Despite the chilly aura he exuded, the warmth from his hand was as comforting as ever.
The strange sensation it transmitted made Sehee inevitably nervous.
“The date hasn’t even started, and you’re already trembling?”
Kyle’s low voice whispered in Sehee’s ear.
Startled, Sehee’s shoulders jerked, an action clearly visible to Kyle.
“Tremble? Who’s trembling? I’m an adult, and I have plenty of dating experience.”
Sehee replied with forced confidence.
“I hadn’t considered that, but you want a date for adults, then?”
Kyle teased, smiling wryly.
“No, what I meant was… I think you misunderstood. I didn’t mean that.”
“Shall we go somewhere close?”
Ignoring Sehee’s words, Kyle led the way.
“No… wait. That’s not what I meant.”
Kyle’s face lit up with amusement at Sehee’s flustered reaction.
Kyle stopped walking not far from where they started.
They were in front of the restaurant François, which was supposedly closed at this late hour.
“This place is closed for the night. You don’t even know such basic things, and you’re talking about a date?”
Sehee scoffed at Kyle.
“Really?”
Kyle rang the bell, and a waiter came out from inside.
Recognizing Kyle, the waiter respectfully asked him to wait a moment before hurrying back inside.
Shortly, an elderly gentleman, seemingly the head manager, came out.
“I will escort you to the private room.”
Without waiting for Kyle to say more, the old man promptly led them inside.
Private room?
Sehee followed Kyle, guided by the man.
She had been curious about the elegant marble staircase in the middle of the hall, and now it seemed that staircase led to the private rooms.
As they ascended, three large doors came into view.
The manager, having led them to a door intricately carved with elegant reliefs, opened the middle door and stepped back with courtesy.
Kyle paused and turned, gesturing for Sehee to enter first.
Stepping inside cautiously, Sehee was at a loss for words.
Through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the Mediterranean Sea was in full view, creating an illusion of being in the middle of the ocean.
The subtle lighting outside naturally illuminated the dark scenery, while ensuring the interior remained invisible from the outside.
Furthermore, the room was adorned with sofas and tables that seemed like they belonged to a medieval emperor, adding to the grandeur of the setting.
“Please, make yourself comfortable.”
Kyle sat down naturally, unlike Sehee, who was cautious even to sit, as this was her first time in such a setting.
“Ah… Yes. This place is so magnificent, I lost myself for a moment. It’s definitely up to the standards of the Evans Group. Top-notch.”
Sehee sat down with a bright smile.
Despite her praise being intended for the Evans Group, Kyle didn’t seem completely pleased.
Was he expecting praise for bringing her here?
How did he end up here, anyway?
Kyle sighed softly, unable to comprehend why he was so swayed by her.
“It’s late; let’s have a light drink.”
“Yes… I’ll have my usual… No, a cocktail… I mean…”
Sehee’s words trailed off as she recalled how Jeongyeon laughed off weak alcohol at the cocktail party, appearing sophisticated and aloof.
Sehee wanted to appear like that kind of woman on this date.
“Your usual drink?”
Kyle asked, intrigued.
“Yes. I like cold vodka. Straight. About six shots are enough to pleasantly intoxicate me.”
Sehee boasted, hoping to appear bold enough.
She had never actually had six shots.
“That’s unexpected.”
Kyle tilted his head slightly, obviously surprised.
Two shots were her limit, Sehee thought, clenching her fists.
“No need to be so combative on a date.”
Kyle’s lips curled slightly.
“Combative? I’m perfectly comfortable.”
Sehee forced a smile.
The manager entered upon Kyle’s signal and only ordered vodka.
“The same for you? I thought you preferred light drinks. Vodka isn’t light, you know?”
A flicker of anxiety crossed Sehee’s face.
“Well, it has a certain clean taste to it.”
Kyle spoke nonchalantly.
Had she walked into a trap?
Sehee felt a sense of foreboding.
A golden ice bucket containing vodka was presented, along with caviar and various snacks.
“Then, the first drink should be downed cleanly, as per Korean style.”
Sehee lifted her filled glass.
“To our first date.”
She downed the drink in one go.
“Vodka can be strong; take it slow.”
“It’s only 40 degrees. It’s fine.”
Sehee knew vodka was typically 40 degrees, lethal for her low alcohol tolerance.
“A bit higher, though.”
“What, 40 or 50 degrees, it’s all the same.”
Sehee dismissed Kyle’s comment nonchalantly.
“What if it’s higher?”
Kyle continued, as if playing a guessing game.
“How much is it, then?”
Sehee raised her voice, indicating she wanted a straight answer.
“70 degrees?”
At Kyle’s revelation, Sehee’s expression froze.
No wonder it felt like burning from her mouth all the way down.
“Well, good. 40 or 70 degrees, it’s all the same. Let’s have another.”
Sehee dangerously refilled her glass.
“It’s quite different, isn’t it?”
Kyle, still holding his untouched glass, presented it.
“A man being so timid.”
Sehee, trying to cover her nervousness, lightly clinked glasses with Kyle and downed her drink again.
The second glass felt like experiencing hell itself, as if flames would spew from her mouth if opened.
Kyle placed a glass of ice water in front of Sehee.
“No, thanks,” Sehee sharply declined.
“I said let’s have a date, not a fast-drinking game.”
“……Right?”
“You’re drunk.”
Kyle noted Sehee’s slurred speech.
“I’m not drunk.”
But even Sehee realized her speech was heavily impaired.
Her face turned red, and her eyes squinted adorably.
Even her slender fingers trembled.
Kyle watched her with a gentle gaze, observing every detail.
“I feel so great. Look at that dark, endless night sea. Isn’t it wonderful? I’m really in the Mediterranean.”
Sehee’s voice trembled with emotion.
“I thought I’d never leave the Han River, but here I am in the Mediterranean.”
Her voice choked, and Sehee bowed her head in distress.
“Sigh… Cha Hyo-jun… Thanks to you for this trip.”
Tears began to fall from Sehee’s eyes.
“Sorry. I’m not like this. Really drunk, sorry.”
She quickly wiped away her tears.
Looking up to find Kyle, she noticed he wasn’t there.
The room seemed shrouded in darkness.
Dizzy, Sehee collapsed.
Kyle swiftly caught Sehee’s falling head, cradling it safely.
“Really now,” he muttered, half in annoyance but gently shifted to the side, allowing Sehee to rest comfortably on his shoulder.
This situation was a complete reversal for him.
No woman had ever mentioned another man in front of Kyle Graham Evans, nor had anyone genuinely gotten drunk and collapsed.
Kyle found himself in new situations because of Sehee.
Her head, unable to hold its weight, slipped closer to Kyle’s neck.
Her steady breathing tickled his ears, and the mix of alcohol and her Florentine fragrance sweetly assaulted his senses.
The provocatively enticing scent made Kyle unconsciously clench his fist.
His heart thudded audibly, as if resonating in his ears.
Noticing this, Sehee’s head nestled closer into Kyle’s embrace.
The moist touch of her lips on Kyle’s neck felt scorchingly hot.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
