Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: Wojo
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So-ri was an energetic and pure child, to the point that I wondered if this was what So-hee’s childhood was like.
But the more I looked at the child, the more I found her strangely perceptive.
Especially when I was having gloomy thoughts, So-ri would somehow notice those moments unusually quickly.
Not only when she asked me, “Are you sad?” as I sat at the table thinking about my mother, but also every time I unknowingly thought of my relationship with my mother while watching So-hee, her father, and So-ri—a harmonious family of three.
So-ri would quickly take my hand and lead me to her family.
Although it had only been a few hours since I entered this house, I was able to sit comfortably with these three, thanks to So-ri. Of course, So-hee had helped a lot too.
Even though I had only run away, it felt strange that the atmosphere of this house, where I was just a guest, seemed warmer than my own home.
It wasn’t just because I came from a less harmonious household.
“Maybe it’s because of what happened when she was young.”
It was late at night, and we were getting ready for bed.
At my remark that So-ri seemed unusually perceptive, So-hee gave a bitter smile and said that.
“What do you mean, what happened?”
“Well…”
So-hee hesitated for a moment before answering.
“When So-ri was little… our mom passed away.”
“Oh…”
Now that she mentioned it, I had seen So-hee’s father, but not her mother.
It wasn’t something unexpected.
If she had been away only for work, it would’ve been natural for her to come up in conversation.
Even when I stayed at this house, it should have come up.
And if not for that, I naturally assumed that they weren’t apart due to good circumstances, hence the lack of mention.
Just as I rarely brought up my mother unless absolutely necessary when talking to my friends.
Of course, since their separation was due to death, the feelings So-hee’s family had for their mother would likely be much more positive than the ones I had for mine.
“I’m sorry.”
Even so, I could relate to some extent, so I apologized.
“No, it’s okay. It was something that had to be said eventually.”
So-hee smiled as she said that.
“Anyway…”
And then she went back to the story.
“Both my dad and I had a hard time back then. We wouldn’t say a word at home, just cried all the time. We were like that for a long time, so little So-ri, who was much younger than me, tried her best to comfort us.”
“…”
Maybe it was something possible because she was a child too young to fully grasp the concept of death.
But,
“Since then, I think So-ri became more sensitive to emotions. It’s all because I wasn’t acting like the older sister I should’ve been.”
So-hee spoke calmly, but the bitterness in her tone left me without words to respond.
Come to think of it, this might be the first time in my life that I’ve shared such dark conversations with someone else.
I’d told my own past stories in a heated manner before, but I’d never really listened to someone else’s.
…
It felt a little uncomfortable.
Of course, I knew I shouldn’t show that discomfort.
After all, I was the one who asked the question, and So-hee was merely answering.
“Oh, sorry, was I talking too much about sad stuff?”
Realizing the silence that had fallen between us, So-hee quickly reverted to her usual cheerful self.
“No…”
Honestly, I was the one who should’ve apologized.
But for some reason, I felt that apologizing to her smiling face would be inappropriate, so I just swallowed my words.
*
It was fortunate that the house had two bathrooms.
So-hee and I could take turns using them.
However, the bathroom in So-hee’s room was a narrow space, just enough to shower without getting the toilet wet, unlike the large, luxurious bathrooms I was used to at the mansion.
We couldn’t both fit inside at once.
We washed up one by one and changed into our pajamas.
I wore the ones I had brought and, as always, So-hee was in her baggy shirt and dolphin shorts.
It was already well past 11 o’clock.
Knowing that tomorrow would be exhausting if we stayed up too late, we decided not to chat all night and just sleep.
After all, we had plenty of time.
I wasn’t planning to stay here forever, but at least for a few more days.
We tried lying down on the bed as a test, and it was just wide enough for both of us to fit side by side without anyone falling off.
Considering So-hee’s habit of waking up in my bed after falling asleep in hers, I could easily imagine that one of us would wake up on the floor tomorrow.
But I couldn’t make the owner of the bed sleep on the floor.
I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable because of me.
“Yeah, this should be fine.”
I thought the word “fine” didn’t really fit the situation, but I decided not to argue.
“Okay, then let’s—”
As soon as So-hee was about to ask if we should go to sleep, we heard the sound of the door clicking open.
“Sis~”
The one who came in was So-ri.
She was barely able to keep her eyes open and was rubbing them with one hand while holding a pillow in the other.
“Weren’t you asleep earlier?”
So-hee asked, but So-ri, still half asleep, walked into her room.
“Let’s sleep together~”
“Uh…”
Hearing that, So-hee glanced over at me.
Right.
So-hee hadn’t been home in a while.
Both her father and So-ri were very fond of her.
She had mentioned that she often used to sleep with So-ri, so it wasn’t surprising that her sister wanted to sleep with her after not seeing her for so long.
“Uh, So-ri…”
“Let’s sleep together, okay?”
So-ri, who was much younger than us, had gone to bed earlier.
We’d seen her father stay with her until she fell asleep and then turn off the lights and come out to the living room.
She must’ve woken up in the middle of the night and, still half-asleep, came looking for So-hee.
“Oh…”
So-hee seemed to understand her sister’s feelings.
After hesitating for a moment, she nodded and, with a determined expression, looked at me.
“Sorry, but it looks like you’ll have to sleep alone tonight…”
So-hee said with a truly apologetic face.
“It’s fine.”
I’ve always slept alone anyway.
Although I haven’t recently, it wouldn’t be a problem for just one night.
“Yeah, I’ll sleep in So-ri’s room tonight—”
As So-hee was about to stand up,
“Sis.”
So-ri took a few more steps and came over to me.
“Let’s sleep together, too.”
“…What?”
Completely unexpected, I was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Let’s sleep together, okay?”
So-ri, still not fully awake, looked up at me.
Having come from the dark bedroom into this brightly lit room, she hadn’t fully adjusted her sight, and she was still half-asleep.
“So-ri.”
So-hee called out in a slightly firm voice.
“It’s rude to ask that of a guest.”
“Oh, no.”
I reflexively denied So-hee’s words.
“…Huh?”
So-hee looked at me with a slightly surprised expression, as if she hadn’t expected me to say that.
“Uh, well…”
I hesitated for a moment before cautiously saying to her,
“I mean, it’s okay if we sleep together…”
“…Really?”
So-hee seemed equally unsure, responding with a hint of caution in her voice.
*
In the end, we spread blankets on the floor and the three of us lay down together.
Even though So-ri was young, there wasn’t enough room for the three of us on a single bed.
So-ri must have been really sleepy because she fell asleep almost immediately, even on the hard floor.
Watching her tiny chest rise and fall as she slept made her look like a little princess, and it was kind of cute.
“You can sleep on the bed once she’s asleep.”
“But I actually wanted to sleep like this.”
…To be honest, this was my first time sleeping on the floor.
Even though we had laid out thick blankets, the floor still felt uncomfortably hard.
It made me realize just how soft and cushy my usual bed was.
But still, I found this quite enjoyable.
Somehow, it didn’t feel like I was sleeping with a friend—it felt more like I was sleeping with a younger sibling.
Despite this being only the second time I’d met So-ri, and the first time not even being a direct encounter, I felt so familiar with her already.
It must’ve been because she resembled So-hee so much.
When I gently brushed So-ri’s bangs aside, she looked even more like So-hee.
“…”
With So-ri between us, So-hee and I lay on our sides, facing each other.
In the dimly lit room, I could barely make out So-hee’s silhouette.
For some reason, I had a feeling that So-hee was smiling as she looked at me.
*
W-what, what, what is happening right now!?
Shin So-hee screamed internally.
Of course, So-ri was just her little sister, and Sara was a complete stranger to her…
But wasn’t this situation just like a couple lying together with their child between them?
Even though she could barely make out Sara’s silhouette beyond So-ri, So-hee couldn’t bring herself to look directly at Sara.