episode_0004

… … … … …

After finishing the meal and washing the dishes.

The clock’s hand was pointing to 10, but today was not the morning commute. Therefore, it was okay to take my time preparing and going to work from now on.

“Still, I guess I should start getting ready for work soon… … ?

… … … … … … Sigh.”

I don’t want to go. But I have no choice. I have to work, save money, and make enough money to move out of my sister’s house.

I put on my clothes and shoes at the front door. Finally, I tell my older sister Seo-yeon, who is sitting in the living room, that I am going to work.

“Autumn? Let’s go together with your sister after a long time.”

When I looked back, my sister wasn’t sitting in the living room.

She was already fully dressed and standing behind me. Her casual clothes had a refined beauty that was different from the formal attire she wore to work.

“Huh!? Oh, no. I’m not a kid. I can go by myself.”

A fully grown adult holding his older sister’s hand and going to work. (He is only about 160cm tall because he didn’t eat well growing up, but he is an adult in terms of age.)

No matter how much I thought about it, it was so embarrassing. Just imagining myself walking to the supermarket while holding my sister’s hand made my face turn bright red.

“It’s okay. Sister, today is my day off. I want to go for a walk with Ga-eul.”

“Uh, uh… … … .”

It’s because I’m not okay.

I glanced at Seoyeon noona. She was still looking at me with a warm but determined smile. It was a look in my eyes that I could not possibly refuse.

Maybe it’s weird that I’m embarrassed to hang out with my sister. Okay, let’s accept it. My sister’s words were never wrong.

More than anything, I didn’t want to disappoint my older sister who was always devoted to me.

“Oh, yeah… … .”

As I nodded in response, my older sister passed me and went out the front door. She followed me a step later and grabbed my hand. It was a warm, soft, white, and pretty hand.

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Oh, yes!”

We came out of one of the most expensive apartments in Seoul and walked slowly, holding hands. A gentle breeze blew and the scent of my sister’s perfume wafting from right next to me tickled my nose.

“It’s nice to take a walk together after a long time, isn’t it?”

“Yes. That’s right… … ”

I felt embarrassed walking while holding my sister’s hand in broad daylight, but at the same time, I felt strangely comfortable.

But the peaceful walk was short-lived. As I walked along the road and looked around, I noticed a few people passing by glancing at us.

Perhaps it was the sight of a tall, beautiful woman walking while holding the hand of a much smaller boy(?) that seemed unusual.

“Sister… … ? People are staring at you… … .”

“Don’t worry about it. Walking while holding hands with your family is not something you should be concerned about.”

I nodded to my sister’s words, but something felt strange.

What on earth is this feeling? It’s like I’ve forgotten something, something like that…

The moment I was about to lose myself in strange thoughts, my sister’s question broke my train of thought.

“Autumn, how’s your part-time job these days? Is it worth it?”

“Ah, that’s… … .”

I want to say, “It’s worth it,” but in reality, it’s not worth it at all. I’m still treated like an invisible person and gossiped about.

But I couldn’t tell her that. If I told her, it was obvious that she would be extremely worried.

If you do something wrong, they might tell you to quit your part-time job. In the worst case scenario, they might get angry and storm into the store and start arguing with you.

That would be a relief, but I would have to quit my part-time job at the mart. More than anything, I thought I would get used to my older sister doing my work for me.

Then, no matter how much time passes, I will not be able to face my sister as an equal person.

I felt sorry for my sister, but I had no choice but to tell a white lie. I swallowed hard and looked at my sister.

“That’s, just… … That’s it. Nothing happened. It’s the usual.”

But to this extent, it wasn’t a completely blatant lie. I was being bullied as usual, and other than that, nothing really happened.

“… … Yeah, I see.”

Seoyeon’s face slightly clouded over when she heard the vague answer. Her heart started pounding slightly at the thought that maybe she had caught me in a lie.

Fortunately, she never mentioned working at the mart again after that.

… … … … …

We continued walking hand in hand until we arrived at the mart.

I always felt safe when I was with my older sister, but at the same time, I also felt a strange sense of unease.

That inexplicable anxiety, as always, would build up little by little over the course of a few days, then when it reached a critical point, it would disappear as if someone had erased it with an eraser.

Finally, the mart came into view. He let go of his sister’s hand and spoke cautiously.

“Sister, I’m going to go in now. See you at home later.”

“Wait a minute, Autumn. It’s been a while, so I’ll say hello and go.”

“……Huh?”

“Our Autumn, I should tell you to take good care of her. Isn’t that what you do sometimes?”

Ah, no… … !

I really appreciate my sister’s kindness, but the problem is that every time she visits the mart, the employees’ gazes at me get more and more hostile. This has been a pattern that has repeated itself several times so far.

‘Oh, honestly, I don’t think that’s necessary… ‘ I wanted to say that, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the words that were on the tip of my tongue.

To begin with, this is because my reputation was bad, but saying that is like shifting the blame to my older sister. People should have some shame.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes… … .”

In the end, we went into the mart together. Of course, I had no intention of going around greeting people here and there with my sister. If I did something like that, I would have to kick the blanket over my head more than ten times while sleeping.

“Sister, I’m going to work!”

Before I could even hear my sister’s answer, I ran to the staff break room. Fortunately, contrary to my expectations, my sister didn’t catch me.

“… … … Phew.”

If I go out here wearing my work uniform, I’ll have to see my older sister going up to each and every clerk and greeting them.

“Should I hide until my older sister comes back?

… … … No, no.”

It was a truly ungrateful thought.

I can’t believe I thought of my older sister like that, who followed me to the supermarket and greeted the sales clerks.

I came out of the employee break room, feeling a little self-loathing for my cowardly self. As expected, I saw my older sister talking to some employees.

My sister was wearing special gloves made of a material that she only wears when she goes to work, and not when she came to the mart holding my hand.

The reason she suddenly put on gloves is… I don’t know. Maybe it’s because she’s trying to be polite in her own way.

The conversation between my sister and the staff seemed friendly at first glance, but if you look closely at the employees’ expressions, they were very subtle.

He smiles slightly, then suddenly nods with an emotionless face at his older sister’s words, and occasionally glances at me.

“… … … ugh.”

As expected. I can’t say anything bad about myself to my sister, who is a strong and beautiful woman among the Awakened Ones, and I guess I look pathetic for bringing my sister to work.

The eyes of the employees looking at me had become slightly colder than before. It was a little unfair, but it wasn’t something I couldn’t understand.

“… … Sigh.”

I’m even more worried about my future work life.

… … … … …

As my older sister finally finished greeting almost all of the employees and left, I started to hear sarcastic voices coming from over there.

“He’s stuck here because of his sister? Even though he can’t do his job.”

“… … … … .”

I can hear it all, I can hear it all.

… … No. You were saying this on purpose to get me to listen. Then, just endure it… … .

I organized the shelves, repeatedly holding back. But ignoring them wasn’t the answer, and the sarcasm from the other employees only got worse.

“That’s right. Tsk tsk.

You’re making your awakened sister do all the dirty work. If you know you’re being treated like crap, you should stop.”

“Hey, hey, Arthur. How suffocated must he be to come here once a month?

He must have been a horrible younger sibling who had been living a hikikomori life for years, but he must be trying to at least have a social life. ”

“… … … .”

Without even knowing… … !

I bit my lip to hold it in, but something hot surged up in my chest several times.

“You must be a real burden in life, Jim. If you have a younger sibling like that, it won’t be easy to get married. Isn’t there a family that wants to live their whole life by sticking their nose into it?”

This sarcasm was a fatal blow. I absolutely hated to admit it, but the comment, “I live off my sister’s straws,” stabbed my heart so painfully.

Sister Seoyeon often says things like, “Let’s live together for the rest of our lives,” but strictly speaking, that’s just her way of saying it so that I, a complete stranger, don’t feel self-conscious while I’m living with her.

I knew best that I couldn’t live with her like this for the rest of my life.

So, it was a very brutal fact that I was assaulted. I couldn’t bear the insults any longer.

“Stop… …Stop it! Don’t talk about your sister.”

I mustered up my courage and shouted, but being small and fragile like the girls, I could not pose a threat to the male employees.

The male employees had a mocking sneer on their faces.

“Oh, look at that little thing getting all worked up. Trying to hit me?”

The situation was getting more and more dire. I unconsciously gritted my teeth and clenched my fists.