29 – Graduation Ceremony (4)
The movie they watched, recommended by Ryeoun, was quite cheesy at first.
It was a typical Korean family movie where the next story can easily be imagined.
Moreover, Soyoung and Ulrike were not originally people who enjoyed Earth’s culture, so they couldn’t fully understand or enjoy the content of the movie.
However, as the story progressed and various scenes appeared,
In the climax of the Korean-style movie, a scene that explosively released the tension that had been built up like a rubber band.
The interior of the theater instantly turned into a sea of tears.
Even the tattooed big guy in front.
Even the bald-headed father in the back.
Even the student couple wearing school uniforms.
Everyone, regardless of age or gender, was stealing tears.
Ulrike and Soyoung were not excluded from this.
No matter how different the cultures or social classes, the value that the word “family” shares is unchanging.
Ryeoun and Soyoung were crying profusely.
Ulrike took out a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped the corners of her eyes.
As they were stealing tears, they suddenly wondered if Yeowool would even maintain her expressionless face in this scene.
No matter how cold Yeowool is, she must cry here…
The gaze of the three people simultaneously turned to Yeowool.
And she responded to their expectations perfectly.
Not a single tear, not even a hint of change in her expression.
How could she not cry even after seeing this?
Indeed, she must be human. The three of them thought at the same time.
* * *
Mmmh…
“Ah, that was fun─!”
They returned to the apartment in the now familiar limousine.
As Ryeoun got out of the car, she stretched contentedly.
Soyoung and Ulrike laughed at her appearance.
At first, the atmosphere was awkward but as we had meals together, watched movies, and did various things, a certain level of intimacy built up.
The same goes for Lyeowoon.
Until lunchtime, the slight teenage resentment she had been holding seemed to have disappeared, leaving only traces.
“Ulikke. Thank you for giving me a ride today.”
Bashful─ Lyeowoon smiled at Ulikke. Upon seeing her, Ulikke felt a type of discomfort that she had never experienced before, piercing her chest.
If she were to find out that I ordered her kidnapping, how would she react?
As she felt a nameless feeling of guilt, as someone who couldn’t reveal her true identity, she awkwardly smiled.
“Ulikke.”
Unnie─. When Lyeowoon greeted Soyeong, Ulikke’s gaze moved away from her. At that moment, Yeoul called out to her.
“Yes, yes…?”
No matter when, she always spoke with a cool voice that seemed to drain the strength from her legs. Ulikke looked at her.
“Come here for a moment.”
As always, Yeoul spoke with an expressionless face, making it impossible to know what she was thinking.
“……”
Did I maybe do something wrong?
Following Yeoul who was walking ahead, Ulikke reviewed what she had done today.
She listened well, did everything she was told, paid for everything, everything seemed fine…
No matter how much she thought, she couldn’t understand why Yeoul called her out, so she couldn’t help but be filled with fear.
Behind the apartment, a shabby place with cigarette butts scattered around.
“Ulikke.”
“Yes, yes…!”
Upon Yeoul’s call, she automatically straightened up in a salute.
“You did well today.”
“……What?”
She considered praise from Yeoul to be something she would never hear in her lifetime. Hearing it unprepared, she became blank.
Me… Did I do well enough to receive praise today…?
I listened attentively and followed well, it feels like my efforts paid off…
Thinking that she didn’t feel bad, she shyly smiled.
“T-Thank you…”
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“But.”
“…”
“You have to continue doing well. I kept you alive because you seemed useful. If it is determined that you are no longer useful….”
You will die.
Upon hearing those words, she felt as if she had been in heaven and suddenly plummeted to hell.
The fear ingrained in her body stimulates her nerves.
Her hands and feet tremble uncontrollably.
Her legs give out, and she collapses onto the ground.
Unbeknownst to her, the space between her legs becomes moist. The refreshing scent of the forest spreads around her.
The current sits down next to her and reaches out a hand.
“Ah…!”
Instinctively, she recoils.
Her arms instinctively cover her face.
Her lower body relaxes, and the water stain between her legs deepens.
“I-I’m sorry…!!”
“It’s nothing.”
“…?”
Is he going to hit her…?
In a situation that unfolds differently from her expectations, she cautiously opens her eyes.
A scene she couldn’t even imagine as herself.
The current reaches out a hand to her.
“Get up.”
As if urging her to take it, he gently shakes his hand. Reflexively, she takes his hand and stands up.
The rough hand of the current and the incredibly soft hand of Ulicke, who never gets wet, touch each other.
Although her legs are still trembling and the dampened middle of her pants is uncomfortable, she somehow feels that her vague sense of fear towards the current has somewhat diluted.
“Let’s go.”
It feels strange, she thinks.
As if she is being tamed by him.
Following behind the current, Ulicke absently trailed along.
* * *
After sending Ulicke away and returning to her own house while looking at the current with a sentimental gaze.
The brother and sister who returned home always lay in the same bed after washing themselves with the constant urging of Ryeowoon.
However.
Now that they have even graduated from middle school, is it still appropriate to sleep together with their brother?
Suddenly, this thought crossed Yeo-ul’s mind, and she asked her younger sister who was lying next to her.
“Um, don’t other kids do this too…?”
Certainly, it would be extremely rare for a house to sleep with their older brother until this age, but Ryeowoon, afraid that if she said it like that, she would no longer be able to sleep with her brother, spoke with a trembling voice, telling a lie.
“And, what’s wrong with sleeping with my older brother….”
As she blurted that out, even though her brother seemed indifferent, she felt guilt for telling a lie that even he could sense was strange, and she continued with her trailing voice.
“I’m fine, but I was worried you might be uncomfortable.”
Yeo-ul was genuinely unaffected. It didn’t matter if they slept together or separately. While there was a sense of fulfillment in her heart when they slept together, it didn’t really matter either.
“I, I’m totally fine…! Then, it’s settled, right?”
“Yes.”
Ryeowoon hurriedly spoke, afraid that her brother might change his mind.
When she received a positive answer from her brother, she too was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Now that I think about it, why do I want to sleep with my brother like this?
At first, it was just because I wanted to, but looking back, it wasn’t ordinary. As my brother said, it’s usual for both of us to be uncomfortable sleeping together at this age.
But why for me and my brother?
Was it because I was lonely?
Was it because I missed my brother?
Because our parents passed away, did I search for a place to depend on?
All of them seem possible….
Even she herself couldn’t understand why she felt this way.
I don’t know, I don’t understand.
She quietly glanced at her brother.
As always, Yeo-ul closed her eyes with an expressionless face.
Seeing her peaceful appearance, different from herself who was pondering like this, she couldn’t help but feel mischievous and wanted to play a prank.
“Brother.”
“What?”
“There’s a graduation ceremony today, you know.”
“Yeah.”
“If only oppa had come alone, it would’ve been better.”
Actually, that’s what I thought at first.
I thought it would be a special time for just the two of us as siblings, but then he brought along two pretty sisters.
“Is that so? Then I’m sorry.”
However, I don’t think that way anymore.
After playing together, they seemed like nice and fun people, and I felt good spending the day lively like that after a long time.
Purely, it was a cute lie to tease oppa.
But when she apologized so obediently, something cooled down suddenly.
“Um…what I said earlier was a joke, and actually I was fine. Today was really fun.”
She added that she hopes she can play with her sisters again next time as she giggles.
Looking at her who changed her words so quickly, Yeoul thought to herself.
She is my younger sister, but she’s really difficult.
* * *
A dim room filled with all sorts of garbage.
A man murmurs as he stares at the light coming from the only source of light, the monitor.
“Why…why didn’t that incident happen…”
The incident that should have heated up the whole of Korea just a few days ago.
The monster that erased an entire middle school from Korea and still wasn’t satisfied, turning the center of the city into land where no one could live, despite having a power level of about 3rd grade, the monster who corrupted the surroundings.
There wasn’t a single article about it that could be found.
The only thing that could be found was that one unidentified passerby who single-handedly wiped out the monster.
It was completely different from what he experienced in the past.
“Why the hell did it change….”
Perhaps.
It seemed necessary to find out about that person who didn’t exist before.
Hmm..regressor?