Min-seok stood in the middle of the chaos—surrounded, arms full of sisters and love—looking quietly overwhelmed but deeply content. He glanced at Mi-Kyung with a helpless, affectionate smile.
"Looks like I'm officially the family bamboo," he said dryly.
Mi-Kyung laughed, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "And I'm the koala who claimed him at last—and now I've got backup."
The room dissolved into laughter and affectionate groans, the teasing turning soft and warm—because deep down, every single one of them knew the truth.
Meanwhile, Soo-ah—still pretending to be asleep on Min-seok's back—whispered so quietly only he could hear, her voice tiny and sleepy.
"Oppa… you're so popular. I'm jealous. I have to stay away from you at boarding school and everyone gets to cling to you while I'm gone."
Min-seok's hand gently rubbed her back in slow circles, voice low so only she could hear.
"So you finally decided it was time to stop acting, huh?"
Soo-ah's breath hitched. She kept her eyes closed, face still tucked against his neck.
"You knew I was acting?" her voice a whisper that no one other than he heard.
He smiled against her hair. "When your mom told me about her jealousy and how you sort of ruined her date… you subconsciously shook a little. Held me a little too tightly. I knew you weren't sleeping—just closing your eyes and listening to everything."
Soo-ah let out a tiny, embarrassed whine. "I can never win against you, Oppa…"
"You don't need to win," he whispered back, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. "Just stay the way you are—the way I raised you. Always kind, like you were with that boy Tae-joon, not humiliating him. Gentle even when you say no. Leave the rest to your Oppa."
She nodded against his shoulder, eyes still closed, voice barely audible.
"Okay…"
He continued quietly, so only she could hear.
"When you're alone with your mom later, I want you to apologize to her. She's been waiting for the date for a long time. Ever since your useless father left her when you were four, she's suffered enough—handling everything alone. I was there for you both, but she still felt lonely.
First because we were cousins and she had to stop herself, then because others wanted me too. She wasn't being upfront, suppressing it for so long. Today she wanted to be with me—just us.
But you came," Min-seok continued softly, voice low and steady so only Soo-ah could hear. "It's not that we hate you for it. Never. We love you more than anything in this world.
There isn't a single day your mom doesn't worry about you—every time the phone rings, every time a text arrives, every time she sees your empty room. But today… seeing you burst through the door, so happy, so full of stories, clinging to me like you used to when you were little… She was relieved.
I could feel it in the way she smiled, the way her shoulders relaxed. Knowing you were safe, knowing you were happy—that meant more to her than any quiet date ever could."
He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.
"She loves you so much, Soo-ah-yah. More than words can ever say. And so do I. You're not a burden. You're our joy. Always.
It's just that your mom was looking forward to it for so long, and she wanted to spend some alone time with me that she got a bit jealous and sad. So apologize to her, okay?"
Soo-ah nodded again, eyes still closed, voice small and sincere.
"I'm sorry for crashing her date… you don't hate me for it, right?"
Min-seok's hand stroked her hair gently.
"Why would I ever hate my lovely little Soo-ah?" he whispered. "Now be a good girl and stop thinking about all that nonsense. You already know your Oppa is always with you. Now act sleepy and watch the family drama your other Unnies make."
She smiled against his neck—tiny, secret, happy—and pretended to stay asleep, safe and loved in the arms of the person who'd always been her home.
Mi-Kyung sighed, amused, and stepped back, taking the bags from Ji-yeon after a fun banter with his sisters. "Dinner's almost ready. Freshen up, you two. We'll set the table."
Eun-ji tiptoed closer, peering up at Soo-ah's sleeping face. She pulled out her phone with an evil grin and quickly snapped a few photos—close-ups of Soo-ah drooling slightly on Min-seok's shoulder, arms locked tight, completely limp with sleep.
"For blackmail later," she whispered gleefully. "When she wakes up and tries to deny how clingy she is, I've got proof."
Soo-min stepped forward and gently brushed Soo-ah's hair back from her face.
"She looks so content," she whispered. "Like all the homesickness just melted away the second she saw you."
She shot Eun-ji with a teasing look. "And you want to make your little sister cry after how content she is? What kind of unnie are you?"
Eun-ji stuck her tongue out, grinning wickedly as she waved her phone with the incriminating photos.
"I'll tease her with these pics later," she said, voice dripping with mischief. "This is her punishment for stealing my place like a mastermind.
Acting all innocent while hogging Oppa's lap—even in her sleep! That's what you get for being a sly little thief, Soo-ah. I'm going to enjoy this blackmail material way too much."
Hye-jin laughed softly. "Unnie, let her do it. When Eun-ji would bully Soo-ah before, she'd run crying to Min-seok oppa and cling to him, saying 'Eun-ji unnie bullied me!'—and then use that to get him to pamper her more.
I can even envision Soo-ah getting pampered by Min-seok and teasing Eun-ji, showing how she used the opportunity she created for her own benefit."
Eun-ji gasped, clutching her chest. "Geeze… I trained her too well. This can actually happen. Then I'd have to fight for his pampering even more! I'll just tease him when she's gone back to boarding school—that way she won't be able to cling to Oppa and steal my spotlight."
Soo-min smirked. "She definitely has plans for that ready as well. You created a monster, Eun-ji."
Eun-ji lamented dramatically, flopping back onto the couch. "I shouldn't have trained her this well… now I have competition!"
Min-seok chuckled under his breath—careful not to jostle Soo-ah too much—and adjusted his grip under her thighs.
"She talked nonstop the whole way home," he said, voice low and fond. "Every single thing that happened this year. Then about halfway here she just… conked out mid-sentence. Head on my shoulder, drooling a little."
Ji-yeon smiled, brushing a strand of hair from Soo-ah's sleeping face.
Min-seok nodded, eyes warm as he looked down at the sleeping girl on his back.
He carried Soo-ah carefully down the hallway toward Ji-yeon's room—her old childhood bedroom that still had her favorite stuffed bear on the pillow, the sisters trailing behind like a quiet, smiling procession—whispering, teasing lightly, hearts full at the sight of their little cousin finally home and safe in the arms of the person she loved most.
As she laid her gently on the bed. He pulled the blanket over her, tucked it around her shoulders, and brushed her bangs back.
"Sleep tight, Soo-ah-yah," he whispered. "We'll talk more tomorrow."
She grabbed his wrist sleepily. "Promise?"
"Promise."
He kissed her forehead, then quietly left the room, closing the door with a soft click.
Ji-yeon had followed them. She waited until he stepped out, then went inside alone. Soo-ah was already awake the whole time, but when she heard the door, her eyes fluttered open.
"Mom…?"
Ji-yeon knelt beside the bed, reaching out to caress her daughter's cheek gently, thumb brushing over her soft skin.
"I'm here, baby."
Soo-ah blinked slowly, guilt creeping into her sleepy expression.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, voice small and thick with exhaustion. "I… I ruined your date with Oppa. I was selfish. I just… I missed him so much. I was away for so long and I wanted to tell him everything—every single thing that happened.
The good stuff, the bad stuff, everything. I wanted his praise, his advice… I couldn't stop myself. I'm sorry, Mom. I know how much you love him. I know how lonely you've been since Dad left when I was four. I didn't mean to take him away from you."
Her lower lip trembled; tears welled up.
Ji-yeon's heart clenched. She leaned forward, gathering Soo-ah into her arms, cradling her daughter's head against her chest.
"Oh, baby," she whispered, stroking her hair. "It's okay. I understand. Really, I do."
She rocked her gently, voice soft and full of love.
"You didn't ruin anything. Seeing you so happy—so excited to see him, clinging to him like when you were little—that made my heart so full. Yes… I was looking forward to some time alone with him. I won't lie; I felt a little sad when you came running in.
But that sadness isn't because of you. It's because I love him so much… and sometimes I get greedy for more of him. But that's my feeling—not your fault."
She kissed Soo-ah's forehead.
"And honestly? That's just how Min-seok is. He draws people in. Every woman around him—me, your aunts, even strangers—subconsciously wants more of him.
More of his time, his attention, his care. I don't blame you for wanting all of him today. You've missed him terribly, away from him for a long time. He's been your rock since you were tiny. Of course you needed him."
Soo-ah sniffled, hugging her mom tighter.
"But… I still feel bad."
Ji-yeon smiled, brushing tears from her daughter's cheeks.
"Then let me tell you something. Min-seok loves you—loves all of us—in a way that doesn't run out. There's enough of him for everyone. Today wasn't stolen from me. It was shared. And I got to watch the two people I love most in the world be happy together. That's not less. That's more."
Soo-ah looked up, eyes wide and searching. "Really?"
"Really," Ji-yeon said firmly. "And you know what? He already promised me—our date is just postponed. We'll have it soon. Just us. So don't worry, okay? You didn't take anything away. You added to it."
Soo-ah's lip wobbled again, but this time with relief. She hugged her mom hard.
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you more, my baby girl."
They stayed like that for a minute—Ji-yeon rocking her gently—until Soo-ah's breathing slowed, sleep pulling her under this time.
But just before she drifted off completely, Soo-ah mumbled, voice tiny:
"Mom… do you think… Oppa will always love me? Like… really love me? I'm scared one day he'll stop. When I'm older. When I'm not cute anymore. When I'm… grown up. When I'm an adult? With all of you fighting for his attention."
Ji-yeon's heart squeezed painfully. She stroked her daughter's hair, voice steady and full of certainty.
"Listen to me, Soo-ah-yah. Min-seok's love isn't the kind that fades. It's not because you're cute or small or need him. It's because you're you. His little girl. His niece. His family. He loved you when you were four and crying every night because Dad left.
He loved you when you were eight and scared of the dark. He loves you now at seventeen—tall, smart, brave, beautiful. And he'll love you when you're thirty, forty, fifty. When you have your own family. When you're old and gray. That kind of love doesn't stop. It just grows."
She kissed Soo-ah's forehead.
"He'll always love you. Always protect you. Always be proud of you. And if you ever doubt it—just look at how he looks at you. Listen to how he talks to you. Feel how he holds you. That's forever love, baby. And you have it. From him. From me. From all of us."
Soo-ah's eyes fluttered closed, a tiny, relieved smile curving her lips.
"Okay…" she mumbled sleepily. "I believe you…"
Ji-yeon stayed there, stroking her daughter's hair until her breathing deepened into true sleep. Then she leaned down, kissed her forehead one more time, and whispered:
"Sweet dreams, my girl. You're loved beyond measure."
She stood quietly, watching Soo-ah sleep—peaceful, safe, home—and felt the last of her own sadness dissolve into gratitude.
She had everything that mattered.
Right here.
She stepped out into the hallway, closing the door softly behind her, and found Min-seok waiting—leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes gentle.
"Is she asleep?" he asked quietly.
Ji-yeon nodded, stepping into his open arms.
"She's perfect," she whispered against his chest. "And so are you."
He held her close, kissing her hair.
"We all are," he murmured. "Together."
If my story made you smile even once, that's a win for me. That's what I want to live for—brightening dull days and reminding people that joy still exists. My dream is to keep getting better, to someday reach legendary level of storytelling.
If you can support me financially please join my patreon from the fic's bio, cause I don't know why Webnovel doesn't show my patreon link and honestly speaking I really need money. And if you can't it's alright, just adding few words of appreciation and power stones will be enough motivation I need.
Thankyou for choosing my fics to read.