These Dangerous Girls Placed Me Into Jeopardy

Ugh... damn it, that hurts...

When I groggily came to, everything around me was pitch black. Even the streetlights were off. I fumbled in my pocket, pulled out my phone, and turned on the flashlight. I glanced at the time while I was at it.

What the hell!? It’s already 1 a.m.!

I pressed a hand to the side of my skull, which was still throbbing, and slowly forced myself up from the bench.

Tch. My vision’s still swimming... This sucks...

Just my luck. Who the hell was the bastard who threw that thing!?

I shined my phone around, checking the area. No sign of anything heavy enough to knock me out. So whatever hit me — the culprit must’ve taken it back with them.

Ugh, whatever. Guess I’ll chalk it up to bad luck. At least I’m not bleeding. Just a massive bump.

Turns out Miss Yang was right — nighttime really is dangerous. I shouldn’t wander around like this. Better just walk straight home from now on.

Right, I should grab those signed slips. Without those, I can’t exactly skip night study with confidence.

...Huh?

I was about to collect the slips when I noticed something strange: the inverted pentagram drawn on the backs of the papers had disappeared!

No way — was that a dream? No, no, if it were just a dream, I wouldn’t have come to the park in the first place.

Weird... where did it go? Maybe Miss Yang used some kind of disappearing ink? Was it just a prank?

Ugh, whatever. Not worth overthinking. Thinking gives me a headache, so I’m officially turning my brain off.

Between the pain and my sour mood, I just stuffed the slips back into my pocket and started walking home.

Since it was already well into the night, I picked up my pace. Normally, it takes me about thirty minutes to walk home, but this time I made it in twenty.

I entered through the front door, took off my shoes, and didn’t bother putting on my slippers. The staircase to the second floor was just to the right. I tiptoed up, careful not to make any noise — wearing slippers would just make that clack clack sound no matter how gently I moved.

That kind of noise probably wouldn’t be enough to wake them, but still. Better to play it safe.

Judging by the shoes in the rack, Mom and Dad weren’t home. Mom works as a mortician, Dad’s a surgeon. Because of their jobs, they’re often out overnight. I’ve long since gotten used to it. Honestly, this kind of home life might be why I’m so laid-back about everything.

But my sisters were still home, so I had to keep quiet and not wake them.

I was just about to head up to the third floor — to my room — when a cold voice suddenly stopped me.

“Who’s there?”

Ugh. Great timing... Also, if you’re awake, why didn’t you turn on the light?

“Ah, it’s me... You’re still up, Serena?”

I answered awkwardly into the dark, trying to locate my sister’s voice. I stepped back down to the second floor to find the hallway light switch. If I remembered right, it was by the stairs... Ah, found it.

I flipped the switch — and nearly screamed.

“Whoa!”

She was right in front of me! Close enough to press her face against mine!

I stumbled back instinctively, but Serena stepped forward and confronted me.

“Why are you coming home this late?”

Her face — it was way too close. I could feel her breath.

“Uhh...”

That’s when I noticed something weird.

Her face was as cute as ever — wait, no, focus!

I frowned and looked up, past Serena’s long dark hair. Floating above ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) her head, in bright pink letters, was a strange line of text.

[Cold-Type Brocon Sister (Fake)]

[Serena An]

“......”

I could suddenly see something bizarre.

Serena An — that was definitely my sister’s name. But what the hell was that text above it?

Cold-Type Brocon Sister? What’s with the parentheses — “Fake”!?

“Cold-type,” sure, that part made sense. But brocon? Hah? My sister? A brocon? Not even a drop.

What kind of sick joke was that?

From the moment I was born up to now, there’s never been even the slightest sign that Serena had feelings for me as a brother — let alone anything more! Not a single damn hint! Not even in old photos! Our relationship isn’t just distant — it’s flat-out hostile!

She’s never clung to me. Never said anything like “I want to marry big brother when I grow up.” Nothing even close.

We don’t walk to school together. We don’t talk unless absolutely necessary. Even when we’re in the same room, she ignores me like I don’t exist. She doesn’t walk around in a towel after a shower. Doesn’t wear revealing clothes at home. Doesn’t care about my life in the slightest.

Even this encounter was pure coincidence. No way she was waiting up for me. She probably just got up for a drink and heard footsteps, thought it might be a burglar — hence the suspicion. Yeah. That has to be it.

Ever since she realized I existed, she’s looked at me with nothing but indifference.

Forget that “sibling marriage” crap — if she even invited me to her wedding someday, it’d be the biggest compliment she ever gave me.

And now she’s interrogating me like this? What part of that is “brocon”?

Ah. I get it. That “Fake” in parentheses must mean the title’s total BS.

But seriously, what the hell is this? A hallucination? Did getting hit in the head scramble my brain? Should I go get checked out? I remember Dad’s close with Dr. Wu in Neurology...

Serena noticed where my eyes were looking and shot me a glare.

“What are you staring at?”

I frantically waved my hand.

“Nothing, nothing... I thought I saw a bug or something... Anyway, why are you still up?”

“I just got up to get a drink. Don’t change the subject. Why are you getting home so late?”

“Ah, well... I fell asleep in the park...”

Not exactly a lie. I did fall asleep — it just wasn’t voluntary. I got KO’d by some weird cosmic crap.

Ugh. The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get. What did I even do to deserve this? I was just sitting in the park, putting together some paper slips, and BAM — alien headshot. My temple throbbed at the memory. I reached up to rub it reflexively.

Serena stared at me for a while. Maybe she sensed I wasn’t lying, because she eventually walked downstairs toward the living room.

Phew... I let out a quiet breath of relief.

“I’m going to boil some water. Want anything to drink?”

“Oh, then... could you make me a cup of coffee? I forgot to buy some today... Wait, huh?”

Did my sister just offer to make me something?

That... doesn’t make any damn sense!