episode_0055

“Oh. Do you know about that?”

“What do you mean?”

“If a woman gets hit there, it hurts a lot too.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. It’s not as extreme as meeting a grandfather who protrudes out like a man and crying hysterically, but women can definitely feel enough pain.”

So, does that mean those memes in videos where only men empathize also apply to women?

“I see…”

“Oh. If you get hit in the chest, it hurts too. It’s so painful that you might grab your chest and collapse dramatically.”

…Anecdotes?

At this rate, being an actor doesn’t seem like a bad idea rather than nursing.

“Ugh… That’s why I don’t like pain.”

An anecdote indeed.

“Be careful… then.”

I felt a sense of unease about one of the reasons for becoming a nurse.

“Yeah. So, do you have any questions? You must be curious about women.”

The reason I called her “Unni.”

To learn more about women.

Because I wasn’t originally a woman.

“Well… Shall we start with the most pressing question?”

“Yes! Ask away.”

After becoming a woman, a habit or something similar had formed.

“…I kept wondering if it was just me… so I wanted to ask… ”

“Yes… Tell me. As a woman, I’ll tell you everything I can.”

I swallowed, organizing my thoughts and words.

“…Why do I keep finding myself looking in the mirror?”

“Uh… What do you mean?”

“There’s no scale, so I don’t know my weight, but when alone… touching my side fat… or my chest… trying on pretty clothes and striking poses.”

It’s not like I fell in love with myself.

I just… want to try it? Maybe.

I don’t know.

That’s why I’m asking Unni.

“….”

“Unni?”

“She’s a woman. A sophisticated woman.”

“Oh?”

I was acknowledged as a woman.

As her slow nod seemed increasingly inscrutable, I couldn’t grasp it anymore.

“Everyone… does things like that, right? It’s common. And posing… that’s very feminine. You didn’t do that when you were a man?”

“No… I didn’t.”

Other than using a cotton swab to remove pimples or blackheads, I never looked at my face in the closet mirror.

“Well, anyway. Unless it’s at an addictive level, it doesn’t really matter.”

“Thank you.”

Although I seem mesmerized by the mirror, admiring myself, I wonder if I’ll get tired of it soon.

“I actually like it. Wisdom strikes poses while looking at her face in the mirror… isn’t that what they say?”

Unni playfully laughs as if she found a weakness.

“Uh… I mentioned it because I was genuinely concerned…”

“You’re cute. Really cute. I can imagine things.”

“Uh…”

I ended up imagining it too.

Me doing all sorts of embarrassing things in front of the mirror, trying to make a cute expression in front of my brother…

It’s not just imagination; it’s real, making me even more embarrassed.

“Okay okay. Let’s stop now.”

“…Anyway, onto the next question.”

It’s fine since my brother hasn’t caught on yet.

*

“Sigh…”

“I should’ve at least had some water.”

The questions continued endlessly.

When I ran out of things to say, she would follow up with, “Aren’t you curious about this?” and continue, almost feeling like I talked all day long.

It made me realize that a job based solely on talking is not an easy task.

“It’s already night. I didn’t realize how time flew by.”

As the sun sets, the city becomes filled with various lights.

Talking non-stop without a break until evening made my throat slightly parched.

“…I think Brother is almost done now.”

And then, I remembered my brother.

Soon, I began to miss [him/her].

“Should we start preparing dinner right away?”

“I’ll do it too.”

Feeling a bit better, I could manage to prepare dinner at least.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Unni looked at me with a worried expression.

“It’s okay. Thanks to Unni, I’m feeling much better.”

Tonkatsu… I have to make tonkatsu.

I want to make it for my brother who works hard and comes back.

“What did I do?”

“If it weren’t for you, I’d still be groaning in bed. Thank you.”

Unni and I shared a brief hug.

She naturally accepted it, smiled slightly, and said, “So cute that I could die, right?”

“I’m just naturally cute.”

“I didn’t know. Jihye is totally like a fox.”

Foxes are cute, right? That should be enough.

My brother likes it too.

“Ugh… tea. Uh…”

It’s not that I’m not in pain, but coming out of the warm bed makes me feel a bit cold.

I rummaged through the closet quickly, put on sweatpants, and headed to the kitchen.

“Unni, can you make salad? I’ll make tonkatsu.”

“Got it. You won’t help with anything else?”

“Well… what else… I think I’ll be fine.”

Just because I’m not feeling well doesn’t mean I’m incapacitated. My body is just a bit sluggish, but I can still manage.

“Ho… You seem quite professional. Feels like something you’d see on TV.”

“This is just normal for me.”

“You think it’s normal for me? Others would probably do the same.”

It’s just basic prep work.

I had prepared the ingredients in advance to make tonkatsu. That’s the feeling.

“Well, Unni, if you truly love someone, you should do this much.”

“Well… I just want to live alone.”

Unni declared her intention to remain single, sticking out her tongue.

“I’d be really happy if my brother enjoyed the food. He doesn’t realize that.”

“Maybe… I’m not cut out to be a woman. Compared to wisdom, my femininity is way below par.”

The cabbage was finely sliced.

Unni picked up a thinly sliced piece and ate it thoughtfully.

“I… chose housework over studying. You worked hard in your studies to become a nurse.”

It’s not that I miserably failed at studying, but rather that I gave up before reaching that point.

No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t understand math, so I thought I must be incapable and gave up.

I worked hard in other areas, but math was just something I couldn’t grasp.

So I thought about further developing my cooking hobby into a career.

That was a failure too.

I gave up on that pretty quickly…?

…But that’s why I am the way I am now, because of those failures.

I actually consider myself fortunate.

If I had succeeded and been a university student now, I wouldn’t have met my brother.

Quietly setting the table, I heard my brother coming home.

Still… I couldn’t help missing him.

“Oppa!”

“I’m back, ugh!…”

I ran to my brother as soon as he entered.

Seemingly caught off guard, my brother was surprised and embraced me vulnerably.

“I missed you…”

“Yeah… I missed you too.”

My brother slowly hugged me to avoid hurting me.

Despite being a bit chilly from going outside barefoot, I didn’t mind.

I wanted to stay in my brother’s arms even for a short while.

If possible, I wanted to kiss him too, but I felt a sneeze coming on.

“Excuse me.”

“Oh. It’s cold. Let’s go inside quickly.”

As expected, my body wasn’t feeling well.

We entered the kitchen together.

“I miss you… but my soles have gotten dirty.”

Oppa sat me down on a chair, took out some wet wipes, knelt down, and wiped my feet clean.

“Hehe… What can I do when Oppa is so good to me.”

Being honest, I conveyed my feelings, making Oppa feel awkward yet proposing a practical solution.

“…Still… it’s cold outside, and we have to do this foot-wiping thing… so let’s hug when I’m all done. Got it?”

“Yes~”

It was spontaneous, just for today.

Should I try waiting on my knees at the front door next time…?

“Alright, that’s enough… Hmm. Shall we eat now?”

Oppa took off his coat and sat at the dining table.

“…Huh? Why are there three plates of food?”

“…Oh. Unnie.”

I got lost in thoughts about Oppa.

Only thinking about Oppa, I completely forgot about Unnie.

Since we were both by the front door, she probably didn’t leave.

Hmm… then it must be either the bedroom or the bathroom.

“Unnie~ Stop hiding and come out!”

She wasn’t in the bathroom.

Then…

“Oh.”

“There you are. Why hide!”

“Haha… I don’t know, just because.”

I helped Unnie up from her crouched position in the corner.

There was something odd about the slightly flushed cheeks and warm feeling on Unnie’s face.

“Saw me?”

“Yeah.”

Ah… what a fool.

It wasn’t even a few minutes, and I didn’t just erase Unnie from my memory while being with her.

“Please forget about it…”

“It was cute. Really. I felt genuinely loved. I think I understand what it feels like to be loved.”

“Ugh… let’s eat quickly.”

As if not believing her own eyes, she cooled her warm cheeks with her palm and kept wiping her eyes.

What’s there not to believe when you saw it clearly?

“Do… do you feel like dating a guy now, Unnie?”

“Yes.”

She nodded quickly.

Showing rather than just saying seemed to have an effect.

“I wish someone like Jihye would hug me as soon as she comes home.”

“Yeah, good mindset… right?”

“Would such a guy exist in this world? Would someone like Jihye exist?”

Hmm… this isn’t right.

“Unnie…? Come back…”

“Really… it’s so unrealistic. What I just saw was almost surreal. It felt like something out of a pure love webtoon.”

Before I knew it, she was no longer talking to me but muttering to herself.

“Really… a boyfriend giving and a girlfriend receiving love… showing their affection. Wow… this is totally NaruX and SasuX… my heart swells with emotions…”

It seems like Unnie has completely immersed herself in her own world.

“Unnie!”

Tapping her back lightly brought focus back to her previously unfocused eyes.

“Oh.”

“Food! Let’s eat!”

First things first… let’s eat.