27

"What do you think about a new brother?"

"What?"

Klein looks up to his mother and stares at her before shaking his head to make sure his brain is working. His mother shows him a picture of a guy and a young boy. Klein had to take some time to process what happened.

"Is that a picture from the adoption centre?"

"Honey, no- It's someone that I date and that is his child."

"Mom, a delinquent just makes an appearance, you can't just introduce a new character this early."

His mother shows a confused face but he immediately got a phone call from Han. His mother let him answer the call and with only five words, Klein makes Han turn into serious mode. If Woo Young was there, she would say she never saw Han this serious.

"I need you for something."

"I see. Give me the details in text- Wait! Not the point! I am calling you because your editor is messaging me."

'Why would my editor message you- oh, right. I told her to reach him if there's something important.

Hah, peaceful life when you have an assistant.'

Han had informed him that his editor wanted him to go to their company for the Best Young Author award but you know how Klein is. He refuses to go and asks if Han could take his place but Han also refuses to go.

"I see. Then, give that award to someone else. Now back to our topic dear mother."

He turned back to his mother and his mother was tense a bit. Klein had to give her a smile to assure her that he's not mad, even though he's actually about to break his own phone. He was suspicious about this online dating that has been going on between his mother and this strange guy.

"What's his name?"

"Kyle-"

"I don't care much actually. Age?"

"47."

"His profession?"

"Hm…He said he works for a company."

"What company?"

"I am not sure…"

Klein squinted his eyes and stood up from his seat. That part is already suspicious to him so he doesn't want to know more for now. He went back to his room, switched his laptop on and got a call again from his assistant.

"Surprisingly, his account is pretty normal. Old account like a normal social media account. There's one person commenting on two posts but that pretty much is."

"The person that is commenting?"

"Have a kid and a partner. Well, why did you ask?"

Klein ends the call without explaining and he looks at his writer block. He wanted to make sure his mother is finally getting someone who's better than his old father. He has decided to write a memo and starts writing like his normal routine.

After that, midnight arrives. Klein walks out from the bathroom after a hot bath. You know, he's still stressed about whether that guy is trustable or not. The stress level is worse that the stress he had when he first make a meme online.

~Bzzt~

He looked to the side and saw his mother's phone. Well, he guessed that his mother forgot to bring the phone into her room. She needed it to wake her up so he had taken it to put it in her room. When he sees the message that pops up, he click it and starts scrolling through her message.

'9- 9K?! My mother is not that rich why is this guy asking her mone-

SHE GAVE HIM?!'

It is suspicious that a guy who works for a company needs this much money but what's worse, his mother gave him the money! Klein doesn't mind in case his mother had no money for him because he has his own money from the novel but she's going to have no money of her own if this continues!

He takes one of the pictures the guy sent to his mother and sends it to himself. Also, he sent the receipt of the bank transfer between his mother and the guy. What for? Maybe just pissed himself off. He deleted the message and put the phone next to his mother.

"She even put his picture as background and not my picture…

Betrayal."

This is the moment of truth. He went to his laptop and used a website that can help him search using pictures. He found a website and clicked it and boy, oh boy. The man in the picture is actually a businessman who sells…cosmetic named Leon.

He stated in some articles that his picture has been used for several accounts to scammed women. And he even reaches out to some of the scammer's victims and apologises to them even though it's clearly not his fault. He saw a link to Leon's actual account and found his number.

"Hello-"

"Your name is Mr Leon…?"

"Yes I am Leon. May I know what it is that you need at 2 in the morning?"

Klein forgot it's actually 2 am and kneel down while calling the guy.

"Sorry. But I think someone just scammed my mother using your picture. Have you talked to a woman in her fifties lately?"

"I see…this is a serious issue. Well, I never contacted any woman other than my worker these few months. Why don't you tell the police about this? And I would like to apologies to your mother-"

"I…don't think that is necessary but…I will tell my mom to contact you so that you can apologise?"(゜-゜;)

"Great. Now have a nice rest young man."

The call ended and drop himself on his bed. He was devastated. He just had some good days but there's a time where you will encounter yourself having a bad day and it ruins your whole mood. Now he just needs to prepare to tell his mother.

~

"I see…Well, I don't think it's necessary to contact Mr Leon. And…may I say we don't need to go to the police station? I…am not sure how to say it to them…"

Klein knew the way for them to get justice is if his mother reported it to the police but he also know how embarrassed his mother will be if she reveal that she was madly in love to the guy to the point she let herself get scammed.

"Mother, I will work hard and earn the money that you lost."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Han: Hey, we're gonna have holidays for three days. Wanna come with me to my hometown?

Klein: No thanks. My mom gave me an idea.