48 — Bedtime Conundrum

It was hard to imagine what went through Su Ah’s head when she looked at me.

My conversations with her were sparse at best — a nod there, a roll of the eyes here, and a cold greeting when she was in a good mood.

While I would have liked to nurture my relationship with her, I decided to keep a bit of distance. I didn’t like to push things. She’d come around, eventually. Like a cat deciding when it's time to grace you with its presence.

As for my uncle, not that I could see him as such, he was an obstacle I couldn’t overcome through conventional means. I’d need to look up laws in South Korea, and what could be done. Divorce seemed like the only spell to make him vanish from the equation.

I didn’t want him to potentially make a move at Eun Ha. Then again, as far as I was told, he seemed to find his kicks elsewhere. Either way, I needed to up the ante and become independent.

My thoughts drifted to the most available resource I could get in a short-time frame.

Money. ‘In the end, it’s all about money.’

I paced around my room, consuming the floor with purposeful steps before I decided to recline on my bed. I stared at the ceiling, my head running with possibilities.

Piece of cake, really.

All I had to do was show some magic on the field, make the crowd go ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’, and get a noteworthy club’s attention. If I could go back to Europe, I’d be on a fast track to success.

K League 1 was cool, but let's be real — it's like comparing a tricycle to a Ferrari. The Premier League, La Liga, Serie A — that's where the real action happened. Teams from South America and Europe ruled the roost. Brazil and Italy were like the cool kids with the most World Cup trophies.

‘Although Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup.’ My brain chimed in. Well, nobody's perfect.

I did some research on the South Korean team of this world. There wasn’t much of a big difference. Different names. Not exactly shining on the big stage, but they managed to churn out a good player or two, from time to time.

The top contenders for the upcoming World Cup were Argentina, and, surprisingly enough, Poland.

‘Lewandowski, you bastard, you didn’t cross over as well, did you?’

Joon-ho would probably contact me soon. Tifa must have given him my personal contact.

Either way, DaemiaTV was piling up a mountain of views. The clout I got from defeating the U-18 team had carried over to the channel. ‘Tifa’s an amazing editor as well.’

I should have hit the minimum of subscribers for monetization by now. I’d have to talk it out with that unbearably hot sister of mine about future possibilities. Mia and Eun Ha’s input were important, after all.

‘Everything’s going smoothly.’

As smooth as Yeong Gu’s receding hairline.

Which, in hindsight, wasn’t that smooth either.

──⇌ ⋆★⋆ ⇋──

Mia’s POV:

Waiting for an appropriate hour was quite the struggle. She and Dae Ho never defined a specific time. ‘Later that night’ could mean anything from after dinner to past 1 am.

Dinner itself was a bore — mostly because Su Ah decided to be there. The conversation couldn’t veer towards more sensitive topics, and because she had to keep Dae Ho on edge, she couldn’t simply walk up to him after dinner.

She still had her dignity, after all.

As such, once the clock struck midnight, Mia’s inner demon finally came out. Wearing a tank top and tight, dolphin pants, she skulked in the hallway’s shadows. However, what she didn’t account for, was that someone else had the same idea.

Mia’s bare feet came to an abrupt halt—

—As did Eun Ha’s.

Mia’s eyebrow twitched.

Eun Ha blinked.

“Mom?”

“Yes, dear?”

“This is not a coincidence, is it?”

A sheepish smile came over Eun Ha’s face. “I’m afraid not…”

Mia sighed.

‘I shouldn’t be mad… this is our arrangement, after all. Still…’

“It should be my turn now, mom.”

Eun Ha tilted her head, thinking it over. “I guess…” She bit her bottom lip. “But… I’m getting old, I have to make the best out of my youth.”

“And you can do it tomorrow, after I’m done with him today.” Mia insisted.

“It’s fine.” Eun Ha gave her a motherly smile. “I can wait.”

Mia’s eyebrow twitched harder. “Wait? Like, outside the door?”

“Hm-hm.” Eun Ha nodded — as if it was the most sensible fucking thing in the world.

“You do know that we’re not going to keep things E-rated, right?”

“Considering the relationship we share, I think it would be wise to get used to certain sounds, don’t you think?”

‘Fuck… she does actually have a point there…’

“That doesn’t mean you have to get used to it now, mom.” Mia clenched her fists, a frustrated, faux-polite smile on her face.

“Now is a perfect time, as we don’t know when your father will be back.”

“If you truly have to insist so much, I can come wake you up when we’re done.”

The thought itself was weird, but Mia would rather have some private time with the man she loved. Knowing that her mother was eavesdropping on them going at each other didn’t exactly turn her on.

An embarrassed blush flashed across Eun Ha’s cheeks. “That’s not a bad idea, but—”

The door suddenly snapped open, causing both of them to nearly jump in fright.

Dae Ho stepped out, his hair disheveled yet still managing to pull off the fluff and sexy style.

Mia’s teeth sunk into her bottom lip, biting and chewing so hard just to hold herself back from throwing her arms around him.

His toned chest protruded invitingly against the tight fit of his black tee. His shorts, on the other hand, were merely a flimsy barrier that she could tear apart with her teeth if need be. ‘He turned me into such a pervert.’

Eun Ha must have been wallowing in the same perverse thoughts as Mia, for she shimmied on the spots, not-so-subtly stealing glimpses at Dae Ho’s lower area.

Mia gnarled inwardly, feeling territorial like a mama lion defending her prey from an invading beast.

"Well... I wasn't aware there was an emergency meeting right outside my room."

As per his cool yet sassy way, Dae Ho quipped the two women in front of his door without giving them any special treatment.

Mia liked this aloof yet assertive Dae Ho, as that brought a sharpness to the bedroom, while not eliminating the tender moments they shared.

Eun Ha, however, reacted like an upset schoolgirl who failed to get her handsome oppa's attention. Her shoulders drooped, as did her bottom lip. "Sorry... I-I hoped we could spend some time together... is it not okay?"

Mia coughed into her hand. "And I've already told you that it's my turn now. Dae Ho and I have an appointment." She glanced at her lover for backup — except that she got none.

Dae Ho ran a hand through his hair, sighing softly.

Mia gulped. That sigh usually didn't precede good news.

"It is true that Mia and I have agreed to meet in my room... to talk." He rubbed his chin. "However... I'd feel bad to send Auntie away like this. It wouldn't be fair."

"B-But..."

"Besides..." Dae Ho continued, arms crossed. "The matters we have to talk about concern her as well. We can have fun after we're done with the important stuff."

Eun Ha remained silent for a moment before smiling gently. "Thank you, son."

Mia huffed a frustrated sigh before conceding the point.

As much as she hated the situation, she also couldn’t bring herself to deny her own mother, of all people, a bit of time with Dae Ho.

Dae Ho stood to the side. "Come on in."

Mia and Eun Ha waltzed in.

He closed the door.

Mia felt as though this scenario had repeated more times than she could count.

Dae Ho leaned against the lip of his desk as they both settled on his bed. Mia had haphazardly thrown herself towards the pillows, while Eun Ha eased herself down with the grace of a lady of high station, with both hands tucked on her lap.

Mia huffed a sigh and dragged one of the cushions to her bosom, embracing it tight to express her frustrations.

Eun Ha giggled softly — likely finding Mia cute.

Mia, in response, sniffed at her, not unlike a petulant child.

'This is not what I signed up for today.'

"So..." Dae Ho began, making sure he had their attention. "We need to talk about our future from here on."

Eun Ha shifted on the bed, crossing one leg over the other. Mia pressed her face into the pillow, snorting Dae Ho’s lingering scent.

As for the man in question, he continued speaking. "You already know my end goal in football. Going pro overseas is the most practical course of action right now. Well, not exactly right now, but as soon as possible. Europe seems like the most logical next step."

"E-Europe... that's far, isn't it?" Eun Ha voiced out, one hand on her chest.

“You’ve yet to sign with a team, and you’re already talking about going overseas?” Mia interjected, reasonably so.

The young man in front of them chuckled. He leaned back, supporting his weight on his outstretched palms.

Eun Ha squirmed as he pushed back his hips, puffing out that prominent bulge a tad.

Mia puffed hot air on Dae Ho's pillow, wishing it was his thick meat rod.

“A talent scout from the South Korean team approached me. He made it clear that they want me in the team.”

"Really?" Eun Ha clapped her hands, beaming at him. "That's great news!"

‘Well… I’m not surprised.’

A proud smile flitted across Mia’s lips, before she hid it behind the pillow.

Dae Ho proceeded with the facts. Mia and Eun Ha settled and quietly listened.

Their lover proposed a bold plan that consisted of three steps — establish himself in K League 1 as quickly as possible, make a transfer deal, and make it big as a top European footballer.

Of course, that was all conjecture in Mia's mind. An ambitious dream. She had seen how good Dae Ho was, but she didn't know how he'd match up against the big names. 'I need to start watching more football.' If only to get a better idea of what kind of world her step brother was getting into.

“Now that I’ve made this point… we need to get into more delicate matters.”

“You mean where we fit in this grand plan of yours?” Mia guessed.

Dae Ho nodded.

"Once I establish myself... I'll travel a lot." He admitted.

"You're not planning on cutting us off now, are you?"

At Mia's sharp remark, Eun Ha's eyes went wide as she looked in abject horror at Dae Ho.

Dae Ho frowned, a hint of irritation seeping through his tone. “You fool, do you really think I would?”

“As if I would let you! I’ll tie you down on this very same bed before you even get to scream ‘goal’.” Mia asserted, wielding a pillow for more theatrical flair.

Her threat turned out to be as effective as an amateur actor without stage directions. Dae Ho merely brushed it off like a gentle breeze over his perfectly fluffy and sexy hair.

"What I was getting at was whether you two blobs of unreasonable sexiness would be willing to come with me."

“That would mean making our relationship… official?” Eun Ha probed, split between looking ecstatic about it and downright concerned of the consequences.

“Hell no… that’s not going to paint me in a good light. It’s one thing if I’m two timing a bunch of girls, it’s another if I’m literally fucking my step-sister and my step-mother. Uncle Yeong Gu, if he finds out, wouldn’t stay silent either.”

Mia and Eun Ha exchanged grim looks.

“Considering his vast network of important people, I wouldn’t put it past him to get some petty revenge at you.”

Mia agreed with her mother’s words. Fuck, it wasn’t something she often found herself thinking about.

She'd be standing against her father.

While she didn’t see him as such since he lost his place as a family father, she couldn't bring herself to think of him as an enemy. The bastard was busy fooling around anyway, so she wouldn’t exactly lose much sleep over this if she had to step up and take responsibility.

Still...

This was the same man that would always bring back sweets and other gifts for her from his trips.

A man that was 'supposed' to love and protect her mother.

She would have to step over him to pursue her interests.

'But he's done the exact same, hasn't he? My conscience isn't in the wrong here.'

Ugh. Damn it all.

Dae Ho wasn’t aware of Mia’s internal war. His eyes were fixed on Eun Ha. “That’s why… Auntie. What would you do if I asked you to divorce him?”