episode_0047

.

“Sis.”

“Yeah?”

“When was your first kiss?”

Pfft.

A few grains of rice flew out of Lee Hayoon’s mouth as she was eating breakfast.

It wasn’t exactly surprising—she had seen it coming. That’s why she had timed the question for when her sister wasn’t scooping stew.

Lee Jiyoon picked off a stray grain stuck to Hayoon’s cheek and stuck it onto the table before continuing weakly.

“You’re not a kid anymore. Why are you making a big deal out of just a kiss?”

“A k-kiss? What… Me? With who? Woojin? No way…?”

“You’re dating, aren’t you? Anyway, when was it?”

“…We haven’t.”

“Really?”

“…….”

“Should I text Woojin right now and ask?”

“…W-we did…! A few days ago…”

“A few days ago, huh…”

“Why are you suddenly asking that? Like you said, I’m not a kid—kissing is normal…”

Hayoon wiped her lips unnecessarily as she spoke.

Jiyoon, staring at her sister’s faintly reddened ears, glanced at the large lunchbox container on the sink and fell into thought.

Sis is a total pushover.

After nearly 20 years of observation, she knew Hayoon had always been an extrovert (MBTI E) since childhood, so she had plenty of friends—but that was it.

She’d only ever watched other people’s relationships. This was her first time actually dating a guy.

Besides, Hayoon herself had never been interested in casually seeing anyone.

She was always busy with part-time jobs—what are the odds she secretly dated someone in between?

Zero, right?

Well, fine, that much was understandable.

Guys probably prefer women who fumble awkwardly from inexperience over those who are too smooth, anyway. Probably.

But Woojin was also less slick than Jiyoon had expected, which worried her.

So, well…

What was it again?

He couldn’t take the lead properly.

Ah, right. He couldn’t lead.

Like how he asked me, the younger sister, about what Hayoon likes instead of asking her directly.

Or how he completely froze yesterday at the karaoke just because she briefly sat on his lap. There were signs of that kind of thing.

At this rate, they’ll just keep hesitating, making everyone around them jealous while their relationship progresses at a snail’s pace.

Just like how I pushed Woojin’s back yesterday, maybe I should do something for Sis too.

So that on some quiet night, if Woojin suddenly pounces like I advised, she’ll just go “Kyaa~” and obediently take it…

“Hmm.”

This, of course, was Lee Jiyoon’s biased opinion—a result of having “accidentally” read a romance novel last night after finishing her game with Woojin.

Her chopsticks pointed at Hayoon’s face.

“So, what about sex? Are you gonna wait until your 100th day and do it at a motel? Or your one-year anniversary?”

Pfft.

This time, spit instead of rice flew out, splattering the table.

A bit of the precious spam-mayo rice got dirty, but Jiyoon ignored it as best she could and continued.

“These days, a lot of people have sex first and then start dating. Don’t you think waiting is a bit outdated?”

“…….”

“Woojin’s 20. He just got out of high school—his hormones must be raging. You think a little kiss is gonna cut it?”

“Ugh, I’ll handle it myself… You’ve never even dated anyone, and you’re acting like this…”

Hayoon wiped her lips again, squeezed her eyes shut, and chewed on the stir-fried fish cakes with a nyam nyam.

…She’s chewing kinda aggressively, though.

Yawning lightly in the early morning, Jiyoon poked at the side dishes with her chopsticks.

“I’ve gotten closer to him lately from playing games. I could ask him for you.”

“Ask him what?”

“His preferences.”

“…….”

“You know, like if he’s into maids. Or school uniforms. Or swimsuits.”

“…Oh. Those preferences.”

“Porn’s full of that stuff. There’s even cosplay of those cringe anime characters.”

“Stop. I said I’ll handle it.”

Handle it, my ass.

If she could handle it, she’d have lost her V-card ages ago.

For some reason, her sister’s gaze kept darting around.

Jiyoon, having unceremoniously dumped steaming soybean paste stew over her rice and mixed it with a fried egg, got up to get ready for work.

Leaning in slightly toward her sister—whose face was now beet red as she picked at her food—she whispered:

“Then, should I just casually mention it to Woojin?”

“Mention what?”

“Remember when you were a high school sophomore? That time I caught you watching rape-play porn—”

Clatter, clatter.

The chopsticks and spoon hurled at Jiyoon bounced off the wall and rolled across the floor.

Probably didn’t throw the bowl because it’d break.

Hiding in the bathroom as shouts of “Lee Jiyoon, you crazy bitch!!” echoed behind her, she hummed cheerfully and picked up her toothbrush.

She didn’t deny it till the end, so I guess her preferences haven’t changed.

“…….”

Feels kinda refreshing now.

This should make us even for that weird mood earlier.

Under the crisp scrub-scrub of the toothbrush.

A quiet sigh slipped down the drain.

Gurgle— with a tiny sound.

—

47

[Woojin] —Hayoon noona? Of course she comes often. She gets hurt a lot. —We eat together too.

Inside the bustling café.

While catching her breath, Lee Jiyoon fiddled with her phone, deep in thought as she read Woojin’s messages.

Late February.

There was less than a week left before the new semester.

She planned to quit her café job by then, too.

The only thing bothering her was…

The infirmary won’t be this empty again.

Before students flood back in, shouldn’t they have some risqué event there?

A chance to make a special memory most people don’t get—if they miss this winter break, they’d have to wait until summer.

Now that she’d unofficially taken on the role of Cupid for Woojin and her sister, it’d be a shame to let this opportunity slip.

So.

[Jiyoon] —Gonna pounce?

She sent it without much thought.

Sip— the sweet vanilla latte coated her tongue.

[Woojin] —Pounce? On what? It’s not like noona’s the only one who comes here.

[Jiyoon] —But not many people visit the infirmary, right?

[Woojin] —More than you’d think. —The principal and a few teachers whose names I still don’t know. —Guess they all wanna get close to me. —The age gap makes it hard to talk, though.

Fair. If someone got hurt—or their family did—one touch from a healing-type Transcendent would usually fix it.

Too bad.

Guess infirmary sex is off the table. Next best option…

Ah, right.

First, let’s clarify this.

[Jiyoon] —Just so you know, if you ever come to our house for that, I’ll freeze you solid and kill you.

[Woojin] —Why?

[Jiyoon] —Why? Were you actually planning to do it at our place?

[Woojin] —Not necessarily, but unless we rent a room, it’s either there or my place.

[Jiyoon] —So you want me to listen to my sister and my friend going at it behind a locked door? The walls are paper-thin.

Maybe he realized how bad that sounded, because his reply took a while.

As Jiyoon made a drink for a new customer, she kept glancing at her phone.

[Woojin] —Yeah. That was shortsighted of me.

She smiled faintly at his obedient response.

At the same time,

“…Hmm.”

A thought brushed the corner of her mind—this guy’s kinda unmanly.

The type of man her sister liked was more of a beast—the kind who’d pin a girl’s head into the pillow, force her hips up, and pound her to the root without mercy.

His face and body somehow passed.

No idea what’s in his pants, though.

The problem was his personality.

To act like the men in her sister’s porn…

Isn’t he too nice?

[Jiyoon] —Hey. —That thing I said about pouncing on noona. —Can you do it?

[Woojin] —Depends on the situation.

[Jiyoon] —So if the situation comes up, you can? —Even if she pretends to hate it, you’d force a kiss while grabbing her wrists? —Shouldn’t you practice in front of a mirror or something?

Again, his reply stalled.

Probably typing and deleting different responses over and over.

As she sipped the vanilla latte she’d made, staring at her phone, a single message finally popped up.

[Woojin] —Now that I think about it, it might be hard.

As expected.

Knew it.

[Jiyoon] —You said it wasn’t a big deal earlier… Ugh, what a coward.

[Woojin] —Would it be easy for you? —It’s easy to say “pounce,” but if I mess up, noona might beat me to death.

[Jiyoon] —I told you she’s into that. —Even if she acts like she hates it, she’d be thrilled inside. What’s the problem? —Total coward. I knew it from the way you shoot. —Your aim goes haywire the second enemies show up…

[Woojin] —Enough. I’ll handle it. —I don’t have to match noona’s preferences right away.

“I’ll handle it,” huh.

He says the exact same thing as Sis. Maybe they really are made for each other.

But watching them both secretly wanting to do it but hesitating is so frustrating.

Jiyoon let out an involuntary pfft and started aggressively tapping her phone with both hands.

[Jiyoon] —Don’t you want to do it with noona? —If you’re asking me what she likes, you must be 10000% ready, right?

[Woojin] —Do what?

[Jiyoon] —You know. That. —The naughty thing.

[Woojin] —Oh. —Just say “sex.” You were fine earlier.

[Jiyoon] —I’ve never said it outright before. I only asked if you’d pounced. —Anyway, stop overcomplicating it. Just grab noona’s wrists and go for it. —Her face turns red super fast, so even if she says no, you’ll see it.

[Woojin] —I said I can’t.

[Jiyoon] —If I were you, I’d have pinned noona to the infirmary bed the second she walked in. —Where’s your manhood?

[Woojin] —Does the café owner know you’re like this? Go work. —When we first met, I thought you were just quiet… Turns out you’re just shy around strangers.

Go work? After how hard I’ve been working just now?

Jiyoon placed the empty cup in the sink and sent a message with ㅗㅗ (middle fingers).

“…….”

Or at least, she meant to.

Until she read Woojin’s late reply.

[Woojin] —If you’re so confident, help me practice.

“…….”

Practice?

Help him?

What practice?

…….

…Oh.

That practice…?

I already showed him once at karaoke yesterday. That should be enough, no need for more…

[Woojin] —If you can’t, forget I said anything. —You’d be too embarrassed to help anyway.

“…….”

…Fine. Whatever. It’s not like it’s cheating.

I’m just teaching him how to treat Sis, right?

Basically, relationship advice.

Just instructions—”do it like this.”

Woojin’s dating Sis, so that’s all he meant.

It’s not weird at all.

The weird one is me, overthinking it.

After 30 seconds evaporated like cold sweat—

[Jiyoon] —Why would I be embarrassed? —I’m not embarrassed at all? Are you overthinking this?| —I’m not embarr| —I’m | —Come to the café after work.

Crouched behind the counter, Jiyoon slowly tapped the screen.