Chapter 16: Missteps and New Opportunities

“I don’t know, I don’t remember. Anyway, it wasn’t someone from your school.”

“Of course not. We had exams today.”

Do Yoon said it like it was obvious. Then, he dropped his backpack, knelt across from me, and swiftly grabbed the ointment and bandages from the table. Before I could protest, he squeezed a generous amount of ointment onto my swollen foot. I flinched at the cold sensation and blurted out.

“No, I can do it myself. Don’t you have exam prep?”

“Exams are done.”

“Midterms in one day?”

“It was a private mock test.”

He sighed, as if explaining was a hassle. Embarrassed, I shut up. Do Yoon skillfully wrapped the bandage tightly around my foot. His gentle yet precise touch suggested he’d done this before.

“What’s with you lately? Getting hurt isn’t a hobby.”

I coughed awkwardly, embarrassed. That’s exactly why I didn’t want anyone to know. Staring at his deft hands, I held back from stopping him—he was too focused. Mesmerized by his skill, I said sincerely.

“You’re… really good at this.”

“I’ve done it a lot.”

“They teach practical stuff at school, huh?”

“No, my mom used to get hurt a lot.”

“Oh…”

Damn, I shouldn’t have said anything.

Do Yoon’s biological mother was a woman Choi Young Gil, the company president, used and discarded. She believed her life was ruined by that fleeting mistake and took her anger out on herself and Do Yoon. He was practically raised by his grandmother, with an unstable household income. Do Yoon himself had applied for welfare benefits at the community center on her behalf.

I knew this from the novel. But should “Seung Hyun” know?

If an estranged half-brother knew such a personal history, it’d likely wound Do Yoon’s pride. And that resentment might come back to bite me later.

When I didn’t respond, silence fell. Do Yoon seemed unfazed, but I was hyper-aware of his mood.

As I scrambled for something to say, he finished bandaging my foot and looked up.

“Even a scooter wheel could tear a ligament if it hit hard. It might hurt later when you walk, so go to a hospital. Don’t just ice it and call it a day.”

“Uh? Okay.”

“What’s with those clothes?”

He eyed my new dark green hoodie and white shorts. Unexpectedly, this shifted the topic. Relieved, I grinned widely.

“Bought them today. Pretty nice, right? They suit me, don’t they?”

Do Yoon stared, then said.

“Not really.”

I let out a startled “Hah!” and felt a pang of shock.

That bad? Do Yoon rarely spoke harshly. He might think negatively but usually stayed polite and friendly. His blunt dislike felt like a slap. Sure, with his perfect face, others might look lacking, but still—saying it to my face? Just because hoodies suit him doesn’t mean they don’t suit me! He probably just doesn’t like me.

“You look younger in that, so maybe that kid disrespected you. You usually wear suits.”

He cut through my spiraling thoughts.

“…That kid?”

“The high schooler who hit you.”

I snapped back. He was still on that? I needed to steer the conversation away from Hyung Joo.

“I dragged him to the police station and gave him a piece of my mind, so don’t worry.”

“What?”

Why’s he surprised now?

“You got hit and went to the police?”

I clammed up, and he frowned, then said abruptly.

“…He tried to run, didn’t he?”

This kid’s intuition is uncanny.

“No! Absolutely not.”

“Then why the pol—”

“Hey! Are you my mom? Why’re you grilling me?”

My outburst quieted the living room. Our eyes locked, both blinking in embarrassment. I spoke first, flustered.

“I mean, uh… sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry too.”

His large hand, which had moved to my knee with the ointment, slid back down. My mouth went dry. Do Yoon stared at my bruised knee, then grabbed his bag and stood.

“I’ll head in. Take care of that.”

A door slammed in the distance. I lowered my head, silently tugging at my hair.

Damn it… that’s not what I meant.

Thankfully, a thorough check showed my foot was fine. Since Do Yoon already knew, I saw no point in avoiding the Haewon family doctor for a local clinic. Lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, the doctor said.

“You’ve been getting hurt a lot lately. Luckily, it’s minor.”

“Yeah, feels like I’m cursed. But don’t tell Grandfather—it’s embarrassing.”

He chuckled. Seung Hee had also noticed my injury but only clicked her tongue and left, more exasperated than malicious.

I finally admitted I’d been overreacting to the siblings.

Seung Hee wasn’t as bad as I thought—just a normal sister fed up with her deadbeat brother. And Do Yoon was… kinder than expected. My outburst kept replaying in my head.

“Why’re you grilling me!”

His expression then…

“Ha…”

I sighed heavily, and the doctor asked.

“Something wrong?”

“Nah, just… nothing’s going right.”

Do Yoon had been worried, and I blew a chance to get closer. Would telling him Hyung Joo’s name have mattered? He has no way to find him! The real issue is that Do Yoon’s been avoiding me since. Just when we were getting somewhere…

The doctor, seeing me flail on the bed, gave a kind smile and left.

Then my phone buzzed with a text. I reached for it listlessly, ready to curse out any idiot suggesting drinks.

But the sender was unexpected.

[Hello, this is Choi Do Yoon’s homeroom teacher.]

My eyes widened.

I’d exchanged numbers with her during the school bullying incident. Normally, Manager Jo would get these calls, but I’d insisted she contact me directly about Do Yoon.

It wasn’t out of spite for Manager Jo snitching to Mother—just part of my effort to get closer to Do Yoon. Knowing everything helps build bonds.

That effort paid off. Swallowing hard, I carefully replied.

[Hello, teacher. How are you?]

Her response was instant.

[Doing well. I’m contacting you about Do Yoon. Could you visit the school when you’re free?]

My heart raced with unease. Was he in trouble again? No news is good news at school—teachers don’t call parents for good things. My mind spiraled with worst-case scenarios.

I started typing I’d come now, but glanced at my foot and revised.

[I’ll come the day after tomorrow.]

After hesitating, I added.

[Did Do Yoon get into trouble?]

If he’d fought a hundred punks like that Won Chul kid, I calculated how much I could smooth over. But the reply was anticlimactically normal.

[No, it’s about his career path.]

Relief washed over me, and I relaxed. Do Yoon’s the top student, after all.

[Got it.]

I set the phone down, staring at the ceiling. Visiting right before school ends to walk back with him sounded perfect. Things were awkward, and this was a great excuse.