Keep it in the Family (207) - Jealousy (Patreon)

Dae Hee's POV:

"So." Eun Ha cleared her throat, smiling gently at her son, and looking nothing like the woman who'd been hostile a moment ago. "How long have you and our Jae-il been friends for, dear?"

Eun Ha was trying to get a read on Dae Hee, to gauge her intentions, but Dae Hee wasn't born yesterday. She saw right through that motherly, sweet facade. Eun Ha was fishing for information.

"Jae-il and I haven't known each other for that long but we get along very well. We might as well have been friends for a lifetime, hehe" Dae Hee said, playing the role of the sweet, innocent girl. She then turned to Jae-il and gave him a playful wink, her hand reaching out to tug at one of his fingers. "Right, Oppa?"

"Right." Jae-il chuckled, seemingly oblivious to the tension simmering between Dae Hee and his family. "We're quite good friends."

"I see." Eun Ha's smile tightened a fraction. Yeong Gu, on the other hand, completely oblivious to the undercurrents, his chest puffed out with pride at how popular his son was.

"Oppa...?" Mia's eyes narrowed. That single word, coming from Dae Hee's lips, had struck a nerve.

Dae Hee was subtly gauging everyone's reaction, and she didn't miss how Mia and Su Ah silently bristled at that. Again, as much as it would've pleased her to know she was pissing off the competition, in this particular case, she was further confused by their protectiveness.

It was an extreme reaction. An unnatural one. Even for a very close-knit family. But she didn't get to dwell on it much because Jae-il's father, the man at the very center of her personal hell, spoke again.

"So you two are close, huh? That's good! Very good!" Yeong Gu's booming laugh cut through the tense silence. "Jae-il needs more good friends around him, especially now that he's becoming a big star! He's too focused on football sometimes."

"He's amazing at it, though." Dae Hee added smoothly, her gaze flicking back to Jae-il. She couldn't help it. He was like a magnet, pulling her in. "So good that I won't be surprised if he becomes the best player in the world soon enough."

"Hahaha! That's the spirit! I'm glad someone can see the greatness in him!" Yeong Gu patted Jae-il's back again. "I can already see it, you know? My son, lifting the World Cup trophy for Korea!"

Mia and Su Ah didn't join in on the conversation. Eun Ha merely smiled and chuckled in support to that statement.

"I can see it too~" Dae Hee jumped right in, making sure her voice dripped with unmistakable admiration.

"That's an ambitious dream, Dad." Jae-il said, sounding more reserved than usual.

"Ah, no need to be shy. You just score, we'll handle everything else."

"Ah yes, you definitely will! If not, I'll come and kick some ass, haha!" Dae Hee replied cheerfully.

Yeong Gu broke into another boisterous laughter.

But Dae Hee's moment of triumph was cut short by a voice laced with sweet venom.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." Mia stepped forward, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "But Jae-il has an early practice tomorrow. We really should be heading home."

Mia's sister, Su Ah, nodded in agreement, positioning herself strategically between Jae-il and Dae Hee. "Yes, father. You know how Coach is about rest days."

It was a blatant dismissal.

Yeong Gu's booming laughter faltered. "Now, now, girls. Jae-il can spare a few more minutes for his friend."

"Actually." Su Ah interjected softly, her tone deceptively gentle. "It's less about the practice and more about the crowds." She gestured with her chin towards the few remaining fans straggling behind the barriers, their phones out. "Better to leave before they realize which way he's going. For security."

A plausible, yet utterly transparent excuse.

Dae Hee felt a flash of irritation, but she kept her smile perfectly in place.

Mia placed a hand on Jae-il's arm, her touch proprietary. "You played so well today, little brother. You must be exhausted. Let's get you home."

Jae-il looked between his sisters, blinking. "I'm fine, really. I can make my own way."

"Nonsense." Eun Ha spoke up for the first time, her voice firm. "We came together, we'll leave together. It's getting late." Her gaze, when it landed on Dae Hee, was polite but urgently dismissive, almost as if given enough time Dae Hee would devour Jae-il right then and there. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Dae Hee."

Dae Hee's smile tightened. The pleasure was all mine, she thought, you bitter, possessive—she cut the thought off. Stay calm. Bide your time.

"It was lovely meeting all of you too." She turned her full attention back to Jae-il, letting her expression soften into something genuine and warm.

As they started to move away, Jae-il turned back to Dae Hee. "I'll call you at school then?"

Dae Hee smiled, waving at him. "I'll be waiting."

She watched them go—Yeong Gu still protesting weakly, the two sisters flanking Jae-il like protective guards, and the mother trailing behind with a look of relief.

Only Jae-il glanced back once, a small smile playing on his lips.

Dae Hee's smile faded as soon as they were out of sight. Her hand curled into a fist at her side.

She pulled out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen as she typed a message to Jae-il. 'Had fun today. Can't wait to see you again 😊'

Seconds later, he responded:

'Me too.'

"......"

xXx

Eun Ha's POV:

She wasn't feeling good. That much was clear from the beginning.

As soon as the family was done with all the greetings and returned home, a dark sense of unease was growing inside her.

In retrospect, the reason was simple—meeting Dae Hee had her on high alert. The girl was crushing hard on her son, no question, and seeing her clingy and constantly reaching for his hand while looking up at her son like some lovesick puppy didn't sit well with her.

If it was only that, perhaps she could've lived with it, knowing that many women of varying ages and backgrounds looked at her son the same way Dae Hee did, or perhaps she would've been just amused by how transparent that young woman's actions were. However, what truly ticked her off was seeing Jae-il indulging Dae Hee's attention.

Maybe Jae-il returned her affection? What if Jae-il finally grew fond of another woman, and that woman ended up being Dae Hee of all people? She looked like a pretty flower, her manners and attitude were impeccable even if slightly tinted with boldness and ulterior motives.

She seemed like a fine lady, the kind who got married in their late twenties or early thirties and gave the groom a dozen beautiful children.

A perfectly normal, intelligent and healthy young lady.

'What are Jae-il's intentions?'

It was perfectly normal to ask herself that, right?

'Wasn't he in a... in a... relationship with Mia?' Even the thought itself made her head spin. The actual truth in that statement was foggy with no conclusive evidence other than a dubious phone call and her own wild imagination.

But ever since then Eun Ha had picked up many other signs to further solidify that gnarly conclusion.

She had never caught them in the act, but her guts told her there was something.

She was almost sure about it.

So, where did Dae Hee stand in all of this?

Did Jae-il like Dae Hee? Or was he simply playing along? Was this a game to him?

Or perhaps she was overthinking things.

Perhaps Jae-il had no interest in her, but was too kind to reject her, and she was too blinded by her own obsession to see it.

Yes, that had to be it. Jae-il was a good boy, a kind boy, and a polite boy.

'But good, kind, and polite boys don't fool around with their own family...'

Eun Ha's eyes were spinning from all these contradictions. 

She felt guilty for being jealous. Surprisingly, she felt pity for her daughters, who probably had it worse than her, and also felt this terrible possessiveness.

"Umh, honey...?"

Eun Ha called out once Jae-il quietly sat down on the sofa. She needed a clearer picture.

Yeong Gu was outside taking a call. Mia and Su Ah were each in their own rooms.

She was left alone with Jae-il.

This was the perfect opportunity for her to gather more information.

"Are you... close... with Dae Hee...?"

Jae-il turned from the TV. The question caught him a bit off guard.

"Dae Hee? I mean, yeah. She's a good friend."

"Just a friend?" Eun Ha pressed, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, trying to appear casual as she stood there.

She should've been satisfied with that answer and leave it at that, but she didn't. She had been quite frustrated recently, and couldn't quite control her own thoughts and emotions, especially when it involved another woman. Someone not from the family.

"Mom." He leaned back into the sofa, a faint, amused smirk playing on his lips. "Why so interested all of a sudden?"

"I... I'm your mother, I worry about you. About your happiness. She seems like a nice girl, I was just... wondering." She explained, her heart trotting like a wild horse in her chest. "She seems to like you a lot, so I was wondering if you like her back." Eun Ha forced herself to laugh at the end of her sentence. "She's a pretty girl, after all."

Jae-il watched her for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

Then, he let out a quiet, thoughtful hum. "Hmm..."

"......"

“Hmmm….”

“......”

If Jae-il had a clear conscience and answer, it wouldn't take him this much to say something.

Why did he have to think so much about it?

Eun Ha took in a sharp, silent gasp, her entire body now taut like a bowstring.

'Could it be...?'

She could almost feel her eyes sting with the onset of tears she desperately held back.

"Hmm..." Jae-il repeated, tapping a finger on his chin as he looked up at the ceiling in mock contemplation. Then he snapped his eyes at her. "What if I do? What if I like her?"

".......!!"