Seo Yuna noticed the small red dot trembling slightly on the living room wall.
"W-What is that...?"
Fang's eyes narrowed instantly.
His body reacted before his brain.
In one movement, he pulled Noah and Seo Yuna down behind the sofa.
Thud!
Seo Yuna fell directly into Fang's chest.
Noah got trapped between them.
For a second, the entire room became chaotic.
"What are you doing?!" Seo Yuna shouted nervously.
Fang ignored her completely.
His sharp eyes remained fixed on the red dot.
The dot slowly moved across the wall... then disappeared.
Silence.
Seo Yuna's heartbeat became faster.
The sudden close contact with Fang made her PTSD react again.
Her breathing became unstable.
Fang finally looked down and realized Seo Yuna was still pressed against him.
"..."
"..."
Their eyes met for a brief second.
Seo Yuna immediately pushed herself away like touching fire.
"T-This demon—"
Fang stood up calmly.
"Stay there."
He walked toward the window slowly and moved the curtain slightly.
Outside—
A small kid from another apartment building was laughing while playing with a laser pointer from his balcony.
Fang stared blankly for two seconds.
Then slowly closed the curtain again.
"..."
Seo Yuna looked at him suspiciously.
"What was it?"
"Nothing."
"What do you mean nothing?!"
Fang rubbed his forehead.
"A stupid child."
Silence.
Seo Yuna suddenly realized what just happened.
This psychopath had reacted like the apartment was under attack.
Noah looked at Fang with sparkling eyes.
"Dad moved so fast!"
Fang glanced at her.
"Hm."
Seo Yuna became speechless again.
This man truly treated normal situations like a battlefield.
Fang sat back on the sofa calmly.
But internally—
He was irritated.
Very irritated.
His assassin instincts had become too deeply rooted into his body.
Even after death and transmigration, they remained.
Any unknown movement automatically triggered combat response.
"...Annoying."
Seo Yuna stared at him for a long time.
Then finally spoke carefully.
"Why were your reactions like that?"
Fang looked at her lazily.
"Like what?"
"You acted like someone was trying to kill us."
Fang replied without thinking.
"That usually happens after strange red dots appear."
The room became silent again.
Seo Yuna slowly frowned.
"...Usually?"
Fang realized his mistake.
Tch.
Too used to his previous life.
He casually changed direction.
"I saw it in movies."
Seo Yuna still looked suspicious.
But before she could ask more—
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.
This was one of the neighbors who frequently heard Seo Yuna crying at night.
Fang looked at her blankly.
"What."
The old woman flinched slightly.
"I-I came to check if everything was okay..."
Her eyes carefully peeked inside the apartment.
Then suddenly widened.
The house was clean.
No alcohol smell.
No broken bottles.
No screaming.
Even Seo Yuna and Noah looked unharmed.
The old woman became visibly shocked.
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 seeing Noah.
But then Noah proudly pointed at Fang.
"Dad got a job!"
Silence.
The old woman's smile froze completely.
"...What?"
Fang closed his eyes slowly.
Children truly leaked information faster than bullets.
Seo Yuna immediately became nervous too.
The entire apartment complex knew Chung Soo as a useless drunk.
Now suddenly hearing he got a job sounded unbelievable.
The old woman looked at Fang carefully.
"...Really?"
Fang answered calmly.
"Night shift."
The old woman still looked stunned.
Then her eyes suddenly became emotional.
"That's good... very good..."
For some reason, her words sounded genuine.
She looked toward Seo Yuna with relief in her eyes.
"Maybe things will finally become better."
Seo Yuna lowered her gaze silently.
Better?
She wanted to believe it.
But fear still sat deeply inside her heart.
The old woman soon left after saying a few more words.
Once the door closed—
Seo Yuna suddenly looked toward Fang.
"Why are you doing this?"
Fang frowned.
"Doing what?"
"Acting like 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 exploded.
"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 now?!"
Noah became frightened seeing her mother shout.
Fang stayed silent for 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 with tired eyes.
"This body is weak, the house smells terrible, debts are knocking on doors every morning and both of you look at me like i am some kind of monster."
Seo Yuna's lips trembled.
"You are a monster."
Fang did not deny it.
"...Maybe."
Silence.
"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.
"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 toward her weak body.
Pale face.
Shaking fingers.
Dark circles.
Even standing looked difficult for her.
This woman was already at her limit.
Fang clicked his tongue softly.
"...Troublesome."
Seo Yuna suddenly looked at him with anger.
"You think everything is troublesome!"
"Yes."
"Then why are you doing all this now?!"
Fang stayed silent for moment.
Even he did not know the exact answer himself.
Finally he spoke coldly.
"Because the child cries too much."
Noah blinked.
Seo Yuna became speechless.
Fang looked away casually.
"And if you die in this condition, the brat becomes orphan. I hate orphans."
The room suddenly became quiet.
Those words were cold.
Yet strangely heavy.
Seo Yuna looked at Fang silently.
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.
No fake apologies.
Just simple words.
That somehow made things feel more real.
But Seo Yuna's fear still remained.
Because no matter how different he acted—
The memories of Chung Soo beating her still existed.
Those scars would not disappear overnight.
Fang looked toward Noah.
"Oi brat."
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 wiped her tears silently.
Fang turned away and walked toward the bathroom again.
"...Women really are troublesome."
The apartment slowly became quiet again.
Only the sound of the old wall clock could be heard.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Seo Yuna sat silently near the window while Noah rested beside her drawing randomly on paper.
But her thoughts remained restless.
The neighbors' voices from outside still echoed inside her head.
"Maybe he finally came to his senses..."
"Men like him never truly change."
Seo Yuna unconsciously clenched her fingers.
For years, those same neighbors heard her crying almost every night.
Some pitied her.
Some ignored it.
Some treated her like a fool for staying.
But none of them truly understood how trapped she was.
No parents.
No money.
No place to go.
And now—
When Chung Soo suddenly started acting differently, even she herself did not know what to believe anymore.
Noah suddenly looked up from her drawing.
"Mom."
"Hm?"
"If dad stops being bad... can we eat together everyday?"
Seo Yuna froze slightly.
That innocent question pierced directly into her heart again.
Children adapted frighteningly fast.
Just one peaceful night was enough for Noah to start hoping.
Seo Yuna gently stroked Noah's hair.
"...Don't expect too much from people."
Noah lowered her head slightly.
"But he looked lonely today."
Seo Yuna's hand paused.
Lonely?
That word did not match Chung Soo at all.
Before, he only looked drunk and violent.
But now...
Now he often sat silently alone like someone carrying heavy thoughts.
That strange image made Seo Yuna uncomfortable for some reason.
Suddenly—
Knock knock.
Seo Yuna became alert instantly.
Noah also looked toward the door nervously.
After brief hesitation, Seo Yuna slowly opened it slightly.
Outside stood the old neighboring woman again holding a small food container.
"Aigo... i made too much side dish again."
The old woman awkwardly smiled before peeking inside the apartment carefully.
Her eyes slowly widened.
The house was still clean.
No broken bottles.
No screaming.
No alcohol smell.
Everything felt unbelievably normal.
Seo Yuna noticed her reaction and lowered her gaze slightly in embarrassment.
The old woman entered slowly.
"Where's Chung Soo?"
"Sleeping."
"Sleeping?"
The old woman looked genuinely shocked.
"At this hour?"
Seo Yuna nodded quietly.
The old woman suddenly lowered her voice.
"...Did he really get a job?"
"I think so."
"You think so?"
Seo Yuna bitterly smiled.
"I don't understand anything either."
The old woman sighed and sat beside her.
"You suffered too much all these years."
Seo Yuna stayed silent.
Then the old woman carefully spoke again.
"Still... keep your guard up."
Those words immediately made Seo Yuna tense again.
"People don't change easily."
Seo Yuna quietly nodded.
At that moment—
The guest room door suddenly opened.
Fang walked outside half asleep while rubbing his neck.
His hair looked messy and his expression looked colder than usual due to interrupted sleep.
The atmosphere instantly became awkward.
The old woman visibly stiffened.
Fang glanced at both women lazily.
"...Why are you staring at me?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Then Noah suddenly ran toward him innocently.
"Dad, grandma brought food!"
Fang looked down at Noah.
Then toward the old woman.
"...Thanks."
The old woman almost looked shocked hearing polite words from Chung Soo.
Fang walked toward the kitchen calmly.
But halfway—
He suddenly stopped.
His sharp eyes moved toward Seo Yuna's bare injured foot.
She had walked too much again.
The temporary plaster was slightly loose now.
Fang frowned immediately.
"You walked around too much."
Seo Yuna stiffened slightly.
"It-It's none of your business."
Fang clicked his tongue softly.
"...Stubborn woman."
Then without waiting for permission—
He crouched in front of her.
Seo Yuna's eyes widened instantly.