While Arin was focused on Jaehyuk, Jaehyuk warned the man standing behind her.
‘Don’t come closer. This woman is mine now.’
Jaehyuk didn’t show any signs, so Arin didn’t even think that Yuhyun would be standing behind her.
“Is it over?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go.”
The car was now running on the Han River. After breaking the silence, Jaehyuk asked, “Are you okay?”
She was in a state of telling him that she would let go of Memoria. It seemed like something she had to say since they lived together.
“Are you okay?”
In fact, she was far from okay.
It felt empty and desolate. It seemed like her heart, now completely empty, couldn’t be filled with anything. It was too hollow.
“I don’t think I’m okay.”
It wasn’t because of Jaehyuk, but she felt the urge to be honest with someone, even if it was just one person.
“My heart feels strange. Not for a lifetime, but I thought it would last longer.”
“…”
Thinking that she could now say things she couldn’t have said to Jaehyuk in the past, she felt a strange mix of emotions.
He didn’t offer awkward comfort and silently listened to her words.
“Life? It might sound grandiose, but Memoria was like my life. That’s probably why.
Do you know how a person who retired on schedule feels?”
“How did you decide to go to work?”
“For a week.”
Although she would continue going to Memoria for another week, it was merely a time for sorting things out.
“I wanted to do a bit more, but it felt like it was all just my greed.”
Arin spoke while looking at the fast-flowing Han River.
She wasn’t aware of what she was saying. She just spoke whatever came to mind.
She didn’t make an effort to appear a certain way. She simply expressed herself honestly as things came to her mind, and strangely, her heart began to calm like a lie.
How long had it been since she started talking to herself?
When she finished saying what she wanted to say, Jaehyuk, who had been listening, spoke.
“I’m sorry.”
Surprised by his words, Arin turned her head to look at Jaehyuk.
“What do you mean?”
“Because my influence wasn’t small in the reason you quit…”
Arin looked at him without saying a word.
She didn’t think of blaming him. Strangely, she couldn’t even think of blaming him.
“It’s not because of Ban Jaehyuk. It’s my decision. The decision I made.”
“…”
“So, don’t apologize.”
For some reason, Arin didn’t like Jaehyuk apologizing.
The last day of going to Memoria arrived quickly.
After closing hours, Arin bid farewell to people with a sad goodbye.
Yuhyun didn’t approach her; he just watched from afar.
The two became even more distant after that day. Arin gathered courage and slowly approached Yuhyun.
“Oppa.”
Yuhyun silently looked down at Arin.
“I’m sorry.”
As if he had something to say, he bit his lips.
“And take care from now on. If, by any chance… If you need me, contact me anytime.”
Arin faintly smiled. Letting go of something precious was much more empty than she thought.
Three days passed since she quit Memoria. Although it was only three days in reality, it felt like about three months.
As time increased, so did her thoughts. The longer the idle time, the more distractions grew.
“Sigh.”
Life without Memoria was a day when I had never thought about it and spent my time aimlessly.
“How about trying anything you want to do?”
He suggested that I try something new.
After hearing those words, I pondered deeply.
What had I not been able to do in life?
After much contemplation, Arin answered that it was studying English.
“Studying English?”
“Yes. I envied people who were good at English.”
The reason was simple, but he didn’t mock her. Instead, he supported her.
“Okay. That’s a good idea. You were good at studying too.”
Arin felt strange after Jaehyuk’s words.
She was indeed good at studying, as he said. Even without attending a cram school, she ranked within the top 5 for six years in middle and high school. She often received scholarships from school, and her homeroom teachers wanted her to attend a decent university.
However, Kyungsook opposed her going to college.
“What college? Do you think we have the luxury for you to go to college considering our family situation? You should hurry and find a job to earn money.”
It was due to concerns about the family’s financial situation.
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.”
