Chapter 61

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on February 25, 2025

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Hwangtae Hangjeongguk.

In reality, there may be no healing potions like in fantasy, but when it comes to curing a hangover, Hwangtae Hangjeongguk is practically an elixir.

The moment I ate it, the twisted sensation in my gut subsided.

I could’ve opted for a convenience store retort pack or delivery, but Seol Yun’s efforts in boiling it herself made her seem especially commendable and loving.

Watching her, our eyes met, and Seol Yun’s lips parted.

“Are you feeling better, Unni? If you still feel awful, we can go to the hospital.”

“I’m completely fine, I’m fine. It’s not like I’m in pain or anything—it’s not necessary to go to the hospital.”

Excessive overprotection.

It didn’t feel bad, quite the opposite, especially because I once had the experience of being neglected.

For a brief moment, I recalled my childhood when I would endure even the onset of a cold without saying anything, just to avoid causing trouble.

I didn’t want attention through sickness.

Because I was praised for being a responsible child, independent and admirable, I felt it necessary to live up to that.

Compared to my younger sibling, who daily flirted with death, a cold was nothing.

‘Thank you for surviving.’

In the end, if my younger sibling had died, I would have never escaped from that shadow.

I wouldn’t have been able to run away from the ugly memory of jealousy and guilt over the younger sibling monopolizing all the attention for being sick.

Because the sibling is alive, I can brush that period off with a simple ‘such things happened.’

Thank you for surviving.

“Thank you, hangover soup. Thank you for worrying about me. Thank you for coming to stop me from causing trouble.”

“Because I love my older sister, it was natural for me to come!”

Sitting Seol Yun hugged me from behind.

When we finally started living together genuinely after escaping frequent visits to the hospital, we were somewhat stiff with each other, but at some point, she began clinging to me like this.

What was the turning point?

‘Damn dog.’

Surely, if she had a tail, she would wag it furiously like a large dog.

She might be fox-like in appearance, but her behavior was more dog-like! Too many fouls!

…I wonder if Seol Yun considers me a cat trying to escape from her physical touch.

If such thoughts occur, I must be in the final stages of delusional syndrome.

‘I am a wolf tamer.’

Considering the size difference between Seol Yun and me, it’s somewhat like a person who’s friends with a wolf.

That thought makes me seem cool for some reason.

It’s absolutely not a case of self-consolation! Hey!?

Don’t say I’m small! Hey!?

‘When she gets married, will she hug her husband this way?’

Seol Yun will definitely spoil her future husband.

It gives an impression like ‘Maman, I don’t want to go to work!’ and she’ll respond with ‘Okay, okay, don’t go. I’ll feed you.’

‘Seol Yun… getting married…’

I felt a homicidal urge toward a non-existent spouse.

My Seol Yun, I can’t give her away!

Is this how older brothers feel having a cute younger sister?

“Unni, please don’t scratch my chin, I’m not a cat.”

“Huh? I wasn’t doing that!”

Did you think I’d start singing you a cat lullaby or something?

Since she said not to scratch her chin, she instead leaned forward from behind and rubbed her left cheek against my right one.

Does Seol Yun express affection so richly because she grew up receiving a lot of attention from our parents?

Push that thought aside!

It’s a rule that melancholic thoughts and someone who keeps wallowing in the past can’t take a single step forward.

Live in the now.

So, if I only focus on the present… focusing only on the present, I feel so embarrassed!

How is it possible for this girl to have cheek-to-cheek contact with another person?

How can the personal space between people be zero!?

It’s really fortunate that she turned out to be a girl.

She suits it so well.

After finishing the Hwangtae Hangjeongguk and going to the bathroom to brush my teeth, Seol Yun approached and started brushing my hair.

For long hair, it’s essential to brush it regularly to prevent tangles; especially before washing, good brushing is crucial because wet hair is more vulnerable to breaking. If washed tangled, hair can break.

“Sister, animals groom their fur, right? So, a person brushing their hair can also be seen as a kind of grooming.”

What was the intention behind bringing up this topic?

I can’t really guess.

“Uh, is that so?”

“Cats and rabbits, when kept together, supposedly get along quite well. In the cat world, high-ranking individuals groom the lower ones first, and in the rabbit world, the lower ones groom the higher ones. If a cat grooms a rabbit first, they both mistakenly assume their rank is higher and feel satisfied.”

“…Are you a cat? A rabbit?”

“Which do you think I am?”

She isn’t one of those small animals, is she?

No, I didn’t have such trashy thoughts.

“Sorry for being a mess of a sister…”

“Why are you apologizing? Suddenly?”

“Sorry for being a survival-challenged hikikomori…”

If Seol Yun hadn’t visited periodically, my room would have turned into a garbage dump.

Even managing to act somewhat human-like is thanks to Seol Yun.

Not dying alone due to loneliness is also thanks to her periodic contacts and visits.

Not becoming an alcoholic drinking every day was also due to her.

This incident was a mistake; I got too stressed after seeing the online posts about my sighting.

‘What about me moves Seol Yun’s heart? Is it because I’m so irresistibly cute that she can’t leave me alone?’

When I look in the mirror, I understand why people can’t leave me alone.

This makes me feel anxious.

Back when I was male, I had confidence: “I can beat anyone who’s not a real fighter! I can protect myself!”

But in this body, I can’t even beat an elementary schoolboy.

Finding myself struggling with a 1.5-liter PET bottle feels so deflating.

‘I might as well start exercising.’

Seol Yun keeps trying to get me to exercise, but since I’ve turned into a girl, I keep thinking it’s a foolish effort.

No matter how hard I try, I probably can’t beat even a stick-thin boy.

Maybe Seol Yun is different, but for someone of my height and build, there’s no hope.

Just briefly imagine this: you go out on the streets and find 85% of the people there are tattooed muscular thugs.

Surely, with the certainty of losing in every fight, wouldn’t a person naturally become more humble?

Although it’s embarrassing to admit, when I was over 180 cm tall, I was just brimming with confidence.

I was a young, tall, well-built male.

The world’s 90% seemed weaker than me—a confidence that was pretty grounded.

Even as someone living in a peaceful civilization where fights rarely occurred, that instinctual sensation was an undeniable part of my self-identity.

Now, I even concede I could lose to a passing elementary schooler.

What if I meet a crazy guy who doesn’t follow words or laws? Disaster.

So, the outside world feels scary.

What if something happens to me outside?

In that regard, the internet feels much safer.

No punches can fly through the screen.

Even harsh words stay as just words.

No one can physically harm me.

“What do we do about the scam?”

“What scam?”

“You pretended to have large breasts wearing a cosplay outfit.”

While drunk, I acted on a crazy thought.

I figured on a broadcast, pretending to have big breasts wouldn’t expose me through my voice or hand shape.

The scam I pulled in this mindset would never have been done in my right mind.

“Drinking alcohol is dangerous like this, Unni. You need to cut down, right?”

“I’m sorry.”

Seol Yun’s eyes sharpened quite a bit.

This is bad.

This is the telltale sign of the 30-minute lecture pattern.

But, fortunately, she let out a sigh, “I’ll let it slide this time because it has been a while since you drank. But getting drunk and causing trouble is serious.”

“Yeah.”

“If you want to drink, don’t do it alone. Call me. I’ll talk with you. I’ll make sure you don’t cause any trouble.”

“…”

Knowing that I’ve already caused chaos this early in the morning makes me feel like I shouldn’t say anything to save face before my younger sister.

“Will you drink alone and cause trouble again?”

“No.”

“Good, good. Don’t drink alone. Make sure to call me.”

Hmm? Her tone seems a little changed.

She finished the hair brushing, and as she adjusted my hair with her fingers, she said,

“Don’t take it too seriously. You can’t tell the absolute truth on broadcasts anyway. You’re not going to reveal your home address, bank account, or password, are you?”

“That’s a little different though.”

“If you were scared of stalkers, pretending to be someone else is pretty understandable. Who would criticize Unni for that? Do you realize how careful broadcasters need to be now? With so many burglars, stalkers, and other dangerous cases? People who criticize for lying don’t count; if anything, they’re the ones in danger, not you.”

“Is that… true?”

“Unni’s dad was smart. If you were living in an unsafe single-room neighborhood, you’d never have stayed still a single day.”

“Is that… true?”

Seeing Seol Yun, who’s always kind, saying that makes her words sound very reasonable.

With the risk of sensitive personal information being out there, isn’t it natural to blend in some lies?

“Even though Unni might envy having large breasts, do you want me to give you enlargement massages?”

“Nonsense, stop that. There’s a line that needs to be respected, even between family.”

“Calling it nonsense is harsh. That hurts Seol Yun’s heart.”

“Sorry.”

“Joke, Unni.”

Don’t give me that look, it makes me want to give you my liver and gallbladder.

“Anyway, you really don’t need to defend yourself. People lie all the time. Just act a role on the broadcast.”