The next day.
We finished packing and were getting ready to head back home.
Even though we had only spent three days at the villa, the memories lingered deeply, making it hard to take the first step away. Still, we had no choice but to retreat today, promising to come back another time.
“Sister, did you pack everything?”
“Yeah, I didn’t really bring much to begin with.”
“True.”
I asked my sister if she might have forgotten anything, and she showed me a few bags packed in the trunk, smiling.
As she said, most of the essentials were already at the villa, so we didn’t have much to carry back. Just some casual clothes and underwear, really.
It was comedic that even those were provided here, so we hardly had any use for them.
“It feels a bit regrettable to actually leave.”
“Do you feel that way too, Uju? Hehe, I feel the same.”
Looking up at the villa with a bittersweet smile, I shared my honest feelings, and my sister hugged my arm with a smile.
“But we can always come back. Next time, let’s come with Nayun and play a bit longer.”
“Right, we promised.”
“Shall we visit somewhere other than Busan next time?”
“That doesn’t sound bad.”
It wasn’t so much that I particularly wanted to visit the villa again; rather, I simply wanted to escape from the daily grind and enjoy a trip, regardless of the destination.
Honestly, even if we just set up a tent in the mountains and camped, that would be fun.
I realized once more that traveling isn’t about where you go, but who you go with.
Clunk.
I closed the trunk and got into the car with my sister.
I inserted the key and pulled the gear to slowly prepare for departure when—
“Uju.”
“Yes, sister.”
I turned to look at my sister, who suddenly tugged at my sleeve with a cheerful voice.
Smooch.
Out of nowhere, she planted a playful kiss on me and then let go, beaming.
“Next time, let’s come after getting married and bring the kids, okay?”
“…I’ll do my best.”
Her bluntness made me chuckle awkwardly as I nodded. Imagining a child between my sister and me filled my chest with warmth.
Squeak.
With our hopes shared, the car eagerly sped off towards the airport.
The memories of the way home were hazy. Both my sister and I were exhausted, dozing off on the flight and in the car.
Perhaps my sister had anticipated this and intentionally had a driver ready at the airport, making it quite a draining day.
*
What did I even do to feel so sore all over?
Arriving home, I took a quick shower and collapsed half-dead onto the sofa. I didn’t even have the energy to make it to the bedroom.
Hmm, but I still need to turn on the broadcast. I had promised my viewers I would start right after coming back, and I really didn’t want to post another announcement about taking a day off.
Even if the viewers said it was fine to rest an extra day since they must be tired as well, a man can’t just go back on his word.
“Ugh….”
I groaned like a zombie from a mid-series, barely managing to lift myself.
Since I had already mentioned I’d be doing a travel recap plus a short chat today, we could just chat for a bit and then I could log off. Even that would last for 2-3 hours… well, it’s fine.
『‘Cosmo’ has started broadcasting.』
‘Travel recap and chit-chat’
I quickly headed to the workspace, turned on the computer, and began the broadcast.
I hadn’t even dried my hair properly and was contemplating whether to turn on the camera when it was clear that viewers would demand it anyway, so I decided to go for it.
I never really cared about such things anyway.
【Whirlwind Flower 2】- Koha!!!!!
【Moscos】- Koha Koha
【Catfish With Salmon】- Huh? It’s on?
【Neighboring Hani】- Did you really start it? Whoa!
It seemed the viewers had also assumed I wouldn’t go live, as they were surprised by the suddenly turned-on stream.
Did they think I was a two-faced guy? Well, it almost turned out that way, but I managed to pull through.
“Hey, everyone, it’s been a while. Oh wait, that’s not right, it’s not like I wasn’t on yesterday at the villa.”
【Kokkiyaho】- If you can’t even remember yesterday’s stream, you must be tired haha.
【Allfreed】- Just go to bed, CosCos…
【That’s Just His Face】- Why is your hair like that?
“Ah, my hair? I just showered and was too lazy to dry it. I was supposed to use skin cream and lotion, but… Ugh, I don’t want to move.”
Honestly, I didn’t like putting anything on my face. I almost forgot sunscreen at the beach until my sister scolded me.
Recently, she gifted me skin and lotion saying I needed to take care of my skin, and I’ve been applying it, but it’s tough to get into the habit. The feeling of a sticky residue annoys me.
Do I really need to bother since my face is already decent?
【Mushroom Soup】- ? But isn’t the lotion the one your girlfriend gave you?
“Yes, my sister gifted it, that’s true. So I’ve been fairly diligent about using it… But it’s hard to change habits. You all need to keep this a secret, okay?”
I put my finger to my lips, pleading for silence, but it seemed that was too much to ask.
【K-HipHopTopCosmo】- Hahahahahaha
【Octopus Sukhwa】- It’s me, the older sister!!!!!!!!!
【Cro-Magnon】- Sis!!!!!!
【Just Woke Up From Eating】- That guy hasn’t dried his hair or used lotion but is still broadcasting!!
“Why is everyone like this? Can’t we just get along nicely?”
I tried to calm the viewers who were acting like they really wanted my sister to show up, but it was no use. The noise only grew louder.
Are these people literally frogs in a well?
It was clear that to calm the crowd, I needed to quickly switch to the main topic, right when I was about to share my travel stories.
【1st Cosmo Must Protect】- Uju?
“…Sister?”
When I saw the chat from a viewer who had the badge proving they were our top supporter, I felt time stop.
Wait, why is my sister in the broadcast right now?
【1st Cosmo Must Protect】- I just popped in since I heard you were going live for a bit…
【1st Cosmo Must Protect】- But it sounds weird in here?
【1st Cosmo Must Protect】- You didn’t dry your hair, and you didn’t use lotion? What does that mean?
【1st Cosmo Must Protect】- Uju?
【1st Cosmo Must Protect】- Reply ^^
“……”
My blood ran cold. It felt like a knife had stabbed me… oh wait, not that.
Just looking at the content of the chat reflected my sister’s expression, and I stood rigid as the chat window filled with laughter.
【MongooSam】- Hahahaha
【Pink Rabbit】- He got caught! LOL
【Ullari Hirari】- Bye, you won’t be going far.
【BlueBungieWooRuh】- LOL
These nasty bastards. At times like this, they should either lend a helping hand quietly or at least keep their mouths shut to not make it worse.
Grumbling quietly at the viewers who blatantly acted mischievously, I felt a wave of despair wash over me, as I was trying to come up with an excuse.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“…Ah.”
Sighing at the faint sound of the door lock’s password being pressed from beyond the soundproof booth, I chuckled wryly.
It was obvious who the source of that sound would be.
Clunk.
“Uju? I heard something fun and came by, what’s going on?”
“W-Wait, sister! Let me explain first…”
Sister Seo-ha walked in without even knocking, wearing a smile that could rival a demon’s, and I dragged the chair back, trying to retreat.
It was ridiculous to get scolded about this at my age, but trying to resist in front of my sister was pointless—everyone could see that coming.
Right now, my only choice was to beg her to go fetch a hairdryer and promise to regularly apply skin cream and lotion.
“…Hah, bring me the hairdryer before you say something nice.”
“Yes! I’ll be right back!”
Luckily, my sister sighed and seemed to settle down enough to offer me a reprieve, prompting me to spring out of my chair and rush towards the vanity.
I grabbed the large black hairdryer, plugged it in, and started blowing my hair dry…
Tap.
…Huh?
“Sister?”
【29ana】- ????
【Adios Dao】- Why is she taking that?
【Hyang Hyang Hae】- Is she going to hit him with it?
【Lucid Dream 7】- Is that a blunt weapon? LOL
Just as I was about to switch it on, my sister suddenly yanked the hairdryer away, leaving both me and the viewers bewildered.
Was she really pissed enough to use it to hit me? That thought sent a wave of anxiety through me.
“Now, focus on the broadcast. I’ll dry your hair for you.”
“Uh, huh…?”
I stared blankly as my sister rotated the chair to face the computer and began blowing warm air onto my hair with the hairdryer.
“Oh wait, let’s put on the skin cream and lotion first. Look how dry it’s gotten already.”
However, my sister didn’t stop there; she dashed to my vanity, grabbed the cream and lotion, and started applying them onto her hands.
She rubbed them together and then began rubbing my face with both hands.
“Ugh. S-Sister…?”
“Hehe, this is your punishment for not listening to me. You messed up, didn’t you?”
I struggled to find my words as she continued to tease me with a mischievous smile.
If this is what punishment looks like, I wouldn’t mind getting it daily, but I had to admit I was in the wrong, so I nodded.
“Good.” With that, she withdrew her hands, wiped them with a wet cloth, and resumed blowing my hair dry.
“I think you’d look good with your hair tossed like this. Can I try it?”
“Of course.”
“With a little flair in her hands, she styled my hair too.
【BlueRageGame】- This is getting intense!
【Arisa Loves It】- The clean bot detected inappropriate language.
【TWS2425】- Aren’t you scolding him while doing this?
【Just Be Positive】- Are you playing us, CosCos?
【That’s It, Cosmo…】- Stop with the marriage talk, Tenryun!!
【Hounyangie】- Fact: This guy isn’t even married yet, so maybe it’s fine to mess with him?
【Holic Shit】- If you kill him, we’ll die by sis’s hands…
【Lemon Tang Hururu】- I should just go smoke…
【White Forest】- I’m off to unsubscribe, bye.
For roughly five minutes of my hair being styled, the chat filled with insults aimed at me.
This time, I decided to own up to my sins and humbly accept the consequences for my actions.
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