I Became the Eldest Daughter of 10 Siblings

After finishing the closing, I sat at the table.
I mentally went over the game I had with the anonymous player this morning.
I shouldn’t have let the Battlecruiser get destroyed so easily by the Scourge then. The High Templar harassment in the Shuttle didn’t do much damage either. And in the last battle, I could have won, but my Zealot control was too clumsy.
A review filled with regrets and mistakes.
The confidence that had soared due to the unnecessary draw just plummeted.
And another question arose.
Who was that anonymous opponent?

At that moment,
Sung Dojun, who was looking at his phone, turned pale. Then he hit me on the head with his palm.
“Ha-Yoo, you crazy bitch!”
“Ow.”
“…You, really! What are you going to do about this?”

Sung Dojun shoved his smartphone screen in my face. It was Joo Sehun’s response to my challenge.

[Title: This is Joo Sehun, Barcode-ssi please read (Verification included)]
[Author: Joo Sehun]
(Picture)
Lol
Barcode-nim
If you’re the representative of amateurs
Then as the representative of pros
I’ll accept your challenge
10 million won bet? Thanks for the free money
Bowing on camera? I’d love to
But you know
I have no reason to trust you, right?
So how about we prepay to a third party and do this cleanly? Haha
Tomorrow at 9 PM
If you don’t show up, you’re a coward
If you do, I’ll assume you’re in
(PS. Oh, and how can you compare me with Hyun Junho hyung when you haven’t even played with me? I’m not particularly offended, but it’s unpleasant to hear ^^)

Likes: 1489 Dislikes: 1103

ㅇㅇ(61.74): Offended?
ㅇㅇ(118.235): (Real emoticon)
ㅇㅇ(112.65): Look at that long postscript, he’s properly offended lol
ㅇㅇ(58.121): His way of speaking makes me want to puke
ㅇㅇ(64.89): Show some respect to Barcode noona
ㅇㅇ(111.121): Is Barcode princess your friend?
ㅇㅇ(115.41): This f*cking loser acting all high and mighty just because he’s a pro
ㅇㅇ(221.156): Still, I’ll just agree with the fact that he’s not backing out
└Agree
└Agree, the hate seems too excessive
└For real, anyway it’s fun so I’ll praise him
ㅇㅇ(62.51): ELF’s atmosphere next season is definitely ruined
ㅇㅇ(211.148): One thing the Barcode supporters don’t know is that if Joo Sehun wins, Barcode noona will have to do a naked bow + debut as a streamer because she has no money.. The script is set
└Corruption route restaurant lol
└Sounds fun even if it goes that way?
└I’m supporting Joo Sehun after seeing this
└A sad ending for her but a happy ending for others lol

I could feel it from the post.
That Joo Sehun was afraid of me.
Thanks to that, my faded confidence regained some color.

“So, what are you going to do about this!”
“What do you mean, what am I going to do.”
I said slowly, drawing it out.
“…I just need to win.”
“No, you idiot. What are you going to do if you lose?”

Right. What will I do if I lose?
Should I debut as a streamer and dance or something?

“I guess I’ll have to sell my body or something.”
“This girl, really!”
“Ow.”
I got hit again.

“Why are you so reckless? You’re the head of a family of 10 siblings, the head. 10 million won is no joke, where are you going to get that kind of money right away?”
“How am I going to get it?”
I made the most pitiful expression I could, like a puppy that had done something wrong, and held out both hands neatly.
“Ah, are you asking me to lend it to you?”
“Yes. My dear friend.”
“I’m not lying, I wish you were a man. I’d beat the crap out of you for real.”
I am a man though.

“Anyway, I want to lend it to you, but I don’t have the money. Even if I tried to get a loan right now, I wouldn’t get much because I’m only twenty.”
Sung Dojun furrowed his brow, looking frustrated.

“Let’s just apologize and ask for forgiveness.”
“No.”
I flatly refused.

Sung Dojun let out a small sigh between his teeth.
“Right. Of course. I forgot your nickname was ‘bamboo’. As expected of the stubborn, narrow-minded guy who’s so excessively upright he’d rather break than bend. But why do you look so pale?”

I had been feeling an inexplicable heat and cold sweat was running down my face.
“I don’t know. My body feels a bit chilly.”
“It can’t be that time. You said it starts from the 7th.”
Sung Dojun grinned.

“Ah, you bastard!”
So he saw my posts preserved on GalWarGal too.

“No, then what’s the reason? Why are you so pale?”
Well. I feel weak, feverish, and my throat hurts.

“Ah, no way.”, “Ah, no way.”
We spoke at the same time.

“It’s not a cold, is it?”
Come on, that’s bad luck.
Even if I’m not the luckiest person, would I catch a cold the day before a 10 million won bet?
Even if I’m not the luckiest person, would I catch a cold the day before a PC bang tournament?
No way.

I quickly took some Tylenol that was available at the store. I also drank two bottles of tonic.
The feverish feeling was still there, but fortunately, it wasn’t bad enough to make daily life impossible.
The key is how it will be after I sleep and wake up.
It’ll be fine, right? It’ll be okay, Yujin.
If it’s not okay, I’ll really have to throw myself into some countryside brothel.
There’s even a PC bang tournament tomorrow…
This is driving me crazy, really.

No. Let’s not fall into useless worries now.
First, let’s think about how to get 10 million won right away. I’ll definitely win the PC bang tournament tomorrow, so that’s 1 million won.
Then the remaining 9 million won is the problem.

I lay down and opened KakaoTalk.
Looking at the chat rooms, the family group chat was as noisy as a marketplace.

[Jamsil Han Family 8] (300+)
[Han Yujin: Kids]
[Han Yujin: Let’s save some water]
[Han Yujin: (Picture)]
[Han Yujin: Is this water bill for real, you guys]
[Mrs. Kim Chang-im: Our eldest daughter,,, always]
[Mrs. Kim Chang-im: working so hard.ㅠ.]
[Mrs. Kim Chang-im: Mom is sorry,^^]
[#3 Han Sejin: (Picture)]
[#3 Han Sejin: I think I’ll debut soon bby]
[#3 Han Sejin: Get my autograph now if you want it!]
[#4 Han Si-eun: (Applause)]
[2 Han Sejun: Your autograph can get lost]
[2 Han Sejun: Get me the IZ*ONE noonas’ autographs]
[#3 Han Sejin: ㅡㅡ]
[5 Han Suho: Sis]
[5 Han Suho: Idols are]
[5 Han Suho: The symbol of capitalism]
[#6 Han Sumin: Your pretentiousness is crazy]
[#6 Han Sumin: Just do better yourself]
[#0 Han Seongwang: Dad got shingles]
[#0 Han Seongwang: It hurts so much sob]

They all just wrote whatever they wanted to say.
There didn’t seem to be any money coming out of here either.

After leaving the family group chat, there were also messages piled up in the sisters-only group chat.

[Jamsil Han Girls’.^ 4] (50+)
[#4 Han Si-eun: Sis]
[#4 Han Si-eun: @Han Yujin]
[#4 Han Si-eun: @Han Yujin]
[#4 Han Si-eun: @Han Yujin]
[#4 Han Si-eun: When are you coming]
[#4 Han Si-eun: I miss you]
[#4 Han Si-eun: Aren’t you hungry?]
[#4 Han Si-eun: Wanna eat…?]
[#4 Han Si-eun: I started Galaxy War!]
[#4 Han Si-eun: @Han Yujin]
[#4 Han Si-eun: @Han Yujin]
[#4 Han Si-eun: Why aren’t you answering your phone]
[#4 Han Si-eun: I’m worried]

…What’s up with her these days?
She’s the very definition of overprotective, this Han Si-eun.

Anyway,
Where on earth am I supposed to get 9 million won from?

Then my eyes caught the name of Hyun Junho, my first sucker.
Without hesitation, I sent him a message.

[Han Yujin: Hey]
[Han Yujin: Are you there?]

The 1 disappeared instantly and a reply came right away.

[Hyun Junho: Yse]
[Hyun Junho: Yes]
[Hyun Junho: I’m here]
[Hyun Junho: Yujin-nim]

Yujin-nim?
This guy, his way of speaking has become friendly from the start.

[Han Yujin: Just talk like you used to;]
[Hyun Junho: No]
[Hyun Junho: I’m grateful]
[Han Yujin: Sarcasm?]
[Hyun Junho: For real]
[Hyun Junho: What you said about me being better than Joo Sehun]
[Hyun Junho: You meant it, right?]
[Hyun Junho: (Happy emoticon)]

…I just said that because I was afraid you might kill yourself.

Anyway, since I’m not the type to beat around the bush, I got straight to the point.

[Han Yujin: You know I’m]
[Han Yujin: Playing against Joo Sehun, right?]
[Hyun Junho: Yes]
[Han Yujin: Lend me some money]
[Han Yujin: Just 9 million won]
[Hyun Junho: OK]
[Han Yujin: ?]

Is it this easy to borrow?

[Han Yujin: I don’t mean game money]
[Han Yujin: I mean real cash…]
[Han Yujin: (Shy emoticon)]
[Hyun Junho: Yes I can lend it to you]
[Hyun Junho: But there’s a condition]

Condition? What condition?

[Hyun Junho: Meet me just once]
[Hyun Junho: I’m curious]
[Hyun Junho: About what kind of person you are]

I remembered the first line of a novel I read before.
I’m fcked. That’s the conclusion I came to after careful consideration.
I’m really fcked.

My body hurts so much. It hurts so much I feel like I’m going to die, as if I’ve been shot point-blank by a revolver bullet.
There’s the PC bang tournament and the 10 million won bet in just a few hours.
What am I really going to do?

“…Haha. Ahaha!”

There’s a theory in Sigmund Freud’s work called reaction formation.
It’s a psychological defense mechanism where when you’re too sad or scared, you react with laughter and humor instead.
For example, an amputee soldier joking cheerfully with a doctor – that’s reaction formation.
That’s me right now.

My laughter, sounding almost like a scream, filled the gloomy Sunday morning.
…What am I going to do?

Just then,
The doorbell rang.
I desperately crawled out to check the intercom.
It was Hyun Junho.