Kim Ji-hye (1)

,I still can’t understand why this is the price.”

,I can’t understand it either.”

The house we moved into was better than I could have imagined.

I sensed something fishy and rechecked all the documents, but it was a clean property with a clean real estate record.

I wondered how a house like this could be this price, but since the seller was selling it like this, there was nothing I could say.

Even with the furniture arranged, the house was worth more than its price, no matter how I looked at it.

But since I had already paid and the house was legally mine, I became aware that it was my house, even if I wasn’t thrilled about it.

–

Jua and Eunha went out to look around, and Se-ah said she would go see the building.

Only Ji-hye and I were left in the house, organizing the rooms, and an awkward atmosphere flowed.

,What more is there to organize? Just rest.”

She was wiping dust, looked at me, and then turned her head again.

I know she wants to do it meticulously, but it doesn’t seem like wiping nonexistent dust will do anything.

,The kids are gone, so let’s take a break.”

,Since the kids are gone, we should at least tidy up. Don’t you know there’s no one else to clean the house now?”

,I’m saying there’s plenty of time to clean, and we can finish it when the kids come back later.”

,I’ll finish cleaning before everyone comes and then rest well. Everyone can take care of their own meals.”

,It’ll probably get dusty again by then, so why don’t we rest now and do it later?”

Ji-hye, who had been listening to me, stopped and finally put down the rag she was using to wipe dust and lay down on my bed.

Even though her own bed was only about two hand-spans away.

Thanks to that, Ji-hye’s head slammed into my stomach, and I had to forcibly endure the pain.

,Aok…”

,You said to rest, right? So I lay down. Is there a problem?”

,My stomach isn’t a bed. At least say something before you lie down, aish, it hurts like hell.”

Knowing she was sorry, she stroked my stomach.

,I’m not young either, so I don’t recover easily from shocks like this.”

,Anyone would think you’re a 30-something ajusshi saying that… Oppa isn’t 30 yet.”

,I’m just saying. So, do you like the house? I think it’s pretty good.”

Ji-hye nodded.

A spacious house with good sunlight and a great view.

There were enough rooms left over to use as storage, and it was so big that I wondered if we should hire one or two cleaning people.

Ji-hye and I, who took the largest room, quietly lay on the bed in the spacious room, enjoying the leisure.

Without a word, I stroked Ji-hye’s forehead, and Ji-hye accepted the touch.

Silently receiving each other’s warmth, the silence continued for a moment.

,It’s really independence…”

Ji-hye’s one word broke the silence.

It was a voice with a hint of regret.

,Anyone would think you left home forever. It takes 3 hours by train to get home.”

,…It’s still a bit strange to be out of the house. I thought I’d live there forever…”

She turned her head and looked at me.

,I didn’t think Oppa would come out with me.”

It’s not that I particularly wanted to come out.

Of course, back then, I had no pride or anything, so just seeing Ji-hye was a bit of an ordeal.

It hasn’t changed much even now, but everyone says I’ve become more reliable than before.

We’ve confirmed our feelings for each other, so it would be a problem if I didn’t come out with her.

,The situation changed, that’s all. Well, do you want to go back home now?”

,I’m just saying. If I go back now, Mom will think it’s weird, right?”

,If you go back now, she’ll really ask why you came back… and if you fought at your age.”

,There’s no reason to go back except for fighting. So, are you really going back?”

At some point, she came up and lay down next to me and smiled.

What’s the point of going back now? Why is she doing this?

There was no reason to go back unless we had a marital fight, so I shook my head.

,What… then why are you pretending to go back? Do you want to get scolded as soon as we move in?”

,You’re climbing all over me again… no, never mind. Keep doing that, uh.”

,Huh? What, what were you thinking that you’re reacting like that this time?”

Ji-hye had a Jaeil taste…? Should I say that, anyway, there was a slightly prickly taste to her at times.

Now, she’s too rounded, so rather than having a taste, she just feels like a lover.

,I was thinking about when I first saw you at the cafe. You were so thorny that you were practically a thorn itself?”

,…”

After a moment of silence, she poked my side.

,Ack.”

,When was that, and you still remember it?”

,How could I forget?”

,Back then, I was swearing every swear word imaginable. But wasn’t it understandable? If I think about Oppa, I think everyone would understand.”

She was only saying what was true, so I had nothing to refute.

Just being a jobless bum lazing around at home, it’s normal for Ji-hye to lose all affection for me.

,That was then. Why are you digging up someone else’s embarrassing past in reverse?”

,Oppa brought up the cafe story first, okay? Then let’s call it a draw.”

,How come you never let me win except when we’re sleeping at night?”

,If I let you win during the day too, Oppa’s habits might get worse.”

Anyone can see that her smile is close to a lie.

I suspect she wants to take the lead during the day no matter what.

,At least pretend to let me win during the day. Anyone would think you’re my wife, not my younger sister.”

,Ma… what? Wife?”

She replied with a slightly surprised tone, so I thought she would get angry and lightly raised my arm.

I thought she would yell and even slap me, so I prepared a defense in advance, but unexpectedly, Ji-hye leaned on my arm and lay down without saying anything.

What? Is this not an element to be angry about? Or is it because it’s not even worth getting angry about?

Rather, I couldn’t help but be scared because she was so quiet. The calm before the storm is the scariest, and Ji-hye is exactly like that.

,What, why isn’t she reacting?’

I glanced at Ji-hye, and she was silently twirling the ends of her hair with her fingers.

With a very faint blush, she had an expression of contemplating something.

,It’s scarier when you don’t react. Can’t you just swear at me?”

,…Don’t talk to me for a moment.”

,Uh… okay…”

Another awkward time passed.

I suddenly wondered why she was like that, but Ji-hye was quietly breathing through her nose, as if thinking about something.

I don’t think I said anything terribly wrong, and it doesn’t seem like she’s trying to scold me somehow…

Ji-hye’s silence, which lasted for a long time, naturally ended with Ji-hye falling asleep.

,What on earth was she trying to say that she was so worried about…?’

–

Late at night, I washed in the bathroom right next to the room and lay down on the bed.

I thought about waking Ji-hye, who was still asleep, but when I saw her sleeping soundly, I lost the will to wake her.

I also lay down on the bed and tapped on my phone, telling my family that I had moved in well, and sent a message to my uncle.

,Eueum…”

Whether she woke up from the light of the phone or from the light outside, Ji-hye stretched and yawned.

It was already dark outside, and only the lights illuminating the city flowed in, dimly lighting the room.

She got up, looked around, stretched, and yawned deeply.

,Haaahm… I fell asleep while thinking… Oppa, what time is it?”

,It’s night, so go wash up and go back to sleep. It’s a vacation anyway, so is it okay if you don’t sleep?”

,Did you wash?”

,Huh?”

,Did you wash?”

She stretched her arm from the bed and pulled on my sleeve.

Not knowing the intention of her asking if I had washed, I nodded, and she pulled my sleeve even more and whispered in my ear.

,Even if you washed, let’s wash together.”

,Can’t you see I just washed and dried my hair? Just wash and sleep…”

,What did I say after moving in? Hurry up and follow me, unless you want to deal with me getting angry in the middle of the night.”

No, what kind of threat is this? Don’t talk nonsense! But her eyes were quite serious.

She grabbed my sleeve with eyes that said, “Refuse if you can,” but there’s no way I have the strength to refuse.

Even though the hairline area wasn’t completely dry yet, I was in danger of washing one more time.

,Please… I just washed, and you’re telling me to wash again…?”

,Just go into the bathtub and soak your body in hot water. Aren’t you getting up? I’m going to shout?”

There’s no way to resist Ji-hye’s attack as she stretches and clings to my sleeve.

I raised both hands to signal surrender and got up from the bed, and only then did Ji-hye smile and head to the bathroom.

I wondered if I should secretly go outside and hide now, but I would have to bear the consequences, so I watched Ji-hye taking off her clothes in front of the bathroom.

Feeling my gaze as I stared blankly, she covered her underwear and glared at me.

,What, what are you looking at? Aren’t you taking off your clothes?”

,Why are you acting like this when we’ve seen everything already? Anyone would think we’re lovers washing at a motel on our first night.”

,Ah… no. Still, it’s been a while since I’ve shown you this explicitly…”

We occasionally slept in our underwear before going to bed at home, but it’s been almost two years since I’ve directly seen her undress.

So, I don’t know if she’s embarrassed or if something has changed and she’s covering up. It was difficult to tell in the dark.

,You’re going to see it all sooner or later… Did you gain weight or something?”

,It’s not that… eugh…”

She made a resigned expression and turned her back to me.

,Can you see the hook on my back? Check the size there…”

,Size?”

I carefully looked at the very small label attached to the bra hook and saw that the size had changed.

,Oh, what, weren’t you originally a D? Why are you a C?”

,…I don’t know. Maybe I lost weight because I wanted to, or maybe it’s because I’m getting older.”

,You’re the one who sounds like you’re in your 30s…”

Now that I looked closely, Ji-hye’s body had changed.

Her slender figure was the same, but if her previous body had a soft impression, her current body had a feeling that it was soft but also had slightly firm parts.

It wasn’t that she had lost fat to lose weight, but she had a body where changes had occurred and fat had been lost, revealing muscles.

,Did you work out while I was gone?”

,…Don’t talk nonsense. I’m going to wash up and go to sleep soon too, Oppa, take off your clothes quickly.”

Ji-hye cut me off as if running away and went into the bathroom, already having taken off her underwear.

Whether it was true or not, in order to know the details, I quickly took off my clothes and followed her into the bathroom.