A Marriage with an Expiry (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
Heup!
She barely held back the breath and scream that were about to burst out.
So Ri, startled as if she had seen a ghost, twisted her body to the left and ran blindly.
It would have been great if there had been at least a bathroom on the way.
It’s all just walls!
In the end, So Ri had no choice but to rush into the residents’ office.
I’ve gone crazy. I’ve gone crazy. Yoo So Ri has gone crazy.
Even though her own ego was cursing at her, her actions wouldn’t be controlled.
Her original plan had been to gauge his mood during the morning meeting and then plan an apology later.
To run into him like this with absolutely no preparation or countermeasures!
Even after hiding in the residents’ office, So Ri was restless and suddenly started biting her nails.
“Yoo So Ri? What’s wrong?”
Even though Gi Tae was looking at her with strange eyes, So Ri was completely consumed by the thoughts occupying her head.
What on earth should she say as an excuse for yesterday?
Yesterday she had stolen Seo Hyun Woo’s lips, then cried and made a huge fuss worrying she might catch a disease she hadn’t even contracted.
And then the fragment of memory that surfaced.
‘Stop crying. It’s not something to cry about. It can be treated.’
He had definitely said that to her while carrying her on his back.
I… I think I even said it was leukemia……
How do you pick up water that’s already been spilled from a bucket?
“Mommy!”
Seeing a huge shadow outside the translucent door, the startled So Ri looked for a place to hide.
Bang.
The residents’ office door immediately opened and Hyun Woo walked in.
It wasn’t even meeting time yet, so she had desperately hoped he would go to his lab instead!
So Ri quickly hid her body under the chair next to the table.
“Good morning, Professor.”
Gi Tae shot up from his chair and bowed politely. Then he lightly kicked the back of the crouching So Ri next to his chair.
He was starting to think this girl had lost her mind since morning.
Gi Tae smiled at Hyun Woo and spoke in ventriloquism.
“Hey, Yoo So Ri, what are you doing?”
“Be quiet.”
So Ri put her index finger to her lips and begged with teary eyes for him to please stay quiet.
Hyun Woo gave a small “hm” and lightly cleared his throat.
“Is Teacher Kang Se Hoon still not here?”
“Ah, he stepped out earlier for a bit. But he’ll probably come before the meeting?”
Gi Tae, nervous about finding Se Hoon who had missed surgery, started stammering too.
“If he shows up, tell him to come to my lab before the meeting.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Gi Tae answered enthusiastically in perfect posture. So Ri, hiding next to her colleague, curled herself even smaller to avoid his gaze.
Hyun Woo finished his business and immediately left the residents’ office.
As he turned and grabbed the doorknob, he only turned his head to glance back.
Once at the floor, once at Gi Tae’s eyes.
She didn’t know why Gi Tae’s pupils were trembling when it was So Ri who was hiding, but fortunately.
“Take care.”
“Yes. Have a good day.”
The moment he left, the hidden So Ri let out a huge sigh of relief.
“Because of you, Yoo So Ri, my heart nearly stopped.”
Gi Tae sat back down and looked strangely at So Ri who was still crouched on the floor.
“You must have made some huge mistake with Professor Seo yesterday, right?”
A mistake, yes. An enormous, irreparable mistake, my friend.
“You don’t need to know. Just talking about it is humiliating.”
So Ri answered listlessly and crawled from the floor back onto the chair.
“Did you maybe get drunk and throw yourself at the professor?”
“Yeah. Something like that.”
So Ri answered Gi Tae’s wild guess half-heartedly.
Come to think of it, it was similar.
Because she had thrown herself at him with her lips.
“How? The atmosphere yesterday was completely murderous. Don’t tell me you cried and threw a tantrum? No way, right?”
“Probably…… yes.”
“Whoa. I heard Professor Seo absolutely hates seeing people cry.”
“Really?”
Even in the middle of all this, So Ri was shocked to learn something he disliked and asked again.
“And that’s why you’re hiding like this? Are you an idiot?”
“I didn’t have the courage to face him right now.”
“But I think the professor saw you completely and just left. Maybe he’s pretending not to know.”
Gi Tae comforted So Ri with an unmistakably amused face.
“Anyone can make a mistake when they’re drunk and emotional. Don’t be too discouraged. It’s a bit much for a rookie to do that on the first day, though.”
Is that supposed to be comfort or rubbing salt in the wound?
So Ri felt like she was on a plane that was crashing.
If you panic and can’t even open the parachute, you just die on impact, right?
What am I going to do.
“Heuk.”
So Ri clutched her throbbing head with both hands.
For a first-year resident, going home basically doesn’t exist.
Home is the hospital, and the hospital is home. That’s why they’re called residents, after all.
After running around all day, So Ri finally got a moment to breathe around 7 p.m.
“You’re not even eating dinner, Yoo So Ri?”
“Lunch still hasn’t digested properly.”
“Hey, what is wrong with you. Just go and beg for forgiveness already.”
Gi Tae sincerely advised So Ri, looking genuinely worried.
“Then he’ll probably forgive you. He wouldn’t step on a little sprout that’s just starting to grow, right?”
“He’s exactly the kind of person who would step on it and more, isn’t he?”
“Well… yeah, kind of.”
“I’m going to get some fresh air for a bit.”
Gi Tae watched with pity as So Ri trudged away weakly.
“Did she get dragged away and even curse at the professor or something?”
He was dying of curiosity, but she wouldn’t say anything, which made it even more frustrating. Of course, he couldn’t exactly ask the professor directly.
Scratching his head, Gi Tae headed back to the residents’ office.
Somehow, So Ri managed to avoid Hyun Woo all day like a slippery loach.
She ate lunch alone in the rooftop garden with a sandwich, and during ward rounds she cleverly hid behind him.
By only aiming for the back of his head and moving behind him, she prevented herself from entering his line of sight.
Even while taking care of ward patients all day, she perfectly avoided running into him.
Every time she stepped out of a room, she was on high alert.
She was like a meerkat in a white coat.
Who knew she could be this nimble—So Ri had a day of great realization.
“Ah……. I’m going insane.”
So Ri trudged out to an empty lot inside the hospital and let out a deep sigh. Of course she felt frustrated; she couldn’t keep avoiding him forever.
At that moment, her phone vibrated in her coat pocket.
She weakly took it out and looked at the screen.
So Ri’s eyes widened the moment she saw the saved name.
“Why, why is he calling? Should I answer? What do I even say if I answer?”
Her perforated Crocs stomped anxiously on the ground.
But while she was agonizing, the call ended.
“What am I really going to do. How am I supposed to fix this…….”
She grabbed her ponytail with both hands and pulled so hard that two little horns stuck up on her head.
Ring. Ring.
The phone vibrated again.
[Seo Ji Woo Yu]This time it wasn’t Seo Hyun Woo but his younger sister Ji Woo.
After a moment of hesitation about whether to answer, So Ri worried that Hyun Woo might have said something and quickly swiped the green phone icon.
So Ri answered as calmly as possible.
“Hey, Ji Woo.”
-So Ri, I’m in big trouble.
“Why?”
Ji Woo’s voice sounded unusual.
“Another photo was taken? So what happened? Where did you get hurt this time?”
-My head is hurt and bleeding a lot. I also twisted my leg when I fell.
It seemed another follow-up scandal article had just come out.
Hearing Ji Woo’s hurt voice because of obsessive fans, So Ri forgot her own problems and raised her voice in anger.
“Those people—at this point shouldn’t we report them? No, we should sue, sue them. How can they call themselves fans.”
-They’re not my fans, they’re Daimonster fans.
Either way, it was a situation that only made her sigh.
“Anyway, you must be really shocked. I wish I could come right now, but I have to stay at the hospital today. What should we do.”
-No, it’s fine. Actually, I’m already on my way to the hospital.
“To Seo Han Hospital?”
-No, your hospital. I was going to go to Dad’s hospital, but they probably know it’s our dad’s hospital and might cause another scene. At least my brother is less known there.
“Okay. Come here. If those kids show up, I’ll break all their wrists for you.”
Ji Woo let out a small laugh at So Ri’s fierce comfort. As expected, So Ri was the only one for her.
-Thanks, So Ri. But I think they’re still following me. There are several taxis tailing us right now. So I might end up going to a different hospital instead of Je Guk.
“They’re still following you?”
Furious, So Ri even rolled up her sleeves.
“I just did a lap around your hospital, and because of the building layout, it seems hard for the van to sneak in.”
She didn’t like the idea of turning back when they were already so close.
“Is there any way I can help?”
If they were chasing Ji Woo’s van, it would be the same no matter which hospital she went to.
“Let’s meet first.”
An empty park area near the hospital.
The two successfully met secretly inside Ji Woo’s van.
“Let me see. Are you okay?”
So Ri clicked her tongue looking at Ji Woo’s face.
“You almost got into serious trouble. If it’s bad, you might need stitches? It would be awful if it leaves a scar……. Make sure to take photos.”
So Ri looked around again to check for any suspicious people.
“I don’t think the kids are here? How about we go in through the back door like this?”
“They might have already figured it out and be waiting at the hospital.”
“Ah, that could be true. Then let’s carry out the plan we talked about earlier.”
So Ri boldly took off her doctor’s coat. Ji Woo also started taking off her own clothes one by one.
Ji Woo was a little taller than So Ri, but their builds were similar, so the clothes fit perfectly, as if made for each other.
“Put on this wavy wig, and the hat too. Sunglasses as well.”
“Sunglasses at night?”
“Celebrities wear them day and night.”
“Oh, really? Got it.”
While the manager kept watch outside, the two changed into each other’s clothes.
With So Ri even wearing Ji Woo’s killer heels, from a distance she looked exactly like Seo Ji Woo—a perfect disguise.
“What is this? My feet feel so comfortable.”
“It’s an essential item for doctors.”
Ji Woo especially loved So Ri’s perforated shoes.
“Oh, Seo Ji Woo, even the doctor’s coat looks great on you.”
“Yoo So Ri, you secretly pull off any clothes really well.”
“If anyone saw us, they’d think we’re so full of ourselves.”
After swapping clothes and looking at each other, they burst out laughing despite the serious situation.
“If you turn in an L-shape from the back door, you’ll reach the emergency room. When we get there, you go straight to the ER.”
“Okay, thanks, So Ri.”
Soon, the van carrying the two women headed toward Je Guk Hospital.
The van was slowly entering the hospital’s front gate.
The plan was simple.
The goal was to have the fans mistake So Ri getting off at the front gate for Seo Ji Woo and swarm her.
She would buy some time, and once she got confirmation that Ji Woo had safely entered the hospital, the operation would be over.
So Ri took a deep breath and prepared to get out of the van.
As soon as the van appeared, people started popping out from somewhere one by one.
“What do we do, So Ri. I think that’s really them.”
“It’s okay. Just trust me. Manager, please drop only me off, then drive out and come in from behind the building. Got it?”
“Yes.”
“So Ri, you really have to be careful.”
“Yeah.”
She had even chased away an obsessive mom fan before. So Ri wasn’t particularly nervous.
The van finally stopped at the driveway in front of the building.
Long, white legs in killer heels stepped down from between the black van’s doors. The stunning leg line unintentionally caught the eyes of passersby.
As soon as So Ri got out, the van door closed with a clank behind her.
The moment the van started moving again, So Ri lowered her head as much as possible and began walking quickly.
But.
“Hey, Seo Ji Woo just got out over there. That fox-like jerk.”
“She’s seriously annoying.”
She could feel the crowd instantly gathering around her.
The Daimonster fans, judging that Seo Ji Woo was alone, solidly blocked So Ri’s front and back.
Her steps faltered and stopped.
So Ri’s goal was to slowly move forward until she reached the hospital lobby.
But.
“Stop wagging your tail!!”
Along with a shrill voice, dull pain struck various parts of her body and back.
“You want attention that badly?”
“Stop with the paid articles already!”
So Ri curled up tightly. They seemed to be throwing whatever they could at her.
“Ah!”
Because she was wearing a thin dress, the pain was considerable.
Blocked by the crowd, So Ri couldn’t move forward at all.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing!”
At that moment, an icy, low voice cut sharply through the air from somewhere.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
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They are too shy to each other. I hope she will be a little relaxed ☺️
Oh no..she’s gonna tell fl about her mom.yup time for drama
I feel like the dad reveal will be a big one like he is some kind of big shot.