My Younger Sister Was My First Love

22. Living Together is Too Hard

The oversized black boxy t-shirt was fluttering as usual.

But underneath, I couldn’t see the shape of any pants or skirt.

“Didn’t you wear any?”

“Why?”

“……Really?”

A tone that’s so casual it’s almost annoying.

I was momentarily caught up in the illusion that I was asking something strange.

No way.

That can’t be.

I snapped out of it and quickly brushed past Jihee to enter my room.

My hand instinctively wiped my forehead.

It seemed that wasn’t enough, so I grasped my hair as if to pull it out.

Calm down.

Today’s sudden controversy.

“Do you really need to wear pants at home?”

I thought it was a ridiculous question, but I always wore both tops and bottoms at home.

I didn’t think much about it, nor did my mom ever say anything about it.

When we lived together, we always did it that way, and it was never a problem.

But somehow, my new roommate seemed to have a different opinion.

“What’s going on? Why are you running around like you’ve seen a ghost?”

As Jihee naturally tried to open my door, I used all my strength to block it.

“What are you doing!”

Jihee also instinctively used force, so the door didn’t close right away.

“What’s going on? If you’re going to come in, wear pants!”

“No, why do I need to wear pants in our house?”

“This isn’t just your place; it’s our home, so that’s how it is. Think about my perspective too!”

The fight ended with me victorious, but my face was still red with anger.

It was never a battle that Jihee could win from the start.

“Phew……”

After barely managing to chase Jihee away, I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead.

What kind of wind was blowing that made me come out in my underwear?

When I recalled the pure white thighs I saw in the hallway, I felt my face burning.

It was embarrassing, but my eyes couldn’t help but look in that direction.

It was different from usual, and I’m a guy, after all.

It was too cruel to expect me to remain calm when my first love appeared in her underwear.

“……Brother.”

About two minutes had passed.

I heard Jihee’s voice from outside the door.

I swallowed hard and chose my words carefully.

“……Are you wearing them?”

“Yes.”

As soon as I opened the door, Jihee burst in like a striker dodging a defender.

Teacher, who had thrown himself on the bed like a touchdown, occupied my bed just like that.

Of course, his lower body was still in a state of disappearance.

“…Why is this.”

I couldn’t even look at Jihee and closed my eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

“It’s my business. You’re the one who’s being weird, hyung.”

“Don’t you know? You’re doing things you don’t usually do, so it’s like this.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve lived like this all my life. I couldn’t do anything because I was always watching you, hyung.”

It’s not a joke, but if this is true, the story gets complicated.

It’s a reasonable and legitimate process that requires adjusting to a different atmosphere.

“Anyway, put on your pants and talk. It’s embarrassing.”

“Are you a kid, hyung? What’s embarrassing about this? You’ve seen everything, including adult content.”

“No. If you saw me walking around in my underwear, wouldn’t you feel the same way?”

Do I have to appeal to him like this?

“It’s just that…family members are all like that. Our dad used to wear only underwear and running shoes at home before he got remarried.”

“Jihee.”

I called her name with a hint of seriousness, thinking it might have some effect.

“Hyung, just look over here for a moment.”

As I turned my head, I saw Jihee waiting for me.

Her two hands pulled up the hem of her boxers.

Her slender waist and cute navel were starkly exposed.

Below that, the gray patternless underwear etched an unforgettable image in my eyes.

“What’s wrong with this?”

How can he talk like that without changing his facial expression?

Don’t I look like a man?

Even though I shouldn’t look like a man, the fact that I didn’t feel any sense of shame was crushing my self-esteem.

“What’s wrong with this? It’s dirty!”

“What’s wrong with this?”

As Jihee’s unique teasing tone kicked in again, I sensed that it was time to take drastic measures.

I couldn’t keep playing along like this forever.

It seemed better to respond with equal embarrassment rather than repeating the same ridiculous words like a parrot.

I had already warned Jihee several times. It was her who made me like this.

“Yes. If you keep doing that, I’ll set up a tent over there, so stop it.”

Jihee said it with the utmost audacity.

I revealed my inner thoughts with a calm and collected face.

The conversation ended there.

Jihee’s hand, which had pulled up her T-shirt to her chest, slowly returned to its original position.

Her bright pink lips quivered as if suppressing a laugh.

And then…

……Hex!

My shoulders trembled and a silly sound burst out.

I didn’t want to, but a silly giggle escaped my lips at the unexpected sound.

I guess I was surprised.

Jihee regained her composure and quietly approached me, making sure her panties weren’t visible.

Hoo…… I guess I have to say it like this…….

It’s hard. It’s really hard.

If you’re going to listen, just listen once.

“……Oppa.”

I was about to leave and put on some clothes, but then:

“Yeah?”

“Really…… Hex! You’re standing there……?”

The direction of Jihee’s gaze was quite ambiguous.

Was she too embarrassed to look up? That’s probably it.

I wanted to believe that.

“You’re going to stand there?”

“Hex……! You said that already, Oppa.”

“If you don’t want to see my face, then go put on your pants quickly.”

I successfully “disposed” of Jihee, who had her hands on her shoulders, like a large piece of trash, back into her room.

“Don’t come out until you’re wearing pants.”

“……I’m wearing them.”

Jihee immediately opened the door and came out, this time actually wearing her lower garments.

“Hoo…….”

I can finally take a breath now.

I’m grateful just because she’s wearing pants.

How far has my daily life been ruined?

Jihee, who had come out of the room, plopped down on the couch.

“Let’s eat.”

“Yeah, just a minute.”

We were supposed to have eaten already, but Jihee’s panty protest had delayed our schedule.

“Let’s do it together. I’ll help.”

Jihee didn’t even respond and headed to the kitchen, starting to take out ingredients from the fridge.

“What are we eating?”

“I’ll make stir-fried anchovies. You do the rest, Oppa.”

The leftover beef soup from yesterday.

Jihee had made the stir-fried anchovies herself because she wanted to.

I grilled the salmon I had bought the day before and put it on the table.

A more luxurious meal than what my mom would prepare.

We finished setting the table and sat down facing each other.

“Let’s eat well.”

“I’ll eat well.”

As I ate, I was hesitant to bring up the conversation from earlier, wondering if I should just keep quiet and avoid it.

If I didn’t say anything, would we go back to how things were before? I thought, but it seemed like Jihee was already aware of my concerns.

“Oppa.”

“Yes.”

“Did you and Ajumma used to walk around the house naked when you lived together?”

Jihee was the first to bring up the sensitive topic.

“…Yes. I’m not lying because I’m embarrassed, but I’ve always lived like that at home.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Even just wearing shorts is comfortable enough for me.”

“Then, how about trying to live without clothes on once?”

Was that a joke or a serious question?

Jihee, who had just taken a big bite of kimchi and onions, showed no signs of hesitation.

“It’s okay.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“You’re going to be embarrassed, aren’t you?”

“I’m really not embarrassed. If I just wear my underwear, it’s so comfortable. It’s pitiful that you don’t know about this lifestyle, Oppa.”

“No way.”

“Just try it once.”

“No, I won’t.”

“Aww, come on, Oppa. You don’t know anything.”

“Ah, shut up!”

For the first time, I let out a genuine, annoyed sigh.

“I already said I didn’t want to! You can clearly see that I’m embarrassed, but why do you keep pushing me?”

Jihee’s eyes, which had been calm until now, were filled with fear.

“…Sorry.”

The brief apology was spoken in a trembling voice.

I could see Jihee’s shoulders slump.

After that, Jihee didn’t say a word until we finished dinner.

Neither did I.

The awkward atmosphere between us was suffocating.

Uh-oh, did I go too far?

Was I too harsh?

I was torn between apologizing and staying silent throughout the meal.

I had promised to study hard and help Jihee just yesterday, but now I had ruined the mood in just one day.

Sigh…

But I have to take questions later……

I let out a deep sigh as I gazed at Jihui’s tightly shut door.

It seemed like I should be the one to apologize first.

If I kept insisting and didn’t back down, it wouldn’t look very adult-like, and if Jihui got anxious about this and couldn’t focus on studying, that would be a separate issue.

And if Jihui were to ask if I thought they did something wrong……

There were definitely ambiguous parts to the question “Is walking around the house in panties a crime?”

I thought it was common sense to avoid making the person you live with feel uncomfortable.

That’s just being considerate of each other.

I organized my thoughts and knocked on Jihui’s door.

“Can I come in for a bit?”

“……Yeah.”

As I opened the door and went in, Jihui was lying on their bed, staring at me fixedly.

“Why did you come?”

“I’m sorry for getting annoyed earlier.”

“So, will you forgive me if I walk around in my underwear?”

“No.”

I sat down next to Jihui, who was looking away, and began to say what I had prepared.

“I’ve been thinking…”

“Yeah.”

“If either of us feels uncomfortable about how we live together, then it’s better not to do it.”

“You mean you’re uncomfortable with me walking around in my panties?”

“It’s not just about underwear. I’m talking about our future plans.”

Jihui didn’t respond.

It seemed like my words didn’t sit well with them.

“Is it uncomfortable for you to wear pants?”

“No……”

“But why are you in a bad mood?”

“You said my walking around in panties is uncomfortable.”

“I didn’t say it’s uncomfortable. I said it’s embarrassing.”

“Why is it embarrassing if we’re family?”

That was the only response I could come up with.

“It’s because you’re too pretty.”

It wasn’t a wrong thing to say.

It was true, back then and now.

Jihui had always been pretty.

I could see the dissatisfaction in Jihui’s eyes slowly dissipating.

“……Really?”

“Yeah. So, please bear with it because you’re pretty.”

I thought it was a pretty good way to ask for what I wanted without making them feel bad.

“……One more time.”

“What?”

“Say that again.”

“You mean I’m pretty?”

“Yeah.”

“You are pretty, Jihui.”

I didn’t think much of saying this, as it was something I’d heard from all directions, and it didn’t hold much significance.

“Heh heh.”

It seemed like he really was in a good mood, just like he said he enjoyed being praised.

Is this the solution to our problem?

I might as well study while I’m at it.

“But, oppa.”

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s make a deal.”

“Sounds good to me.”

I didn’t plan on forcing my way, so I was open to a rational discussion anytime.

“You know, oppa, I think it’s a bit burdensome for me to walk around in just my underwear.”

“Yeah.”

“So I’ll wear my pants properly, but can you please not look at me when I’m not wearing a bra?”

“…What?”

Living with my sister is too difficult.