Addicted to you
Chapter 82: Crush

Chapter 82: Crush

Yeri nearly launched herself across the room to slam the laptop shut, but she froze, body rigid, throat dry, pulse hammering in her ears.

Jj, seated beside her, also tensed up. His back straightened, eyes flickering toward the screen.

Father Zhi’s gaze quietly moved between the two.

A long pause settled in.

Then, in a deceptively neutral voice, he asked, "I’ve been meaning to ask, when did you two become acquainted with Shin Keir?"

The air grew heavy.

This was the very question Jj had returned to school early after Yeri’s debut to avoid, and now... it had caught up.

Clearing his throat, Jj launched into the pre-prepared excuse. "KGG’s been scouting for new talent recently. I submitted one of my project proposals for review, and... well, I never expected Young Master Keir himself to take an interest. He reached out to me after reviewing the material."

That excuse had been carefully crafted by Shin Keir himself, just in case Father Zhi or any other watchful figure started digging too deep.

Father Zhi studied Jj for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I assume your internship is with KGG as well?"

Jj’s fingers twitched, but he nodded. "Technically, he only recommended me. Whether I got accepted depended on my academic credentials and project performance."

This time, Father Zhi seemed genuinely pleased. Jj had always been the family’s academic pride. With a scholarship, clean record, and solid grades, it wasn’t impossible to believe he’d earned the internship on his own merit.

Yeri, meanwhile, let herself relax a little. It seemed her father’s attention had shifted.

Until—

"And you?" Father Zhi turned toward her again. "How did you get acquainted with him?"

Yeri froze. "Huh? Who?"

"Shin Keir," her father said evenly.

She blinked, widened her eyes, and put on her best innocent face. "Oh. I’m not really close with him... It’s brother Jj."

Father Zhi was silent. Then, calmly, he added, "That woman may have been after Shin Keir. Serving him coffee was clearly her way of getting close. Why didn’t you just let her?"

Yeri’s jaw dropped. What? That was what he thought?

She just wanted to watch Shin Keir’s reaction when he tasted the extra bitter coffee she made for fun. It was a petty thing, not a declaration of war. She had no intention of competing with that deranged woman.

But how was she supposed to explain that?

She opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out.

Her father simply tapped a key on the laptop. A new clip began playing: Shin Keir entering the café, walking straight toward Yeri with a menu in hand.

Yeri’s breath hitched, cursing Shin Keir in her heart.

Cold sweat began collecting along her back, her palms turning clammy. Her father didn’t ask, but the question was already there, heavy in the air:

How much does he know?

Just then, Jj exhaled dramatically. "Dad, it’s nothing unusual..."

Yeri turned toward him, eyes wide with hopeful gratitude. Yes, thank you, finally—

"She just likes him," Jj said, deadpan, before casually reaching over and pinching her cheek. "Our little Yeri’s grown up...having crushes already."

Yeri was stunned.

Utterly betrayed.

Her mouth opened in disbelief, and she stared at Jj like she’d just been sold to pirates by her own flesh and blood.

"Don’t be shy," Jj added meaningfully. "You’re not the only girl who likes Young Master Keir."

Yeri shot up from her seat and stomped her foot. "Liar! It’s not true! Dad, it’s not true! I don’t like that person at all!"

But Father Zhi remained perfectly composed, only glancing at her before commanding in a tone that brooked no argument:

"Sit down."

Yeri sat down stiffly, her eyes slightly swollen, the faint redness still blooming on one cheek. She clenched her hands in her lap, doing her best to appear composed, though her insides were tied in nervous knots.

"To be honest, I wasn’t expecting Young Master Keir and his friends to attend her debut," Jj began, voice oddly casual as he scratched the side of his nose, this lie was getting deeper.

"At the time, I heard they had some kind of meeting at the same hotel. So I just casually mentioned they were welcome to drop by the banquet... you know, if they had time."

He gave a sheepish chuckle, clearly trying to downplay it. "I’m sorry, Dad. I shouldn’t have invited them. If Yeri hadn’t seen Young Master Keir that night, she wouldn’t have ended up like those girls...swooning over him."

"You—!" Yeri shot up from her seat, feeling her blood pressure spike. "Are you seriously pinning this on me?!"

Father Zhi said nothing. His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of his chair, the rhythmic sound betraying nothing of the storm that might be brewing beneath his unreadable expression.

"I already said I don’t like him!" Yeri blurted, forcing herself to sit back down even as her emotions surged. "I just thought that woman was acting suspiciously, so I didn’t hand her the tray. That’s all!"

The silence stretched for a beat.

Father Zhi let the two siblings bicker for a moment longer, but his thoughts were elsewhere. If Yeri really did have feelings for Shin Keir, that would be... troubling.

Not too long ago, his daughter only cared about trivial things: her dog Carpet, shopping trips, and cramming for exams. She used to cling to his leg whenever he left for business trips, crying before he left and crying even harder when he returned, rambling through hiccups that he didn’t love her anymore.

But time, as it always did, had quietly slipped past him. Before he realized it, his little girl had grown up and now, it seemed, she might have a crush.

It wasn’t unexpected, but knowing and witnessing were two very different things. As a father, the thought settled in his chest like a heavy stone. And of all people... it had to be that man.

"Yeri," Father Zhi finally spoke, his voice stern and unwavering. His narrowed eyes pinned her in place. "There’s nothing wrong with having a crush. But never forget your priorities. You have goals, dreams...don’t set those aside for a man."

Yeri opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"Also," he continued, "don’t get fooled by a man’s appearance. That’s the shallowest kind of affection."

"I... understand," Yeri mumbled, barely above a whisper. Still, curiosity gnawed at her. She hesitated before asking, "Then... what do you think of Young Master Keir?"

Father Zhi paused, as if weighing his words carefully.

"Business-wise, he’s undeniably exceptional. Visionary, even," he admitted. "But on a personal level? That’s beyond my knowledge. There are many rumors surrounding him, some flattering, some not. We are not to judge without proof. Just remember, relationships in our circle, especially among the upper class are rarely driven by love. They’re strategic. Calculated. Formed out of mutual benefit."

Yeri nodded slowly, like a bobblehead toy on a bumpy road. She understood perfectly what her father really meant: With someone like Shin Keir, relationships were just polished business deals in disguise. And if she wasn’t careful, she’d be the one left with the broken pieces.

Fortunately, she wasn’t a lovestruck fool and she had always been someone rational.

"Dad, I know," she said softly. "I’m just one of the thousands or maybe millions of women who admire Young Master Keir." She threw Jj a sharp glare. "And for the record, I only admire his intelligence. Nothing more."

Jj gave her a look, but said nothing.

Father Zhi gave a slight nod, though his expression remained unreadable. Whether he believed her or not was impossible to tell.

After a few quiet moments, Father Zhi glanced at the clock before instructing, "Yeri, go ahead. I’d like to speak to your brother privately."

Yeri hesitated, lips pressing into a thin line. But she obeyed. She rose from her seat and walked out of the study, biting her lower lip as she closed the door behind her.

She lingered just outside, heart pounding with curiosity. She considered eavesdropping, creeping just a little closer to the door. But before she could, her mother appeared, holding a dainty porcelain cup.

"Yeri, the rose tea’s been waiting. Come to the greenhouse garden. Let the men talk."

Yeri startled sighed in defeat and followed her mother down the corridor, sneaking one last look over her shoulder at the closed study door.

---

Nearly an hour later, Jj finally emerged.

He walked down the dimly lit hallway, tie slightly loosened and expression unreadable. But before he could make it far, Yeri stepped out from a corner like a ghost hellbent on revenge.

"I like Shin Keir? Like? Seriously?" Her voice was low but trembling, like she was trying hard not to scream.

Jj barely flinched. He glanced left and right before answering, "How would I know? It’s not like I’m the one dating him."

Yeri folded her arms across her chest, scowling. "Then why throw me under the bus?"

"You should be thanking me," Jj said casually.

She blinked. "Thank you?! For what?"

Jj raised a brow and smirked. "Would you rather Dad think you like him... or that you’re dating him?"

Yeri’s mouth opened, then closed. She froze. Her brain stalled as her emotions scrambled for answers.

Jj reached out and flicked her forehead, snapping her out of it. "You seriously just realized that now? You couldn’t even speak properly earlier. If you kept denying it, Dad would’ve grown more suspicious. But admitting a harmless crush?" He shrugged. "That just puts you in the same league as every girl swooning over Shin Keir. Harmless admiration. But if he found out you two were actually..."

"I... I thought—" Yeri stammered, expression crumbling into embarrassed confusion.

"Thought what?" Jj tilted his head, his smirk widening. "That I betrayed you? You were so riddled with guilt I could practically hear your brain’s static buzzing. You didn’t even catch my hint."

Yeri pouted, deflating like a popped balloon. "You’re so annoying... but do you think Dad wasn’t at all suspicious?"

"For now, no." Jj shrugged, flicking her forehead one last time before turning on his heel. "Just don’t get yourself into more trouble with that person."

Yeri stayed behind, arms still folded, lips still twisted in a reluctant frown. But deep down, she knew Jj had done her a favor.