She’s The Protagonist’s Sister - Chapter 3 - Eldest Brother is Back

In order not to get fired, you have to work harder than others. In order to save even a little money to prepare for the future, it is necessary to produce more potions than the quota and receive incentives.

 

“Sigh.”

 

Lee Bobae sighed and checked her status window.

 

Perhaps because she had rested for a while drinking coffee in the break room, her mental and mana had recovered as much as a rat’s tail. Now she could create a potion by raking together the remaining mental and mana.

 

Lee Bobae put the finished potion in the box and counted the quantity produced today.

 

It was a surprising amount, like seeing a tap bottle being filled until it was inflated.

 

‘I’m like a potion making machine.’

 

No one asked her to do it, but she went to work every day at 8 o’clock in the morning and left work at 11 o’clock at night. To put it mildly, the Potion Team’s ace was actually a machine.

 

‘Don’t think too negatively. Lee Bobae, come to your senses.’

 

Lee Bobae shook her head and rubbed her stiff shoulders and neck. Her mana and mental power were low, she was in a low mood, and her speed was not good. A brain-wrenching headache naturally followed.

 

She only commuted home, work and hospital, and worked without a weekend. She prepared for emergencies by crafting potions even on rare holidays. The only reward in life was that the bankbook balance gradually increased.

 

It was truly a life without dreams, hopes, and rewards. If she had the energy to help herself, she’d use it for a sigh. Lee Bobae cleared her seat and left the company.

 

As she swipe her card at the gate and exited, the commuter vehicle, part of her company welfare, awaited her.

 

“Are you going to the hospital again today?”

 

“Yes, please go to the hospital.”

 

“I’ll wait in front of the hospital.”

 

“You don’t have to wait.”

 

“This is company policy.”

 

In the end, Lee Bobae smiled bitterly. The welfare was really good.

 

“We’re here.”

 

“Uh, uh, yes.”

 

I dozed off for a while. Lee Bobae rubbed her cloudy eyes and got out of the car.

 

Most hospitals forbade night visits. But this hospital was a Hunter-specialized hospital, so visits were possible 24 hours a day.

 

She wondered what kind of causal relationship there is with Hunter and the visiting hours, but she had never thought deeply about it because it was good for her who worked overtime.

 

Her tiredness had reached its peak, and her vision was blurry. Lee Bobae skillfully walked to the hospital room, even with uncomfortable vision. She would probably be able to find it with her eyes closed. Because she came and went every single day.

 

Lee Bobae opened the door to the hospital room and walked to the bed.

 

Over the past eight years, medicine had made remarkable progress in some areas and marginally in others.

 

The vegetative field to which Lee Bobae’s third brother belonged was the latter. The third brother’s condition had also not changed. He’s only been dying steadily and slowly for eight years.

 

Although it had a different official name, the only noticeable change was the invention of a bed for preventing bedsores made from a monster called slime.

 

“Third Brother, I’m here.”

 

Lee Bobae called the third brother, who had not opened his eyes for eight years. She reached out and gently stroked the third brother’s forehead.

 

“I’ve only been working today. I really don’t know what living is.”

 

She went to look at him every day, but she did not stay long. It was normal to lament a few words before turning around to go back home.

 

Perhaps because she was especially tired today, she ended up complaining at the end of her lament.

 

“You can just lie down, so can’t you just open your eyes?”

 

The third brother had become a vegetative person after shielding her in a monster attack. Eight years have passed like that.

 

“You can just lie down all the time, so can you just tell me I’ve worked hard?”

 

Lee Bobae wiped her eyes. The tears did not flow, instead, she left the hospital room with a runny nose.

 

As she got into the car waiting for her in front of the hospital, the driver stepped on the accelerator without a word. The driver, who had memorized the road after going around so much, spoke to her for some reason. Usually, they only let Lee Bobae sleep.

 

“Has it been five years?”

 

Although she was sleepy, Lee Bobae immediately understood what the 5 years they were talking about.

 

“It’s been eight years.”

 

“Well, isn’t it time to give up?”

 

Lee Bobae licked her lips. It was better for her to ignore this kind of meddling and save her energy than to respond.

 

“It’s a pity, it’s a pity. It’s been several years. Your brother must have also thought that this is enough. If it’s about satisfying yourself, things like a grave, a tombstone, ashes, those things you can spend money for without the opinion of the parties. It’s not even your own money, it’s company funds. Well, I’m not saying that money is more valuable that life—”

 

Perhaps it was something they had been wanting to say for quite some time, the driver said without hesitation.

 

“You don’t dress up at your age, you don’t go to play. You just go home, hospital, work, what if you die suddenly? You shouldn’t think that it won’t happen. If you talk with Hunters who come and go through rift, the story is terrifying. Talking about a good job, it seems that the skills need to be good too—”

 

Taking the driver’s words as a lullaby, Lee Bobae closed her eyes. She didn’t need to hear what she already knew.

 

It’s better for you to think that I’m cocky because I’m young. It’s good that I don’t swear a you for saying I should let my brother die.

 

Upon arriving home, Lee Bobae got out of the car without saying thanks. The driver drove the car without saying goodbye.

 

This added one more person who thought of her as the guild-funded parasite.

 

A two-room semi-basement on the outskirts of Seoul was Lee Bobae’s house. Lee Bobae pressed the door lock password and opened the front door.

 

“Welcome. Are you tired?”

 

The second brother, Lee Haegi, who was sitting on the sofa watching TV, greeted her. Lee Haegi, who had spoken, looked tired.

 

“Why don’t you sleep, Second Brother?”

 

“How can I sleep when my little sister didn’t come home?”

 

It has already been 6 years since Lee Haegi became the only older brother to answer Lee Bobae’s calls. Despite this, Lee Bobae still called Haegi as “second brother”.

 

Did the second brother know that it contains the hope that the eldest brother may one day return and that the third brother may someday open his eyes? He probably knows. Second Brother is smart.

 

Even after Lee Bobae awakened, Lee Haegi, the smart second brother, continued to work as a porter and a collector at the same time.

 

The reason was that, firstly, he had a good income, and secondly, he had a high probability of awakening if he entered the rift frequently.

 

The eldest and the youngest of three boys and one girl had awakened. No one knew the standard of awakening. However, Lee Haegi’s argument was that if they were awakened because their constitution that was easy to accept mana, then he was likely to awaken as well because they were of the same blood.

 

Immediately after awakening, Lee Bobae had encouraged her second brother to return to college. Every time she offered, Lee Haegi refused.

 

As the second son after the eldest son, how could he burden the youngest child with the burden of the head of the household? He felt like he wouldn’t be able to study with that money. It’d be a shame if he couldn’t even pay for living expenses.

 

Lee Haegi did not give up the arduous and demanding work of a porter. Thanks to this, Lee Bobae was able to prepare for the future with a small amount of savings.

 

In fact, Lee Bobae’s worthwhile savings, were not for herself.

 

She wanted to buy proper equipment for her second brother in case he awakened someday.

 

Hunter equipment was quite expensive, even for basic equipment. It was difficult to buy it without installments even with employee discount at the guild.

 

But as long as her second brother awakened, Lee Bobae was willing to take out a loan.

 

“Hurry up and wash up and go to bed.”

 

“Second Brother, I’m hungry. Shall we order chicken? You know I’ve got all the legs, right?”

 

Lee Bobae, who had been feeling dull all along, complained a little in front of her second brother. The relationship between the siblings was stronger than before, thanks to the fact that there were only two blood relatives left to lean on in the world.

 

Lee Haegi opened the delivery app without saying a word, ordered chicken, and accepted his sister’s complaints.

 

While waiting for the chicken to arrive, the brother and sister watched TV. There was no program to watch because it was late at night. Eventually, they fixed on the news channel and listened to the news while dozing off.

 

— It is good news that the returnee, Kim Hyuk-ssi, has awakened. Kim Hyuk-ssi is the 10,004th returnee in Korea, and the 38th among the returnees to become awakened.

 

— Have their class and grade been revealed?

 

— The Rift Awakening Management Bureau only stated that he is a combatant, while his rating is left unknown. However, it is true that most of the Awakeneds from returnees received high grades, starting with the S-class Hunter ‘Swordmaster’, who represents Korea.

 

— We can expect the birth of another S-class Hunter.

 

— Yes, that’s right.

 

Eight years have passed since the Rift Day. Some of those who had disappeared without trace were suddenly returned. They testified equally that they had been caught in a rift and lived in another world.

 

Most of them were ordinary people, but some of them had returned from a different world with unique abilities.

 

The most representative figure was the first returnee from Korea and the first S-class Hunter, Swordmaster.

 

Swordmaster returned from the so-called Murim. Since they were the first returnee in the country, they received everyone’s attention.

[T/N: Murim refers to the world of samurai or martial arts. Similar to Jianghu in Chinese literature.]

 

Immediately after their return, they refused to appear in interviews or broadcasts, as if everyone’s interest was burdensome.

 

Swordmaster showed off their overwhelming skills and established themself as the first S-class Hunter in Korea and they were recognized as a strong person around the world. They then founded the Banya Guild, one of the few elites in the world.

 

Their unparalleled move was similar to chivalry in the period of martial arts, as they cleared away everything that hindered their path, but no one dared to call the Swordmaster by their name.

 

Lee Bobae ate a chicken leg. As the oil and gravy entered her mouth, she felt like she was going to survive.

 

When they recited the history of the inspection of the Hunter, who was a former returnee, in the news as usual, Lee Haegi said calmly.

 

“I hope that Eldest Brother will come back and become an S-class Hunter.”

 

“Mm.”

 

“Like the Swordmaster, so he can give our family money.”

 

“Uh-huh, that will be exciting.”

 

“They say the Swordmaster can even cure cancer, maybe our brother can do the same.”

 

“I just hope he can cure our third brother.”

 

“Then you can also give a slap to the Four Seasons Guild that’s been overworking you. Hey! Mm? I’m the S-class Hunter’s younger sister! Are you still not going to let me get promoted?”

 

“Whoa, am I going to be the team leader?”

 

“You’re the little sister of an S-class Hunter. What team leader? You have to be at least the chief.”

 

“But our guild chief must be a combatant.”

 

“It’s a power trip because it makes the impossible possible. Nothing is impossible.”

 

These were the words of my second brother, who worked as a porter from the age of 21 to 27. He had so much faith.

 

Lee Bobae held back what she really wanted to say because she was afraid that her second brother who was already suffering would be hurt.

 

‘I don’t need all of those, I just hope Eldest Brother comes back.’

 

Where was the eldest brother who was as strong as two parents combined?

 

There were times when she thought it was okay if her eldest brother never came back as long as he lived, but there were also times when she wanted to see her eldest brother even if all that remained was his corpse.

 

Lee Bobae swallowed the thought of her eldest brother with the chicken and turned her eyes to the luggage bag at the front door.

 

“Second Brother will be going to the rift tomorrow too?”

 

“Yeah, I made soup and side dishes, so make sure to eat breakfast. I think this raid will take a long time, so you should wash the dishes and do the laundry.”