Chapter 16: Since when did you have rights when I was around?

“Oh… Yunha… why…?” she sobbed, hugging me tightly as she bandaged my wrist. She was clearly distraught.

“I’m sorry, Sister. I messed up, so please…”
“No… I’m not letting go…”

This is bad.

I hadn’t realized cutting myself would have such an effect. I’d just been frustrated. Now, I couldn’t even remember why. Had it been self-loathing? A cry for attention? Perhaps I just wanted Sieun to care, even if that care was now twisted and obsessive.

“This won’t do. From now on, Unni will always be by your side, Yunha.”
“What…?”

I’m screwed, aren’t I? I had an unsettling feeling.

“I don’t think I can sleep if you’re not with me anymore.”

Yep, definitely screwed. Her obsession was spiraling. She wouldn’t leave my side now. And if I tried to get away…

‘Yunha, where are you? Yunha? Yunha, where are you? I’m getting anxious. My hands are shaking. Come out…’

That was an unpleasant thought. I needed my space.

“No. Even if you’re worried about me, I still need my privacy.”
“…What…?”

A chilling expression crossed her face. The atmosphere turned oppressive, dangerous. Her eyes seemed unfocused.

“Yunha, do you realize what you’ve done? What if you cut yourself again when I’m not around? What if you try to kill yourself?”

Her tone was accusatory, almost like gaslighting. But… she had a point.

“Sister, but you can’t invade my privacy… It’s my right…”
“Since when did you have rights when I’m around?”
“That’s…”

Because you do whatever you want… The words reached the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them, afraid of another slap. I preferred her gentle touch to her violent outbursts. I didn’t want to be hit again. I wanted to be pampered, cared for.

“I won’t cross the line. We’ll just sleep together, eat together, and bathe together, Yunha.”

Bathe together? That was… too much. No, I can’t think like this. I need to convince her. But her words were having the opposite effect. They were swaying me. I needed a way to convince her, something strong…

Then it hit me. It was a gamble. It could work, or it could make her obsession worse. But I had to try.

“What if I get so sick of your obsession that I cut myself again?”
“What…?”

That seemed to flip a switch. Her eyes lost focus again, and—

–Slap

She slapped me. I hate being hit. Tears welled up. I didn’t want this…

Something snapped inside me. I clung to her, sobbing.

“Please don’t hit me… I’ll do anything…! Just please don’t hit me…”

I begged, pleading with her between sobs.