Chapter 10: The (seemingly) sickly pretty girl
“I never want to come back to the hospital…”
“From what I see, Unnie, you’ll be here often.”
After thorough tests confirmed no major issues, I paid the bill and was discharged.
Caught eating galbitang, the nurse checked on me every 20 minutes, so I couldn’t eat anything else and had to survive on four more meals of nutritional porridge.
“I need to rest when I get home.”
Sighing, I noticed Ji Yoon glancing at me before speaking cautiously.
“About the house, Unnie… Want to live with me?”
“I prefer living alone.”
The house is big enough, but Ji Yoon and I have different lifestyles. Living together would naturally cause friction, so I’d rather avoid it.
“Living alone can be dangerous, like last time… I mean, anyway, wouldn’t we save money together?”
“It’d cost more, not less.”
“If I handle the chores, would you agree to live together?”
I weighed convenience against discomfort, but the answer was still no. In my past life, I lived with my sister for a year, and there wasn’t a single good memory.
“I think living alone is better.”
“Why? It’s not like we’re brother and sister—it’s sisters living together. Don’t you think we’d get along?”
“We’re not sisters, we’re— Urgh… Cough cough…”
“Unnie!”
Another penalty. I’d lived as a man for roughly 35 years, but as a woman for less than a week, so my gender identity was still a mess.
[The penalties will get worse. It’s only natural to punish repeat mistakes harsher.]
‘Is it really okay to lose this much blood?’
[Don’t worry, your body regenerates it quickly.]
Cough cough…
With so much blood, a panicked Ji Yoon grabbed her phone to call the hospital.
“Unnie… What do I do…?”
If she succeeded, I’d be back in the hospital eating porridge. I stopped her with my clean hand and asked for tissues.
“It’s fine. Got any tissues?”
Wiping the blood with the tissues she gave me, Ji Yoon, with a serious face, declared we’d live together.
“No way. I’m definitely living with you.”
“Why?”
“You’re asking why in this state? You’re coughing up blood and suffering even with me here. What happens when I’m not?”
“There’s a reason for this.”
If I avoid people, I won’t make mistakes. Every penalty except one was triggered by conversations. Being alone at home is safer.
“You don’t need to stay with me. Isn’t living alone easier for you too?”
“No, I’ve always been more comfortable with you. Since we’re talking, can I sleep over tonight? I really want to spend the night with you…”
I’m screwed. No matter how I refuse, Ji Yoon won’t give up. Coughing up blood and looking like a patient left me no escape.
“Fine, let’s sleep at my place tonight.”
“Hehe, thanks, Unnie.”
Arriving home with her, exhaustion hit, and my eyelids grew heavy.
“Wow, Unnie, this is your house? It’s so clean, just as I expected.”
“Yawn… Make yourself at home. I’m tired, so I’m lying down.”
Seeing her explore, I dragged my weary body to bed.
“Ugh, I’m exhausted. Going out is always a nightmare.”
Nothing good ever came from leaving the house. Twice hauled to the hospital, twice dragged to the police station. It’s a miracle I don’t hate going out.
“What am I going to do for a living?”
Sleep faded as reality hit. Looking in the bedroom mirror, I grasped my situation.
“No way I can go out looking like this.”
I need a job I can do from home—earn money, eat, and sleep here.
Internet streaming is out, and freelancing as a programmer requires studying I’m too lazy for, plus I lack the edge. Then, one decent job came to mind.
“…A novelist?”
I can serialize from home, earn money if it takes off, and always sleep here. I read novels during breaks at my old job and even wrote some with decent results, so it’s worth a shot.
“Once Ji Yoon leaves to pack, I’ll start writing.”
Sorting my thoughts, I tried to sleep, but a knock woke me.
Knock knock.
[Unnie! Can I come in?]
“Not Unnie, op— Urgh… Cough… Wait a sec…”
A penalty hit for my slip-up. I grabbed tissues, wiped the blood from my hand and mouth, and told her to come in.
“Come in.”
“What were you doing, Unnie?”
“Just lying down, tired. I told you.”
“Hehe, sorry. First time at your place, so I didn’t hear.”
Her sheepish smile shifted as her eyes locked onto the tissue in my hand.
Crap.
I tossed it into the trash, but she saw the blood I hadn’t wiped off and her face hardened.
“Unnie, are you hiding something?”
“Nothing. What’s the point of hiding? I’m tired, can you step out?”
“…Okay.”
Her suspicious look made me kick her out to hide my unease.
—
No matter how I think about it, Unnie’s hiding something. The blood she coughed up in the hospital could fill a small water bottle.
“Did the hospital and Unnie fake her clean bill of health?”
But seeing the nurse freak out at the blood on Unnie’s gown and arm made that seem far-fetched.
“Unnie… What are you hiding?”
She looked ecstatic paying the hospital bill and leaving, like she wasn’t hiding anything, but I wasn’t sure.
“She acted emotionless all this time, hiding her feelings. Why?”
Questions piled up, but her voice cut through.
“Why’re you spacing out? Let’s go home.”
“Okay, hehe.”
Whatever she’s hiding, it’s not to hurt me. But I needed to know, so I pushed for living together.
“About the house, Unnie, want to live with me?”
“Nah, I prefer living alone.”
“Why? It’s not like we’re brother and sister—it’s sisters.”
Is there no way to live with her? I heard siblings sometimes live together. When I thought there was no way, an opportunity came.
“Sisters… Urgh… Cough cough…”
She coughed up more blood than in the hospital, her already pale face turning ghostly.
She’s definitely hiding an illness. No one looks that close to death otherwise.
I grabbed my phone to call 119, but she stopped me with a faint smile.
“It’s fine. Got tissues?”
She wiped the blood like it was routine. Who could call that fine? Seeing her pale, wiping blood endlessly, I solidified my decision to live together.
“No way. I’m definitely living with you.”
It’s time to move anyway. If her place is small, I have some money to rent a bigger one.
“Can I sleep over tonight? I really want to.”
“Fine, let’s sleep at my place.”
Pushing her, I got her to agree to live together and even stay the night.
Her house was bigger and, as expected, impeccably stylish and clean.
“Make yourself at home.”
Tired, she went to her room, and I explored.
No unnecessary items, just efficiently placed furniture—so like her. But I also thought about her being tortured by that criminal here.
“She was attacked here, right?”
No evidence, just her touched—it was meticulous.
“It’s okay. I’ll protect her now. Why’s she so quiet? Sleeping?”
Knock knock.
“Unnie? Can I come in?”
She was suspiciously quiet, so I knocked. Then, a loud crash came from inside.
Crash!
[Wait a sec.]
About 10 or 20 seconds later, her voice came.
[Come in.]
I saw blood she hadn’t wiped from her mouth and a tissue she was clutching to hide something.
“What were you doing?”
“Just… lying down, tired.”
Something’s up.
“You should wash up. You’ll get sick.”
Her eyes followed mine to the tissue. Realizing I noticed, she tossed it into the trash.
“Suspicious… If something’s wrong, tell me.”
“Nothing. What’s the point of hiding? I’m tired, can you step out?”
“…Okay.”
Leaving her room, I vowed to uncover her secret.
No matter what.