Chapter 25 Lunch (Mom, Seon-ju, Gyu-ri, Se-hee, Se-young, Su-a)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 25 Lunch (Mom, Seon-ju, Gyu-ri, Se-hee, Se-young, Su-a)
Si-woo was carefully observing Aunt Gyu-ri’s expression as she sat across from him while his mom and Aunt Seon-ju talked about his father.
He wondered if there would be any noticeable change in her expression at the mention of his father, especially if there really was a special relationship between them as suggested by the Slave Contract.
From beginning to end, Aunt Gyu-ri kept her eyes on his mom and Aunt Seon-ju, listening to the conversation. Aside from nodding occasionally or bringing a beer can to her lips for a sip, she showed no significant change in her expression.
Then, perhaps sensing Si-woo’s gaze on her, Aunt Gyu-ri turned her head toward him and met his eyes.
"Si-woo, it seems like you haven't visited our house much lately."
As their eyes met, Si-woo instinctively flinched in surprise, but Aunt Gyu-ri spoke with a gentle smile.
"I want to visit, but Cheol-jin seems really busy these days."
Confirming Aunt Gyu-ri’s characteristically warm and comforting eyes, Si-woo spoke more comfortably.
"You can come over alone even when Cheol-jin isn't there... Anyway, I really don't know what Cheol-jin is up to lately. He leaves at dawn and comes back late at night. Si-woo, have you heard anything from him?"
The only thing that came to Si-woo’s mind at Aunt Gyu-ri’s question was the Slave Contract for her that Cheol-jin had sent him, but there was no way he could say that to her face.
And right now, he was more focused on the first sentence she had let slip.
'You can come over alone even when Cheol-jin isn't there...'
Si-woo was certain that this carried a sexual connotation that could only be shared between the two of them.
Si-woo was both surprised and delighted by Aunt Gyu-ri’s boldness in tempting her friend’s son—and her own son’s friend—even while her husband was home. At the same time, he thought that she might not be such an obedient slave to her master after all.
For some reason, Si-woo felt a surge of intense, sadistic desire to humiliate and degrade Aunt Gyu-ri.
"Is the way Cheol-jin treats you at home still the same?"
Si-woo pointedly asked about that secret behavior they had agreed not to tell others.
"Oh... well... yes, I suppose..."
Aunt Gyu-ri answered, stammering slightly as if flustered.
Si-woo straightened his knees from where he sat, stretching his legs out to find Aunt Gyu-ri’s legs across from him.
When Si-woo’s foot bumped into hers, Aunt Gyu-ri seemed a bit startled, but she soon responded by stretching her legs out so that her calves crossed with his.
"Is it okay to leave it like that?"
Si-woo asked a double-edged question, testing her intentions.
"Well... I feel like it's something that can't be helped now, and I think I've gotten a bit... used to it. I just wish other people didn't know..."
Aunt Gyu-ri trailed off, mixing the two subjects together as if she couldn't clearly distinguish whether she was talking about Cheol-jin or Si-woo.
"What does Mister say?"
As he spoke, Si-woo pushed his other leg forward, wrapping both of his legs around her calves.
"He... he obviously wouldn't know. Because it's a secret."
Aunt Gyu-ri looked at Si-woo and spoke, her eyes slightly unfocused from the alcohol as if she were making a promise to him.
Si-woo used both legs to pull Aunt Gyu-ri’s calves toward him.
At a meal where both Si-woo’s family and Aunt Seon-ju’s family were present, one of Aunt Gyu-ri’s legs remained tucked between Si-woo’s legs exactly as he had placed it, like a secret personal possession.
Si-woo intended not to let go of her leg until the meal was over.
Aunt Gyu-ri didn't seem to have any intention of pulling her leg away from him either.
Si-woo suddenly realized that out of the seven people gathered there, he was the only male.
At this moment, Si-woo was a meticulous predator who had coiled around and captured one of the delicious preys of his own volition, like a snake.
"Did something happen with Cheol-jin Oppa?"
Se-young, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between Aunt Gyu-ri and Si-woo from the side, asked Si-woo with a worried expression.
"I think it's just because Cheol-jin is going through a rebellious phase lately~ Se-young, you don't need to worry~"
Aunt Gyu-ri gave her signature reassuring eye-smile and answered Se-young instead of Si-woo.
Mom was vaguely picking up on the subtle atmosphere between Si-woo and Aunt Gyu-ri.
—Because she had seen the photo of Aunt Gyu-ri that Si-woo had sent.
Mom would look at Si-woo and then shyly turn her head away whenever their eyes met.
Then, as if feeling awkward, she kept sipping her drink, having lost track of how many glasses she’d had.
Perhaps because of the alcohol, Mom’s face seemed slightly flushed.
* * *
"Unnie, but that thing we talked about before, you're really starting next week, right?"
Aunt Seon-ju looked at Mom and restarted the conversation.
"I have to! We already agreed to start next week~ I can't live my whole life eating away at the insurance money."
Mom spoke as if the decision had already been made in response to Aunt Seon-ju’s question.
"I heard Brother-in-law left you plenty of money?"
"I don't know what might happen to the kids later, so I should at least earn enough for living expenses. Besides, it's just a part-time job for a little while during the day when I have free time."
"If you're willing to do it, I'm grateful."
Si-woo’s father had left behind a generous estate when he passed away.
On top of that, the accident insurance money had been paid out, so there were no major difficulties in their daily life.
Even so, it seemed Mom wanted to try a part-time job during her spare time during the day, just in case.
Aunt Seon-ju ran a brokerage business that specialized in managing freelance models.
Sometimes she did the modeling herself or recruited acquaintances, and it seemed she had made several offers to Mom, who had a great figure, in the past.
Now, it had turned into Mom asking Aunt Seon-ju for the favor instead.
—It seemed Mom had originally intended to tell the family during the dinner gathering.
As various stories were exchanged, the lunch was coming to an end.
The children moved to the living room sofa, sitting around watching TV and eating fruit, while the moms seemed ready to start gossiping in earnest over drinks.
—They seemed to have forgotten their agreement to drink in moderation.
* * *
"Hey, Oppa, what are you doing after your Intermediate Academy class on Monday?"
Se-young, who was sitting next to Si-woo eating fruit with Su-a, asked him.
"Huh? Monday?"
Si-woo asked back, wondering what was up.
"Yeah, Monday! There's a parent-teacher meeting at the academy. Can't you come with me?"
Se-young placed her hand lightly on Si-woo’s arm and asked tentatively.
"Didn't you go to the academy with Aunt Seon-ju?"
Se-hee Noona, who was listening from across them, asked Se-young as if it were strange.
"Yeah, I went with Aunt Seon-ju, but they said the parent-teacher meeting has to be with a direct guardian living in the same house. Hehe."
Se-young spoke with a cute expression, as if she had also found it troublesome.
"Shouldn't you tell Mom? Is it okay for an intermediate student like me to go?"
Si-woo spoke to Se-young while glancing at Se-hee Noona.
—Since they had agreed to go together for two weeks anyway.
"Yeah, the academy said it's fine if it's you, Oppa. And Mom said she might be busy with work during the day starting Monday, so she told me to ask you. I really want you to come with me this time, too. Hehe~"
Si-woo was touched by Se-young’s sweet final words.
Wanting to go with Se-young no matter what, he stole a glance at Se-hee Noona.
Se-hee Noona shrugged her shoulders as if she had no choice.
It was a gesture that was practically giving him the time.
"I'll be at Su-a's house after I finish my Beginner Academy class on Monday, so you can just come pick us up right after your Intermediate Academy class. Got it?"
And so, at Se-young’s request, Si-woo ended up doing a parent-teacher meeting at the Magic Academy on Monday.
* * *
Quite some time passed.
Se-young and Su-a went into the room to play.
Noona also lay on the sofa looking at her smartphone for a bit before going into her room.
Si-woo sat alone in the living room watching TV.
The moms were chatting as the alcohol kicked in, and it seemed the topic of Se-hee Noona’s clothes had come up again.
"You said you even gave her that underwear?"
Mom said to Aunt Seon-ju, sounding like she was getting angry again.
"If we're family, we see each other's bare skin and live like that."
"I told you, that doesn't work in our house! Phew~ how many times do I have to tell you?"
"Because of Si-woo?"
He was listening to the moms' conversation unintentionally.
Si-woo was startled by the sudden mention of his name.