Se Ah left Kang Woo’s office with a rigid face, biting her tongue to hold back imminent tears. Secretary Choi’s worried gaze followed her from the desk, noticing her failed attempt to manage her expression. She hurried past, feeling embarrassed.
Despite trying to hold back, a tear already rolled down her cheek. Helplessly, she turned towards the emergency stairs.
“Sobbing…”
She leaned against the concrete wall, shedding tears of sorrow. Even while crying, she couldn’t quite grasp why she felt so bereft.
Kang Woo had been blunt, but he only meant he needed to work.
To her, his suddenly cold demeanor felt humiliating. He would pull her close without hesitation, but then abruptly push her away according to his mood.
Most of all, his cold words, “I’m out if I’m deceived,” seemed to spell her future. If he knew she had been deceiving him, he would cut her off without a second thought.
Chang Seok was significant in CI Soft. Kang Woo had nurtured him for a long time, showing unusual trust.
Wasn’t it natural to be emotionally drained when a trusted person betrays?
She worried excessively, even skipping meals.
When she encountered Kang Woo at the cafe, even though he avoided eye contact because of Do Young, she tried to understand, thinking it was for her sake. She even went to his office.
“Please leave, I need to work.”
His utterly emotionless tone and gaze made her feel like a nuisance.
Kang Woo always put himself first, pulling or pushing her as needed. She lamented always being secondary in his life.
She had resolved to confess something to him soon.
“Mr. Kang, actually, before our marriage, there was something I couldn’t tell you. I had to make a forced promise with my father to live with you for just a year.”
She had written pages of A4 paper, wondering if it would be easier than speaking. Yet, she couldn’t muster the courage.
“I can’t do it.”
Maybe getting caught would be better.
Wiping her tears as footsteps approached from downstairs, she locked eyes with Do Young. His steps slowed as he neared.
“We see each other a lot today.”
Do Young’s late arrival gave Se Ah time to compose herself. She managed a faint smile in response.
“Yeah.”
“Why are you here?”
Faced with his question, Se Ah looked uneasy.
“Well, it’s obvious. Sorry for asking.”
His sensitivity was palpable. He approached cautiously, asked gently, and then smoothly moved on.
“Why are you here, Do Young?”
“I have something to say to Mr. Kang.”
“Okay, then I’ll leave.”
“Se Ah.”
In a tone once filled with warmth, he called out.
“Yes?”
“Whenever you’re going through a tough time, feel free to talk about it.”
Observing her clear, hazel eyes, Do Young smiled awkwardly. Fumbling behind his neck, he then reached into the large bag slung over his right shoulder. His hand rummaged through the bag, pulling out a wallet covered with fabric over leather.
“Here, take this.”
Se Ah stared at the rectangular business card as if seeing it for the first time.
“Don’t feel awkward about it.”
Hesitantly, Se Ah grasped the corner of the card. Do Young chuckled and let go.
“There’s no hidden meaning, so relax.”
“…I know. It’s just that I’m not used to this kind of thing.”
Neither a princess nor a damsel in distress.
A simple act of kindness, perhaps even without any ulterior motive. Yet, she was self-consciously overthinking it.
Shouldering her bag more securely, Do Young let out a half-laugh.
“Once a teacher, always a teacher, right? Of course, it’s different for you.”
A pointed joke lightened Se Ah’s mood, and she chuckled lightly.
“I like to maintain connections as long as possible. So, don’t feel pressured. When life gets tough and there’s no one to talk to, just give me a call. You know, sometimes you can’t even open up to friends.”
He smiled kindly. Though Se Ah knew she wouldn’t call, she nodded politely out of courtesy.
“Writer Se Ah, I should get going. I heard Mr. Kang is about to enter a meeting.”
“Yes.”
As they parted, the sound of a door slamming shut from above startled them both. They looked back, but no one was there.
“Must be the sound of the rooftop door. Someone was probably smoking up there.”
“Oh. Yes. Anyway, thank you, Writer Do Young. It’s been an honor working with you, and your illustrations were beautiful.”
“It’s no trouble at all.”
As Se Ah descended the stairs, her figure gradually receded.
Do Young entered Kang Woo’s office.
Standing near the glass window, Kang Woo’s sturdy back was turned away, oblivious to the door’s sound.
Dressed in a white shirt and black vest, his posture was as crisply tailored as his suit.
Even from another man’s perspective, he looked impressive. How much more so for a woman? Do Young swallowed a rising sense of defeat and cleared his throat.
Finally, Kang Woo turned leisurely to face him.
In the office, a palpable tension hung in the air. Kang Woo’s steady gaze was exceptionally icy.
Choked by the oppressive aura, Do Young spoke first.
“I have something to tell you.”
“Take a seat.”
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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