Young-In trudged to the powder room situated between the bedroom and the bathroom.
She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry at how familiar she was with the layout of this house.
Standing in front of the mirror, her eyebrows furrowed at the sight of her disheveled appearance.
“What am I even doing here…”
Despite finding it absurd and ridiculous to be in her ex-boyfriend’s house like this, she wasn’t angry with Sung-Hyuk for bringing her here without her consent.
It was a complex feeling: not exactly grateful, but not wanting to blame him either.
After hastily fixing her hair and clothes, Young-In left the bedroom.
A deep sense of nostalgia hit her as she passed through the hallway to the living room. Just like its owner, the house hadn’t changed at all.
Pausing for a moment in the empty living room, she turned her head towards the kitchen. Sung-Hyuk was at the dining table, laying out the delivered food.
“I’m going to go.”
Sung-Hyuk glanced up.
“Eat before you go.”
He continued calmly.
“Don’t ignore the effort of someone who carefully read reviews to find the best place to feed you.”
“…….”
After a moment’s hesitation, Young-In approached the dining table. She pulled out a chair and sat down, quietly observing him as he opened the food containers.
She couldn’t just ignore his effort. That was all.
She decided to be silently thankful to him, just for today.
Young-In finished a bowl of the warm soup.
Her upset stomach felt much better, and her parched mouth was now soothed.
As she put down her spoon, Sung-Hyuk, who had been watching her contentedly, looked somewhat disappointed.
“Eat some rice too.”
“I can’t. I don’t have the appetite.”
“Okay, it’s worse to force yourself and get sick.”
“I’ll clean up.”
“Thanks.”
Sung-Hyuk didn’t protest, even out of politeness. It was his way to keep her there a little longer, knowing she would leave immediately otherwise.
As expected, as soon as Young-In finished cleaning, she said her goodbyes.
“Thank you for everything. I’m sorry for the trouble.”
Sung-Hyuk frowned, clearly not pleased. He disliked the formalities, which felt like maintaining a distance.
“You don’t need to say things like ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry’ to me.”
“Then what should I say?”
“There are so many things to say. Let’s hang out, let’s eat, I miss you.”
“…….”
Young-In responded with a glare.
“Let’s take it slow with those words. For today, just ask me to take you home.”
“I’ll take a taxi.”
Sung-Hyuk countered nonchalantly.
“How will you take a taxi without money?”
“I have money.”
“Isn’t your wallet in your bag?”
“Oh right, where’s my bag?”
“An Ha-Yoon is bringing it to the office.”
Young-In was briefly flustered but quickly found a solution.
“It’s okay, I can pay with my phone. Doesn’t everyone nowadays have a credit card or two saved on their phone?”
Her smile was one of triumph, having neatly sidestepped his ploy. However, it vanished at Sung-Hyuk’s next question.
“Where’s your phone?”
“…….”
Her eyes darted around in panic, recalling she had put her phone in her bag at the lounge bar.
“Will you be okay getting to work on time if you walk home from here? Would it be alright to be late on your second day?”
Sung-Hyuk knew Young-In well. The obsessively punctual Chae Young-In wouldn’t choose to be late.
“If I leave from here, I won’t be late for work.”
Young-In watched him shrug nonchalantly and clenched her fists.
“I’m going home to shower and change before going to work.”
“How do you plan to get home?”
Sung-Hyuk’s smile seemed to say, ‘Just give up and ask me to take you.’ But Young-In wasn’t going to surrender that easily.
“Lend me some money.”
It was a plea that would have no effect on him.
“You know they say not to deal with money matters among close friends.”
“Then it should be fine with us.”
“I’d do it with anyone else but not you.”
“I must really be cheap then…”
Sung-Hyuk leisurely crossed his arms, watching Young-In grumbling to herself, confident of his victory.
Finally, Young-In said what he wanted to hear.
“Please take me home.”
Sung-Hyuk’s lips curved gently.
“That’s the best thing you’ve said today.”
Of course, for Young-In, it was the least favorite thing she had said today.
“Let’s go.”
Young-In followed him, rationalizing she had no other choice.
The two headed down to the underground parking lot together.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Young-In cautiously asked Sung-Hyuk.
“Did I get in the car on my own?”
“No. I carried you in, and I carried you out.”
“Ah…….”
Embarrassed, Young-In hastily fastened her seatbelt, thinking she shouldn’t have asked. She resolved to deeply engrain the saying, ‘Ignorance is bliss,’ from today onwards.
Thankfully, Sung-Hyuk stayed quiet until they reached her house.
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.”
