I am back – Chapter 150

One good thing was that we had something we absolutely needed to do today.

Not the bakery stuff. Telling Ga-young.

I don’t know when or how we’ll leave, but we’ll be going soon. And during that time, the bakery will have to close.

Whether it ends up being a week, a month, or several months, even we don’t know.

Honestly, for those who don’t know the situation, it will sound like we’re leaving for good. If it were a case of being sick and moving to another area for a few months of recuperation, that might be understandable, but it’s not common to stay abroad for months on end.

Plus, we have to get a visa for those few months, and I believe it’s not easy to stay on a simple tourist visa for such an extended period… well, I’ve never been abroad, so who am I to say.

Also, depending on the person, that few months might seem less like a trip and more like preparation time for living there.

When I was talking to Older Sister Yu-ri in the morning, our conversation veered towards the honeymoon, so I didn’t need to mention where we’d go, but with Ga-young, I thought it was better to be prepared.

“Where are you going?”

Surely, I needed a response for Ga-young’s question.

“How about saying it’s a trip to Europe?”

Sister asked with a serious expression.

As lunchtime came and we were still in somewhat of an awkward atmosphere, we began to feel anxious as it was almost time for Ga-young to head to work.

In the end, here we were, huddled together for a conversation.

“Europe is pretty far from here. If we really travel there, it could take several months to see everything. Wouldn’t it be hard for Ga-young to understand?”

It’s true, I’ve heard that it’s a convenient place to cross borders while being a region with multiple countries. Of course, I’ve never been there. Although Irrelaysia is somewhat similar to Europe, modern Europe is a different story, and cultural details can be vastly different.

“Hmm…”

I pondered for a moment but couldn’t think of another alternative.

Honestly, if we said we were going to any place other than Europe, the conclusion would be similar. The U.S. or Canada are vast countries too. Traveling across the entire country would take days or even weeks. So… maybe we could just say we’re going to such countries.

To be honest, I felt guilty about lying to people I knew. It wasn’t something I was saying unconsciously or a misunderstanding; we were actually discussing it to really fool Ga-young.

“So, what reason should we give for this sudden trip?”

I asked earnestly.

It costs a lot of money to stay abroad for several months. Well, whether it’s a few months or not doesn’t matter. If we were to go to Europe or the U.S., just the flight ticket itself would cost hundreds of thousands. Even if I sat in the most uncomfortable seats and changed flights, the ticket would still cost over a hundred thousand.

And if we end up staying several months…

Thinking about accommodation and food costs, it could add up to an unimaginable amount.

…Then again, I had the funds available. The wealth granted by the Goddess was still more than enough. If I were to renew my visa and live in Europe for life, I’d probably still have money left.

But even so.

I had already mentioned that I lived with my four friends and my sister, so it was clear I had quite a lot of wealth. But I doubt they would think I had that much. They probably have a vague image of me as someone living in a nice apartment in Seoul, without any clue about the real wealth.

So, if we said we were going on a trip like that, it would definitely raise questions.

If an elderly couple spent their savings to travel, it might be thought of as their last chance to make great memories…

But my sister and I were still in our twenties. If we said we were spending such a large sum on a trip, anyone would find it strange.

“That’s…”

Older Sister Ah-yoon darted her eyes around.

“That’s… um.”

At first, she was slowly reddening her face, but then it seemed she thought of something and froze up stiffly.

At first, it was probably about keeping the promise we made in our childhood. As a way to honor the pact we made to travel together during hard times.

But we couldn’t use that reason in front of others.

It was known that my sister and I were meeting for the first time this year. I wasn’t the Cha Si-hyun people knew; I was a different Cha Si-hyun who was just stepping into my sister’s life.

Only the two of us knew that the promise was still being kept.

I could tell my companions if I spoke. But that would be all. I couldn’t be sure that others, beyond that, would believe what I had to say. Not just Older Sister Yu-ri, but even our mom.

…But would Ga-young really believe that we had just met for the first time this year?

She was a good kid. A thoughtful one. But that doesn’t mean she lived in a fantasy.

It wasn’t a story anyone would easily believe—about a beloved one thought dead reincarnating as a woman, no less, with only a slight age difference.

“…I see.”

As if she finally remembered that fact, my sister’s face suddenly turned gloomy.

“…”

Watching my sister like that, I fell into thought for a moment.

That meant there weren’t many stories we could share. I couldn’t be sure if Ga-young would truly understand just from that one remark, but still, there were things we could reveal to Ga-young for now.

“We, uh, mentioned getting married earlier, right?”

“Uh, ah, yeah?”

My sister reacted immediately to my words.

She wasn’t stumbling over her own words while trying to say something, but her face turned red, perhaps for a different reason than before.

“Then let’s just say we’re on our honeymoon. We can say our wedding will take place later due to personal circumstances. Besides, there’s no need to file a marriage registration.”

I could say it was something we couldn’t do, but that would sound too sad.

Let’s just think of it as being outside of any system.

“Ah…”

Sister seemed to want to come up with another reason as she rolled her eyes about, but it wasn’t coming out easily.

“Why?”

I purposely made a somewhat pitiful expression and asked my sister.

“Are you too embarrassed to say it?”

Of course, I didn’t really believe she thought that, but I couldn’t help but want to tease the flustered expression on her face at that moment.

And, feeling a rush of boldness, I moved closer to her.

“Oh, wait a moment.”

My sister glanced at the shop entrance while saying this, but it was already after a customer left.

It didn’t seem there would be any new customers for a while. This bakery had more customers who came in clusters at similar times for similar reasons than people walking in one by one. That was how it operated.

I wrapped my arms around my sister’s waist. Though I was technically the same gender, I still found her waist to be quite slim.

Seeing as I wanted to wrap my arms around her more and more, I felt I was just another person full of sexual urges.

“Oh, Si-hyun.”

My sister spoke like that but didn’t actively push me away. Blushing deeply, she looked up at me—

Then, with a little bell sound, the shop door opened.

“Surprii—ise!”

““Ah.””

The person who was about to walk into the shop yelling “surprise!” and us, about to match up our words nearly simultaneously, both exclaimed at the same time.

Slowly turning my rigid neck to the entrance, I saw a person with bright pink hair standing there.

Wearing a warm thick coat on top while stubbornly wearing a miniskirt over bare legs, Pia was right outside the shop door.

As soon as our eyes met, Pia raised one hand, thoroughly frozen.

Slowly, her face began to flush red.

Our faces turned red, too.

“What the—what’s going on—ah.”

Dana, peeking from behind a frozen Pia, glanced at us and also became stuck, her face quickly turning as red as well.

“…”

Arna and Kalia, who were both taller and had seen the situation inside the shop before entering, silently looked at us without saying a word.

They had expressions that seemed to say, “I completely understand,” which only made the damage worse.

“…”

And then, still holding each other, my sister and I slowly started to retreat back.

And we squatted down right there.

“That doesn’t mean it’ll disappear if you do that.”

Hearing Kalia’s voice laced with laughter, I covered my face with my hands.

I bet my sister felt the same.

…It wasn’t that I had never shown my affection toward my sister in front of my companions before, but…

Still, getting caught during work made it all the more embarrassing.