck."
'Fuck, what now?'
Both Mom's and Hye-ji's gazes had completely changed. Mom looked thoroughly displeased. Hye-ji looked severely disappointed.
But Mom didn't press the issue any further. She hurried back into the kitchen instead.
The dish Mom was preparing this time was steak. As a fire ability user, she quickly cooked our portions in no time at all.
In the blink of an eye, two massive steaks appeared on our plates. The rich aroma of butter kept stimulating my salivary glands.
"I reverse-seared them earlier, so eat them right away."
"Yes, I'll enjoy it, Mom."
"......Thank you for the meal, ma'am."
Hye-ji, whose expression had grown strangely gloomy, cut off a huge piece of steak and shoved it into her mouth. Her knife work was quite aggressive, like she was venting her frustration.
But that gloominess didn't last long. Once she realized it suited her taste, her face relaxed and she began savoring the steak properly.
However, the amount of food in front of us was way too much. Worried about leftovers, I asked Mom.
"But Mom, what are we going to do with all this food?"
"Honey? You're going to eat it all, of course?"
"Th.....that's right."
Mom spoke as if there wasn't any problem at all.
By now, most of the dishes on the table had already been claimed by Dad. Rather than worrying about food going to waste, I was more concerned about what Dad would have to endure afterward.
At that moment, the number above Dad's head went up by one. A mirror shard appeared.
'I suppose I should.'
Through the mirror shard, I saw Dad's pre-regression future. In it, he was happily falling asleep on the sofa after gaming late into the night.
But the moment we returned to the original timeline, the number above Mom's head also increased by one. The instant I peered into the mirror shard created by Mom's regression—
I saw Dad literally getting disciplined by Mom.
'It probably failed, so now she's carpet-bombing him, right?'
'Dad's going to die soon.'
After returning to the original timeline, the meal continued peacefully. When dinner finally ended, Hye-ji started clearing the table. She expressed her gratitude, of course.
"Ma'am, thank you for the delicious dinner. I'll take care of the dishes."
"Oh my~ I'm glad it suited your taste. But since you're our first guest today, I'll ask for your help next time, okay?"
"Ah, yes. Understood. Next time I'll definitely help out."
"Thank you. It would be wonderful if a capable girl like you became my daughter-in-law."
"D-daughter-in-law...... heheheh."
Hye-ji sat down next to me with an utterly melted expression. But I hadn't caught most of their conversation. I was too distracted by Dad, who was fidgeting restlessly the entire time.
After some time passed, Hye-ji stood up. It was time for her to head home.
"Ma'am! Sir! Thank you so much for inviting me to dinner today!"
"I enjoyed meeting you too. Come visit again sometime."
"Yes. Go home safely now."
"Thank you! Goodbye!"
After Hye-ji stepped outside, I followed her out.
"Hye-ji, are you sure I don't need to walk you home?"
"Are you worried about me because it's late?"
I was worried, yes.
"No, I'm worried someone might pick a fight with you and end up dead."
"......The fact that I can't even refute that pisses me off even more."
Not with Hye-ji, but with someone else. Still, I planned to at least see her off to the first floor. I quietly got on the elevator with her.
When we got off, Hye-ji turned her back to me and started walking away.
"Don't worry! It's really close by, I'll be there in five minutes!"
"Yeah, got it. Call me if anything happens."
"Can I call you when I'm writing a statement at the police station?"
"......I'll help as a witness."
Hye-ji turned back to wave at me. I waved back.
"Anyway, thanks for inviting me today! I'll invite you over soon too!"
"Sure, I'll look forward to it. Take care."
"Yep! See you next time!"
After seeing Hye-ji off, I returned home. But the door was firmly shut with no sign of opening. The moment I knocked and asked her to open it—
"Mom, open the door please."
- Click.
The sound of the door chain locking echoed. I was about to call when a message arrived first. The sender was obviously Mom.
She must have already entered full discipline mode. Either way, I couldn't go inside right now.
'By now the red number above Dad's head must have gone up by one.'
'She's already gone. Let's just drink, I guess.'
I headed to a bar near the house and started drinking alone like a pathetic loser. I kept pouring the sharp soju down my throat endlessly. When I came to my senses, it was already three in the morning.
At first I just kept forcing down soju with basic snacks. Then the owner brought out various side dishes as service. And if there are side dishes, what comes next? More alcohol, obviously.
'If there's food, of course you have to drink with it.'
As I mindlessly gulped everything down, the alcohol finally started hitting me. But my phone remained stubbornly silent.
'I'm fucked. Should I grab a few boxes to use as blankets here?'
Right then, my phone vibrated. The sender was Mom again. Heart pounding with anxiety over whether I'd be allowed back in, I cautiously opened the message.
What a relief. At least I wouldn't be homeless tonight.
'Whew...... Is this what life is?'
It was finally time to head back. When I went to pay the bill, the owner and every single employee suddenly came out and gave me a perfect ninety-degree bow. The owner even had tears in his eyes.
'Ah, today I have saved this bar.'
Around the time I reached home, my phone vibrated again. Thinking Mom might have changed her mind, I checked it immediately. Fortunately, it was just the door lock password.
After entering the code and stepping inside, Choco greeted me. Naturally, he was baring his teeth.
'Don't worry. From now on, it's time for conversation.'
I was pretty drunk. Thanks to that, I was in a state where I could actually communicate with Choco. At first he kept growling and showing clear wariness, but through sincere conversation we eventually came to understand each other.
And that day, there were no longer any pets in our house. Instead, I gained a new brother.
The Chihuahua. His name was Choco. My older brother.
'I told you. When I get drunk, I become a dog.'
'Why not? Politicians spout dogshit from human mouths all the time.'
They do it completely sober, so how impressive is that? I still have a long way to go.
'Watch your language. My brother is a puppy too.'
'He's been in this house longer than me. So of course I should treat him as the older brother.'
After sharing a brofist with Brother Choco before bed, I headed into the storage room we were using as a bedroom. Various odds and ends were scattered everywhere. I pushed them into a corner to make space, and spotted my blanket buried deep inside.
Thankful I wouldn't have to sleep on the bare floor, I roughly spread out the blanket and lay down.
'At least I made it home.'
Even if it was quite different from a normal family's appearance, this was still one form of family.
'Families are all like that originally.'
With those final words, I fell into a deep sleep.