Dajeong sat Eunhye down in a large leather chair and placed both her hands firmly on the armrests.
“Da, Dajeong?”
“Teacher, please tell me honestly.”
“What…?”
“What’s happening at the orphanage?”
“There’s always something going on at the orphanage. There’s too much work, and the kids cause trouble.”
“……If you don’t tell me, I’ll bother you every time I’m off. I’ll also call you all the time.”
Dajeong pushed her face closer, the power evident in her eyes. Her naturally round puppylike eyes weren’t particularly threatening, but they were enough to show her seriousness.
“Ugh… Alright. I got it. So ease off on that glare. It’s not even scary.” Her tone was so feigned it was hard to bear, so she waved her hand in dismissal.
Flustered, Da Jeong dropped her tail and sat down on the chair across from her. Then, Eun Hye cleared her throat lightly and started an uncomfortable conversation.
“Da Jeong, you probably heard this from the director, but don’t get too hung up on the orphanage.”
“How can you say that? My dad’s health isn’t good and our situation is getting worse…”
“That’s why. It’s going to get harder. That’s why I’m telling you not to worry about it.”
“…What do you mean?”
Da Jeong blinked her wide eyes in confusion. Then, she sighed softly and broke the surprising news.
“Our orphanage is going to be closed. No, it’s closing.”
“What? Why all of a sudden?”
“Because the land price has gone up.”
“Land… price?”
“Yes. You know that we’ve been using the land for the orphanage almost for free, don’t you, Da Jeong?”
“Of course. The sponsor leased it to us.”
Hope House was an orphanage built on private land. The land was provided by a sponsor with a heart for charity, and it had been operated by paying a certain amount of rent every month for the past fifty years.
“When the sponsor passed away last year, the land was transferred to his children. Even then, they did not raise the rent, saying they would continue to honor their mother’s wishes.”
“So there’s no problem… Ah!”
A short exclamation burst out of Da Jeong’s mouth, which had been hurriedly speaking.
The many cargo trucks she had seen on the way here, the no entry fences scattered everywhere.
She had wondered what construction was going on in this quiet neighborhood with few people, and now everything was falling into place.
With a wishful hope, she slowly raised her gaze, but Eun Hye opened her mouth with a calm expression.
“They’re planning to redevelop this neighborhood. The land prices here have also skyrocketed.”
“That’s…”
“So don’t even think about getting the government to help. Even if you gathered all of your assets, or rather, all of the assets of our orphanage family, it wouldn’t be enough.”
“What if we pay more rent? Then we can stay…”
“They’re asking for ten million won a month.”
“What? Ten million won?”
Da Jeong froze, her eyes wide open.
Was a large amount like ten million won something that could be easily mentioned? Her sense of money became foggy in an instant.
“It’s just their way of telling us to leave. How can we pay such a large sum? And that’s every month.”
“…”
“So, Da Jeong, don’t get too involved. We’ll have to leave next month anyway. I’m the only childcare teacher left.”
“Teacher Eun Hye is alone? Then who does all that work?”
“Who else?”
Eun Hye smiled bitterly and looked towards the baby bag.
From infants to high school students, there were over thirty children living in the Hope Center. It was amazing that she had been taking care of so many children alone until now.
She couldn’t bear the anger that arose from her father, the director’s, words telling her to take care of herself first. Da Jeong clenched her teeth and held her head high.
“I will contact the landowner. No matter what, having to leave next month is too much. We only have half a month left… If we explain the situation, they might give us a little more time.”
“It’s useless. The director has already tried everything, from explaining the situation to persuasion.”
“Is that so…”
“Recently, the director has been working like a person with ten bodies, driving by himself, taking care of everything. He didn’t call anyone for help, he injured his shoulder while fixing the boiler by himself and had to go to the hospital.”
“…..”
Thinking of her hardworking father, the director, her throat felt choked up. At the same time, a feeling of powerlessness wrapped around her body.
Cheol Jung, who always encouraged the children saying they can do whatever they want and they can become whoever they want.
Ironically, the place he devoted his whole life to build will crumble in an instant.
Unknowingly, her hands were clenched so tightly, but she heard a faint footstep in the hallway. Eun Hye, who took a quick glance at the door, grabbed Da Jeong’s hand and hurriedly opened her mouth.
“This conversation is absolutely secret in front of the director, okay? He told me not to say anything because he’s worried if you know, Da Jeong.”
“Yes…… I understand.”
It was a story that hurt her heart and she couldn’t even say it. Da Jeong replied in a low voice with drooping shoulders.
A moment later, the door opened and Cheol Jung came into the director’s office.
In his arms was a child who looked about 8 months old, quietly snuggled up. The child’s drool wet his chest, but Cheol Jung didn’t care at all.
“The kid doesn’t throw tantrums when sleeping, but he’s picky about who holds him.”
“It seems he was looking for the director.”
“I was the one who held him for the first few days.”
“I’ll take care of the other kids.”
Eun Hye gave a small smile to Da Jeong, then quickly got up from her seat.
“Does this child… have a name?”
Da Jeong, who had finally managed her expression, asked with a faint smile.
“Not yet. I’m thinking about what to name him. How about it, Da Jeong, would you like to name him?”
“Me?”
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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