ML WITH LOW SELF-ESTEEM TROPE

"YERI, since I made kimchi fried rice for you, so wash the dishes for me," Eclaire said strictly. "I'll escort Graham to the guest room."

Yeri pouted while giving her puppy dog eyes. "But I want to give oppa a house tour, unnie," she said. "Eomma already confirmed that Graham Oppa isn't a threat to us. Plus, eomma also said that we should treat him nicely–"

"Baek Yeri," she said sternly. "Wash the dishes."

Yeri, who realized how serious she was, stood straight and gave her a salute. "I, Baek Yeri, will wash the dishes now."

"Good," she said, then she turned to Graham. "Let's go."

Graham nodded at her before he turned to Yeri. "Hang in there, Yeri."

"Thank you, oppa!" Yeri said cheerfully. "I'm in charge of breakfast tomorrow, so please let me know what you want to eat then."

She turned her back on the two and left the dining hall.

A few moments later and she felt Graham's presence behind her.

"Graham, Yeri is only eighteen years old," she said while the two of them were climbing the staircase. "Please don't take her seriously. She's a minor, and you're already an adult."

"I'm only a year older than Yeri but you make it sound like I'm too old for her…"

"You may not know this but Koreans calculate their age differently," she explained. "Yeri is eighteen years old in Korean age but internationally, she's only sixteen years old since her birthday hasn't passed yet."

To be honest, Yeri would turn seventeen next month but Graham didn't have to know that.

"Ah, I guess Yeri's too young to date then," he said as if he already got over the idea of dating Yeri.

She didn't know why but she felt annoyed by Graham's reaction.

It was a good thing that he didn't sound regretful after hearing Yeri's age as if he didn't really consider dating her. But at the same time, it pissed her off.

[Why did he agree earlier to date Yeri if he's not interested in her?]

She let out a deep sigh but it wasn't out of frustration. The staircase leading to the second floor had only twenty steps. She just got into the middle of the staircase and she was already out of breath.

[This is why my bedroom is in the first floor…]

"Are you alright?" Graham asked worriedly. "Would you like me to carry you?"

"Thank you for worrying about me I'm not that weak," she said, then she walked faster. After enduring it for a few more steps, she finally arrived at the second floor. After that, she endured once again to reach the room at the end of the hallway. "This is the guest room where you'll be staying, Graham."

She opened the door and let him in.

"This room has an adjacent bathroom," she explained as she pointed to the bathroom door. "We often have guests, so all the basic necessities that you might need are available in the bathroom. But if you need something else, please don't hesitate to tell me." She turned around to find Graham looking around the room with an impressed look on his face. "About your clothes…"

"You don't have to lend me clothes," Graham said, then he turned to her and pointed to his watch. "This storage device works fine in this world."

Ah, yes.

His watch was like space storage, where he could store clothes and dry food. It was a basic necessity for Fangs like him who was active in entering dungeons known as 'Cages.' After all, Fangs like him would often spend days or weeks inside a dungeon.

"Alright," she said, but she didn't move from her spot.

To be honest, she debated whether she should confront him about his fickle "feelings" for Yeri. But she didn't know if that would be crossing the line.

[Yeri is my little sister but she's still a person who can make her own decisions.]

Still…

"What is it?" Graham asked gently. "Please speak freely, Eclaire."

"Then please excuse my rudeness," she said, taking him up on his offer. "Graham, I can tell that you're not interested in Yeri in a romantic sense. Although I'm relieved by that, I can't help but wonder why you initially agreed to date her."

He looked surprised by her question.

Because of that, her conscience pricked her.

"You don't have to answer it if you're uncomfortable," she quickly added. "Is it too difficult to answer?"

"It's not like it's difficult," he said hesitantly. "But can I be honest?"

"Yes, of course," she said while nodding carefully. "Even if your answer upsets me, I'll do my best to stay calm."

Graham fell silent for a brief moment before he opened his mouth. "I'm just happy to be needed by someone," he confessed while touching his neck and avoiding her gaze. According to the novel, it was a mannerism that he developed when being shy. "I like that feeling, so I want to pay her back by fulfilling her request."

Ah, right.

When she thought the story she liked was nothing but a novel, she put it under the "traumatized ML with low self-esteem trope." After years of being neglected and bullied by his family and friends for being a "defective" wolf, Graham's confidence plummeted.

He became a person who yearned for love and attention. And so, he also became the type of person to easily become gullible against people who showed him a little bit of kindness.

[I can't say that I understand but…]

"Graham, I may sound like an annoying know-it-all but I don't think you're treating yourself and Yeri right," she said carefully. "I understand that it's important for you to be validated by other people. But please be kind to yourself. Not everyone who needs you approach you with pure intentions."

He smiled bitterly. "I know that, Eclaire."

"Then please don't use my little sister that way," Eclaire said firmly. "If you want to be treated with sincerity, then please treat other people sincerely as well."

Graham could only lower his gaze and keep his mouth shut.

***

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