Chapter 43
"Then I suppose I'll take this guy back with me."
My brother rose from his seat and approached me as he said that.
"Eek?"
Then he picked me up effortlessly and tucked me under his arm.
"Well, that's that."
"W-what are you doing? Put me down?!"
My brother waved goodbye to Hyeonwoo and casually started to leave.
I squirmed and struggled, but resistance was pointless when my feet couldn't even touch the ground.
"W-where are you taking me, anyway!"
"Where else? Home."
My brother replied with a question as though it were obvious, and I could only stare at him in horror.
“I-if that's all, just say so! I can walk on my own!”
"You wouldn't go unless I forced you like this."
“But….”
“There are no buts. You're coming back to the family home with me now. And you're going to explain everything to our parents.”
At my brother's firm command, I was startled and struggled even harder.
But my brother had trained under our father despite being a shut-in, and he absolutely refused to let me go.
“I-I know I have to tell them someday! But it doesn't have to be today….”
I tried to come up with excuses to delay the date of my return to the family home, but my brother cut me off and spoke coldly.
"Your opinion doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that I'm taking you with me."
“Insane….”
As always, my brother's methods were forceful.
Normally, I'd have wanted to escape even if I had to hit him; right now, I would've even used a blizzard, but this situation was entirely my fault, so I couldn't.
“And one more thing.”
My brother, who had been carrying me away, stopped for a moment and spoke while looking at Hyeonwoo.
“I'm going to have this guy stay at our house for now, so don't worry if he doesn't come over.”
“W-why do you get to decide that….”
“Quiet.”
My brother once again unilaterally declared that I would be staying at the family home for a while, and once again, my objections were ignored.
“Even if you were the same sex before, you're a man and a woman now. Do you really think living in the same house makes sense?”
“What do you mean, man and woman?!”
I shouted at my brother for saying something so strange, but he continued speaking as though nothing had happened.
“I'm giving you advice as someone with more life experience. When a man and woman live together, crossing the line happens in an instant.”
“That only happens in the manga you read!”
Seeing him give relationship advice despite never having dated anyone himself was so absurd that I raised my voice.
But my brother barely reacted to my shouting, merely scratching his ear as he spoke.
“I mean, there's no way anyone would have those kinds of feelings for a little thing like you.”
Hyeonwoo flinched slightly when my brother said that.
“You think I chose to be this small…? Besides, Hyeonwoo would be fine.”
I said it confidently because I knew and trusted Hyeonwoo.
“Nothing's happened with Hyeonwoo so far, and nothing ever will…. Why are you being so quiet?”
Contrary to my confident declaration, Hyeonwoo merely turned his head away and kept silent like a prisoner.
What's with him…?
======
In the end, I was tucked under my brother's arm as we went outside and got into the car.
“......”
“......”
The car was silent as we drove home.
The two of us didn't say a word, to the point that the faint rush of air from the air conditioner was clearly audible.
“...Why did you hide it?”
When we stopped at a red light, my brother rested his chin on his fist and asked me while staring straight ahead.
“It's already been eight months since the transformation happened. Don't give me some bullshit about thinking our parents wouldn't accept it—tell me properly.”
His tone held a hint of anger.
I didn't look toward my brother, instead resting my head against the window and speaking in a small voice.
“...Because I didn't want to worry them unnecessarily.”
If I wasn't careful, my body melted and shrank, and I couldn't even handle hot food.
This ever-hotter weather was practically designed to make our parents worry about me.
That's why I thought it would be better to tell them at least in the fall, preferably in the cold winter….
“Idiot, don't you realize suddenly cutting off contact worries them even more?”
“......”
My brother's expression and tone remained unchanged as he spoke calmly, as always.
But I knew that he was angry at me for cutting off contact on my own, so I couldn't offer any rebuttal.
“...Sorry.”
“......”
After my apology, silence fell over the car again.
And we didn't say another word until we got home-
“...It's funny, though.”
I thought that really was all he'd say, but my brother suddenly began speaking again.
“I used to pester our parents so much to give me a little sister, but I never imagined it would come true like this.”
“...What?”
My brother glanced at me and gave a quiet, derisive laugh.
“I'm your little brother!”
“No, you're my little sister. If I say you are, then you are.”
“Aaaaargh….”
Despite his appearance, my brother was so willful that I could only clutch my head over his arbitrary declaration until we arrived home.
======
And so, my brother drove me back to our family home.
“Sigh…. I don't want to go inside….”
Although it had been a long time since I'd visited our home, I wasn't happy about it at all.
The house I'd always thought was so impressive now looked like a gate to hell, as if someone were about to say, 'Hey, you—the road ahead is hell.'
Ding-dong-
Of course, my brother didn't care in the slightest and immediately pressed the doorbell.
“Sigh….”
The moment of truth finally arrived, and just as I resigned myself to thinking about what to say to my parents-
“Woof!”
“Eek?!”
The door suddenly flew open, and Boksil, my parents' dog, pounced on me, knocked me over, and began licking me all over.
I-it tickles…. Pffft…
“Oh my…. I'm sorry! Our dog….”
I recognized my mother's familiar voice as she hurried outside at the sound.
“Hmm…? What's going on, honey?”
My father's low, sonorous voice could be heard as well.
Of all days, they were both home….
I pushed Boksil's face aside and looked at my parents, who had come outside.
My mother, whose physique was better than mine in every way.
And my father, whose muscles looked as though they might burst straight through his skin.
Both of them seemed to be doing well.
...Is it just me, or has Dad gotten bigger than before I moved out?
“I'm sorry…. Boksil, I told you not to run up to people like that….”
“Whine….”
Once my mother moved Boksil away, I was finally able to get up from the floor.
“Hmm…. Minhyeok is here.”
“Yeah, I'm here.”
The greetings from my brusque brother and taciturn father.
With neither of them showing any expression as they spoke, they looked like strangers who barely knew each other.
“By the way….”
After greeting my brother, Father turned his gaze to me.
“Who is that kid? They look incredibly young.”
“...I brought this kid here myself to explain.”
“Huh…? What are you talking about, Minhyeok…?”
Mother spoke as though she didn't understand what he meant.
“Well, never mind. I'll explain inside.”
My brother said it wasn't something to discuss out here and went inside with our parents.
“Sigh….”
I quietly followed behind them with a heavy heart.
I wondered how to get through the scolding with the least pain possible….
======
I sat facing my family at the four-person table, braced myself to be scolded, and told them everything.
“Oh my….”
“Hmm….”
Mother reacted with considerable surprise, while Father, like my brother, silently fell into thought.
This was only the third time I'd seen a reaction like this….
“Seolhwa….”
“...Yes.”
Mother quietly called my name, and I raised my head to meet her gaze.
Sigh…. So it begins….
I'd hidden the fact that I'd become a Snow Woman all this time. I wondered how badly I'd be scolded….
“All this time…. Has it been hard?”
But Mother was worried, not scolding me.
“This summer has been especially hot…. With a body like that….”
Mother came over, gently caressed my cheek, and looked at me.
I panicked at her reaction and answered brightly, trying to show her I was fine.
“I-I'm fine! Thanks to my friends, I've been doing pretty well!”
“That's right, Mom. This brat's been living at a friend's house instead of home.”
“Shut up….”
I angrily jabbed my brother in the side for saying something so unnecessary, and Mother gave a small laugh as she spoke.
“Haha…. Seeing you act like that, you really are our Seolhwa.”
“Of course.”
“Phew…. Still, you could have told us sooner. It's already been two months….”
“Ahaha…. I was trying to figure out how to tell you, and then….”
The mood, which had sunk after I revealed my secret, gradually recovered its usual warmth.
At this rate, Mother probably wouldn't scold me….
I glanced to the side.
Father sat there with his arms crossed, saying nothing.
Even while sitting still, those muscles radiated such an overwhelming presence that they made me want to beg forgiveness despite not having been scolded yet.
If he punished me with the strength of those muscles, I, a frail Ice-type, would be shattered without a trace.
That was why Father frightened me more than Mother, but….
“Seolhwa.”
Father must have finished thinking, because he slowly raised his head and called my name.
“Y-yes, sir…!”
His deep, heavy voice made me sit up straight and answer automatically.
Please don't give me an Iron Claw like my brother did…. Please….
“...That claim that you're doing well. Is it true?”
“Yes…. It's true….”
“...Then that's all that matters.”
Contrary to what I'd expected, Father asked one simple question and moved on, saying that was enough.
“If you're doing well, that's all that matters. What else would you need?”
“...!”
Father said it with an expressionless face.
But I could tell that his words were filled with affection.
Thank goodness…. It seemed I'd avoided the punishment I'd feared most: being put through Father's training….
I hated exercise to begin with, and he worked me so hard when I was young…. Sob sob….
“See? You should've told them sooner.”
“Shut up….”
My brother glanced down at me and spoke mockingly, but I returned the favor by jabbing him in the side.
“By the way…. Now that things have turned out this way, Seolhwa, you'll have to train again for a while.”
“Huh?”
Just as I was relaxing, relieved that I wouldn't have to exercise,
Father suddenly handed down a death sentence.
“You had muscles when you were a man, so I let it slide….”
Father grabbed my arm, examined it, and continued speaking.
“What are these soft, squishy arms? You can't protect yourself like this.”
“I-I'm an Ice-type special attacker, so I'm fine….”
“All right, then, let's begin right away.”
I tried to protest, but Father dragged me off toward the training room anyway.
“S-save the Snow Woman-aaaaaah!!”