Seo Yuna noticed the small red dot trembling slightly on the living room wall.
"W-What is that...?"
Fang's eyes narrowed instantly.
Before anyone could react, he pulled both Seo Yuna and Noah behind the sofa in one quick movement.
Thud!
Seo Yuna fell directly against his chest while Noah got trapped between them.
For a second, the room turned chaotic.
"What are you doing?!" Seo Yuna shouted nervously.
Fang ignored her completely.
His eyes stayed fixed on the red dot.
The dot slowly moved across the wall...
then disappeared.
Silence.
Seo Yuna's heartbeat became uneven again.
Being this close to Fang made her body tense instinctively.
Fang finally looked down and realized she was still pressed against him.
"..."
"..."
Their eyes met briefly.
Seo Yuna immediately pushed herself away like she had touched fire.
"T-This demon"
Fang calmly stood up.
"Stay there."
He slowly walked toward the window and moved the curtain slightly.
Outside
A small child from another apartment building was laughing while pointing a laser toy around from the balcony.
Fang stared silently for two seconds.
Then closed the curtain.
"..."
Seo Yuna looked at him suspiciously.
"What was it?"
"A kid."
"What?"
"Playing with a laser toy."
Silence filled the room.
Seo Yuna slowly realized what had just happened.
This man reacted as if the apartment were under attack.
Noah looked at Fang with sparkling eyes.
"Dad moved so fast!"
Fang glanced at her.
"Hm."
Seo Yuna became speechless again.
Fang sat back down on the sofa while rubbing his forehead lightly.
"...Annoying."
His body still reacted automatically to danger.
Even after death, those habits refused to disappear.
Seo Yuna stared at him for a while before speaking carefully.
"Why were your reactions like that?"
Fang looked at her lazily.
"Like what?"
"You acted like someone was trying to kill us."
Fang answered naturally,
"Usually, strange red dots aren't a good sign."
The room became quiet again.
Seo Yuna frowned slightly.
"...Usually?"
Fang paused for half a second.
"I saw it in movies."
Seo Yuna still looked suspicious.
Before she could ask anything else—
Knock knock.
Everyone froze slightly.
Seo Yuna instinctively became tense again.
Fang stood up.
"Stay."
He opened the door.
Outside stood an elderly woman from the neighboring apartment.
The moment she saw Fang, her expression became awkward.
She was one of the neighbors who often heard Seo Yuna crying late at night.
Fang looked at her blankly.
"What?"
The old woman flinched slightly.
"I-I came to check if everything was okay..."
Her eyes slowly peeked inside the apartment.
Then widened slightly.
The house was clean.
No alcohol smell.
No broken bottles.
No shouting.
Even Seo Yuna and Noah looked unharmed.
The old woman looked visibly surprised.
Fang noticed immediately.
"What expression is that?"
"N-No, nothing..."
At that moment, Noah suddenly ran toward the door innocently.
"Grandma!"
The old woman smiled softly after seeing her.
Then Noah proudly pointed toward Fang.
"Dad got a job!"
Silence.
The old woman's smile froze for a second.
"...What?"
Fang slowly closed his eyes.
Children truly leaked information faster than bullets.
Seo Yuna also became nervous.
Everyone in the apartment complex knew Chung Soo as a useless drunk.
Hearing he suddenly got a job sounded unbelievable.
The old woman carefully looked toward Fang.
"...Really?"
"Night shift."
The old woman's expression slowly softened.
"That's good... very good."
For some reason, her voice sounded genuinely relieved.
She looked toward Seo Yuna quietly.
"Maybe things will finally become better."
Seo Yuna lowered her gaze silently.
Better?
She wanted to believe that.
But fear remained inside her.
The old woman left soon after saying a few more words.
Once the door closed—
Seo Yuna suddenly looked toward Fang.
"Why are you doing this?"
Fang frowned slightly.
"Doing what?"
"Acting as you've changed."
Fang walked toward the kitchen and drank water directly from the bottle.
"I'm hungry, not acting."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Seo Yuna's emotions suddenly burst out.
"For two years, you ruined our lives! You drank every day, beat us, sold everything in this house, and now suddenly you're cooking, buying medicine, finding jobs"
Her voice shook harder.
"What kind of game are you playing?!"
Noah became frightened seeing her mother shout.
Fang stayed silent for a few seconds.
Then he spoke calmly.
"You think I enjoy living like this?"
Seo Yuna froze slightly.
Fang leaned against the wall and looked at her tiredly.
"This body is weak, the house smells terrible, debts knock on the door every morning, and both of you look at me like I'm some kind of monster."
Seo Yuna's lips trembled.
"You are a monster."
Fang did not deny it.
"...Maybe."
Silence filled the apartment again.
"But I already told you before. If you want to leave, then leave after some time."
Seo Yuna suddenly laughed bitterly.
"Leave? Where exactly should I go?"
Her emotions finally burst completely.
"My parents are dead."
"I don't have relatives."
"I don't have money."
"My body is ruined because of you."
Tears slowly rolled down her face.
"And Noah is still a child..."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"Do you think surviving outside with her is easy for a woman like me?"
Noah immediately hugged her tightly.
"Mom..."
Seo Yuna lowered her head while trembling.
"For years I endured everything because I had nowhere to go..."
Fang quietly listened.
His eyes slowly moved across her weak appearance.
Pale face.
Dark circles.
Thin body.
Even standing looked difficult for her.
Fang clicked his tongue softly.
"...Troublesome."
Seo Yuna immediately looked at him angrily.
"You think everything is troublesome!"
"Yes."
"Then why are you doing all this now?!"
Fang stayed silent for a moment.
Even he did not fully know the answer himself.
Finally, he spoke calmly.
"Because the child cries too much."
Noah blinked.
Seo Yuna became speechless.
Fang looked away casually.
"And if you die like this, the brat becomes an orphan. I hate orphans."
The room became quiet again.
Those words sounded cold.
Yet strangely heavy.
Seo Yuna silently looked at Fang.
For the first time,
she noticed exhaustion in his eyes.
Not drunken madness.
Not fake guilt.
Just exhaustion.
Fang continued calmly,
"Stay here until your body recovers."
"I'll handle the debts."
"You take care of the child."
Seo Yuna clenched her fists slightly.
"And after that?"
Fang shrugged.
"If you still want to leave, then leave."
No dramatic promises.
No emotional begging.
Just simple words.
That somehow made things feel more real.
But Seo Yuna's fear remained.
Because no matter how different he acted
The memories of Chung Soo hurting her still existed.
Fang looked toward Noah.
"Oi, Noah."
Noah immediately straightened.
"Hm?!"
"Tell your mother to stop crying. My head hurts."
Noah quickly hugged Seo Yuna tighter.
"Mom, don't cry..."
Seo Yuna silently wiped her tears.
"...Women really are troublesome."
"People can endure many things for family."
Fang looked at her with strange silence