Ch.143My Stuff is Mine, Your Stuff is Also Mine (5)

There was still something I hadn’t tried with Doha-min.

I thought I’d done everything possible within a PG rating while living with him.

Maybe it was because we’d substituted similar actions like hugging or piggyback rides.

I hadn’t even considered the princess carry before.

The term itself suggested something that could only be done between romantic partners.

Above all, the name itself was a bit much.

I could accept being called an immortal goddess,

but accepting “immortal princess” was difficult.

“…You. You’re holding up better than I expected? Not long ago, you were losing thigh wrestling matches to me and getting piggyback rides from me.”

“W-what ancient history are you bringing up?”

“It was barely 100 days ago. All of that happened shortly after we enrolled.”

“N-now I’m bigger, so I could do it anytime if I wanted to. Or… am I holding you wrong somehow?”

“…I don’t know. It’s been so long since I’ve been carried like this.”

When was the last time?

When was the last time I remembered being lifted in someone’s arms?

It was probably the first time since possessing Ban Do-young.

At least, as far as my conscious memories went.

Of course, even including my time as a man, I’d have to go back to the distant past.

Maybe all the way back to elementary school?

No, that’s too far. I did get tossed in the air by my juniors when I was discharged from the military.

That’s how it is with men.

Once you’re an adult, or even past middle school, being carried or lifted by someone else is a rare experience.

Perhaps that’s why, unlike other forms of skinship, this one hadn’t immediately come to mind.

Kissing, hugging, or even holding hands requires the same action from both people in a relationship,

but a princess carry specifically requires one person’s active dedication as its foundation.

‘So this is how it feels to be carried while sober as a woman…’

Doha-min’s body heat transmitted through my thighs and back was hot.

He’d always been the sweaty type. Soon I could feel dampness on my palms.

But apart from that, Doha-min’s form as he supported me was surprisingly stable.

This was unexpected skinship, and since Doha-min was the type to get nervous about such things, I thought he wouldn’t last long.

In fact, I could feel his warm breath occasionally condensing on my forehead.

“…Am I not heavy? Are you okay holding me this long?”

“It’s fine. I can handle it. Actually, you’re not as heavy as I thought, so I’m a bit relieved…”

“What’s that supposed to mean? How many kilos did you think I weighed?”

“Haha… sorry. When we first met, Do-young, you seemed so much bigger compared to me. I guess my perception got naturally distorted.”

“You little…”

*stretch*

Though I pinched Doha-min’s cheek with my left hand out of slight annoyance, he still maintained his proper posture.

*ping*

“Ow.”

“Hmm… your cheek barely stretches compared to before.”

He’d clearly lost something in exchange for his height gain.

Doha-min’s chubby cheeks, which used to remind me of a cute mobile game character, no longer showed the same elasticity even when pulled with all my might.

It made me a little sad when they quickly snapped back with a tick sound.

“Scarlet. Can you believe it now? Do-young isn’t just keeping me around like some subordinate.”

“Do you… do this often?”

“…No, not really. You saw it yourself, Scarlet. Compared to Do-young, I was… like you said, a total shrimp until recently. I honestly never thought I’d be able to support Do-young like this.”

“…For someone who claims that, you’re quite bold in trying. And you’re touching her back and legs so naturally.”

“Well, we’ve already kissed, so a princess carry is nothing.”

“K-kissed…?”

Si-young covered her reddening face with both hands and shouted.

“You two aren’t even married yet…! You’ve already done that? But that means…!”

“Why, want one too? Since we’re family, I could give you a special one, Scarlet.”

“G-get lost…! Who would want a kiss from you?”

Si-young resisted violently, flailing her arms wildly.

True to her gorilla nature, the wind generated by her swinging arms made my and Doha-min’s hair flutter toward the ceiling.

“Hnngh… Ugh. It can’t be. Then Hamin oppa has already…”

“…Scarlet.”

“…Fine. Put me down now.”

Si-young spoke to Doha-min in a fading voice.

Her voice, which had been clearly audible until just now, became so small it was almost drowned out by the ventilation fan.

“What… did you just say?”

“I said… that’s enough, put her down. I understand how close you two are now.”

“Ah… okay.”

Only then did Doha-min lower his arms that had been holding Ban Do-young.

Despite supporting a person’s weight for quite some time, his arms and legs showed no signs of trembling from the burden.

Of course, the areas where his hands had touched were beaded with sweat compared to when he let go.

“…”

Instead, I noticed Si-young’s arms and legs trembling slightly.

It couldn’t have been from the lingering sensation of jumping from the third-floor window.

“Then how will you two handle school…”

*click*

Just then, a clicking sound came from the stairs above the dojang.

It was the sound of mom and dad returning from grocery shopping.

“Ban Do-young, Ban Si-young. Are you fixing the door well? Mom and dad are home now.”

“It’s oddly quiet up there. I thought they’d either be fixing it well or fighting again. Don’t tell me they both ran away?”

“Hohoho, then I should have a sparring match with both daughters for once. Should I go downstairs and get some bamboo swords?”

“Oh dear, we’ll be accused of being runaways even though we fixed it properly. Let’s go upstairs now.”

Nothing feels more unfair than getting punished after doing your job properly.

I immediately opened the dojang office door and headed to the second floor.

“What are you doing, Scarlet? Aren’t you coming up? You might be able to match mom with bamboo swords, but I don’t want to get scolded for no reason after losing 40 matches.”

“…Alright. I’m coming.”

Si-young bounded up the stairs in just two steps, though it had taken us five or six, and quickly caught up behind me and Doha-min.

“Gah! You scared me… if you’re going to use flash step, at least warn us. I thought you were going to fall.”

“…Don’t run like that. Especially with your heavy body.”

“What’s with the sudden concern? My body isn’t heavy, didn’t you see Doha-min lift me easily?”

“…Hmph.”

Si-young ignored my comment and entered the second floor ahead of me.

“Sheesh, that damn Ban Si-young. I hope you have a daughter just like yourself someday.”

…

…

…

“Oh my… he’s running late? I was planning to surprise him with everyone since I thought he’d be here by evening. Don’t you know how much mom was looking forward to seeing our son after so long?”

“What? Sol-young hasn’t arrived yet?”

“No, that’s right. Apparently he suddenly had an unexpected appointment. It seems it’ll be quite late at night before he gets here.”

Just as we were about to have a dinner table filled with more food than there were places at the table for the first time in ages,

The news that greeted us at this lavish table was that Sol-young’s arrival home would be significantly delayed.

“He says we should eat without him. Really… it’s quite disappointing that on the first day the whole family reunites after two years, this happens.”

“Can’t be helped. We can’t let all the food you prepared with such care get cold. Besides, we have a precious guest here to celebrate with our family.”

“M-me…?”

Doha-min, who had coincidentally come to study and ended up invited to the dinner party, tilted his head and asked.

“Of course, Hamin is a very honored guest in our home.”

“Sigh… I guess there’s no choice. Hamin, would you fill in as our eldest son today in place of Sol-young who’s running late?”

“I-I’m not sure if I can replace Sol-young hyung… but I’ll do my best.”

“Now then, let’s begin the party celebrating Sol-young’s discharge from the military without Sol-young, and our youngest Si-young’s victory at the world kendo championship! Applause!”

*clap clap clap clap clap!*

*clap clap clap clap clap!*

Mom and dad applauded enthusiastically toward Si-young, celebrating what would be a memorable day for the Ban family,

and Doha-min, sitting in as the eldest son in place of Sol-young, also gave his best applause to Si-young.

“Now, shall we hear some words from today’s hero, Si-young?”

Dad, who had appointed himself as the day’s MC, extended a 500ml zero cola bottle toward Si-young, who was wearing a party hat, as a microphone substitute.

“Just a moment.”

Si-young, who had suddenly become the center of attention at the party,

immediately took the cola bottle microphone from dad and stood up.

“Right now, I think it’s more appropriate to share more important news than my victory that everyone already knows about.”

“Huh…? What do you mean, Si-young? What important news?”

Si-young, who had stood up, slowly approached where Doha-min and I were sitting.

“…Take it.”

Si-young pulled back her hood and handed me a green bracelet that had been hidden on her wrist.

It was a bracelet with the same design as the mango-scented one I had received from Doha-min, with “I♥YOU” engraved on it, giving off a subtle lime scent.

“This is…”

“So… Scarlet did have it after all.”

“I kind of knew. That Hamin oppa’s gifts got switched. There’s no way he’d give a bracelet with a love message to someone he just met. This was yours. I was desperately hiding it in my sleeve because I still wanted to keep it somehow…”

“…But why did you suddenly decide to give it to me? Even after you found out I was Scarlet, I never once asked you for my bracelet.”

Si-young, hiding her distorted face with the party hat on her head, said:

“Because… I realized it could never be mine anyway. So there’s no room for me to interfere… especially now that there’s a baby.”

“…Huh?”

What did this girl just say at the end?

I think I missed it because of the air conditioner noise.

“What did you just say at the end…”

“You told me earlier that you already did it with Hamin oppa…”

“No, that was just a kiss… sigh.”

Just to be sure, I put aside what I was going to say and asked Si-young one question.

“…Hey, Ban Si-young. Do you know what ‘virgin’ means?”

“Of course I do… it’s an unmarried woman.”

“I mean the other meaning.”

“There’s another meaning?”

*thud*

I naturally hit Ban Do-young’s forehead and tilted my head back.

“Anyway! When grown men and women do that kind of thing secretly, of course a baby forms in the belly! That’s pregnancy!”

“Hey, you’re skipping all the important parts and jumping to the wrong conclusion…!”

*clunk*

*slide*

Even without looking back, I could sense what was happening behind me.

“…Ban Do-young, Do Hamin. What is this I’m hearing? Baby? Pregnancy…?”

“Did you already sell the gift mom gave you? Let’s talk about this in detail, Do-young. You too, Hamin…?”

“W-wait! I’m wearing a T-back but I’m still a virgin!”

It takes just a moment for an honored guest to become a dead guest.