"I'm home."
I closed the door and walked into the living room. Then, I saw a lazy bum sprawling on the sofa, fiddling with her phone.
"Hey."
"Hm? Welcome back."
She glanced up at me before looking back at the screen.
"What are you? A bum?"
I sat down next to her and turned on the TV.
"What are you saying to your little sister? Just so you know, I, Do Eun, am a top student at a prestigious high school."
"Then behave like one. What top student would scratch her stomach in front of a male?"
"Aren't you my brother?"
"So it's a privilege?"
"That's right. It's not every day that a virgin like you can see the skin of a pretty girl for free, you know?"
"Don't belittle virgins. Speaking of which, aren't you one yourself?"
"I'm different."
"How?"
"Unlike you who can't make a girlfriend, I simply chose to stay single, despite having been confessed so many times before."
"Hahaha, stop with the lies."
"I'm not lying!"
"Yes, yes. It's good to dream big, isn't it?"
"Keuk… Just you wait, when I become a famous actor, I will definitely show you who's boss."
As expected of the Do family. The spirit of revenge runs deep.
"I look forward to it."
"Hm?"
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"That's my line. Usually, wouldn't you, like, make fun of my dream of something?"
"Only because you changed your dream so often, like a teenage girl."
"That's because I'm a teenage girl!"
"Wasn't your dream to be a singer last time?"
"That's the time before the last! Last time it was an idol."
"Yes, yes. I hope you'll do well."
"Keuk… You don't believe me at all, right?"
"Of course I do. What do you take me for?"
"A dense man, pervert, siscon!"
"Wait, why am I a siscon?"
I was falsely accused today, too.
Well, if I had to choose whether I liked her or not,
"I indeed like you, I guess."
"Why do you sound uncertain? Geez."
She looked away as if to hide her embarrassment.
"So, did something happen?"
The sound of TV commercials filled the room.
"I quit."
"Yes?"
"Writing assistant. I quit the job."
"Hm…"
She looked at my face for a moment.
I expected her to scold me, but her reaction was more lukewarm than I thought.
"You looked troubled."
"Do I? I mean, I can see that you were suffering while doing that job. But I also know that it's something that can help you achieve your dream. So honestly, I'm not sure whether to be happy or be sad for you right now…"
Despite all the bickering, she's actually very considerate once every blue moon.
"That bitch stole my work again."
"Ah, then it's a good thing that you quit. Congratulations, Oppa. You've finally become jobless."
"Thank you. Please be happy eating grass for a while."
"Am I a cow?"
"Looking at your tits, aren't you?"
She blushed.
"Hey, at least be indirect about it! What are you saying to a pure maiden? This is sexual harassment, you know?"
"What maiden? You're my sister, right?"
"So is this a privilege?"
"That's right."
We bickered a bit more.
I don't know about her, but I think this is an excellent way to de-stress. It's times like this when I'm grateful to have her in my life. Isn't it the joy of a brother to tease their little sister like this?
"I'm home."
"Ah, Unnie! Welcome back!"
"Welcome, Noona."
Eun ran from the sofa and hugged the girl coming from the door.
She's our big sister, Do Ahn—the oldest in this family of three.
Eun's reaction to our sister was so different from her reaction to me when I came home. This is discrimination! It's not like I don't understand her, though.
"Eun, have you been good when I'm away?"
"Of course! Unlike a certain someone, I have always been a good kid."
"Hey."
She hid behind the girl at my reproach and stuck out her tongue.
"Duho, don't scare Eun too much. Eun too, stop fighting and wait while I cook, okay?"
She smiled gently.
Befitting her name, our big sister was a calm and quiet beauty. Unlike that little imp claiming to be my little sister, she always looked so peaceful that it melted the heart of everyone who saw her.
"Eh~? I can cook too, you know? Unnie must be tired from work, so let me do it."
"Fufu. It's okay. I'm doing this because I like it. But thank you for saying that."
"Hehe, it's nothing."
I shake my head when I see Eun acting cute around her.
Noona's overflowing motherliness must be one of the reasons why Eun liked her so much.
Still, if siblings are treated this differently, even I can't help feeling jealous of Ahn Noona.
Maybe I can get Eun to like me, too—or to respect me, at least.
But how?
Hmm, if Ahn Noona is the mother, then shouldn't I be the father?
If I showed my fatherliness, then surely Eun would respect me.
As Eun walked back to the sofa and was about to sit down.
"Eun."
"Yes?"
"From now on, call me Appa."
"What is this, suddenly? Who's my daddy? Shouldn't I call you Ahjussi instead?"
"Aang? Who's your uncle? You didn't even call me Oppa anymore since entering middle school. Just where did that adorable little sister who used to cling to me go…"
She blushed.
"Hey! That was years ago. I was truly blind back then so stop bringing up my dark past."
"I have some photos in the cloud."
"Erase it! Erase it right this moment."
As Eun tried to take my phone and I dodged, I met eyes with Ahn Noona, who was cooking in the kitchen.
"Fufu. You two are really close. I'm jealous."
"Unnie, how are we close? This thing is a devil who bullied me every day!"
"Call it teasing, will you? And Noona, if you want, I can teach you one thing or two on how to tease her. It's quite fun once you get to it, you know?"
"Ara. Then maybe I should?"
"You! What are you teaching to Unnie? Stop corrupting my pure Unnie with nonsense."
Today, too, the Do household was peaceful.