A Bad, Bad Act (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
The place Seo Yeo Eun led him to was a sushi restaurant near the office.
She had already reserved a private room and even pre-ordered the menu.
As soon as they sat down, Do Ha raised an eyebrow at the sushi already served.
“Did you research my preferences?”
The plate was beautifully arranged with only the kinds of sushi he liked.
The woman lifted the teapot and refilled his empty cup before answering,
“I got a little help from Director Cha Hyun. I didn’t want to waste your time—especially not take too much of it.”
Watching her gently explain her reasoning, Do Ha gave a cool smile.
“So you do realize you’re stealing my time, Ms. Seo Yeo Eun.”
At his words, the woman’s pale hand, pouring tea, paused. Then she set the teapot down and bowed her head.
“I’m sorry.”
“Never mind.”
He had heard that his weekly schedule and various personal details had ended up in this woman’s hands.
Their unexpected encounter at the department store last time, and again today—
It was certainly irritating, yet not as unpleasant as he’d expected.
He was simply curious about what thoughts nestled inside that small head of hers.
He lifted his teacup with an indifferent expression and asked,
“Is this the second time?”
“Hm?”
“I’m asking if today is your second attempt.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Her cheeks instantly flushed pink as she nodded in response to his question.
If a drop of paint landed on damp rice paper, would it spread like that? The slow blush creeping down to her ears looked oddly alluring.
If he reached out to touch her, his fingertips might come away stained pink.
It strangely stirred something deep inside his chest.
After swallowing his tea, Cha Do Ha continued his questioning.
“Without even a portfolio?”
Noticing she wasn’t carrying the portfolio she always had with her, he tossed out the question—and saw Seo Yeo Eun’s shoulders flinch.
Her slender, straight neck moved slowly as she swallowed.
Beneath the sharply ironed white blouse, the soft curve of her flesh faintly rippled.
So this was how she looked when nervous.
Do Ha’s gaze lingered briefly below her collarbone before lifting again to meet her eyes.
“I’m not sure what you’re trying to sell—something worth stealing my precious time for?”
He spoke deliberately coldly—because he liked watching her tense up.
The pink embarrassment creeping up to her earlobes, her stubbornly straight neck he wanted to break, the gentle swell of her chest rising with each breath—
All of it pleased him.
In that moment, the woman parted her plump lips and answered,
“Because I… am a walking portfolio.”
Her dark brown eyes, now free of tension, gleamed with quiet determination.
“Please look at me, Department Head.”
For an instant, the corners of Do Ha’s lips curved faintly upward.
Look at her, she said.
“I like your confidence.”
“Thank you.”
The woman’s lips lifted slightly as she bent that straight neck of hers and gave a gentle bow.
Then, with a calmer voice, she quietly spoke again.
“I heard the sweet shrimp sushi here is delicious.”
She politely gestured toward the sushi, urging him to eat. The warmth in her softly upturned eyes was quite endearing.
Was she skilled at entertaining others?
Everything she’d done since entering the restaurant gave off that impression—
how she treated the staff, how she’d considerately seated him, how she poured tea and offered food.
It wasn’t excessive—but just enough. Refined, measured, even elegant.
Was this the result of trained habit, or simply her natural self?
Did she show this same side to other men when “entertaining” them?
Why was he even curious about that? He almost laughed at himself.
With a quiet snort, Do Ha picked up his chopsticks as she’d suggested.
In the silent room, only the soft clinking of chopsticks echoed gently.
Their eyes occasionally met, but each time, she quickly lowered her gaze and didn’t add a single word.
Just as half the plate had been emptied,
Do Ha spoke first.
“I only bought you a single bowl of udon, and now you’re repaying me with sushi? Aren’t you taking a loss?”
As the silence broke, the tension in her shoulders eased.
In a slightly subdued voice, she quietly replied,
“I’m on business, so I consider it an investment.”
“So this isn’t a date, then?”
It was a playful remark—just to see how she’d react.
At his teasing words, her clear, dark eyes shimmered uncertainly.
But only for a moment. Composing herself with sudden seriousness, she adjusted her posture demurely.
“If I… asked you out on a date,”
Her voice trembled faintly at the end.
“Would you accept?”
“No.”
Do Ha answered bluntly, staring straight at her, then lowered his eyes again.
Finding her earnest reaction to his deliberately testing words amusing, he put on an even colder expression and continued eating quietly.
Time passed steadily like that.
When the agreed-upon hour ended and he set down his chopsticks, she silently stood up and left the restaurant ahead of him, saying she’d handle the bill.
He watched her back as she walked down the hallway.
The narrowness of her back, the slimness of her waist, the lush curve below it, and her beautifully extended legs.
For no reason at all, his mouth started to water with a sour tang.
The two stepped out of the restaurant in silence, and only when they stopped in front of his car did their eyes finally meet.
Her dark eyes, looking up at him, were thick like the humid night air.
Though she’d claimed she came for business, she couldn’t utter a single word—and couldn’t even bring herself to say goodbye. She simply lowered her head quietly.
Do Ha, watching her with indifferent eyes, finally spoke.
“Aren’t you going to hold on?”
He didn’t know why, but she seemed quite desperate to become his image trainer—yet stayed silent until the very end, forcing him to press her.
Her reply, however, was slightly amusing.
“Because you wouldn’t… let yourself be caught.”
Her lips trembled with a faint, breathy laugh as she spoke in a slightly dry voice.
“That’s… interesting.”
Do Ha gave a short chuckle and nodded.
Then he gave her a reason to hope for another meeting.
“Will there be a third time?”
At those words, her eyes filled with expectation as she smiled prettily.
“I’ll try—exactly ten times.”
What was this?
Do Ha’s low chuckle pierced through the slightly humid evening air of September.
* * *
Watching Cha Do Ha’s car drive away, Yeo Eun let out a long sigh.
She hadn’t managed to say a word about image training, but it hadn’t been a failed sales attempt either.
After all, she’d been granted the chance to make ten attempts.
Separately from that, though, her mood wasn’t particularly good.
Cha Do Ha.
Oddly enough, that man wouldn’t leave her mind—lingering like residue caught in a filter.
“[There’s a family event at home today, but Do Ha, as expected, won’t show up. He’s probably drinking somewhere.]”
That’s what Cha Hyun had told her over the phone.
“[So, Yeo Eun, could you please get Do Ha to eat something? Anything’s fine.]”
That’s how she’d gotten the chance for this second attempt.
Just then, a sudden question flashed through her mind.
“[Even though Chairman Cha Ji Seop gave up his seat, is there a specific reason Department Head isn’t attending the family event?]”
Had that crossed a line?
On the other end of the line, Cha Hyun fell silent.
Cha Hyun was usually so bold; when she went quiet like this, it was a little unnerving.
Still, Yeo Eun had to ask.
“[It’s necessary for the training.]”
To train someone, you needed to understand them fully.
Only then could you give the best advice within a range they wouldn’t resist.
Having already experienced Persona’s image training herself, Cha Hyun would understand that situation better than anyone.
Maybe that’s why
Cha Hyun didn’t hesitate long before sharing a rather serious story.
“[Do Ha has a half-sibling—a child only six years old. Born after his father died, so should we call the kid posthumous… or just an illegitimate child?]”
A half-sibling?
For that proud, noble Cha Do Ha?
“[The child attends every family gathering—always holding Representative Cha In Woo’s hand. While Do Ha gets treated like the son of a sinner, that child has boldly stepped right into the family.]”
Representative Cha In Woo, naturally kind-hearted and gentle, couldn’t bear to walk past even a wounded animal.
So of course he’d take in his uncle’s illegitimate child—it almost seemed inevitable.
But Cha Do Ha couldn’t do the same.
His chosen alternative was avoidance—dismissal, even.
“[Do Ha never shows up anywhere that child is present.]”
Cha Hyun’s voice twisted with regret.
“[Our Do Ha has his immature side, doesn’t he?]”
“[No. I think it’s completely understandable. He must feel deeply betrayed by his father.]”
“How can he be just like me, even in that.”
Bitterly smiling, Yeo Eun only hailed a taxi after Cha Do Ha’s car completely disappeared from view.
Tonight, she felt like she needed a drink too.
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
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