The employee, not knowing what to do, bowed again.
“We are really sorry. We will refund your reservation fee double.”
The reservation fee was not the issue. Stranded in Jeju without a place to stay, with Siwoo, the thought of possibly having to sleep on the streets was overwhelming.
Just then, the sound of a dolphin echoed in the lobby. Turning around, she saw Jung Hyuk with Siwoo on his shoulder, heading towards the hotel entrance.
Shocked, Dajeong quickly followed him.
“Cha Jung Hyuk, what are you doing?”
“Get your luggage.”
Dajeong, realizing her mistake, looked at her trunk left alone in front of the front desk. She hurried back, dragging the trunk to chase after Jung Hyuk.
“Cha Jung Hyuk! Where are you taking Siwoo?”
“To my hotel.”
“I don’t want to! Why would I go to your hotel?”
As Dajeong shouted, Jung Hyuk stopped in his tracks.
“Then Yoo Dajeong can sleep on the street. But not Yu Siwoo.”
Without needing further words, Jung Hyuk turned away coldly. Siwoo, with his arms spread like an airplane, laughed joyfully each time the direction changed.
“Hey! Cha Jung Hyuk! Give me back Siwoo!”
“No.”
Jung Hyuk briskly walked away, his stride widening. Siwoo was the perfect bait to manipulate the stubborn woman.
“Cha Jung Hyuk!”
Under the scorching sun, Dajeong dragged her trunk, frantically following him.
As soon as the car stopped at their destination, Jung Hyuk immediately took Siwoo out. He had to secure Siwoo first, in case Yoo Dajeong decided to run away.
Dajeong, stepping out of the car, was speechless at the sight of their destination.
This is a hotel?
Though villa-style hotels were becoming popular, its European-style countryside house appearance was too unfamiliar for a hotel.
“Don’t like it?”
Dajeong, half out of her wits, stammered at his casual question.
“No, it’s not that… Did you reserve such a big place just for yourself, Cha Jung Hyuk?”
“Why just for myself? Yoo Dajeong and Yu Siwoo are here too. I was told to find a place good for kids to run around. If you don’t like it, we can look for somewhere else right now.”
Dajeong’s eyes narrowed.
“You said it was a coincidence.”
“Yeah, a coincidence.”
He brazenly insisted it was a coincidence after just admitting he booked it with them in mind.
By now, her suspicions turned into conviction. There must be an insider. Either Baesol, or it’s my son.
Considering Baesol knew the exact flight landing time and appeared at the airport, he was the likely candidate. Or maybe everyone except her was in on it.
Traitors.
“Feel free to use it. It’s all Yoo Dajeong’s while you’re here.”
Jung Hyuk, previously evading the topic, now approached with an arrogant tone.
Already burdened, the luxury of the place only added to her worries.
With a 4-night, 5-day schedule, finding another accommodation seemed impossible. Knowing she had no choice, Dajeong’s troubled thoughts continued.
Then Siwoo’s cheerful shout reached her ears.
“Mommy! A swimming pool! There’s a swimming pool! Siwoo splash!”
“Ah, Siwoo, look, there’s a pool. Isn’t it great?”
“Wow!”
Regardless of everything else, Siwoo was so happy. With a resigned smile, Dajeong gave in.
Soon after, Jung Hyuk made a phone call, and a golf course-like cart approached along the driveway. A man and woman in uniforms stepped out from the cart and approached them.
The man, a 40-something-year-old who introduced himself as the hotel’s general manager, bowed politely and proceeded with the check-in using documents he brought.
“Our hotel penthouse provides custom services for VVIP guests. It includes a guest room, dining room, kitchen, study, and an outdoor pool, as well as a short course golf course connected to a walking path, covering an area of about 250 pyeong (approximately 827 square meters). And this is Ms. Kim Myung-soon, who will be in charge of your room service during your stay.”
The neatly dressed woman in her forties, introduced by the manager, bowed.
“I am your dedicated maid, Kim Myung-soon. I will ensure your comfort and convenience. Please call me immediately if you need anything.”
Ms. Kim Myung-soon handed a business card to Dajeong with a friendly smile. Dajeong awkwardly accepted it, a forced smile on her face.
She was unsure how to process this overwhelming hospitality.
The two-story guest room was not only spacious but also had an open view, with the sea visible through the balcony window.
In the dining room adjacent to the living room, there were appliances like a wine cellar and refrigerator, and a stylish mahogany dining table was placed in the center.
Curious, Dajeong opened the fridge and was taken aback. It was filled with various beverages, and the freezer was packed with Italian gelato.
Dajeong shook her head. She had learned never to consume such things.
“Oh? Ice cream!”
Oh no, Siwoo saw it. Dajeong quickly closed the fridge and turned around.
“Siwoo, let’s eat ice cream outside.”
“Uh, um…?”
Siwoo’s round eyes, as if questioning why they had to go outside when it was right there, couldn’t leave the fridge.
Then the freezer opened again, and Jung Hyuk took out a tub of ice cream. Dajeong tried to intercept, but it was futile against his solid defense.
“Cha Jung Hyuk, don’t open it!”
“Yu Siwoo wants to eat it.”
“If we just take things out, there will be extra charges.”
Jung Hyuk frowned. He didn’t understand why she was so frugal.
“What’s the use of earning money? If you can’t even buy what your kid wants to eat.”
After his blunt remark, he ruthlessly opened the sealed ice cream lid.
As they reluctantly ate the expensive ice cream, a calm voice spoke.
“I have something to say.”
“What is it?”
Dajeong’s voice was drained of energy, a reflection of her resignation. When he didn’t speak for a moment, Dajeong’s gaze turned to his face.
His hesitation prompted her to chide him.
“What? Out with it.”
A crumpled note then rolled towards Dajeong. The man, usually so outspoken, was hesitating to say something.
Dajeong looked at the wrinkled paper with suspicion and then unfolded it, only to be startled and quickly clutched it, pretending she hadn’t seen anything, and started eating her ice cream again.
Then, thunk. Another crumpled note rolled towards her. Deciding that ignoring it was the best response, she pushed it aside.
But then again, thunk, thunk. More notes rolled towards her, accumulating to half a dozen.
“Cha Jung Hyuk, what are you doing!”
“I said I had something to say.”
“Yes, I saw it!”
Dajeong’s ears turned red as if on fire. Her rising temper was met with Jung Hyuk’s eyebrows arching defiantly.
“Six times and that’s all you have to say?”
“What more do you need to say? And what a waste of paper for such a childish act!”
Flustered and feeling the heat, Dajeong scolded Jung Hyuk, whose fingers curled up shyly and began to fidget on the table.
This was an uncharacteristically bashful side of him, almost seeming shy. And then, his words.
“Yu Siwoo would be embarrassed if he heard this.”
As his name was mentioned again, Siwoo, who was eating ice cream, glanced back and forth between the two with innocent eyes.
The crumpled notes rustled in his fingers, growing tighter. If he had said it six times, they must all contain the same message.
“Yoo Dajeong, I like you.”
“I do like you! Why don’t you say anything?”
“I said I like you. Won’t you say anything back?”
“What kind of reaction is that? I said I like you.”
“Are you so happy that I like you that you’re speechless?”
The notes, filled with all sorts of embarrassing confessions, tickled Dajeong’s palm.
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.”
