Me and the Tigress Volume 5 Chapter 2 part1

Second Story

Once I finished the quiz that Narae prepared for me, it was already dinnertime. Rangii was sitting stuck fast to my side as usual, with Saehee to my right, and, unlike this morning, with Chii to my left. Did that mean Pyeii was eating with Rangii?

I glanced at the dining table and saw Pyeii frozen stiff, moving so robotically that I wasn't sure if she was moving food into her nose or her mouth and Narae, who was practically eating up Pyeii as if she were a side dish. There was no way Pyeii could eat like this. I quietly asked Chii:

“Why're you eating here? Did you want to eat with me that badly?”

…I know I messed up, so don't look at me like Saehee does, Chii.

“Big Brother, sometimes you're truly tasteless.”

“The Young Master is always tasteless.”

“Hm? That's not true! Sunghoon's tasty!”

…The house sure was active now. I put a meat side dish in Rangii's mouth to stop her from saying anything else that would land me in prison and spoke to Chii again.

“Is it okay to leave Pyeii alone like this?”

“Narae-unni is with her.”

Chii's voice was sharp as a knife.

“If Pyeii wants to stay with you, she has to get along with Narae-unni, too.”

It was true that I'd be happy if Narae and Pyeii could get along…. Except it seemed like Pyeii was slowly, letter by letter, sending something this way. In sequence, they read like this:

[Save me, Chii. I'm afraid she's going to eat me.]

…Of course she isn't going to eat you, Pyeii. She'll just coddle you a bit at worst.

After I finished eating dinner and reviewing everything I learned in school today, I just barely managed to secure myself some time alone by saying that I would study for tomorrow's classes. I liked that the house was more lively because of all the kids, but it also made it hard to think hard about anything. I decided to use this time to organize my thoughts.

Saehee didn't do anything to stop Nyangii from talking with me, and she refused to give me any hint about what the last thing Nyangii said meant. Though, based on the fact that that scary ghost that would happily slaughter and boil nine snakes for dinner didn't do anything to stop us from conversing, I could take her lack of action as tacit approval.

…I know this sounds absolutely pathetic, but the wisest course of action is to do nothing. I have absolutely no desire to ignore Saehee's words of caution and walk straight into danger. The only problem with that is that I can't trust Saehee to not have an ulterior motive.

What could she be plotting by not stopping me? Actually, I can worry about that later. I have to figure out what Nyangii's plotting, first. Nyangii told me this:

‘Have you never thought that you have led an unfortunate life?'

‘I'm talking about your life as a whole.'

‘Think about when Saehee first learned of you.'

She said a lot of things, but what she really wanted to talk about boiled down to just those three sentences. I opened a notebook and grabbed a pen. Because just letting thoughts cycle through my head wasn't enough. If you break down those three sentences, they become like this:

‘Don't you think your life as a whole has been unfortunate?'

‘Think about when Saehee first learned of you.'

The first sentence becomes like this. You've led an unfortunate life. Truer words had never been spoken. …Trying to use more complicated words only makes m head hurt. In the simplest of terms, that statement is a fact. My life is full of misfortune. Let's take my family life. My small-time dad. Sorry, Dad. He's a small-time author whose books don't sell well. I want to end it here, but he comes from a line of guardians, the people who took care of Rangii's seal. He apparently hated this so much that he ran from home and never looked back. I don't want to talk about his personality. He's a weirdo, through and through. Then next is my mom. She's a terrifying personage. She's an extremely competent negotiator who likely still attracts suitors from all across the world by the truckload. She used to only help people who were in bad financial straits, so her income wasn't particularly high. Though that got a lot better recently. Those two met and produced me. Mom took a small break from work when I was young, but it takes a lot of money to raise a kid in Korea. In the end, Mom started working again when I was a kid, and I have hardly any memories of her being at home. Because of that, I led a rough childhood and even ended up seriously hurting the person I hold most dear in my heart. However, if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't be the person I am today.

After that happened, I stayed at my auntie's home, squabbling with my abnormal cousins, before returning home and living a typical life until I met Rangii. These are my memories of my short life. Now, for Nyangii's hint. Think about when Saehee must have first learned of me.

Mom took me as a new-born infant to Rangii. This probably—no—definitely means that Saehee was there. Saehee first me me when I was an infant. Me as an infant and latest in the line of guardians. So let's go back to the beginning.

What was Nyangii trying to tell me?

Right then. I felt something click in my head. Something that could be called inspiration brushed past my head. So fast was this flash that I couldn't grab a hold of it. However, the remnants of its passage remained in my brain.

“….”

This tickling sensation in my brain was maddening. Like when a word's on the tip of your tongue. The feeling that, if you can just capitalize on this chance, that problem you've been struggling with will be solved in an instant. I concentrated, trying to figure out the meaning behind that trace, when….

[Knock knock.]

My concentration faltered. Likely because of the words floating in front of me. I sighed deeply before turning my head towards the door. The door was cracked open, Pyeii's red eye peering back at me through the gap. I stretched while still sitting and said:

“Whaaaat's uuuup?”

[…Is life bring you down?]

Don't look at me like a dog that's been abandoned by its owner, Pyeii.

“Am I not even allowed to stretch?”

[Can't have a rabbit and eat it too; or you'll be killed.]

“Killed by whom?!”

[Killer Rabbit.] (tn: Monty Python joke. Holy Hand Grenade!)

…It's best to not remember unpleasant memories.

“So what do you want? If you have something to say, then come in.”

Pyeii had a particularly worried look on her face when she wrote:

[You aren't studying?]

…What good manners she has.

“I just finished.”

[Just 30 minutes and gave up.]

It's been 30 minutes?

“It was a much longer 30 minutes for me.”

[If that happened when playing video games, I'd conquer the world.]

“Why're you so obsessed with conquering the world?”

“Roma.”

Boys, conquer Roma! Coming from a phantom who's several centuries years old. It was actually pretty catchy.

“All right, just get in. Someone would think you're spying on me like that.”

[Exhibitionist?]

“More like you're a voyeur.”

Pyeii entered my room with a smile on her face. She had on her usual sleepwear.  Those pajamas, far too indecent for a child to wear, caused my eyes to naturally gravitate towards her breasts, a phenomenon I was hard-pressed to stop.

[…Lewd.]

So difficult was this task that I failed.

“I was just enjoying the sight of an adorable little girl and…sorry.”

Even as I was saying that, I could tell that I should stop.

[I'm cute.]

That was a declarative statement, not a question.

“Yeah, you're cute.”

[I'm sexy.]

“That not so much.”

[I have the talisman. Use it now?]

“Please, for the love of all that's holy, only use it for school.”

[Tch.]

Give me a break. If you become an adult while dressed like that, my sanity would go up in smoke. Along with my life. In order to prevent such a terrible future from coming true, I changed the subject.

“But why'd you decide to visit me before you go to sleep?”

Pyeii turned her head from side to side wordlessly before opening my closet without even asking, and then taking out my futon and my blanket. She spread them on the floor and burrowed under the covers.

[Come on.] (tn: She wrote this in English.)

After going through something like this so many times, I felt something within me begin to erode. However, I was still able to respond normally.

“If you're gonna go to sleep, then go to Chii.”

Pyeii pouted.

[Chii, a bad girl.]

She must be sulking because of what happened during dinner.

[I won't sleep with her tonight.]

Is that why you don't have your doll? But still. Me aside, there's one more hurtle you'll have to surpass before you can sleep with me. Narae has pulled Rangii off me by the scruff of her neck more than once.

[Also, this is punishment.]

“Punishment?”

Pyeii had an evil smile on her face that looked all too good on her when she pointed at the dark night sky visible through the window. Then, to my utter disbelief, rain began to fall. That was surprising.

“How'd you know that would happen? Did you catch the weather station before this?”

[My hair's heavy, so harder to move. When it's like this, it'll rain.]

Pyeii then spun her twintails for me to see. As she said, her hair seemed to be moving slower than normal. So you can predict the weather like that. Could this be the reason why birds fly lower when it rains? Or, wait, do they fly lower so that they can catch the bugs that are there? I didn't study up on this, so I had no way of knowing.

The streaks of rain that seemed to have been caused by Pyeii's pointed finger began to grow fatter. It was safe to say that it would be pouring rain tonight. It should be nice and cool when I sleep, then. While I was thinking this, Pyeii raised one side of the blanket and patted the mattress.

[It'll start soon. Hurry and come in.]

First, I had to hurry up and kick her out of my room. If Narae were to enter, it would probably end with Pyeii being forced out of my room, but she would also likely hit me once before that. I was about to open my mouth, when flash! A flash of lightning was visible through the window. At the same time, I heard the patting of Pyeii's hand against the mattress get markedly louder.

[Hurry up.]

…And her words were larger, too. Was she scared of lightning, too? While I was thinking that, the rumbling of thunder that always follows lightning sounded out around us. It must have been especially far away, because it wasn't very loud, but Pyeii curled her torso forward and shrieked as she covered her ears and closed her eyes.

“Heek?!”

…So she really was afraid of it. Who was punishing whom, exactly? When the sound of thunder dissipated, Pyeii opened her now tear-filled eyes and beat on the mattress as if it were a drum.

[Hurry. Hurry here. I'm gonna cry. If you don't come here, I'm gonna cry.]

That truly is the scariest threat in the world. There's nothing you can do once a kid starts crying. I sighed, then got off my chair and took a seat under the blanket. At the same time that I did that, Pyeii hugged me tightly by the waist. She was genuinely scared.

“How do you normally get through a thunderstorm, then?”

[Chii, hug tight.]

…I guess being scared together is better than being scared alone.

“But is it okay to leave Chii alone?”

[Like I said: punishment.]

That brat. She must really be holding a grudge over what happened during dinnertime. Otherwise, she wouldn't leave Chii alone during a thunderstorm, especially when she knew how scared Chii was of them. Though, from another lens, this showed how much faith Pyeii had that Chii wouldn't leave her even after doing something like…. Sorry. Such a calculation would be too much for her. This petulant little brat wasn't thinking anything like that in the slightest. But now wasn't the time to be worrying about Chii. Because I was in a tough spot, too. According to Pyeii, all bird phantoms have large breasts. And the truth was that both Chii and Pyeii had large breasts that didn't belong on children. Those breasts sometimes make them look strangely mature to the point where I, ever so occasionally, see them not as children but as women. Like now. Pyeii was clinging tightly to my arm due to the thunderstorm. Clinging far too tightly. Her breasts! And her thighs! Hey! Don't bring your butt closer to me just because of a bit of lightning!

“Whatever. Just don't get so close to me.”

I gave Pyeii a small push on her forehead with my free right hand. Pyeii's head bent back, and she frowned, pouting.

[You bloodless, tearless demon!]

“You've seen me bleed before.”

[Blood pack.]

“Prepared for everything, huh?”

[You said it, not me.]

I chuckled and lowered my hand. Pyeii rubbed her forehead, then moved her hand to rest it on my forehead.

“You gonna push me?”

She didn't respond to my joke.

[Did it hurt?]

Pyeii felt my scarless forehead. Though that shouldn't be a surprise. Since she hit me on the side of my head, not my forehead. However, I got the feeling that she was content with just my forehead, because she would've had to reach farther to touch the area she hit. I did my best to be serious even as these half-muddled thoughts filled my head.

“It did.”

The only I could hear was the constant downpour of the rain against the window. I didn't like seeing Pyeii so apologetic.

“If you're that bothered by it, you can just apologize.”

[…Timing is everything. Never the right time.]

…Because, after that, Narae almost killed me.

“Are you blaming me for that?”

[Yeah.]

“You do want to apologize, don't you?”

[That's one thing, this is another.]

After creating those words out of smoke, she cut through them with her hand. Indeed, you brat.

[So I'm sorry. It was my fault.]

“It was an accident.”

[Next time, it'll be on purpose.]

“Don't!”

It seriously hurt! Like, a lot!! I was about to say something else, but the sight of Pyeii with her head down as she laughed silently, her shoulders bouncing up and down, was too enjoyable. Besides, she was probably kidding.

“…Awoooo. How could you leave me so you could chat away with Big Brother?”

Hm? I turned to look at the door, and there was Chii. Except she wasn't alone. She was with Rangii. Chii was clinging to Rangii's back. This was apparently the first time Rangii had to deal with something like this, because she looked uncomfortably towards me and waved her hands.

“Sunghoon. Take Chii of me. She's holding on tight, and she won't let go.”

“Awoooo, Rangii-nim. If you leave me alone, Big Brother will get mad at you.”

“…Why would I get mad at Rangii?”

I gave a small sigh. At the same time, lightning struck.

“Kyawoooo!”

“Unyaa?!”

Chii, surprised by the lightning, wrapped her arms tightly around Rangii's neck, which in turn caused Rangii to jump. I didn't have the time to worry about anyone else. Because Pyeii, no longer satisifed with just straddling my arm, was now clinging to my torso.

“Don't get so close!” I shouted.

“Remove yourself!” Rangii shouted.

[Can't hear you.]

“Awooo. I'm holding on to you because I'm still young, Rangii-nim.”

“The heck do you mean you couldn't hear me?”

“I-I'm young, too!”

It was complete chaos. It looked as though Rangii was carrying Chii on her back as she walked heavy-footed towards me. When she almost made it to me, there was a flash of lightning, and an immediate roar of thunder shook the earth.

“Kyawooo!”

Chii dropped off Rangii and immediately dove under the covers, taking up the free space on my right side. Though I was stuck in place, the two quivering birds made me unable to escape. I could only comfort them. I put my arms around Chii and Pyeii's shoulders and said:

“Lightning can't hit you inside the house, so don't be so afraid.”

“Awooo, that isn't the problem.”

[Insensitive.]

Be glad I'm so insensitive, you brat. If I weren't, then there's no way I could keep my cool when you two are clinging to me like this.

“Uuuu….”

And there was a tiger who was unable to keep her cool. Rangii pouted fiercely, her fists clenched and her voice sounding as if she were on the verge of tears when she shouted at Chii and Pyeii.

“Sunghoon is my husband!”

Why don't you go drink some more milk before you say something like that.

“If you two are like that, then is there not no place for me to go?!”

“Rangii-nim, you must give him up to us.”

[Because older sister.]

Now would be the perfect time to say, “Gotcha!”

“Guh.”

There was no way Rangii, with her childlike naïveté, could beat those two in an argument. Realizing that they had a point but not wanting to agree, Rangii couldn't figure out what to say and simply stomped in place. Part of me wanted to keep watching this adorable display, but my desire to hug her was far stronger.

“What're you doing? There's an open space right here.”

I pointed at my lap.

“Okay!”

It was raining outside, but it was as though the sun was shining on Rangii's face. Rangii trotted towards me, raised the blanket, and sat with her butt against my thighs. …Heavy. And cramped. And stiflingly hot.

“Awooo, Rangii-nim. There isn't enough space. It's cramped.”

[Place to sit, place to not sit.]

“Uuu? That's for me to say! Sunghoon was mine since before you two came!”

Since when was that the case? That aside, I know kids can go to sleep even while bickering, but why do they have to do it here? What am I, their toy?

“Are you not enjoying yourself?”

[“Heek?!”]

After the variety of awful acts she had done to Chii and Pyeii, Saehee's sudden appearance caused the two to tremble. Saehee appeared behind me. I didn't even have to turn around to know. And because she had her arms wrapped around my neck as she blew softly into my ear while pressing her soft breasts against my back! This caused Chii and Pyeii immense confusion: they desperately wanted to cling to me because of the thunderstorm outside, but this also meant sticking close to Saehee. She was doing this on purpose because Chii and Pyeii were verbally besting Rangii, wasn't she?

“Not at all. I simply thought that you might enjoy being surrounded on all sides by beautiful girls, so I came here.”

Like Saehee said, in front of me was Rangii, on either side of me were Chii and Pyeii, and behind me was Saehee. However, while she was certainly a beauty, Saehee couldn't call herself a girl of all things. Because I would much prefer having Narae clinging to me from behind!

…Wait. The second I thought of Narae, I realized Saehee said something that I couldn't ignore.

“Enjoying what exactly?”

“Obviously, I was referring to your repaying your debt after mistreating the Master so.”

There's always some hidden meaning whenever she says something so simple. Like when she deliberately keeps quiet because I'll be figuring out what she really meant very quickly.

“Hey, Sunghoon. Have you seen where the kids went?”

Yep. Exactly like now.

Narae sae me like the king of some land, with Rangii sitting on my lap, Chii and Pyeii at my sides, and Saehee hugging me from behind.

Chapter end