I transferred to a new school after the swelling on my face had completely subsided. My new stepfather said it would take some time to prepare the necessary documents for admission, so I should relax and get used to the home. He said this while we were all sitting together eating breakfast.
From the moment I first entered this house in the sedan, I knew I wouldn’t be able to continue attending my previous school. Seeing how far we drove from my previous house, even when there was no traffic, I had already anticipated this. I didn’t have the slightest bit of regret or attachment, I had no friends nor cherished memories there. It didn’t matter which school I attended. I just needed to graduate high school safely and get a scholarship to a university with a dormitory. No, that was my most fervent wish.
While waiting for the school transfer process to be completed in a house where I felt like I was walking on eggshells, I wondered why so many documents were needed for a transfer, which was not like an admission. I just assumed it was because it was a prestigious school with high standards. I only realized why it took so long when the teacher at my new school called my name for the first time.
Ji Yewoon.
That was an unfamiliar name. No, it was an unfamiliar surname. Despite having many stepfathers, I had always followed my mom’s surname. The moment I saw that my surname had changed, I understood my mom’s determination to secure something from this marriage even if it ended. From Song Yewoon to Ji Yewoon. I wondered if I would have another stepfather by the time I got used to this new surname. That was the thought that came into my head first, instead of feeling a sense of upset or excitement about the new surname.
But on the other hand, this was an opportunity. A chance to make my dream of going to university, which had seemed like chasing clouds, a reality. Until recently, my mom had been looking for an opportunity to make me drop out of high school. But now, I had a new stepfather who insisted on enrolling me in a prestigious private high school, saying that a member of the Ji family couldn’t just attend any school. I had managed to avoid the fate of being pushed out of school and forced to earn money by my mom.
“Isn’t it too early?”
Suddenly, a voice from behind startled me, and I stopped in my tracks as I walked across the garden. Instinctively, I turned around at the imposing presence approaching from behind. There was a strong scent of wood, like being in a dewy forest. And there, standing so close that I would have bumped into him with just one more step, was the person with a face I almost forgot.
“You should break the habit of staring blankly without answering.”
It was Director Ji, my new older brother, whose name was Cheonghyun.
“…I apologize.”
He seemed to make the remark lightly as a joke, but his eyes were serious, making it hard to take it lightly. I remembered how he had asked about my swollen face but received only my suspicious glances instead of an answer. I awkwardly apologized, including that incident.
“I didn’t say that to hear an apology.”
“…”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. I lowered my gaze to avoid staring blankly at him.
Waiting for the new family members late into the night was probably just a minimal courtesy. Since then, I hadn’t encountered him at all, not even when I stayed home to rest or during my first week going to the new school. The only time we had a meal together was that first morning when we discussed the school transfer.
Honestly, I hadn’t even realized until just now that I hadn’t seen him for a long while. I had been too overwhelmed just getting used to living in this massive mansion with in-house helpers, to the point where I hadn’t had time to wonder why I didn’t see this other family member. In a house this large, it would be more unnatural to frequently run into someone. I hardly even saw my mom outside of meal times, so it was no surprise that I never saw my step-sibling with whom I shared no blood.
“Take my car. It’s quite the coincidence that we ran into each other.”
His words reminded me again of just how big this house was, making running into each other a coincidence.
“I will be fine going alone.”
It was a refusal. Honestly, I didn’t want to go with him. I was still uncomfortable being dropped off at the school gate in a car with a driver, let alone riding with the man who was my stepbrother on paper, but had been a stranger my whole life. I wanted to avoid it if possible. When I mustered the courage to speak clearly, I received a low, swallowed laugh.
“I’m not asking us to act friendly, so don’t make me say it twice. Get in. I have something to ask you too.”
Hearing that he had something to ask, I couldn’t refuse any further. As soon as he finished his words, he went past me and my eyes followed him. I had no choice but to follow behind him. I kept a distance that was neither too close nor too far, maintaining about a couple of steps between us as we walked. As I watched his back while crossing the wide garden, time seemed to stretch endlessly. Maybe it was because I had been staring at his back for so long. His straight, elegant walk in a perfectly fitted suit made me wonder.
But how old is this man? If he’s the director, is he over thirty? No, they say it’s common in chaebol families to take executive positions in their twenties. But I didn’t think about actually asking these questions. It didn’t matter how old he was. We wouldn’t live together forever anyway.
While lost in these thoughts, we arrived in front of the garage. I saw an unfamiliar car being pulled out of the garage. It wasn’t the black sedan I’d been taking to the school in for the past week, but a sleek silver sedan. This one was longer, almost resembling a limousine. As soon as the driver standing by the car saw him, he bowed. I had wondered why we had never seen each other, it turned out he would always leave for work at this time. This encounter happened today because I had left home earlier than usual, not feeling up to breakfast.
I hesitated for just a moment, wondering if it was okay to open the door and get in the car first myself. But before I could even give my greeting, the driver quickly approached and opened the rear door. It happened in the blink of an eye. I wondered if the authority of never having to open your own car door was something you were born with rather than something you learned. I still felt awkward having the driver open the door for me, so I usually opened and closed it quickly myself.
The car, once we got in, moved so smoothly that I didn’t even notice we were on the road, leaving the neighborhood. They say expensive cars have excellent ride quality and you can’t hear the engine, and indeed, it was so quiet inside that I could almost hear my breathing. Amidst the heavy silence, the only sound was the occasional tapping on a tablet PC screen. Although he sat right next to me, the car was so spacious that even if I reached out, I wouldn’t have been able to touch him. But perhaps because I was tense, the small tapping sound seemed unnervingly loud.
Sitting side by side in the back seat, I stared blankly at my hands on my lap. He had mentioned having something to ask, so why was he not saying anything? It wasn’t that I wanted to engage in idle chatter, but I hoped for at least some sort of small disruption in this overwhelming atmosphere.
I didn’t know where to look. If I openly stared out the window, it might seem like I was signaling him not to talk to me. If I turned my head towards him, it might appear as if I was curious about my new stepbrother. Carefully, I glanced sideways out the window. Realizing we were not far from the school, I inadvertently sighed in relief, then quickly held my breath. My sigh had clearly resonated in the quiet car.
A soft laugh, like air escaping, came from beside me. The futility of my hope that he hadn’t heard it became clear as he spoke again.
“You must feel uncomfortable.”
Make me feel happy and supported by leaving a comment!
![I Mistook the Paranoid Gong for a Shou [Book Transmigration]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-12-at-01.24.02_47d1acd0.jpg "I Mistook the Paranoid Gong for a Shou [Book Transmigration]")
