Chapter 24

In short, the three of us went to the front of the local shop.

We bought some snacks because it's nice to sit at a table empty-handed. We also bought a can or two of beer.

"Cheers! Now I can finally live."

"Sister Jinbi, you're acting like an old man."

"Hey, you should get a job and get your degree. You'll realise how precious that beer is."

Geum-bi laughed coldly as she drank her dark beer, and I laughed absurdly as I listed the sweets.

Meanwhile, Soo-jung nodded in silent sympathy, then turned to Geum-bi and asked what had happened.

"Geum Bi, you said you had an appointment, right? Can you go out with us like this?"

"Nothing, I just... I thought my mobile phone had fallen in front of the house and I was looking for it."

"Huh? Isn't that a big problem? We should go and look for it right now!"

"OK, OK, it's either on the balcony or inside my house. I remember you said you'd check the time before you came in."

"That's good, but look for it as soon as you get back and call someone if they've picked it up."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, what were you saying before, big sister?"

After a short chat, Geum Bi put his beer can down and looked at Soo Jung.

There was no sign of laughter in his eyes, and I swallowed hard.

"I was just going to tell the Earth."

"What, I wasn't supposed to hear about it?"

"No, not really, but..."

"Then tell me. I don't want to be bullied if I don't know, or if I do."

Geumbi looked back and forth between me and Soo-jung.

She seemed to be trying to convince us that her words included not only the current news, but also the past.

She sighed and drank the fruit beer.

She drank it in one gulp and put the can on the table with a splash.

"Mum said there was one in our family, adopted... remember?"

"How could I forget, of course I remember."

"Because I'm the oldest, so I have a vague memory... maybe when you were little or when your mum was pregnant."

"Yes, I think so too. I also have a vague memory of Hwayeon."

"That's why, at first, I thought it was you or me, because the only thing I had vague memories of was the two of us."

After saying this, Crystal looked at Geumbi for a moment.

She had been awkward in front of her because she was worried about hurting his feelings.

"Hmph~ Well?"

"Huh?"

"I'm listening to you, so what's next?"

"No, Goldie, are you all right?"

"What?"

"Are you saying there's a chance you'll be adopted?"

But Geum-Bi, who was actually the person being talked about, looked a bit shocked, and both Soo-Jung and I looked at her in surprise.

"No, sis, I'm not an idiot, I had already guessed that.Apart from my brothers, we're the only two suspects, isn't it obvious?"

"Oh really? You already knew?"

"Especially since you've been acting so weirdly towards me ever since that day. You're a real idiot if you can't tell, Chit."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to avoid you on purpose.

"It doesn't matter. We've been over this before, and now I understand."

Geum-Bi took the beer can from her hand.

Soo-jung smiled and gave it a gentle squeeze, and the two sisters officially started to get along in front of me.

They said they'd made up in private, but it's still nice to see it in front of me.But can't I slap her too?

I felt like a bully, so I drank my national beer on my own.

Hmm, maybe I should have chosen an imported beer, but this subtle flavour is my favourite.

"Now, back to the matter at hand, why did you interpose the earth there, sis?"

Goldie, whose tastes were different to mine, liked things that were obvious rather than subtle.

When our respective tins were half empty, we ate our dry snacks and got down to business.

"This one's not so obvious either... it's just a hunch, OK?"

"OK, I'll take that into account and listen."

"Do you have any memories of when you were a child, roughly how old?"

"I remember primary school, but kindergarten is a bit of a blur."

"What about you?"

"If I had to guess, the youngest I remember is when I was three. I remember crying because I hid sweets in the fridge."

I'm a bit older, though, as I remember sneaking them out afterwards.

She even remembers Geumbi taking half of everything from her because of her problem.

"It's just that I can't remember any other day.

I guess that's how childhood memories are.

We can remember one special day, but most of the other 365 days of the year are lost in our minds.

As if she knew what I was thinking, Soo-Jung nodded in agreement.

"Me too. That's why, unlike Hwayeon and Mokhee, you... your memories are a bit hazy."

"So you're saying that I'm a suspect too, but you said last time that you don't think it's anyone other than Geumbi?"

"Yes, because I definitely remember you when you were a baby.But... now I think about it, I don't remember her when she was pregnant with you."

"What difference does it make... I see."

I wondered if there was any difference between being a newborn and a foetus, but I soon realised that there was a big difference.

I had talked to my sister before, and she said that it's possible that we were adopted when we were very young, when we were babies with no memory.

None of the five of us remember living in an institution or anything like that, so it makes more sense."

He says that even de facto adoptions tend to favour younger children over older ones.

Geum-Bi nodded in agreement and Soo-Jung stuttered as he ate his prawn snack.

"Terra, if you were in Mum's tummy... I was two or three at the time, so I don't remember much..."

"Are you saying you don't know if your mum's tummy was full or not?"

"Well, I don't think they took her to the hospital when she gave birth because Geumbi and I were very young. I don't have any photos of her... I was embarrassed and didn't take many photos when she was pregnant."

"So there's no proof. That's true..."

"Moo, of course, that doesn't mean you're unconditional, so I wasn't sure if I should tell you... until today, haha."

Suzy let out a long sigh, feeling many emotions.

I don't know if she was relieved to have got rid of a big problem or if she was uncomfortable because she was causing us worry.

Either way, it was clear that I was now involved in the incident.

"Sister, is that why you drank last night, the whole bottle?"

"Mmm. I was thinking about it, but I couldn't think about work... and then I heard something, hehe."

"Wait, what are you talking about, Jinbi?""What are you talking about?"

"Crystal, she opened the bottle of liqueur I hid in the fridge. I can't believe you got so drunk so quickly."

"When I came back, I couldn't see the ground, and you were in your room, so I decided to have a drink or two... hehe."

Geum-bi shook her head, and Soo-jung sobbed and begged for understanding.

But I was still shocked to learn that she had finished the bottle of drink all by herself.

"No, wait a minute, you don't usually drink a lot, but you drank the whole bottle by yourself? You didn't feel bad?"

"What's she talking about? Why is she weak to drink? For a start, she has the same genes as me... Oh, you're not sure now?"

"You were always the one who criticised me when I went out drinking..."

"That's because she's the one who drinks the most. Look at her now, she's already opened two cans."

I looked at Geumbi, and Soo-jung looked away, surprised.

However, I could see her sliding the empty cans off the table, not the one she was holding.

"Sister... I see. I was wrong."

"Hmph?! Actually, I don't drink alcohol. I'm just eating this because it's sweet and delicious."

"Sister, why pretend to be weak in front of him?"

"But I'll lose my reputation if I'm seen with you."

"You said it yourself... Terra, take this seriously. You're the only one who drinks jelly in our house; you used to play when you were in the army and you never won?"

"Hey, Yang Geum-bi, don't be silly, Chee-it."

I never thought of my sisters as drunks, but they were old enough.

You two are pretty drunk... Is it because you chose imported beer because it has more alcohol than domestic beer?

On that subject, neither of you has ever been in a relationship, or maybe that's why you're drinking?

I was worried that my sisters' social experience was one-sided, so I took a few more sips of beer.

I still had a long way to go to catch up with Geumbi, who was opening his second can after Soo-jung.

"Ha-ha! So... what are we going to do now, sis?"

"Huh? What?"

"You said that after me, even the Earth is under suspicion. Are we going to let it stay that way?"

"So what other options do you have?"

"There's only one option. Call your mum."

"Eh? Oh, no! She's already busy with the hospitalisation... I don't want her worrying about our problems."

"Is this just our problem? Technically, it's a family problem, and besides, she started the fire, so I think she deserves all the pressure."

"Pressure from my mum... Didn't I tell you not to say that last time?"

"Whatever the word, the point is that we need to talk to her. Tell her the truth or tell her when you're coming home."

"Don't make it sound so easy. I'm sure she's been thinking about it for a while."

"So we're going to get her to come clean and tell us everything?"

"That's what she was going to do, but she had an accident and it was postponed."

"Haah, it's frustrating. Are you Mother Teresa or Mother Teresa? You have the world to yourself."

"That's what I'm saying, Goldie, you're family and you're so inconsiderate, huh."

Soo-jung wants to avoid adding to the worries of her mother, who is in hospital abroad, while Geum-bi wants to encourage her to return as soon as possible, which is the solution to the problem.

They had a disagreement about this, and as it was going to be similar to last time, I took the rest of my beer and interrupted.

"Okay, okay. I'm not going to talk about it any more. Mum's going to do whatever she needs to after she leaves the local hospital anyway, so there's no point in talking about it."

"You're right."

"Well, you're not wrong."

"Then say it again next time, I'm fine, so don't worry too much about it."

I felt I'd done a good job of getting to the middle ground this time.

I'm proud of myself for finally being the man in the middle when they both look at me.

"So, Terra, when we come back next time, we'll carry on the way we are now, right?"

"What, I guess so?"

"Then why did you sleep in Goldie's room last night?"

"Huh? No, we talked about it in the park..."

"So you're sleeping with me tonight?"

"Huh? I mean, your sister..."

Soo-jung was the first to speak up.

Geumbi pointed his arrow in that direction.

"I'm also curious. Why does SooJung sleep in your room every day, not just once?"

"Eh? No, that's just... accidental."

"Accidental? Then why did you sleep with her again tonight, even though you'd been drinking?"

"Well, if we keep going like this..."

"How long has it been since you slept together? So, since you slept with me last night, can you come to my room again?"

"No, that's like... a note."

That's a surprising point.

I remember you said it was dangerous because Soo-Jung was drunk yesterday.

"But she's not that drunk today, and it's not like I'm going to openly say that I'm not going to sleep with her... in front of her.

It would be weird to go to her room when she's just as drunk.

As I thought this, Geumbi looked at me, so I looked away, and this time Soo-jung's anxious or expectant gaze turned to me.

I looked at the empty can in my hand and said, "I'm not going to sleep with her, but I'm not saying no either."

"Well, in that case... why don't you two sleep in my room?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?""Huh? What?"

"I mean, the three of us can't sleep together... ha ha."

I wanted to be the mediator between them, as I had done before.

But this time, their expressions were very subtle.

"I don't know if they don't like it, if they're embarrassed or if they're annoyed... I don't know, but I think I said the wrong thing.

But I learnt from my mother that it's important to be able to spot when you've said something wrong.

We looked at each other, silently rolling our eyes.