Ch.379379. The Normally Docile Cat Strikes First

The saying about climbing onto the kitchen counter seems to fit perfectly.

My sister, who used to blush at the mere mention of “honeymoon” and snap at me for saying such embarrassing things, just announced that she’s pregnant with her first child not long after returning from her honeymoon.

“Congratulations, sis. You’re about 9 weeks along now?”

[Yeah. The doctor said I’m somewhere between 8 and 9 weeks.]

“That’s still a period when you need to be really careful, right? Since you’re older too, make sure you’re always cautious. Got it?”

[Why do you keep bringing up my age… Sigh, fine. Thanks for worrying about me.]

She seemed to give up on whatever she was going to say and changed the subject with a laugh-tinged sigh.

[So, how’s your wife doing? She’s about 6 months along now, right?]

“Yeah, well. Nabi’s just her usual self. The doctor says everything looks normal.”

[Even if she seems fine on the outside, hormones go crazy during pregnancy, you know? You need to keep a close eye on her, Siwoo. Got it?]

“What’s this, sis? You never used to talk like this before, but now that you’re pregnant too, you’re speaking on behalf of all pregnant women?”

[I’m not speaking as a pregnant woman, but as a woman! You wouldn’t understand as a man, but women’s moods fluctuate even during their periods. So imagine what it’s like during pregnancy?]

“Hmm, is that so? Our Nabi doesn’t really have much of that.”

Isn’t that case by case depending on the person? When I said that, my sister clicked her tongue as if I didn’t know anything.

[It’s not that she doesn’t have mood swings, she’s probably just not showing it. Just in case, take a good look when you get home today. There might be something you don’t know about.]

“Okay, I got it. I’ll take a good look.”

I already ask her every evening if she’s uncomfortable or needs anything, but I should ask in more detail today.

Having made that mental note, I gathered my thoughts and asked my sister a question.

“How’s my brother-in-law doing? Is he treating you well?”

[Are you asking if I’m treating your brother-in-law well, or the other way around?]

“Both, obviously. I’m curious about how you’re treating him, and also how he’s treating you.”

[Well, I took a leave of absence from work because of the pregnancy… so I’m trying hard to be a good wife.]

“Oh, really? I didn’t know you took a leave. You never mentioned it. Specifically, how are you being a good wife?”

[Oh, didn’t I tell you? I took leave a week ago. As for being a good wife… well, just doing housework. Making breakfast, sending him off to work, and welcoming him home in the evening…?]

Hmm, from a man’s perspective, it’s touching when a pregnant wife does even that much. Thinking she’s being so considerate despite her discomfort.

Since this is my first marriage, I was a bit anxious, but it sounds like she’s doing pretty well.

Well, my sister did live alone abroad for quite a while, right? It makes sense that she’d be good at housework.

“That’s good enough. Have confidence, sis.”

[Really? Well, I’ve never done this before, so…]

“Sis, men aren’t complicated. What moves a man isn’t grand gestures, but the little everyday things. A simple morning greeting, a simple breakfast. Every time you consistently take care of these things, we fall hard. Thinking, ‘Ah, she’s the one…'”

[Siwoo, you’re being oddly specific… Is this from personal experience?]

“Yeah, it is my experience, but most men are the same. They’re really touched by small gestures. Oh, and if you’re good at cooking on top of that, it’s absolutely perfect… but since you can’t cook, don’t try anything difficult. Just stick to simple dishes. Simple ones.”

That was probably the summer before last. When my sister had just returned to Korea after a long study abroad and had only been settled for a few months. She invited our parents, my brother, me and Nabi, and our kids, saying she’d serve us food she made herself…

How that family gathering ended… well, I won’t go into details. It would only hurt my sister’s feelings.

[Hey! That was because I lived abroad for too long. I wasn’t used to Korean tastes yet…!]

“So, are you saying you’ve adjusted now?”

[Of course! Do you think my cooking skills are the same as back then? Siwoo, you’d be shocked if you tried my cooking now!]

My sister’s cooking skills two years ago were, no joke, worse than our Woohee’s. At least Woohee knows how to season properly.

But now she claims to have cooking skills that would shock me? That’s hard to believe. I dismissed it with a smirk.

“Of course I would. Our whole family was shocked after eating what you cooked back then.”

I hate to say it myself, but I’m quite good at cooking. And though not as good as me, Hwa Nabi is also a good cook. On a scale of 100, I’d be 100 and Hwa Nabi would be about 90.

Anyway, both of us are good cooks. And our children, who grew up eating our cooking, were so shocked by my sister’s food that they almost cried.

How bad—I mean, how shocking—must the taste have been for the kids to cry? I barely managed to calm them down by promising to cook something delicious when we got home, but my sister’s cooking was just that… um, challenging.

[Tsk, Han Siwoo. Do you want to die? It’s not like that. I’ve really improved!]

“Sis, I’m being serious… I heard there are cooking classes these days. A lot of women preparing for marriage or people who want to learn cooking attend them. How about you try one?”

[…I already did.]

“Huh? What did you say?”

[I said I already did. I took classes for 6 months! So, I’m not the same bad cook I used to be!]

“Oh, really…?”

Since we don’t live together, I didn’t know that.

[This won’t do. Siwoo, are you free this weekend?]

“This weekend? Let me check my schedule, but I think I’m free. Why?”

[Bring your family to my and Sunghyun’s place this weekend. I’ll cook for you all.]

“…What? You’ll cook for us?”

[Why, don’t you want that?]

“No, it’s not that…”

My sister wants to serve her homemade food to our family…?

Imagining my family tasting my sister’s cooking sent a chill down my spine. No. That can’t happen. I’d rather she come and threaten to kill me directly. I can’t subject my family to my sister’s cooking twice…!

I need to hang up. Having made that decision, I made static noises with my mouth, pretending the call was breaking up. Jijijik, jijik. That kind of sound effect. Sensing I was about to hang up, my sister quickly shouted.

[Hey, Han Siwoo! If you pretend you can’t hear me…!]

“…Jijijik, huh? What’s wrong with this? Is my phone broken?”

[That won’t work. If you don’t come, I’ll just come to you…!]

“Jijijik. Oh, sis. I think my phone is broken. I’ll fix it and call you back. Let’s hang up.”

[Han Siwoo! I’m definitely coming this weekend…!]

Click. I hung up. I put down my phone and wiped away cold sweat.

Rather than eating my sister’s homemade food, it’s much better to hang up and take a scolding. That’s how catastrophic my sister’s cooking is.

I don’t know if she confuses salt and sugar, or if she just doesn’t follow recipes. My sister’s cooking is more like an art piece than food. Both in appearance and taste.

How should I describe it? It’s like modern art transplanted into food? The shape is incomprehensible and so is the taste, making not just children but adults stick out their tongues. Even my father, who usually eats most dishes well, took one bite and left saying he had an urgent matter. That says it all.

“…No way. Who are you trying to assassinate?”

My sister kept calling, so I flipped my phone over. Then, a KakaoTalk message from a familiar sender arrived on my work computer.

Sis [Hey]

Sis [Hey]

Sis [Hey]

Sis [Answer the phone]

“…”

Why is she being so scary?

To get rid of the KakaoTalk notification ringing in the bottom right corner, I tried to click the close button but accidentally clicked open instead.

The window expanded, showing all the messages my sister had sent.

Sis [Don’t go anywhere this Saturday at 11 AM and stay home]

Sis [With your family]

Sis [If you’re not there, I’ll wait outside until you come]

Sis [If anything happens to my baby because of that, it’s all your fault]

“…Wow, using an unborn child as a hostage. That’s low.”

In this era of ultra-low birth rates, where the fertility rate is heading toward zero children per woman, she’s using her unborn child as a hostage. Have you ever seen such a ruthless sister?

Even famous movie villains wouldn’t do something this evil. I clicked my tongue at my sister’s threat and reluctantly replied.

Me [Okay, okay, just calm down. You’re right, you’re good at cooking, I was just joking. Happy now?]

Sis [Happy? Whatever, just make sure to tell everyone in your family about Saturday. Sunghyun and I will come together, got it?]

“…”

Is it just my imagination that this looks like a threatening letter from a kidnapper holding my family hostage?