Ch.75Establishment

# 75. Establishment

“Today… I’m going to make a shameless, trashy proposal.”

“If you all agree… I’d like to accept all your hearts at once.”

My sisters remained silent for a while after hearing this guy’s words, but they were probably thinking the same thing.

That the inevitable has finally come.

I had foreseen this from the beginning, while my sisters, despite hearing my warnings, had likely held onto their competitive spirit, refusing to believe it would come to this.

‘To think my advice to make the Guild Leader more desperate so he’d make the decision first would actually come true like this.’

I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

Honestly, if someone were to ask me if I liked Ban Seonhyun, this bastard, as much as my sisters did… I could firmly say no. Even at this very moment.

I never intended things to go this far, but somehow, I didn’t want to lose to my sisters.

Normally, I would have scoffed and dismissed it as the excuse of someone in love, but after kissing this guy…

‘You sinful bastard. That was my first kiss, but for you, I’m just one of three.’

Somehow, he looks more handsome and cooler now. How irritating.

Even while thinking I’d become a slave to hormones, I found it amusing that I couldn’t escape or deny these feelings.

Perhaps because of how I’ve lived my life, I realized that if I was going to be a slave, I at least wanted to be at the top of the slave hierarchy.

‘The fact that my feelings aren’t as strong as theirs doesn’t matter anymore. Once you’ve started, you have to run the race.’

Since we had pushed the situation to force the Guild Leader to choose between complete rejection or a harem—two extreme options—we had to accept the outcome. And since this guy chose the latter in this situation… the question of who would be chosen was already settled.

Seeking fairness by accepting everyone equally?

If that were the case, why have there been distinctions between wives and concubines, primary and secondary consorts throughout history? Why were the harem intrigues in the Ottoman Empire so fierce?

Of course, I’ll strictly separate public and private matters. I won’t forget my position as Vice Guild Leader and will do my best to support the Guild Leader.

I won’t interfere with his motto of fairness.

First.

That’s all I need.

Just as this guy took my first kiss.

I felt I wouldn’t be satisfied until I took something of his first as well.

And that feeling must be even stronger for my two sisters, who essentially had their chance at a first kiss stolen from them.

So I’ll let them speak first this time.

Because I felt… a little sorry.

**

‘I hate this so much…’

I hate this whole situation. It feels like being forced to divide my favorite snack—one I wanted to keep all to myself forever—into three equal parts.

Because if I selfishly try to keep it all, the snack might not just be divided but turned to dust.

Right.

I think I could be okay with Yuri. Really.

We fell into this place around the same time, we were already close, our personalities seem opposite but we actually click well, there’s only a year age difference, and we’ve shared many moments together…

But Subin unnie.

Subin unnie.

That’s not fair. It’s cheating. She’s too powerful.

But the Leader has decided.

The moment I say anything… it would mean disregarding the decision he made after much deliberation.

‘I hate myself the most…’

If my emotions were dried up.

If I were a person who moved by reason rather than emotion.

Or if I could be proactive like Yuri, or had a trump card like Subin unnie.

I hate my personality and my position the most, unable to do one thing or another.

But I want to climb the tower, I want to love, I want to be loved, and I want to get along with my teammates.

I’m… just too greedy.

I’m such a fool.

**

‘Fuck.’

I’ve never thought I was inferior to anyone in my life, but…

‘Goddamn it.’

Whether by fate’s joke or something else, my competition is too formidable.

‘It’s my first love, isn’t this too much?’

Seyon unnie has the prettier face.

Subin unnie has the better brain.

Personality?

If I were a man, I’d probably pick Seyon unnie over myself. Subin unnie might be more divisive, but she’s better than me who gets excited too easily.

Being young isn’t exactly a weapon either.

Even with cooking, oppa is actually better, so I’m always eating his food.

I could bet my axe that oppa sees me as ‘the youngest sister with good physique who eats a lot and gets excited easily.’

‘Isn’t being seen as a little sister worse than being seen as a friend?’

The results of my actions, done with the desire to do well and look good, weren’t great.

Last night, when I tried to review all my actions from oppa’s perspective… despite his compliments about me being attractive and pretty, it seemed difficult for him to find charm in me.

How many times had I acted just like a female sibling?

Because I’ve never been in love. Because I didn’t know better… but as Subin unnie said, my feelings weren’t a privilege. My ignorance and inexperience certainly weren’t privileges either.

At least, oppa’s statement that he would choose all of us rather than just one definitely wasn’t made because he liked it.

It’s not that he loves all three of us so much that he can’t give up any one of us, but rather because the guild would fall apart otherwise.

That kind of love.

I give 100 but only get 33.3 back, and even that 33.3 might not be sincere—it’s enough to drive me crazy.

‘But I still like oppa, what can I do? This is driving me insane, fuck.’

Really.

I wonder if this is my punishment for falling in love first, for loving him more.

And this probably applies to both unnies as well.

There’s so much boiling in my chest, but what should I say?

Looking at oppa with his eyes tightly closed, as if afraid to hear our answers, all those words just circled in my mouth.

But since the unnies don’t seem like they’re going to speak first… at times like this, shouldn’t the youngest step up?

“Oppa.”

**

“Yes, Yuri.”

Suffocating silence.

What broke that silence was the now all-too-familiar “oppa” from Saex.

“Oppa must have thought a lot about this, but I’ve thought a lot too.”

“Yes.”

“I. I. Um. So.”

The calmness in her voice gradually gave way to trembling.

“I think it’s fine as long as we’re all okay with it. Who cares about existing laws and morals? We might never return to Earth anyway.”

“Yuri.”

“Of course it’s not 100% good. If you were in the opposite position, how annoyed and anxious would you be?”

If I were just one of many… I would have given up early on. No, I wouldn’t have even shown that I liked someone, just kept it to myself and fantasized. Telling myself I wasn’t suitable.

I nodded, feeling like I understood what she meant.

“So many things are different from where we used to live, and we could become disabled or die at any time. So I want to give what I can give and take what I can take.”

“That’s right. Other things… they’re not trivial, but ultimately they are minor issues.”

“You’re really a sinful man. You know that? How did you manage to gather us all like this?”

Keutjukyeora and Yebeobnojeong added. They seemed to be piggybacking on Saex’s words.

“Everyone.”

“There are no absolutes, but I promise here. Even if things go wrong between us, I’ll stay with Veritas until we reach the top of this tower.”

“Me too. Though I won’t let things go wrong with the Leader in the first place.”

“There’s so much I want to do. We have to go all the way.”

“Nyaaaa~”

[As expected of the human I chose~]

The three of them simultaneously sighed meaninglessly, then stood up and approached me.

And before I could say anything, they embraced me from all directions.

The grip so tight my arms went numb.

The soft trembling I felt against my back.

The sigh touching my exposed skin.

The three seemed to be telling me non-verbally:

‘We accepted your proposal because we like you too much, but you need to treat us well too.’

That might not have been their meaning. But interpreting it that way, I managed to free my arms from being squeezed on both sides and embraced them widely.

Then they hugged me even tighter.

It was a very strange way to respond to a confession… but from this moment on, our relationship was newly established.

Danya meowed.

**

“…This is boring.”

I haven’t logged into the game that was a daily part of my life for three days now.

[WaterKnowsTheAnswer: Backdoor!]

[WaterKnowsTheAnswer: Did you not log in today either?]

[StolidBackdoor: (affirmative emoticon)]

[StolidBackdoor: (emoticon with a puzzled face and question mark)]

[WaterKnowsTheAnswer: Me neither ㅠ]

[WaterKnowsTheAnswer: I’m focusing on other things]

[WaterKnowsTheAnswer: I’m starting to forget somewhat]

[WaterKnowsTheAnswer: But it’s not easy ㅠㅠㅠ]

[WaterKnowsTheAnswer: I still can’t forget Mulchi]

I got a message from WaterKnowsTheAnswer, and I sighed.

“Let’s not talk about Mulchi.”

I was already annoyed at wasting time reading this boring novel about some highest difficulty dungeon or whatever, and now they’re reminding me of something I was finally forgetting.

[StolidBackdoor: (fighting emoticon)]

Now that I’ve confirmed they’re okay, I can just send an appropriate emoticon and end the conversation when there’s nothing more to say.

Usually when I send this emoticon, the other person either sends one back or just reads it and the conversation ends. I was about to close the chat and listen to music when…

[WaterKnowsTheAnswer: Backdoor!]

[WaterKnowsTheAnswer: Since it’s just the two of us left, I wanted to ask]

[WaterKnowsTheAnswer: If you have time, would you like to meet up and talk?!]

“……?”

What is this about?