She stood there, covering her face with her hands, not understanding why her heart was so painful.
She should be grateful that Hyun-young didn’t mention Min-joon, but her heart felt like it was tearing apart.
She vividly remembered the lunch they shared, the side dishes Tae-kyung had placed on her plate, even though he had come uninvited to her house.
Tae-kyung, who had won a corner of her heart with his gentle gestures despite his harsh words, made her resolve even firmer.
But Seo-ha stood there, quietly crying for a long time.
Hyun-young, seeing Seo-ha crying through the cafe window as she left, also wore a sorrowful expression.
When Seo-ha entered her home, it was filled with cold air.
She quickly checked the boiler and turned it back on, but it showed no signs of working.
“Mommy, I’m cold.”
“Yes, Min-joon. Mommy will turn on the boiler, so wait a bit.”
Seo-ha panicked and fiddled with the boiler to no avail.
She hurriedly called the boiler company’s service center.
Hello, customer. I’m sorry, but we’re currently backlogged. The technician won’t be available until the day after tomorrow. Shall I book it for you then?
“Yes, please. As soon as possible. I have a young child at home.”
Alright, customer. Your request is logged, and the technician will call you before visiting.
“Okay. Thank you.”
Seo-ha hung up the phone and sighed.
Min-joon was shivering in his bundled-up clothes. Myung-hoon would soon arrive, and they couldn’t stay in a cold house like this.
Even with an electric mat and heater, they couldn’t bathe in cold water.
Seo-ha hurriedly turned on the electric mat and heater.
“Min-joon, are you cold? Come inside the blanket with your coat on. It’ll warm up in a bit.”
Seo-ha started to boil water to bathe Min-joon.
She was anxious, and things weren’t going as planned. Min-joon began to run a nosebleed.
Even with the electric mat and heater on, the air inside the house was so cold that it made their noses sting.
The sound of the door lock opening was heard.
Upon hearing Myung-hoon’s arrival, Seo-ha shouted.
“Dad! The boiler is broken. It’s going to take some time to fix…”
As Seo-ha went to the entrance, she saw Myung-hoon and Tae-kyung standing there.
Tae-kyung, after learning that Myung-hoon worked as a security guard at his villa, often brought snacks or bought necessary items for the security office.
Initially, Myung-hoon felt uncomfortable, but he didn’t mind Tae-kyung’s friendly gestures.
Gradually, the two had become quite close. Myung-hoon had brought Tae-kyung home today, knowing he often skipped proper meals, wanting to feed him a home-cooked dinner.
“The boiler broke?”
As Myung-hoon asked, Seo-ha stiffened her expression and remained silent.
She remembered her conversation with Hyun-young that day.
With Tae-kyung about to marry Yuna, there was no good in him coming and going here.
“Why is Tae-kyung here? Please leave immediately.”
“When did the boiler break? Are you okay?”
Tae-kyung ignored Seo-ha’s sharp reaction and first inquired about her well-being. The air inside the house was almost as cold as outside, and he was worried about Seo-ha.
Just then, Min-joon, hearing Tae-kyung’s voice, came out to the living room.
“Grandpa! Teacher!”
“Oh, our puppy. How can you be in this cold? What a situation, it’s so cold. Seo-ha, when is the repairman coming?”
“…….”
Seo-ha didn’t like Tae-kyung getting closer and closer, something she wanted to avoid, and remained silent to Myung-hoon’s question.
Myung-hoon scolded her.
“What do you mean, when is the repairman coming? Min-joon might catch a cold again.”
“Grandpa, I have a runny nose.”
Min-joon sniffled and pointed at his nose. Tae-kyung frowned.
“Father, Min-joon, let’s go to my house.”
“To your house, Teacher?”
“Yes. My house has many rooms. Stay there until the boiler is fixed.”
“No, no, Mr. Han. We can go to a motel.”
“No, Father. It’s dangerous to go to a motel. It’ll be uncomfortable. I live alone, so there are many empty rooms. And I’ll be in Seoul for a while, so please stay at my house.”
Tae-kyung stepped in to gather Min-joon’s clothes. Seo-ha grabbed Tae-kyung’s hand.
“Don’t do this. Please go back and don’t interfere anymore. I don’t want to be involved with you at all.”
Despite Seo-ha’s cold words, Tae-kyung didn’t care and even scoffed.
“Kim Seo-ha. It’s not for you. It’s for Min-joon. If you don’t want to come, you don’t have to. But I will take Min-joon and Father to my house.”
“Why do you keep intruding into our lives?”
Tae-kyung approached Seo-ha and whispered close to her ear.
Seo-ha felt breathless from Tae-kyung’s hot breath.
Tae-kyung spoke in a low voice, barely audible as he looked after Min-joon.
“I must have told you before. I’m the one who ends things. If you really want to end things with me, it would be better to follow what I do. Don’t let harsh words come out in front of the child anymore. I will take you to my house by any means necessary. At least as long as I’m here, I can’t leave you and Min-joon in danger.”
Seo-ha felt chills all over her body from Tae-kyung’s scent and breath. It was a scent and breath she had buried deep in her memory. She feared being swept away by her past emotions.
Longing and memories etched in her body flooded in like a storm. What once belonged only to her would now belong to another woman.
Seo-ha clenched her small hands so tightly that they turned white.
Myung-hoon interjected, looking at Seo-ha.
“Seo-ha, for Min-joon’s sake, let’s go to Mr. Han’s house, even if it’s regrettable. A motel won’t be good for Min-joon.”
At Myung-hoon’s words, Seo-ha relaxed the tension in her body.
Right now, there was no other option for Seo-ha. She couldn’t take Min-joon to a motel or endure in a cold house.
It was impossible to spend several days in a sauna with a five-year-old child and an elderly father until the boiler was fixed.
Reluctantly, Seo-ha nodded her head for the sake of Min-joon and Myung-hoon.
“Okay. But only until the boiler is fixed.”
“Of course.”
At that moment, a smile spread across Tae-kyung’s lips.
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.”
