Dajeong was the first to finish showering.
The pension, though old, was neatly maintained – small and modest. The owner, noting the absence of prior heating due to no reservations, offered a discount. The room was still chilly, so Dajeong sat on the bed.
She had packed a homewear-style dress as a spare outfit, but without socks, her feet were cold. After a moment of hesitation, she pulled her legs up on the bed and covered them with a blanket.
Unable to object to Jaeho reserving just one room, she now found herself sitting in a room with only one bed. She wondered whether Jaeho would sleep on the sofa or fetch an extra blanket.
Or perhaps…
‘No! Surely not.’
Before her thoughts could wander into strange territory, she grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. Flipping through channels aimlessly, she paused when she saw a drama featuring O Chaewon. She always admired Chaewon’s thick wavy perm. How did she get those curls? Her hair seemed so voluminous. Despite past criticism for poor acting, Chaewon didn’t seem bothersome in this role.
Beautiful, popular, and even a chaebol – apparently some corporate heiress.
…Did nothing happen between her and Jaeho? They had many kissing scenes in that drama.
Dajeong clenched her fists. Jealousy was an unbecoming emotion. Regardless of whatever feelings Jaeho and Chaewon shared, she had no right to be jealous. She had already decided to end things with Jaeho.
Dajeong’s idea of a happy ending in a relationship was ultimately marriage. Though some couples just date, she desired a stable family, longing for the security of a family unit due to her fractured childhood.
But she neither expected nor dared to expect that from Jaeho. How could she even entertain such a thought?
Dajeong had avoided dating not for lack of interest but due to her circumstances. Marriages are best between equals.
She reflected on her own situation – the exorbitant hospital bills for her mother’s care, the debt her father left, and her meager savings.
Therefore, she had given up on the dream of marriage.
Her involvement with Jaeho was just an escapade, so jealousy was a luxury.
Right. O Chaewon was beautiful. Even if they had dated, she had no place to question it.
At that moment, Jaeho, having finished his shower, came out drying his hair with a towel. He was dressed in cotton pants and a white T-shirt. Even in simple attire, he exuded an irresistible charm.
He casually dropped the towel, searching for Dajeong with his eyes. Spotting her on the bed, he paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing slowly. Dajeong averted her gaze amidst the strange tension.
“The floor’s still cold. I don’t have any socks.”
His gaze felt like a tangible touch on her skin.
“Right. Good thinking.”
Jaeho responded a few seconds late, his gaze still fixed on her damp hair.
“I was watching a drama.”
To divert his attention, Dajeong pointed at the screen. Jaeho glanced at the TV indifferently.
“Ah. Chaewon’s drama.”
That was it. Jaeho turned to his suitcase, which seemed a bit overpacked for a stargazing trip. He had said it was a habit from camping, including everything from lotion to underwear.
Dajeong’s heart ached strangely.
‘Ah. Chaewon’s drama.’
It wasn’t much of a statement, yet each word felt like a blade piercing her heart. She hadn’t expected his casual way of referring to a woman by her first name to hurt so much. It wasn’t particularly tender, yet it stung.
The disparity between “O Chaewon” and “Chaewoni” was so great that it almost sounded like they were different people.
Dajeong wanted to ask Jaeho how close he was with his “Chaewoni.” Did they still contact each other after the drama ended? Was he planning to participate in Season 2?
Her feelings were becoming twisted. If her heart had a face, it would look quite hideous now.
“O Chaewon is so beautiful. Even a woman can see that. Men must think the same, right? She’s really pretty.”
Strange words, far from what she felt, slipped out of her mouth. It was a mess.
Jaeho, who was organizing his bag, responded.
“Yes.”
Her heart felt torn again. Just then, O Chaewon on the TV smiled brightly. That smile seemed to mock Dajeong’s twisted heart, and she suddenly felt sad.
Jaeho approached Dajeong.
She wanted to avoid him, but there was nowhere to hide. Without her phone, she couldn’t pretend to check messages. Dajeong tried to smile as she unclenched her fists. But her ugly feelings must have been evident, as Jaeho unexpectedly asked,
“Why do you look like that?”
She thought she was smiling.
“You look like you’re about to cry.”
As he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, Dajeong slightly pulled away. Jaeho, who had been quietly observing her for a while, spoke softly.
“I’m going to sleep in the bed.”
“That, that’s…”
“With you, Yoon Dajeong.”
Jaeho snatched the remote from Dajeong’s hand and turned off the TV. He then purposely turned his body towards Dajeong, who had averted her gaze, to meet her eyes.
“Why are you like this?”
Indeed. Why was she like this?
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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