Chapter 22: Wolf

My sister continued hugging me until Mom scolded us for not coming to dinner.

The sight of my sister tightly hugging me, me awkwardly embraced, and Mom staring in bewilderment was embarrassing.

Jia, what’s wrong with your sister? I don’t know either. Exchanging glances with Mom, she sighed and separated us. She seemed to look at me with pity.

Worried, I glanced at my sister. But she seemed fine. I’d been worried seeing her hug me so intensely.

Relieved, I took her hand and suggested we go eat. She seemed surprised by the sudden touch, but she’d been hugging me moments ago, so it wasn’t a big deal. She went to the living room.

Mom had already prepared dinner. She’d done it all alone. Feeling guilty, I looked at her; she stroked my hair reassuringly.

Right. I need to tell Mom about dinner with my friends. During dinner, I casually mentioned it.

“Mom, I’m going to eat with my friends after school.”

“Really?”

“What??”

I’d spoken to Mom, but my sister reacted strongly. She slammed her fist on the table and stood up, then awkwardly sat back down.

“Money?”

“I have some savings. And we’re paying separately…”

“Still, you never know. Mom will give you some money; use that.”

“No… really, it’s okay…”

“Tsk.”

I looked at her reassuringly, but Mom was adamant. I felt incredibly guilty accepting money… my past sins weighed heavily on me.

I couldn’t explain that, so I couldn’t refuse. Refusing outright would be futile; Mom seemed determined. I nodded.

Seeing my agreement, Mom smiled brightly. I’m glad she’s happy.

I’d been worried about money; this solved the problem. I did have some savings, but not much; I needed extra money.

I should find a way to earn money… I was interrupted by my sister’s outburst.

“I object to this.”

What? That’s scary. She crossed her legs, adopting a serious expression, and made a strange statement. Suddenly putting on a strange act.

“Unnie…?”

“Jia, listen to Unnie.”

“Y…yes.”

Her strange seriousness made me nod absentmindedly. Mom was watching her with a weary expression.

“Women are all wolves.”

“….?”

”Except for Unnie and Mom, all women are beasts! I don’t know what kind of women are trying to seduce our Jia.”

She trailed off; I was speechless. What kind of logic is this? I had to snap her out of it.

“Un…nie, they’re just school friends.”

“Even school friends might have ulterior motives. Especially towards Ji-ah.”

“Why me…?”

I looked at her in bewilderment; she continued her irrational arguments. Mom, help me! I looked at her pleadingly; she gave a wry smile.

“Jiyeon, I understand you’re worried, but consider Jia’s feelings.”

“Mom, but…!”

“They’re her first friends. She’ll be happy to have this experience. Don’t say that.”

Mom…? Why are you hitting me? My sister seemed to calm down after Mom’s words. I felt relieved; the runaway train had stopped.

She knew I didn’t have any friends. I’d tried to hide it to avoid upsetting her. It seems my efforts were futile.

After calming down, we ate quietly. My sister seemed pensive or depressed. Mom kept asking about the time and menu.

After dinner, I was about to leave when I was pulled back. I felt a soft touch on my back.

I blinked. It happened too quickly to process. I assumed I was being hugged.

“Jia… let me hold you for a bit.”

My sister, who’d seemed pensive during dinner, hugged me from behind. Her statement was a command, not a request, which was slightly funny.

Maybe I’m smitten, but I didn’t mind. The increased physical contact felt like we were getting closer.

I felt drowsy in her warm embrace. It was inevitable. She’s soft and warm; anyone would feel the same.

I blinked, trying to fight off sleep, when she finally spoke.

“Jia.”

“Yes.”

“Unnie loves you, you know…?”

“Yes, I know.”

“…”

Her silence felt stifling; I turned around. She looked down.

This isn’t like her. I felt a pang of sadness. How do I cheer her up? I decided to just do it.

“Unnie.”

-Kiss

“…!!?!”

“Cheer up. Okay? Unnie’s just worried about you.”

I hesitated, but I did it impulsively. I hoped it would cheer her up. I silently observed my slightly broken sister.

Her cheeks were incredibly soft and smooth.

She blushed, stammering, then returned to her normal self. It seemed to have worked. Though the “wolves” comment remained.

“Jia. Remember, all women are wolves!”

“Yes.”

It probably worked out well. I went to my room.

Morning always arrives, regardless of yesterday’s events. Which meant school.

I wasn’t as reluctant to go to school today. I had plans with my friends; I was actually excited.

I left earlier than usual. I’d half-listened to my sister’s “women are wolves” rant before leaving.

I checked my bag. I tend to be forgetful and needed to be thorough.

I had my money and Mom’s card… I think I have everything. I didn’t have much to bring to school. The check was complete.

After arriving and organizing my bag, I had nothing else to do. I’d arrived early; no one was in the classroom.

A quick look should be fine, right?

Seeing the empty classroom, I took out my phone. Even though yuri is mainstream, using my phone in school felt inappropriate.

But it should be fine now. I sat comfortably and opened the community.

[What? The head mod was impeached?][7]

[Head mod festival lol][4]

[Who will be the next head mod?][13]

What? What happened to Hwajuyeon? The Yuri Gallery always had drama, but this was different.

I was about to click a post when I heard a voice.

“Kim Jia.”

“H-eek!?”

I dropped my phone. Trembling, I turned to see Jihyun.

“What? Why are you so surprised?”

“I… I was startled because you called me from behind…”

“But your reaction was more like you’d been caught doing something you shouldn’t.”

“Ah… no!”

I reacted defensively and covered my mouth. It looked exactly like a criminal caught in the act.

“Hmm.”

Jihyun clearly didn’t believe me. What do I do? My mind raced with desperate scenarios.

“I’ll ignore that you were looking at something inappropriate at school.”

“…?”

“But come with me.”

Jihyun’s expressionless face was normal, but her tone was…

Sinister.