“I’m back!”
In the late dawn, Ji-yeon had just returned after finishing her studying.
Today, she had been so focused that she lost track of time at the study room.
Being a bit of a mood-based person, she had to get a lot of studying done on days like this.
Yawning with her backpack slung over her shoulder, Ji-yeon faced someone sitting at the dining table who seemed to be waiting for her.
“You’re back.”
“Mom, you’re still awake?”
“Come sit for a moment.”
The woman sitting at the dining table, Ji-yeon’s mother, gestured for her to join, indicating she had something to say.
“How’s Ji-eun doing these days?”
“…Sister?”
Ji-yeon was surprised—she hadn’t expected her mother to bring up her sister. She thought she would ask about her grades or if she was short on allowance or something like that.
The relationship between her mother and sister could be described as terrible.
Since ‘that incident’ happened, her sister had left home, and the family had implicitly decided not to mention her.
It was as if she were Voldemort. The name “I Ji-eun” was something they didn’t bring up in front of their mother.
She occasionally talked about her sister with her father, but with her mother, no conversations about Ji-eun had occurred since she left.
“Weren’t you going to visit her sometimes? Like when you said you were sleeping over at a friend’s house last time?”
“How did you know?”
“You get a twitch in your eyelids when you lie.”
Drip, drop…
Is it magnesium deficiency? I should change my vitamins.
Ji-yeon felt a sense of unfamiliarity from her mumbling mother.
Her mother was excellent and respectable as a parent and a person, but she was not a warm individual in the family sense.
Compared to her father, who cared a lot for the kids and maintained the family atmosphere, her mother was rather cold and distant.
Ji-yeon grew up feeling more paternal love than maternal love.
Her sister likely felt the same, whether she realized it or not.
She had no idea her mother was observant enough to catch her lies.
“By the way, about your sister… what’s up?”
“Ah, it’s nothing serious.”
Her mother took out her phone to show her something.
It was something Ji-yeon recognized well.
“Is Ji-eun… doing well?”
It was her sister’s YouTube channel, something Ji-yeon never expected to hear from her mother.
On the screen, her sister was engrossed in a game, her expression serious.
Afraid her mother might misunderstand, Ji-yeon hurriedly added, “Oh, that’s a broadcast. People watch her play games.”
“Looks like it. I checked, and Ji-eun seems to have a lot of fans.”
“Yeah… she is the most popular among those who stream.”
“She better be, she’s my daughter.”
Under normal circumstances, she would have excitedly continued bragging about her sister.
But her mother’s wistful expression made Ji-yeon grow silent.
“Can you tell Ji-eun something for me?”
After a moment of hesitation, her mother continued.
“Tell her that Mom misses her.”
Ding ding!
What does family even mean?
It’s a sudden confession, but I am an orphan.
Abandoned from birth, I grew up in an orphanage. There was no family-like bond with the orphanage director or the other kids, but it was a morally decent place, allowing me to eventually step into society.
For me, people with real families were a challenging existence.
As a student, unaware of what was happening, I was often hurt by even the little things.
Children, with their unique cruelty, made me tired in a different way than the sneaky people who gossiped behind my back.
Mischievous friends openly asked me what it’s like living without parents or how it feels to be an orphan.
Without a single adult to back me up, I had no choice but to endure.
To me, children with families were both the object of envy and jealousy.
By the time I became an adult, I had grown numb to it all.
After making some true friends and securing a place for myself, I found I could somehow manage to survive.
In fact, there were a few instances where I found living without parents was preferable to some families.
All these memories are from my childhood.
Having grown up without a family, it was initially difficult for me to interact with Ji-yeon.
But now she had become someone I couldn’t live without.
So when Ji-yeon suddenly came to me after a long time to convey a message, it was enough to shock me.
“Um… Sister. Mom said she wants to see you.”
I once thought about this.
When I first met Ji-yeon, I wondered if I could take on the role of her sister.
In reality, I was nothing but a foreigner occupying this body, and I questioned if I should even call these people my family.
There was also a hypothesis that perhaps I was the real Ji-eun back then—if all those memories were just stemming from my mental illness.
But if that were true, all those memories would have been mere delusions which my imagination isn’t good enough to conjure.
“Okay, when can I go to see her?”
“Huh, what?”
Ji-yeon lifted her head as if she never expected to hear such an answer.
I had resolved this long ago.
I always knew a situation like this would come one day.
After all, since I have taken over this body, it was something I would eventually have to confront.
“Is today okay? Mom seems to really want to see you as soon as possible.”
However, I didn’t expect it to happen this quickly.
Bzz, bzzz!
“Is the food to your liking?”
“Yes, it’s delicious.”
Actually, I wasn’t sure if it was going in my mouth or my nose at this point.
When I first saw Ji-yeon’s mother, that is, the mother of the Ji-eun and Ji-yeon sisters, I felt like I understood where their striking beauty came from.
Although she resembled Ji-yeon more than Ji-eun, it seemed Ji-eun took more after their father.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
So much had happened, but I couldn’t explain everything in detail.
In conclusion, the fact that I was doing well was a truth I could affirm, but more than that, I couldn’t guess how Ji-eun and their mother had interacted.
It didn’t seem they had warm conversations.
From the lack of additional comments on my stiff, awkward responses, that was evident.
“You can stop eating when you’re full.”
But like a true mother, she perfectly gauged Ji-eun’s capacity for food.
With a gesture, the housekeeper cleared away my plate and brought out tea.
It was hot water in an elegant teacup, with tea leaves floating atop. Whatever it was, the scent was far from ordinary; it didn’t seem like a typical product.
After entering the house and observing its size and interior, I became convinced.
By my standards, the family of Ji-eun and Ji-yeon belonged to at least the middle-class or higher.
Why would Ji-eun choose to live apart from such a wealthy family? It wasn’t because she worked in that area.
As time passed in this home, my questions only grew.
“Is streaming fun?”
Cough, cough. “Yes, it’s fun.”
“Drink slowly. You might choke.”
Turning my head to sneak a glance at Ji-yeon, she nods in denial.
That meaning is clear—it’s not what Ji-yeon said. Few people from her mother’s generation would know me, but it seems her mother is more up-to-date than I expected.
“I heard you’re doing commentary on TV.”
“Yeah, it just so happened…”
“Your father loves it. He’s always watching that when I go into his study.”
Hmm, a daughter who does commentary on a gaming channel and a father who enjoys watching it.
The meeting with the father, who I hadn’t met yet, felt like it would be challenging in another way.
“So, Dad brags about you all the time. He thinks you’re amazing.”
“Well, I am amazing in some aspect. After all, it’s like being a celebrity.”
While Ji-yeon chimed in, her mother smiled lovingly, adding her words.
It looked like a harmonious family scene; it would have been lovely if I weren’t the subject of conversation.
Hearing them complimenting me in front of me felt quite embarrassing.
“Ji-eun must be tired; she streamed yesterday too. If you’ve eaten enough, you should go rest. You can sleep for a bit! Sometimes streaming goes on until dawn, right?”
“Yeah, Ji-eun should stay and sleep.”
Their synergy was perfect, just like a mother-daughter duo matching even in looks and personality.
After finishing dinner, I accepted the suggestion and went upstairs.
Worried about not being able to find my room in this house with stairs and many rooms, I was relieved to see a cute sign on the door reading ‘Ji-eun’s Room.’
Left alone in the room, thankfully, Ji-yeon’s consideration allowed me some space to think.
The room of Ji-eun was uncomfortable for me.
Everything from the bed to the blanket was an overwhelming pink, though thankfully the wallpaper wasn’t.
Sitting in that unfamiliar space, I pondered.
Why did Ji-eun choose to live independently?
I had thought it was related to her relationship with their mother, but that seemed unclear now.
From what I just saw, it appeared her mother loved her, even if the expressions of affection were lacking.
After some time spent in thought, I unexpectedly fell asleep, only to wake in the early dawn due to thirst.
I then realized the reason why Ji-eun had chosen to live alone.
