Ch.82My Brother (9)

“W-wait, Solyoung’s little sister?”

“Yeah, I just found out myself. That I’m this guy’s sister.”

“Wow, what’s with this family’s genes… It’s just insane.”

The smaller soldier who looked like a junior,

though to be fair, he only seemed small because the senior soldier next to him was easily over 190cm tall, so it might be a bit unfair to simply call him small.

Still, he was tall enough to be roughly at eye level with Miss Ban Doyoung.

Ah, maybe that’s not saying much either.

I’m not sure.

These days, besides my dad, I haven’t really spoken with any men up close other than Do Hamin.

Always talking at Do Hamin’s eye level,

now even someone of this height seems tall to me.

“Ah, hello. Solyoung’s bro… I mean, I’m Corporal Kim Gangtaek, Private First Class Ban Solyoung’s junior. We’re in the same company, with the same seniority relationship. I’d heard before that Private Ban had a little sister, but he never really talked about it… I never imagined we’d meet here.”

“When I enlisted, you were in middle school. Why would I talk about my middle school sister to a bunch of soldiers?”

“Wait, are you being logical here…?”

Unlike Solyoung who had little to say despite being her blood brother,

Gangtaek, the junior, was the one who approached me with a friendly attitude.

In fact, in this world, Gangtaek’s attitude was the typical way people treated Ban Doyoung, the world’s most beautiful girl.

“Still, Solyoung. When you came to town and met your sister, you should have said something. Why have you been quiet all this time?”

“Just because. She kept calling me ‘mister.’ I thought maybe she didn’t want to acknowledge me…”

Ah, that was just because I didn’t recognize him.

In the family photos and albums at home with our family of five, he wasn’t this buzz-cut guy.

Come to think of it, it did feel a bit strange.

Isn’t this the world inside <Half of Ban Peninsula>, a youth romance webtoon?

If someone were an important character in the story,

whether handsome or not, their face—the artwork—would have been given special attention.

Unless they were a famous idol character just passing by,

there’s no way they would meticulously draw a character who had no connection to the plot.

This face of Solyoung right in front of me.

A soldier character on leave who should have had no connection, just a common sight in the store.

This wasn’t the face of an extra soldier who should have been nothing more than background.

I never imagined he would be Miss Ban Doyoung’s blood relative.

“It’s annoying to interrupt when you’re hanging out with a friend. I can pretend not to know you.”

“Solyoung, I can’t tell if you’re being considerate or just don’t care… Anyway, it’s really nice to meet you. I’m always indebted to your brother.”

“No, it seems you have a hard time dealing with my mom’s son. Mr. Gangtaek.”

“Mister…! I-I’m not that old! I’m 21, 21!”

“Huh, I’m 17.”

Actually, I’m 27.

An age where I should be reminiscing about how young even soldiers in uniform are.

But that’s the original Ban Doyoung’s story, not this world’s.

“So when I was in 6th grade, you were in high school? Wow, a two-generation gap… what an enormous wall between us.”

“No, that’s true for 6th grade… but when you were in 1st grade, we were both in elementary school!”

“How would a 1st grader talk to a 5th grade boy four years older? You’re definitely a mister.”

“B-but I’m a year younger than Solyoung, so couldn’t you at least call me oppa?”

“Eh, I’ve never even called my mom’s son here ‘oppa.'”

“R-really, Solyoung? Don’t little sisters usually greet their brothers with ‘oppa’ when they come home?”

Solyoung closed his eyes and shook his head.

“What, you don’t? Don’t they usually go ‘onii-chan, onii-chan’?”

Onii-chan again shook his head.

Even by my rough estimation, it didn’t seem like the original Ban Doyoung would show such a friendly demeanor to this stoic brother.

“Damn it, my fantasy… I always thought only older sisters were gorillas and little sisters were all angels.”

“Come on, mister, how can I call someone ‘oppa’ when he doesn’t even give me allowance?”

Oppa.

A shortened term for someone who quickly slips

a 50,000 won bill with Shin Saimdang’s face into your pocket.

This is what Ban Doyoung, who scored an average of 72.08 points

on her Bulsa High School freshman midterm exams, says.

A proposition that’s 72% likely to be true.

“Hurry up, my arm’s getting tired. If you don’t have 50,000 won, just give me 5,000. I’m going to a karaoke place.”

“Solyoung… I think I understand why you never talked about your sister before…”

“…Is 5,000 won enough?”

“Uh-huh, there’s a place where you can sing 3 songs for 1,000 won, so it’s enough!”

Solyoung expressionlessly took out his wallet from his pocket.

Opening the bi-fold wallet revealed a family photo inside, and on top of it, a crumpled bill with the face of Master Yulgok Yi.

“S-Solyoung, are you really giving it to her?”

“Well, she asked for it. And it looked like her friend doesn’t have much money either.”

Solyoung held out the 5,000 won to me.

I didn’t refuse the money and snatched it right away.

“Yay! Thanks, oppa!”

One must react sincerely to what one receives,

so I gave Solyoung a big hug along with the “oppa” title.

The firm sensation transmitted through the military uniform.

Indeed, the solid muscle texture befitting the son of Mr. Ban Semiconductor was conveyed.

“Use it wisely. Don’t waste it.”

“Uh-huh, now I’m back in the 5,000 plus-minus club!”

Calling someone “oppa” for 5,000 won.

It’s a bit cheap, but since this is my first meeting with Ban Solyoung,

I’ll consider this first transaction as having a 90% discount.

“Haha, so if you give allowance, you do get the little sister image I imagined. That’s better than older sisters.”

“Thank you, Oppa Gangtaek!”

“Urgh…!”

Solyoung’s junior Gangtaek clutched his heart and cried out.

“Y-yes…! This feeling… I was right. Little sisters are definitely better than older sisters…”

“Thank you, Oppa Gangtaek!”

“Urgh… No, I should be the one thanking you… Huh?”

Gangtaek tilted his head, looking at Ban Doyoung’s left hand extended in front of him.

“Um… Doyoung, right? What does this hand mean…”

“Thank you, Oppa Gangtaek.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve already said it three times. Thank you. One more time and it’s 20,000 won.”

“W-what…? Doyoung? You don’t mean what I think you mean?”

“I. Said. Thank. You. ‘Oppa’ Gangtaek. How kind of you to give allowance to your senior’s little sister.”

“Eeeek!”

Ban Doyoung of the 5,000 plus-minus club instantly evolved into Ban Doyoung of the 25,000 plus-minus club.

“Eeeek… I miss my sisters…”

“Hey, I even gave you a free hug. How long are you going to whine?”

“No, this is clearly not a free hug but a paid hug.”

I carefully tucked away the duo of King Sejong and one Master Yulgok Yi in my wallet.

This should be enough to last until the next allowance day in May, even after going to karaoke with that Hamin guy.

“Sisters are definitely better than little sisters… At least my sisters never took money from me even when they hit me and bossed me around.”

“Don’t feel too wronged. She’s still a good kid.”

“I have no idea what your standard for ‘good’ is…?”

“I’ll buy you dinner, so just let it go. It’s unseemly to be doing this in uniform anyway.”

“You’re really buying…? Can I order something expensive?”

“Just go somewhere that allows military uniforms.”

From their conversation, it seemed Solyoung had no intention of going straight home after dinner.

“Huh? You’re not going home right away?”

“No, this guy couldn’t get the right train ticket. He booked one for the evening, so I’m keeping him company until then.”

“What? You’re a corporal and you couldn’t even book TMO properly?”

“Huh? Ban Doyoung, do you know what TMO is?”

“Eep.”

My memories from active duty again.

“Ah, did I tell you before? There’s a way to get train tickets when you’re on leave from the military.”

“Y-yes! I’m the good little sister Ban Doyoung who doesn’t miss even the casual things her oppa says!”

“Well, anyway. What are you going to do? Just go to karaoke with your boyfriend and come back?”

“Hmm, I was actually wanting to perform the [Mari★huana] opening medley for that guy. Don’t worry, I won’t make Dad worry. I won’t come home too late…”

Wait.

What did this bastard just say?

“What’s wrong?”

“What did you just say?”

“I asked if you’re going to karaoke with your boyfriend.”

Why did I answer naturally without even challenging the “boyfriend” comment?

“D-did it look like that guy and I are dating?”

“…Aren’t you?”

“W-well… it’s term-based so maybe…? No, never mind that. What made you think that?”

“Why? You were smiling the whole time you were with him.”

“…”

.

.

.

“But honestly, try to refrain from dating elementary schoolers. You’re just like Mom, going for younger guys.”

“T-that bastard and I are the same age!”

“Ehhh?”

That was the most dynamic reaction I’d seen from Solyoung that day.