Chapter 5: I Became the Older Brother of a Top Star

'There it is again. That aura.'

The aura emanating from Jung Yuna was as beautiful as her appearance, with a gentle and soothing color.

I had never seen such a beautiful pink aura before, so I just stared at her blankly.

"What? Why aren't you starting?"

"......Huh?"

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

As she said this, Jung Yuna let her hair down, revealing her long, slender, and fair neck. She then smiled arrogantly.

"Well, I am pretty, aren't I?"

I remained silent, but the other people around us, who were supposed to be focused on their own games, started to gawk at Jung Yuna in amazement.

I decided to stop Jung Yuna, who was twirling her hair and swaying her shoulders, because I was afraid that everyone in the PC room would stop playing and just stare at her.

"I'm not staring at you. That's just your overactive self-awareness."

"Is that so? But it's okay for you to look. You're my older brother, after all."

"......"

"Come on, start the game, brother. Our time in the PC room is running out."

"Ah, okay."

I reluctantly pressed the keyboard.

* * *

"Koo-oo-oo-ol!!"

"......"

I looked at the screen with a dejected gaze.

Had I ever been beaten this badly in a game before?

The score was already 5-0.

Even though I hadn't played Soccer Online much, I thought I had a good game sense and could handle most games.

"Yay! Hat-trick achievement unlocked!"

"......"

"Brother, why are you so quiet?"

When I didn't say anything, Jung Yuna, who had been cheering, glanced at me.

"Are you upset?"

"......Ah, no."

"Really? But why are you playing so badly today? You were always worse than me, but this is a bit much."

I wasn't just bad; Jung Yuna was also good.

Even if I didn't know the game well, I could tell whether the opponent was good or bad just by looking.

I never thought she had a talent for games.

'Wait. Could it be?'

At that moment, a thought crossed my mind.

Could the aura be a manifestation of a person's talent?

If so, it would explain why the auras emitted by students in class were all different.

'Do they only emit auras when they're doing something they're good at?'

It was a highly plausible hypothesis.

"Yuna, are you really good at this game?"

"Of course. I might be the best in our school~"

She didn't seem to be boasting.

From the way she played, passing the ball back and forth and executing tiki-taka, it was clear she was no ordinary player.

Moreover, her individual skills and the way she toyed with my defenders had the air of a seasoned player.

If that was the case, my hypothesis was partly correct.

There was only one way to confirm it.

"I've lost twice, right?"

"Yep. 7-0 once, and now 5-0. That's two losses."

"Alright. Good game. Let's shake hands."

"Huh? Suddenly?"

Jung Yuna tilted her head in confusion but shook hands with me.

Then, a pink aura began to flow from her soft skin to me.

I didn't feel the explosive power I had when I shook hands with Kim Tae-yeong, but I felt something different.

It was a confidence that I could beat anyone in Soccer Online with the keyboard.

Feeling that intense emotion rising, I said to Jung Yuna,

"How about a best-of-five series?"

"Sure. Then the next game will be the final, right~?"

"We'll see."

We returned to our respective computers.

At first, everything on the screen, like the player lineup and tactical formations, seemed chaotic, but now it was all very clear.

I understood the strengths and weaknesses of Jung Yuna's squad and confirmed that she had deliberately left some of her main players on the bench to give me a chance.

"You didn't put all your main players in? Is that okay?"

"I beat you 5-0 like this. Do you want me to take more out?"

"No. I just don't want to regret it."

"Hehe. I hope so. You're so confident."

I smiled and started typing on the keyboard.

The game began again,

"Wh-what? What?"

I heard Jung Yuna's surprised groan.

I ruthlessly dismantled her defense and, just like she had done to me, used individual skills to break through and toy with the goalkeeper in the penalty box, scoring a goal.

"What, what? Why are you suddenly so good, brother?"

The score was now 3-0.

Jung Yuna looked at me in disbelief.

I leaned back in my chair, resting my hands behind my head.

"Hmm. Is this enough?"

"Ugh. I'm so mad."

"That's why I told you not to take out your main players, silly."

"Ugh."

This confirmed it.

I wasn't hallucinating or seeing things.

The aura appeared when a person was doing something they were good at, and I could absorb it by making physical contact.

Of course, it wasn't permanent.

When I made contact with Kim Tae-yeong, I had a burst of strength, but it didn't last long.

When Kim Tae-yeong quickly got up and left, my aura disappeared.

In other words, the aura could be maintained when the other person was close by.

"I won't go easy on you this time!"

"Sure~. Do your best."

Jung Yuna was rearranging her formation, bringing in all her main players and adopting a new tactic I hadn't seen before.

But thanks to her aura, I already knew what she was planning.

It was a fascinating ability.

I changed my formation to counter her tactics.

"Shall we start?"

"Yep! I'm going to win this time."

She confidently started the game.

Indeed, it was different from the previous match.

Her passes were sharp, and her shooting angles were precise.

However,

"Wow......"

When she scored a goal, I scored two.

Jung Yuna gritted her teeth and tried to turn the game around.

As the game progressed, with me chasing and her being chased, she eventually,

"No way. How did that go in?"

Lost 5-3 to me.

"How about that? It's a new technique I created."

"No way. How did that go in? From a corner kick, you headed it to another player, who headed it again, and then you scored with a header?"

"It's a game, so it's supposed to be unrealistic and fantastical."

"Heeeng. That's cheating. No one plays soccer like that."

But Jung Yuna's competitive spirit didn't end there.

"We still have one more game."

"Sure. Bring it on."

This confirmed another fact.

When I absorbed the aura, I became more skilled than the other person.

When I threw Kim Tae-yeong, a giant, and when I toyed with the seasoned player Jung Yuna, it seemed to be true.

"Phew-!"

Jung Yuna took a deep breath and prepared for the final game as if she was putting everything on the line.

I continued the game with a relaxed mindset.

"Oops. Another goal."

"Ugh......"

Nothing changed.

Every time I got the ball and passed it, Jung Yuna's defense was powerless.

In the middle of a fierce attack,

"Whoo-......"

I saw Jung Yuna, eyes wide open, focusing on the monitor.

I had an urge to poke her protruding cheekbones.

Then I snapped back to reality.

'Did I go too far?'

After all, I received this aura from her.

So, in a way, I was stealing her ability.

But using it to crush her like this,

"Kyaah!"

Wasn't something a good older brother should do, right?

"Comeback! Comeback!"

Jung Yuna raised her arms high when she scored a goal in the added time of the second half.

I smiled and said regretfully,

"Ah. I thought I was going to win today. What a shame."

"Haha! I told you I would win the last game!"

"Right. You did well. I lost completely."

"No, I barely won. If that last shot hadn't gone in, I would have lost. But when did you get so good, brother?"

There was no other way to explain it.

I couldn't say it was all thanks to her aura.

"Maybe I just had good luck today?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"It's late. Let's go home."

"Ah, okay."

We packed our bags and went home.

On the way, Jung Yuna chattered non-stop.

"So, today I was solving a problem, and then...... Ah! Right. Brother, remember the math homework you helped me with yesterday?"

"Huh?"

"More than half of it was wrong?"

"......"

"You did that on purpose, didn't you? Right?"

"Psst. 'On purpose'? You should speak more politely."

Then Jung Yuna stopped in her tracks and pouted.

"Wow. Speak more politely...... Usually, you call me crazy, idiot, and all sorts of names. Now you're saying this?"

"......"

Right. I'm sorry.

"Mom~!"

As soon as we got home, Jung Yuna practically threw off her shoes and ran to her mother, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room.

"Hey, what's this? Why are you clinging to me as soon as you come in?"

"Ah, I missed you."

She acted like any other daughter showing affection to her mother.

"I'm back."

"Welcome back. But you two......"

Her mother sniffed the air and frowned.

"Did you go to the PC room again?!"

Her voice rose.

Was going to the PC room forbidden for this family?

I should apologize and bow my head.

But,

"Yep, we did."

Jung Yuna was very confident.

She spread her shoulders naturally.

"Jung Yuna, I always tell you not to go to the PC room."

Even when she got a smack on the back, Jung Yuna's smile didn't fade.

Her mother didn't seem to be scolding her either.

She had the same beautiful smile as her daughter.

And her next words were surprising.

"So, who won today?"

"Well, of course I did!"

"Again? You won again? That Soccer Online?"

"Yep. I flattened brother's nose, and he couldn't even breathe properly afterward."

"Oh, really? When are you going to win, Yuseong?"

The two of them got along very well.

They laughed and teased me as if it was a routine.

"Brother, let me know when you want to play. I'll definitely go easy on you next time."

"Hey, brother, if you keep doing that, you'll get upset. So, don't show it. Got it?"

"Yep!"

It was cute, but it also ignited my competitive spirit.

"Today, I went easy on you. Next time, I won't."

"Ah, okay. I'll do that."

"Ooh~ Our son's eyes look so intense. You have to win next time, okay?"

Seeing the two of them laugh made me feel healed.

Even though I was being teased, it didn't feel bad at all. It was a truly family-like atmosphere.

It was unfamiliar to me, so it felt a bit strange.

But since I was now part of this family, I would eventually adapt perfectly.

And,

'Next time, I won't go easy on you.'

I have to beat her so badly that she'll cry.

I have to restore my older brother's authority.

But I already knew that when the moment came, I would end up being soft and letting Jung Yuna win.

Just to see her and her mother laugh a little more.

Chapter 6