Chapter 33 - Moving On from a Life of Unfair Criticism
Eunah unnie came out of the house, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
“Yaaawn… So, what brings you here? And what’s with your voice?”
“Uh… I came because I had something to do, but I had a bit of time left.”
“Really? Alright.”
I looked at Eunah unnie with concern as she trudged down the stairs, still unable to fully open her eyes. However, nothing went wrong, and she reached the bottom naturally, stopping in front of my sibling’s house.
Click-
“Wash your face first, then eat.”
“Got it…”
Watching Eunah unnie, still half-asleep, walk into the bathroom, I headed into my sister’s room.
“……”
“Wake up, it’s time to eat.”
“Ugh… Just five more minutes…”
“Nope, get up.”
“Ugh…”
Ignoring my sister’s plea, I firmly pulled the blanket away. Only then did my sister open her eyes a crack, look at me, and finally sit up.
“…Who is it…?”
“…It’s me, why?”
Upon stepping out of the room, my sister looked toward the living room at Eunah unnie and asked for clarification. Only after hearing Eunah unnie’s voice did my sister mutter, “Ah…” still half-asleep. I sent my sister to the bathroom and, setting the table, took off my bothersome apron.
“…It was a good decision to move.”
“Huh?”
“Make this for me every day.”
“………”
“Too bad, but do it sometimes. It’s delicious.”
Eunah unnie finished two bowls of rice and commented while sipping instant coffee.
“Unnie, are you leaving now?”
“Hmm… Maybe?”
“So, what’s the exact plan for today?”
“Uh…”
After I briefly mentioned our destination and what we needed to buy, my sister tilted her head in thought.
“…Isn’t it easier to go to the hospital first and buy things on the way back? We could grab a meal too.”
“Wow… You’re sharp.”
Following her advice, I hung around the house for a few more hours. I planned to do the dishes, but she insisted on doing them.
We chatted on the living room floor, listening to the rain for a few hours.
“When did you start drinking coffee?”
“Hmm… I don’t know? I can’t really remember. It’s been too long.”
Eunah unnie, sitting in a comfy-looking chair, swung her legs as she answered. She held a fresh cup of coffee in her hand.
“Then, what do you do at night that makes you sleep so late?”
“…Gaming… or watching broadcasts? Yours is fun.”
“…! You watch that?!”
“Of course, don’t you know how popular you are?”
“Is… that so…?”
“Yeah… Oh, right. The one you like… that… that…”
“Chocoa?”
“Yeah, that person?”
As soon as Chocoa’s name came up, my sister, who had just finished washing up, darted over and sat beside me. I held my breath, waiting to hear what would come next.
“…Actually, never mind.”
“Ah, come on!”
“Hehe, I’m not telling.”
Eunah unnie laughed as she sipped her coffee.
Since there was only one umbrella at my sister’s place, my sister and I shared one, while Eunah unnie held a small umbrella as we walked down the rainy street.
“Stop here.”
“Huh?”
Eunah unnie suddenly blocked my sister and me.
“You think I’m walking back and forth for an hour like it’s a school assignment? I called a taxi, so just wait.”
“……”
It was a bit odd, but since she’d already called a taxi, it seemed pointless to cancel. I looked at unnie, who shrugged confidently and waved at a taxi approaching from a distance.
“I’ll wait here, go on.”
Eunah unnie strolled into the hospital café as she spoke. My sister and I sighed and waited for the clock to strike eleven.
“Hello, nice weather, isn’t it?”
The moment we entered the examination room, I heard a familiar line. I love rainy weather. As a child, just running around in the rain or playing with my sister was so much fun. Rain in the countryside held deep meaning—luck for the crops, life for the land, and fun for the children. Although I disliked the rain yesterday, seeing the rainy view outside still lifted my spirits.
“…Yes, it is… Heh.”
The doctor’s eyes widened slightly, but I didn’t notice, simply staring out the small window as I sat down.
“How was your week?”
I talked about things that had happened this week, events with my cat, and various daily matters. The doctor quietly listened, his fingers busily typing.
“…Hmm… Are you planning to visit a counseling center?”
“…No… I think I’ll be alright.”
I knew my heart well now. So, so clearly.
“Okay… Then, let’s just do a quick check-up today… If everything looks good, we can reduce the frequency of your visits.”
“By how much?”
“Maybe… every two months or so?”
“Oh…”
“First, open your mouth a bit; your voice sounds a little off.”
The doctor said, picking up a small wooden stick.
“…Apart from a mild sore throat, there’s nothing wrong. Your muscle strength has also increased a bit…”
“Really?”
“Since it might still be early stages, pick up some medicine at the pharmacy, and I’ll see you in about a month.”
“Okay, goodbye…”
Contrary to the “quick check-up,” an hour had passed, and I was handed medicine and yogurt at the pharmacy before calling unnie. She said she’d wait in front of the hospital, so I quickly finished my yogurt, met up with my sister, and headed back to the hospital entrance.
“Ah… Yes, sunbae… Yes, really. Then, it’ll be fun to keep it a secret. Yes, see you~ …You’re back?”
“Who was that?”
“Just a senior I know. I caught up with them since we’ll meet in a few days.”
The sound was faint in the rain, but something about it felt familiar. Not giving it much thought, I opened my umbrella.
“Oh, it’s here.”
We got in the taxi unnie had called and headed to our next destination. We offered to split the fare, but unnie paid for it, saying it was payment for cooking.
“Oh… It’s been a while since I came here.”
We placed our umbrellas in the holder and stepped into Daiso. Just as its name suggested, it had just about everything. The prices were so low that I’d often come here if I needed something.
Points… Hmm, hmm… A bit tricky to use…
“What are you buying here?”
“Uh… Moving boxes… an apron… and, well, that’s about it…”
“You’re not hiring movers?”
“Won’t it work out? Minyoung, don’t you have a cart in your storage?”
“Yeah, with that… maybe four trips would be enough?”
“…I’ll just hire movers.”
“Huh? No, it’s fine. I’m good with the cart.”
“Sigh… Just accept it when it’s offered. Pay me back with a meal later.”
“…Alright…”
“When are you planning to do it?”
“Ah… I thought I’d do it as soon as the rain stops… maybe tomorrow afternoon?”
“Got it.”
“Unnie, let’s pick quickly.”
“Do you feel like eating anything?”
Whenever my sister had a craving, she’d quickly wrap up tasks and come to me. Since Mom was busy, she’d usually ask me, knowing I wasn’t as busy. I didn’t mind; she always ate happily, which made it rewarding.
“…Jeon?”
“Hmm… I want potato pancakes.”
“Deal.”
“Hey, I want some too.”
Eunah unnie jumped in as my sibling and I discussed our lunch menu.
“…What’s that?”
“A wrist brace. It seems useful.”
“Really? Well… okay.”
“Minyoung, do you have any potatoes left at home?”
“Hmm… not sure…?”
“…I have some at my place; we’ll cook there.”
Potatoes were always a favorite. Delicious and cheap.
We decided to have lunch at my place. I put a few black aprons and moving boxes in a small basket… which didn’t fit, so I ended up carrying them to the register.
“Wow… this place is amazing…”
Our next stop was a pet store, just a ten-minute walk from Daiso. As soon as we entered, something caught our attention even more than the variety of items.
“…Meow.”
“Wow…”
“It’s a cat!”
It was a cat with similar colors to the one I brought home, but much larger and with long legs compared to its short-legged counterpart. My sister dashed over, crouching gently in front of the cat.
“Hello…!”
My sister carefully extended a hand, and the cat brought its head to meet it.
“…!!!”
“Wow, it’s a cuddly one.”
Unnie, seemingly uninterested in the cat, began wandering around the store, while I crouched next to my ecstatic sister, petting the cat.
After a few minutes of playing with the cat, a staff member approached us.
“Haha… Is there something you’re looking for?”
The moment the staff arrived, the cat went over to them, and my sister sighed with disappointment.
“Uh… I’m planning to… raise a cat…”
I shared a bit about the cat I’d picked up, and the staff recommended various items.
“Since it’s a kitten, small food like this would be good… Kittens with past injuries can be tough to bond with, so don’t overbuy right away. Get closer first; later, you can buy toys or larger furniture. For now, just a house, cushion, food bowl, and maybe a litter box should suffice.”
“Eun-ae~ Wave your paw~ Come again next time~!”
The staff waved the cat’s paw in a circular motion. My sibling and I waved back as we left the store.
Impressed by the staff’s passionate explanations, I ended up buying everything they suggested and returned home with bags full of items.
My shoulders were damp from the rain as my arms, weighed down by the bags, made me sway slightly.
“Achoo!”
Only after unnie and my sister helped carry the load could I safely make it back home.
Meanwhile,
Choi Ga-young, an ordinary college student active on Twitch under the name *Chocoa*, found herself thinking about her recent conversation with a junior.