My Sponsor Fed My Family First

It wasn’t like I had any other experiences to compare it to, but I could tell that Jeon Seongwon was bad at s*x.
He had no technique—he just pushed through with brute force.
He also didn’t know how to soothe me.
More often than not, I’d writhe in pain, not knowing what to do with myself.

Whether he himself wasn’t satisfied either, the frequency of s*x gradually decreased after the first couple of months of marriage.
Of course, it wouldn’t be true to say it was only painful.
I think he was just uncomfortable with me, who had no experience and could only be stiff.
Anyway, we almost stopped having s*x, and as our relationship worsened, the frequency dropped even more.

Plus, there was a more serious problem……
He had never once knotted.

Being unable to knot meant there was a slight problem with his reproductive function.
But I couldn’t bring myself to tell him to go to the hospital.
Instead, I secretly suspected that Jeon Seongwon might be a seedless watermelon.

‘There’s no way I’d get pregnant. You have to look at the sky to catch a star.’

I sighed quietly to myself.
In the early days of marriage, even though it hurt, I’d do it every time we made eye contact, thinking, ‘I’ll get used to it someday.’
But even back then, he couldn’t knot, and there was no sign of a pregnancy.
Maybe things were already broken……

Getting genuinely depressed from such thoughts, the mood became irreparably gloomy.
In the awkward, heavy silence, my mother and mother-in-law, having drained their coffee cups in one go, hurriedly stood up.

“W-Well then, we should be going.”
“Seyeon, make sure you eat properly.”

They left in a fluster, leaving behind only their empty coffee cups.
I sighed and headed to the kitchen.
The foods I’d haphazardly put away were lined up.

“Chef? Where are you?”

―I went out grocery shopping. Do you need something, Director?

“Ah……. No, it’s not that. My mother and mother-in-law came by. They brought a lot of food.”

―Oh dear. Did you put the perishable items in the refrigerator?

“I did as I was told, but I’m not sure I did it right.”

Apparently worried, the chef said she’d be home soon and hung up.
I pulled out a chair and sat at the table, staring at the containers of food, thoughts drifting through my mind.

‘About ten servings’ worth, I guess. As expected.’

They were the type who always insisted it was better to have leftovers than not enough.
They’d probably prepared this much thinking Jeon Seongwon and I would eat together.
He was an alpha, after all, and ate a lot.

They had no idea that Jeon Seongwon barely ate at home anymore.
Or that it had been years since we’d sat across from each other and shared a meal.
If they knew, they might both faint.

There was no way I could eat ten servings of food by myself.
And even if I tried to separately ask Jeon Seongwon to eat it, he was in China now.
He wouldn’t be back for a week.

‘……Hmm.’

In that case, I had no choice but to do what I always did—share it with people around me.
Three servings for the chef to take home.
Two servings for Han Youngjun, who lived alone.
Some for my friend who liked home-cooked meals……

Just then, a random face suddenly came to mind.
Someone who had polished off five cakes in one sitting and still looked perfectly fine.

‘He doesn’t seem like the type who eats well……’

I didn’t know about his home life, but according to Han Youngjun’s report, when he ate out, it was usually just triangle kimbap or cup noodles.
Even when he went grocery shopping, his bags were light.

With nearly 80 million won in debt, of course he wouldn’t have a well-stocked kitchen, but……
I stared at the food and shook my head.
“That’s probably not a good idea.”

It really wasn’t.
I wasn’t his mother.
I knew very well that showing up the day after meeting someone once and suddenly giving them side dishes was strange.

I knew it.
But even knowing that——

I called Han Youngjun.

―Yes, Director. This is Han Youngjun.

“What is Kang Chaehee doing right now?”

―He went for a backup model shoot today, but it got canceled. I believe he went straight home.

“……Canceled?”

―Yes. It seems Jeong Incheol interfered, as previously mentioned.

That bastard was now meddling in even these minor jobs?
I frowned and asked immediately.

“How far along is the investigation?”

―Yes. He’s committed so many offenses that there’s significant progress, but rather, we’re at a point where we can’t close it out. New incidents keep surfacing.

“……Sending him away shouldn’t be difficult, then.”

―However, he has ties to National Assembly member Cheon Youngdo.

“Cheon Youngdo?”

He was a fairly well-known assemblyman from the ruling party.
His son had caused a drunk driving accident not long ago, but since there were no casualties, it got swept under the rug, and he still strutted around as an assemblyman with his head held high.

Birds of a feather flock together, indeed.
But Cheon Youngdo wasn’t that powerful of a politician.
He’d only gotten by this time because of the ruling party’s protection.

“Someone like Cheon Youngdo shouldn’t be a problem. Are they close? Are they dating?”

―It doesn’t seem like that. I think it’s more accurate to say they have a ‘connection.’

“Fine, then.”

So, my personality of not being able to stand injustice……
Hmm, hmm.
It wasn’t because I felt sorry for Kang Chaehee.
This was all because of my personality.

Just then, the chef returned.
I ended the call and sat at the table, watching the chef’s light-speed organizational skills, then suddenly spoke.

“Chef, could you pack some of the side dishes that won’t spoil easily into a few large containers? Please take a generous portion for yourself as well.”

“Oh my, why?”

“Seongwon is on a business trip. I don’t think I can eat all this alone. I was thinking of giving some to someone.”

“Manager Han?”

“Yes, Manager Han as well.”

When I said that much, the chef didn’t ask further.
“It is too much for one person,” she said with a smile and opened the cupboard.

“Thank you for thinking of me. The head chefs at our families’ houses are so skilled—the kids will love this.”

“Yes……. Ah, please keep this a secret from my mother and mother-in-law.”

“Of course. Naturally.”

The chef, still smiling, took out the side dish containers one by one and started sorting them neatly into larger lunch containers.

Feeling guilty for creating extra work, I lingered for a moment, then gathered the coffee cups my mother and mother-in-law had left behind and put them in the sink.
Then I returned to the sofa and sat for a while until the chef came out to the living room wearing an apron.

“All done, Director.”

“Thank you. You can leave early today. I’ll handle dinner myself.”

“Shall I do that?”

With a pleased expression, the chef took one container and left for the day.
Then I called Han Youngjun.
As I got into the back seat of the car and handed him the container, his ears turned slightly red as he thanked me.

“Call Kang Chaehee for me.”

“Right now?”

When I nodded, Han Youngjun silently typed out a text to someone.
The recipient, of course, was Kang Chaehee.
A few minutes later, a reply came.

“……He says he can come see you right now. But since he’s at home, he said it might take a little time depending on the location.”

“Then tell him we’ll go to his place.”

“Understood.”

Kang Chaehee’s house was in Jeongsudong.
A neighborhood that couldn’t exactly be called nice……
To be blunt, it was an area that Seoul didn’t even treat as Seoul anymore.

He said it would be hard for me to enter because the alleys were narrow, so he’d come out to the main road himself.

Certainly, navigating a large car through those alleys would have been difficult.
As we entered the intersection with the old supermarket, Kang Chaehee was immediately visible.

Looking visibly nervous, he ran toward the car.
I rolled down the window and asked.

“Did you get home alright yesterday?”

“Yes, thanks to you, Director.”

For some reason, his face flushed slightly.
I tilted my head at him.

“I came because I have something to give you.”

“Excuse me?”

I tried to pull out the container I’d placed on the passenger seat and hand it to him, but it got caught on the window frame and wouldn’t go through.
I had no choice but to open the door, but Kang Chaehee quickly opened it for me.

At the sudden appearance of the food container, Kang Chaehee’s face turned bewildered.

“My mother and mother-in-law brought side dishes, but there’s too much. Leftovers would just get thrown out. The taste should be fine, but if it doesn’t suit you, you can throw it away.”

“Ah, mother-in-law……”

“Why?”

“Nothing. But…… are you sure I can really accept this?”

Kang Chaehee’s eyes were fixed on the container, glittering—surprised, flustered, even touched.

“Is it uncomfortable?”

Like I’d thought earlier—we’d only met once.
Not even an intimate relationship—we were sponsor and sponsored.
Practically strangers.
But Kang Chaehee vigorously shook his head and then smiled shyly.

Seeing his smiling face surprised me a little.
Some people might have taken it the wrong way—’Is she doing charity?’—but Kang Chaehee seemed purely grateful.

“Honestly, I never have enough side dishes to feed my sibling……. Ah, I’m sorry for saying that.”

“What’s there to be sorry about? Well, I’m glad to hear that, then. How old did you say your sibling was?”

“Still a student. High school.”

The age where they eat a lot.
With a mountain of debt, a tiny income, supporting a sick grandmother and taking care of a younger sibling……
Sigh.

I took a card out of my wallet and held it out to Kang Chaehee.

“This is……”

“Use it where you need it.”

“What? Ah, no, this is too much……! How can I accept something like this!”

Kang Chaehee’s tone had become slightly more relaxed.
When he was speaking so formally before, he really did sound like a swallow.

“Then what—I came all this way just to hand over some side dishes and leave? I’m sponsoring you, not supporting a law student, remember?”

“Still……”

“Don’t feel pressured. Use it. Especially for hospital bills and your sibling’s education. As for your own things…… you don’t seem like the type to buy anything for yourself anyway, so I’ll buy those separately.”

“Director……”

With the card in one hand and the food container in the other, Kang Chaehee looked at me for a long moment.
Then he smiled brightly.

“Director, you’re really…… a very kind person.”