RE: Keep it in the Family (Secret Class) 191 — Choices

Mia offered a resigned nod, accepting that at least the household's tension would simmer down for the night. A small win, really, after navigating the battlefield of two romantically starved sisters now locked in a territorial dispute.

I watched Mia depart for her room with a soft sound.

A peculiar sense of relief washed over me, amplified by the awareness of my current state of undress. Standing wrapped in a towel in a dimly lit hallway, dealing with two feisty individuals, was hardly a dignified position to be in.

Right, clothing first, then damage control for emotional casualties.

Back in my own room, I put on some comfortable sleepwear and did a quick assessment of my limited clothing options, preparing for any potential need to intervene again.

Su Ah would take considerably longer to cool down; I was rather hoping Mia would be amenable the next morning, perhaps even initiating an early apology.

My beloved Noonas could certainly be intense and somewhat intimidating when angered. Heaven forbid I encountered them both in a foul mood, as that would demand extreme caution to avoid triggering their volatile emotions.

And there would only be two paths to pacify their tempers: an excessively long and forceful sexual encounter, or multiple rounds of excessively long and forceful sex.

Given the circumstances, despite all the advantages, I only possessed a single unit, making the logistics challenging.

And I had two Noonas who required my attention.

I fought the urge to tremble. A part of me genuinely desired it, but my rational mind quickly intervened, reminding me I was no match for two of the most hormonally charged beings on the planet. Yes, go ahead and tell Mia and Su Ah that, and observe the consequences. I had no desire for a suicidal end, thank you very much.

It sounded like the plot of some adult film.

Alright, I would opt for the less destructive and violent resolution.

As I adjusted my shirt, another thought surfaced – where was our mother?

Eun Ha typically didn't sleep through major disturbances, yet this domestic turmoil had unfolded with barely a ripple from the parental side. Yeong Gu wasn't home, so that was understandable.

But Eun Ha?

Sure, she wasn't a night owl by any means. However, complete silence during what felt like a WWE championship bout downstairs? Highly improbable. She had either ingested potent sleeping medication or was engrossed in a documentary, firmly wearing headphones.

Considering everything, the less alarming option was to check on her later.

After confirming Eun Ha's room was quiet, aside from the sound of her steady breathing—apparently, she truly was a profound sleeper—I returned to the location where my unscheduled emotional consultation had truly commenced.

Approaching Su Ah's door felt like confronting a final boss with depleted energy.

I raised my hand.

Light taps. Gentle, testing the situation.

A muffled, yet somehow still sharp voice responded, "If that's you, Unnie, I suggest you go fuck yourself. Literally. Since it's the only pleasure you'll ever find in life."

Hmm, it seemed things were progressing smoothly.

But that wasn't the kind of atmosphere I wanted the Noonas in. "Su Ah Noona." I began as soothingly as possible. "It's me, Jae-il."

A silence followed, one I knew wouldn't persist.

"O-oh! C-come in then..."

Her door wasn't secured.

She was lying on the bed, surrounded by a sea of tears and discarded tissues, a striking vision of red-eyed, yet still captivating disarray.

She presented a pitiable, almost pathetic figure, half-curled and hastily trying to conceal any indication that I had witnessed her emotional breakdown.

"Jae-il..."

"Noona..." I gently closed the door and approached Su Ah, settling onto her bed. "Mia Noona informed me that she and you had a significant disagreement..."

"I bet she did." Su Ah scoffed, averting her gaze. "It's hardly the first time."

"It's not the first time, no..." I concurred softly, my hand instinctively reaching out to caress her disheveled hair.

A bitter sensation brewed in my stomach.

Not pity—no, Su Ah would crumble if she sensed my pity—but rather a dawning realization that we had plunged ourselves into a profound predicament, and now I was expected to single-handedly rectify it while these two hurled accusations at each other.

She leaned into my touch, moving closer.

"Did you say something that provoked Mia Noona into such a state?"

"Wel... I suppose Unnie wasn't too pleased when I recounted, in vivid detail, how your cock rearranged my insides." She murmured.

I stiffened. Su Ah employed truth as a devastating weapon, aimed directly at Mia's vulnerability.

"That... your approach to diplomacy is rather terrifying." I managed, my tone dry.

"Heat of the moment." She whispered, a faint blush coloring her cheeks—a miserable echo of my own explanation to Mia in the hallway.

The faint, almost imperceptible mark on her cheek seemed to deepen under my scrutiny.

. First words, now this. What comes next?

The true, deeply buried dread wasn't that they would destroy each other. It was that they might find a way to destroy me first, or trap me so completely that I'd be begging for it.

My beautiful, obsessive, loving sisters were rapidly becoming more of a problem than a pleasure.

"... I suppose I haven't handled diplomacy well. And neither did Unnie."

I let out a heavy sigh. "Neither has anyone, Noona. Your temper flares faster than your logic. It's the same for her. If you genuinely desire a change—if you're truly committed to improving—then both of you must accept equal blame. So please, for the sake of family harmony, go speak with her, seek her forgiveness, and she will reciprocate, and then we can move forward. It's simpler to accept what has occurred and face the outcomes than to persist in conflict and argument. It's an endless path leading nowhere. Arguments and fights can dismantle barriers, Noona; they aren't meant to shatter people. Words, unless essential, are meaningless."

"It's not simple, Jae-il... you can't expect us to suppress these feelings," Su Ah argued. "Besides, why should Unnie always escape consequences? I won't allow it."

"She isn't, Noona. She was actually weeping when I saw her earlier—it's obviously not easy for her either. Just... take it from me, caught in the middle. You both need to find common ground. Discuss your emotions, listen to one another, avoid rushing, maintain composure, think rationally before acting on any impulsive thoughts, and most importantly, compromise. Noona is extremely possessive and protective of me."

"And am I not?" Su Ah fixed her gaze on me. "Jae-il... you... you don't grasp it. Consider this. What if the circumstances were reversed? What if you had to contend with a brother for the affections of your one true love? That's the sensation we experience. It doesn't help that we must remain discreet, or do nothing but lie low, awaiting your return from your... your training, your competitions, and your world tours. You have an entire world beyond, but for us, you are our world. And it becomes significantly more challenging when another person is competing, someone we cannot eliminate..."

"Hey..." I said softly. "Look at me."

Her head was bowed, but she complied, lifting it to meet my eyes. Her deep blue irises were terribly, terribly red.

"That's the issue, Noona. Both of you have been attempting to get rid of each other. If not physically, then emotionally. But you must comprehend. This isn't a contest. Not in the manner you perceive it. Do you genuinely believe I could possibly select one?"

Seriously, how would that even function?

They desire exclusivity, they pursue it desperately, yet the exclusivity they demand from me clashes with the nature of this entanglement.

If love is meant to be selfish, their version has weaponized the very concept.

So here I was, attempting to broker peace between two of the most uncooperative warring factions. All I desired was to savor this life of mine without it devolving into a Shakespearean tragedy.

Gazing into the clouded eyes of my dear, beloved sister, I doubted how successful that endeavor would truly be…