Chapter 11: Unexpected Appearance of My Sister

Awkward. And uncomfortable.

After the commotion in the bedroom, I forced my weak body to stand, hoping to prove that I was alright.

My vision was slightly dizzy, but after a few hours of sleep, I was at least able to receive visitors.

“Sis, are you still feeling really unwell?”

The girl with swollen eyes, Jiyeon, asked.

Jiyeon had insisted I stay down from the moment I tried to get up from the bed.

Judging by how she treated me like a fragile glass doll and her words, it seemed something had happened.

Still unwell, huh.

I didn’t know what Ji-eun’s previous condition was like, but it couldn’t have been good.

“No, I’m much better… really. I’m much better…”

What exactly was “better” supposed to mean?

I didn’t know anything.

To reassure Jiyeon, I said I was okay without knowing what was going on.

She then glared at me with her reddened eyes, as if she hadn’t just been crying. Startled by that look, I insisted I was fine.

If I said I wasn’t okay, who knows what she might do.

“Are you eating well?”

“Yes, I cook for myself sometimes, and I also order food… I don’t skip meals.”

Jiyeon, glancing around the kitchen, added another comment after looking me up and down.

“You look thinner than last time. Even if it’s a hassle, make sure you eat properly. I’ll come by regularly to check.”

Was she always like this?

A younger sister who carefully looked after her older sister.

Somehow, Jiyeon felt more like an older sister than a younger one.

At least she didn’t find me strange.

I didn’t know what Ji-eun was usually like, but it seemed she hadn’t been particularly talkative, much like me.

Jiyeon, seeming used to my awkwardness, continued glancing around the house.

“…What did you cook here? The pan is all burnt.”

“Oh, that… it was soy sauce eggs. I tried to make them crispy, but it ended up like that.”

“You should eat better, especially since you’re good at cooking.”

Was it a mistake not to have washed the dishes?

Seeing the pan left in the sink, Jiyeon shook her head.

She opened the fridge, sighed quietly, and spoke.

“It’s just eggs, and the onions have all gone bad. What on earth have you been eating? No wonder you’re losing weight.”

When she turned to look at me, I avoided her gaze as if I hadn’t noticed.

“The weight loss is just from not having an appetite… eating less.”

“You probably skipped meals again. It’s obvious even without seeing it.”

Even though she grumbled, her gaze was full of warmth and concern, leaving me speechless.

I wanted to say that I’m not really your sister.

That your sister disappeared somewhere, and somehow, I ended up in her place.

The words rose up to my throat, but I couldn’t say them.

It had been so long since I’d felt this kind of warmth.

“…Are you taking your meds regularly?”

Meds?

Jiyeon, after looking around the house, carefully brought up the topic.

She held some small pill bottles.

Antidepressants, panic meds, and tranquilizers—there were several types.

I hadn’t noticed these when I searched the house before.

So, that’s where they were hidden.

Reading the labels on the bottles, I got a rough idea of the problems Ji-eun had been dealing with.

“It doesn’t look like the meds have reduced much since last time.”

“They’re not the kind of meds you should take often. I haven’t been taking them at all lately; I was worried I’d start relying on them too much.”

It’s generally not a good choice to rely on medication for anything.

Back in school, even when I had a cold, I’d usually tough it out instead of going to the doctor.

Eventually, it’d pass, and I found going to the doctor too bothersome.

My immunity even improved naturally over time.

I didn’t know Ji-eun had been taking those kinds of medications, but since becoming her, I hadn’t taken any.

There wasn’t any reason for Ji-yeon to worry.

Still, she looked at me with concerned eyes and asked, “Are you sure you’re really okay? You don’t look very well.”

“No, it’s just… that time of the month. And I didn’t get much sleep.”

It was difficult to get the words out. I felt so uncomfortable saying “that time” aloud.

Being a girl herself, Ji-yeon seemed to sympathize with my discomfort.

Then, she tried to guide me back to bed.

I was so weak that, even with slight resistance, I couldn’t avoid being led there.

And then, unexpectedly, her hand touched my forehead.

“Sis! You have a fever!”

“It’s probably just from washing with cold water… I’ll be fine after a bit.”

“Why would you take a cold shower when you’re not feeling well?!”

“Cold showers are supposed to be good for you…”

“You probably read some weird thing again. Didn’t I tell you not to follow random advice?”

Seriously.

Ji-yeon grumbled and pulled the blanket up to my chin.

It was a bit too warm, covered up like this.

But as the cozy blanket embraced me, I couldn’t help but feel sleepy.

“Get some rest. I’ll make some porridge.”

“I’m fine, really…”

“You probably haven’t eaten anything. Not feeling well and eating only soy sauce eggs.”

As much as I wanted to defend soy sauce eggs, I knew it wasn’t a particularly nutritious meal.

It’s just that Ji-eun’s body seems… fuel-efficient, so to speak.

Even a small amount fills her up.

She can’t really eat much anyway. Her body feels like it refuses to take in more than a certain amount.

Since eating was challenging, I opted for something simple like soy sauce eggs.

Of course, even with my poor sense of social cues, I knew better than to explain this to Ji-yeon.

Saying it might only earn me a smack on the back.

From the kitchen, I could hear her humming softly and cooking.

It was a sense of security I hadn’t felt in a long time.

The first sense of peace I’d experienced since becoming Ji-eun.

Perhaps the psychological comfort added to my already heavy eyelids,

and, for the first time, I fell into a deep sleep.

“Are you awake?”

“Yes…”

How long had I slept?

Ji-yeon had come in the morning, but the sun was now setting.

I felt much better; my eyes were bright and alert.

“You must be hungry. Go heat up the porridge.”

Dragging my heavy body, I staggered to reheat the porridge.

As I scooped it into a bowl and set the table, my drowsy mind started to wake up.

Although it was a simple vegetable porridge, probably made with the limited ingredients we had, it looked quite appetizing despite its mild flavor.

Taking a few spoonfuls of the porridge, I glanced over at Ji-yeon.

I wondered what she was doing.

Ji-yeon was sitting at the computer.

The same computer I had been using for gaming and streaming until recently.

With the computer turned on, she glanced around as if searching for something.

Then, sensing my gaze, she quietly asked,

“Sis, do you stream?”

Gulp.

Caught off guard, I swallowed a hot mouthful of porridge without cooling it down.

My tongue and throat, scalded by the hot rice, screamed in pain, but I couldn’t show it.

It was so hot…

Ji-yeon met my gaze with a look that seemed to say, “How did you know?” She held up a microphone and a small camera.

They’d been neatly tucked away in a desk drawer, but they must have caught her attention.

“I thought it was strange when you suddenly had two monitors. I figured it was just for convenience with design work.”

Why did it feel like an interrogation, even though she was speaking calmly?

“But then, I found a microphone and… a camera?”

As Ji-yeon continued, I froze up, unable to do anything but dart my eyes around like a deer caught in headlights.

“Can you explain what’s going on?”

She was smiling, but her eyes definitely weren’t.

So this is what people mean when they talk about that unsettling smile. Realizing this, I fumbled to explain.

“Well, I saw people streaming and thought it looked fun, so I wanted to try…”

“Streaming?”

“I mean, I play games all the time anyway, so I thought it’d be easy to just turn on-”

“Games?”

There’s a conversational technique where you repeat the last words of the other person to show that you’re listening closely.

I’d heard it’s a technique charming people often use.

Ji-yeon’s tone wasn’t so different from that, but why did it feel like an interrogation?

Her words were probably to show she was listening, yet somehow it felt unnerving.

“I didn’t even know you played games, Sis… Would’ve been nice if you’d told me.”

“Well, you don’t play games, so I didn’t…”

“Even so, if you’d told me, I would’ve at least looked into it.”

“I was going to tell you, I just-”

“I wanted to play games with you too, Sis.”

She sounded genuinely disappointed, making me feel like I’d committed some crime.

Why did I feel so guilty?

It’s not like I even knew I had a sister until recently!

“And the streaming? How did you get into streaming?”

“Well, there’s a bit of a story there…”

With Ji-yeon prodding for answers, I couldn’t bring myself to cut her off firmly.

Maybe Ji-eun was like this too, always letting Ji-yeon take the lead.

But I couldn’t exactly tell her the real reason I started streaming.

I was accused of cheating, so I started streaming to clear my name, but then I found it fun and kept going.

If I said that, she’d probably ask what “cheating” was, why streaming was necessary to clear my name, and then want to know why it was so enjoyable.

She’d probably keep asking, “What’s this? What’s that?”

Was this what they called the “question assassin” these days?

The thought alone made me dizzy.

So, I gave a vague answer, saying I became interested in streaming after watching another streamer while gaming.

Then she asked what game I played.

“A game called EoWor…”

“I know EoWor. My friends play it too.”

Hearing that both boys and girls play it, I felt the popularity of EoWor sink in even more.

I hadn’t realized it was such a hit.

But that wasn’t my main concern right now.

I needed to somehow steer the conversation in another direction.

This topic was a disadvantage for me, after all.

But Ji-yeon seemed to sense my intentions. She smiled and said,

“Show me your stream sometime, Sis.”

You can’t say no to a smiling face, so I couldn’t bring myself to refuse her request.

She didn’t leave any openings.

She’d probably be pretty good if she tried EoWor too.