Ch.158Because It’s Summer (1)

The golden sunlight streaming through the curtain gap was scorching.

Until spring, I could ignore a little sunlight and sleep well.

“Damn… that blasted golden sun.”

I checked my phone—6:30 AM.

I had woken up 30 minutes before my alarm was set to go off.

I immediately tried to go back to sleep, pulling the blanket over me and closing my eyes,

but perhaps because the initial burst of sunlight had jolted me too awake,

sleep refused to return.

The sunlight was blindingly bright,

and my chest was uncomfortably damp with sweat.

My underwear was in the same state.

Beads of sweat had formed all over between my legs.

This was why I hated summer.

In winter, you can layer up to get warm, but in summer, you’re hot even when completely naked.

My awakened mind was quickly identifying all the unpleasant sensations in my body.

Even when I was a man, I never particularly enjoyed summer mornings, but experiencing early bird wake-ups in summer as Ban Do-young was absolute torture.

“…Ban Si-young said she’d never sleep with me, but now she sleeps just fine.”

I lifted the light summer blanket slightly,

revealing Si-young sleeping soundly.

The wall side of the bed where Si-young lay was a safe zone, just barely out of reach of the sunlight coming through the window.

Thanks to that, unlike me whose eyes and sleep had been terrorized by the sun, Si-young could sleep peacefully without the intrusion of harsh light.

“Ah, maybe next time I should ask to sleep on the wall side.”

Air conditioning in just one room.

Following Dad’s instructions, since summer began, we often slept together on nights when the tropical heat was unavoidable.

‘Oh, Scarlet darling. How unusual for you to willingly give up your sleeping spot for me. Did you want to sleep with me that badly?’

‘W-we have to use just one air conditioner, so it can’t be helped. Don’t get the wrong idea. Unlike me, Big Sis Ban-thief has a cold constitution. I’m just letting you have the spot because it’s cooler sleeping together.’

‘Sure, sure. I’ll allow you to put your leg over me and hug me because it’s cool. But don’t touch my chest. It belongs to someone else.’

‘F-fine, just hurry up and continue the story we were talking about last time! I made space for you early so we wouldn’t waste time doing other things! Don’t fall asleep in the middle of the story like last time!’

‘The story from last time…? Oh, Porchio?’

‘Don’t say it so loudly!’

At first, she absolutely refused,

but perhaps thanks to the stories I told her under the same blanket about how babies are made,

like a granddaughter waiting for her grandmother’s old tales, at some point I stopped refusing when Ban Do-young came looking for me with her pillow.

It was a meaningful change in the Ban Do-young household in its own way.

“…Hehehe.”

-Stretch

With 20 minutes left before wake-up time, I pulled on Si-young’s chubby cheek as she slept.

The reason was obvious—it felt unfair that only I had to wake up early.

“Oh, yes. This is it. This is what I wanted.”

“Uweee…”

Though she was said to be the tallest among girls her age,

she was still only in eighth grade.

Before her growth spurt, though not as much as Do-hamin, she still had a considerable amount of baby fat on her face.

“Hmm, it’s a bit disappointing. Instead of pulling, maybe I should push inward.”

Since just pulling didn’t give me the elasticity I remembered from Do-hamin’s similar days, I decided to try pushing her cheek fat inward.

Didn’t they say that well-made bread springs back to its original shape even after being punched?

If so, our Scarlet Swordmaster’s crimson puffy cheeks should certainly do the same.

-Squish

I pushed Si-young’s right cheek inward toward her mouth with my index finger, then released it.

-Pop

Like a bubble rising in water, the cheek fat that had been pushed into her mouth sprang back with a popping sound.

“Ohohoho…. Again, again.”

Captivated by the sight of her cheek bouncing back like a trampoline,

and the cute sounds she made, I poked Si-young’s sleeping cheek again.

Yes, this was proper compensation for having to wake up early.

“Now, let’s see if the other cheek bounces back with a ‘pop’ too.”

“What are you doing?”

“…Oh.”

Just as I was about to touch the other cheek and turn Si-young’s head,

her head moved out of the safe zone and into the area where the golden sunlight was shining.

The moment the sunlight touched her, Si-young woke up with a start, and our eyes met.

“Squ… Squish. Cheekchio.”

-WHAM!

“Guhk-!”

Ban Do-young’s body was sent flying out the door with impressive elasticity.

-Thud!

Kicked by Si-young, I flew through the suddenly opened door and was abandoned alone in the third-floor hallway.

-Thwack!

Correction.

I was abandoned in the third-floor hallway with a pillow that had just hit my head.

“Ow ow ow… Summer really doesn’t agree with me.”

“Oh my, Do-young. Why are you sleeping in the hallway?”

“Ah… Mom. Good morning… well, not really. Anyway, did you sleep well?”

Mom, who had been busy preparing breakfast, came up the third-floor stairs wearing an apron,

either because of the commotion from the third floor or because she was coming to wake us up.

“How long have you been sleeping in the hallway?”

“Ah… for about a minute.”

“Oh my, I see. You and Si-young had another fight. You two are so energetic in the morning.”

“Ughh… well, it’s summer.”

“Wash up and come down for breakfast. Ha-min is waiting downstairs.”

“Mmm… okay.”

Mom dusted off the dirt from Ban Do-young’s head and went back down to the second floor.

“…Huh? Mom, what did you just say?”

“I said Ha-min is waiting, in the living room.”

“…Oh.”

Since last weekend’s vow made with underwear instead of a ring,

there had been one small but significant change between Ban Do-young and Do Ha-min.

Not that kind of significant change. A small but significant one.

“…Wah! How could he come already? I haven’t even washed my face!”

“Ha-min usually arrives at school by the time you wake up. We can’t just make a guest wait outside.”

“He’s not a guest, he’s family! So make him wait outside!”

“If he’s family, shouldn’t we not make him wait outside?”

After that day, instead of going straight to school when he arrived at the station, Do Ha-min stopped by Ban Do-young’s house.

Apparently, it was the best way to ensure Ban Do-young wouldn’t be late for the rest of the semester.

It was Do Ha-min’s first resolution after deciding not to hide his feelings for Ban Do-young.

“Hey, Do Ha-min! I’m going downstairs to wash up now, so keep your eyes closed until then, got it? Don’t open them! If you want to see me, use your next wish!”

“I-I never said I wanted to see you! And I’m not going to make such a wish!”

Before going down the stairs, I shouted to Do Ha-min who was waiting for me on the living room sofa.

As before, no matter how much of a world-class beauty I might be, I didn’t want to show myself with soaking wet armpits and mismatched underwear and bra right after waking up.

“Mom, make sure that guy doesn’t look anywhere near the bathroom, okay? Check that his eyes are closed from when I come down the stairs until I go back up after washing!”

“Hmm, if I’m that distracted, the pancakes on the pan might burn. Couldn’t we allow him to peek for about five seconds at a time?”

“No way, if he really wants to, tell him to make it his next wish after the exam!”

“Did you hear that, Ha-min? Looks like you’ll have more and more wishes to ask of Do-young in the future.”

“I-I told you I won’t make such wishes…!”

[5:00 AM Wake up]

[5:30 AM Board the subway]

[6:30 AM Arrive at station]

[6:55 AM Arrive at school]

This had been Do Ha-min’s morning routine throughout the first semester, except for days when he stayed at Ban Do-young’s house during exam periods or when he missed school due to a cold.

However, since the vow he made while putting underwear on Ban Do-young,

several activities in this schedule were modified or added.

[5:00 AM Wake up]

[5:30 AM Board the subway]

[6:30 AM Arrive at station]

[6:55 AM Arrive at school -> Changed to 6:55 AM Arrive at Ban Do-young’s house]

[7:30 AM Have breakfast together at Ban Do-young’s house]

[8:00 AM Go to school together with Ban Do-young]

This was Do Ha-min’s newly added morning routine.

“So why don’t you wake up when your mom does every morning, wash up, and help her prepare breakfast?”

“It’s not my fault. It’s this world’s fault for not making the subway schedule more flexible.”

“This girl is blaming the whole world, not just the subway company. Isn’t your range of resentment too broad? Oh, Ha-min, could you pass the milk over there?”

“Ah, here you go, Master.”

“Thanks. Do you want maple syrup on your pancakes?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll pour it myself. Let me have that. Does Scarlet want syrup on her pancakes too?”

“Yes, I usually eat them with mango chutney, but I’ll have syrup if Big Bro Ha-min pours it for me.”

Sitting in the eldest son’s position, Do Ha-min was comfortably enjoying breakfast with the other family members.

Perhaps thanks to his previous experiences,

Family(-in) Do Ha-min quickly adapted to having breakfast at Ban Do-young’s house after the underwear vow.

.

.

.

“We’ll be going now.”

“Alright, Do-young, Si-young. Have a good day! You too, Ha-min?”

“Ah… yes! We’ll be going!”

Do Ha-min left under the same roof with me and Si-young,

seeing off Mom and Dad.

“S-somehow this feels a bit awkward. I never thought I’d say ‘we’ll be going’ twice in one day.”

“Really? I think what comes next is going to be the truly awkward part.”

I reached out my hand toward Do Ha-min who was walking beside me and said:

“You and me. From now on, we have to hold hands on the way to school. In front of everyone.”

That day would be the first time the students would learn about Ban Do-young and Do Ha-min’s relationship.