A Marriage with an Expiry (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
The fuse in my head, barely reset into place, popped out again.
He frowned as he looked at So Ri’s shoulder, her lips parted in shock.
For a moment at a loss for words, So Ri asked in astonishment,
“How can you—Professor, how can you say something like that so easily?”
“Does it seem easy to you?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s just leave it at that.”
“No.”
Marriage was a life-altering decision.
And for me, there was the possibility I might even become a leukemia patient.
Not knowing what tomorrow might bring…
So Ri felt less touched than slightly angry at his recklessness.
“What will you do if I really don’t have much time left? This illness isn’t just a cold.”
“What does that matter? You’re going to live anyway.”
His eyes and voice were unwaveringly resolute.
If he truly believed I was sick, his certainty would’ve been deeply comforting—enough to make me believe survival was a guaranteed future.
“Professor…”
“I could die tomorrow—right in the middle of the road from an accident. I might die before you, even if you’re the one who’s ill.”
That’s just how life is.
He spoke in a steady, even tone.
He was a far colder, calmer doctor than I’d realized—so composed he seemed indifferent even in the face of death.
“And what’s so difficult about it anyway? You’re the one who kissed me so freely.”
As he cut away the fabric on So Ri’s shoulder, he spoke indifferently.
“No, I was—”
“Were you drunk? Trying to dodge responsibility like that is really irresponsible.”
The exposed shoulder was stained with blood. He ruthlessly dabbed the wound with a cotton pad soaked in antiseptic.
So Ri bit down hard on her lip as a sudden, sharp pain washed over her.
“Aa—ah! It… hurts so much.”
Cold sweat broke out instantly from the unexpected intensity of the pain.
“Good. If it hurts, just say so. From now on, tell me like that.”
So Ri, always busy handling everything alone, had always believed enduring silently was virtuous.
She never wanted to burden her mother, who’d raised her single-handedly, with childish complaints.
Whining about how hard things were simply didn’t suit her nature.
“Ji Woo shows me everything—she’s so transparent with me it’s clear as glass. But you’re not like that.”
Watching Hyun Woo speak with such certainty about her, So Ri just felt dazed.
That’s why she kept forgetting what she needed to say.
“Professor, I’m not in pain. The hospital…”
Just as she was about to reveal the truth, his phone rang—of all times.
He raised his palm toward her and stepped slightly away from the hospital bed.
The moment he brought the phone to his ear, Ji Woo’s voice leaked through the speaker.
“Oppa? So Ri isn’t answering her phone. I didn’t see her at the hospital?”
“Where on earth are you right now?”
“I’m in the ER. Just finished treatment. I need to see So Ri. Didn’t you meet her in the lobby like I mentioned earlier?”
“We met.”
He continued the call in a tightly controlled voice, then stared straight at So Ri.
“Come to Room 808. She’s here.”
“Is So Ri hurt? Why’s she in a hospital room?”
“You’ll see when you get here.”
“Got it. I’m coming right now.”
After hanging up, he carelessly slipped his phone into the pocket of his white coat.
Now that she looked closely, his shirt and doctor’s coat were also a mess.
Remembering those stains came from where I’d clung to him, her face flushed hot again.
“Ji Woo’s coming here.”
“Yes…”
“I’ll leave the ointment for the bruises. Ask her for help when she arrives.”
As if he had nothing more to say, he left the hospital room without a shred of hesitation.
So Ri stared blankly at the closed door, then pressed her palm to her forehead.
She was flustered by the unexpected, absurd proposal.
“So Ri!”
“Oh, Ji Woo.”
But thanks to Ji Woo, she snapped out of her daze almost instantly.
Ji Woo entered the room, limping slightly, clutching a doctor’s coat in her arms.
So Ri was in the middle of washing up and changing into fresh clothes.
“My manager says he’s really sorry and grateful. These clothes are a gift.”
The outfit Ji Woo’s manager had bought consisted of a blouse and black slacks from a high-end brand.
It matched So Ri’s usual hospital style perfectly—no question about whether she’d like it or not.
“Thank you. I’ll wear them well.”
As she turned to slip her arms into the blouse, her body ached stiffly.
Earlier, she’d been so tense around Hyun Woo she hadn’t noticed, but now her bruised body was finally protesting the beating it had taken.
She barely managed to swallow a pained groan.
“So Ri! Your back…”
Ji Woo covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide with dismay.
“What do we do? I’m so sorry, So Ri…”
So Ri’s pale, slender back was completely covered in bruises.
She twisted her head as far back as she could, though of course she couldn’t see it properly.
So she asked calmly,
“Is it that bad?”
Ji Woo, watching from behind, made a pained face and nodded vigorously.
The problem was having run into obsessive fans in a space with no walls to hide behind.
Ji Woo regretted, too late, not having brought a leather jacket.
“At least I don’t have to go home today—thankfully, I’m on night duty. It’s fine. Bruises fade quickly anyway.”
“If Mom finds out, she’ll be really upset. I swear I’ll repay this kindness somehow.”
It wasn’t as if this were a one- or two-day thing—why was she talking about repaying kindness between us?
So Ri chuckled softly as she fastened the blouse buttons.
“So Ri, did Oppa scold you a lot? I ran into him in the hallway earlier on my way here, and his eyes looked absolutely murderous.”
“He scolded me, then treated me.”
“So he gave you the disease and the cure?”
Ji Woo asked knowingly. So Ri chuckled again.
“With the whole Yoo So Ri bloodbath and causing such a commotion in his own hospital, he’s probably going to nag me for three days and four nights.”
“If he’s too harsh, just sell me off.”
“Don’t be silly. I’d rather take the scolding myself.”
Once So Ri finished buttoning her blouse, she gathered up Ji Woo’s discarded clothes.
She noticed the slashed shoulder.
“It’s such a pretty outfit. Now it’s ruined.”
“It’s fine—he tore it treating you. Don’t worry about it.”
“Earlier, I’d planned to push confidently through the crowd, but the moment those people blocked my path, my mind went completely blank. I finally understood how you must’ve felt, Ji Woo.”
“You were scared too, weren’t you? I’m really sorry—it’s all my fault…”
So Ri sat down on the hospital bed facing Ji Woo, who was perched on the edge.
Instinctively, she took Ji Woo’s hands—her friend looked so dejected.
“I’m really okay, Ji Woo.”
“…”
“Just don’t let those people hurt you, Seo Ji Woo.”
Hearing her friend’s comforting words, Ji Woo’s eyes slowly reddened. The frustration she’d suppressed all day was about to burst out.
“When you want to cry, just cry. Don’t hold it in.”
“So Ri… honestly, every time this happens, I really just want to quit everything.”
Ji Woo suddenly pulled So Ri into a tight hug. So Ri patted Ji Woo’s back gently.
“You’re beautiful, talented at acting and dancing, and incredibly popular with men. Everyone envies you because you have everything others struggle to get even one piece of.”
And you also have the coolest older brother in the world.
She couldn’t quite bring herself to say that last part aloud.
“This is all happening because you’re just too amazing. Don’t take it personally—just stay cool about it, okay?”
“Okay.”
So Ri understood better than anyone. She’d watched her mother closely for years.
Even after a long career, Soo Hyang still got hurt by baseless rumors and online comments.
Being hated by someone was something you never truly got used to, no matter how much time passed.
“When you’re having a hard time, don’t drown your sorrows in alcohol. Call me anytime you need help.”
“Okay.”
Just as before and now, So Ri was the friend who understood her heart better than anyone else.
“That’s why my friend is a mega-star! Must be why the movie’s getting such intense ‘curse-breaking’ luck—Seo Ji Woo, this film’s definitely going to be a massive hit!”
“Tch, you’re the only one acting tough here.”
Ji Woo pouted, touched despite herself.
A while later, in Hyun Woo’s car.
Ji Woo was heading home with her older brother for the first time in a while.
Hyun Woo, driving silently, glanced unconsciously at Ji Woo, who was unusually quiet even for her.
Their eyes briefly met before Ji Woo quickly looked away and spoke.
“I braced myself before getting in. I’ll listen quietly if you scold me—just one verse, okay?”
Ji Woo’s preemptive, sweet-voiced remark left Hyun Woo looking utterly exasperated.
“It’s true I’ve been too busy to pay close attention to you. I’ve always felt bad about that.”
“But I’ve never felt hurt by that from you, Oppa.”
Ji Woo was actually surprised by Hyun Woo’s apology.
“So if something like today happens again, talk to me first. No matter how busy I am, I can at least do that much as your older brother. What you two did today was far too reckless—and dangerous.”
It had almost turned into a truly terrifying situation.
“I’m already regretting it. I ended up getting So Ri hurt for no reason.”
“Exactly, why did you—”
Hyun Woo stopped himself, swallowing both his words and a sigh.
“When So Ri was changing clothes earlier, her whole body was covered in bruises. She’s the type who never says she’s in pain even when she is—I forgot that again.”
Ji Woo frowned, resting her elbow on the window frame and pressing her palm to her forehead.
“I just came back after being comforted by So Ri again. Knowing she has to work all night at the hospital in that condition makes me feel awful. All I could say was ‘just don’t let Mom find out.’ If I’d known it’d turn out like this, I should’ve just gone to Dad’s hospital.”
Hyun Woo, focused on the road ahead, also faintly furrowed his brow.
Because of her lifelong career in entertainment, Ji Woo had never had many chances to make friends—So Ri was her only one.
Hyun Woo knew well that Ji Woo depended on So Ri just as much as she relied on him as her older brother.
Even after years apart, he hadn’t felt distant from So Ri—largely thanks to Ji Woo.
Whenever he was in the military or in the U.S., most of the updates Ji Woo shared were about So Ri.
“Oppa, So Ri mentioned… that residents get scolded so often it’s basically their job. She’s been so tense she’s making mistakes she normally wouldn’t.”
“Everyone goes through that.”
He hadn’t personally experienced that phase, so he couldn’t say for sure—but generally, that’s how residents were, from what he’d observed.
“If someone really messes up, do they get dragged off somewhere to get chewed out badly?”
“Who told you that?”
Kang Se Hoon’s face flashed in his mind, and his head instantly grew heavy.
“No, she didn’t actually say that.”
He raised his voice slightly, then exhaled quietly.
“You know So Ri’s scared of you, right? Ever since we were kids, she trembles whenever she sees you, can’t speak properly, and her face turns bright red.”
“…”
“So please don’t push her too hard—be a little kinder to her.”
Ji Woo’s eyes narrowed slightly at Hyun Woo’s dry stare and silence, but she didn’t add anything more. She trusted her older brother.
By the time they finished talking, they’d already arrived at their family home.
“Go in. Make sure to apply a cold pack to your ankle before sleeping.”
Before getting out of the car, Ji Woo turned to Hyun Woo with a troubled expression.
“Oppa… Dad actually said you should just come in and leave right after. Could you at least stay for a bit since you came to see me?”
He instinctively sighed but turned off the car engine.
When they entered the living room, Guk Hwan was seated in the prime spot on the sofa.
“Dad, Oppa came too.”
Hyun Woo walked slowly over and sat down in the middle of the multi-seater sofa, maintaining a measured distance from Guk Hwan.
Guk Hwan looked steadily at his son and offered an awkward greeting.
“Are you still busy these days?”
“Same as always.”
Ji Woo wedged herself between them, sitting next to Hyun Woo—she was always the cushion between her father and older brother.
“Oppa, won’t you at least have a cup of tea before leaving?”
“No, I’ll leave right away. I heard you had something to say.”
Hyun Woo was prodding Guk Hwan to get straight to the point—their conversations always followed this pattern.
“I’ve set the date and time for the blind date I mentioned earlier.”
Guk Hwan, too, didn’t beat around the bush.
“Did you really call me all the way home just to tell me that?”
Ending an exhausting day like this was truly the worst.
Ji Woo was just as stunned as Hyun Woo.
Sensing the atmosphere rapidly chilling, Ji Woo’s eyes flickered with unease. She needed to step in and apply the brakes.
“Dad, seriously—Oppa just came back from the U.S. how long ago? I’m not emotionally ready to share him with another woman yet!”
But despite Ji Woo’s efforts, the mood between the two men sank even deeper.
“The reason you chose Seohan over JeGuk—wasn’t it because you had other ambitions?”
Hyun Woo slowly lifted his head and looked directly at Guk Hwan.
“Say it clearly, so I understand.”
He pressed his fingertips tiredly against the corner of his eye.
“There’s someone who can support you properly—just meet them once.”
“I don’t want to.”
Hyun Woo stood abruptly from his seat.
“Keep doing what you always do—bury yourself in work. Only then can I at least respect you as a medical professional, if nothing else.”
“Seo Hyun Woo.”
Guk Hwan raised his voice slightly.
Hyun Woo, already heading toward the front door, turned back.
“I was planning to mention it later… but I’ll introduce her soon.”
Guk Hwan and Ji Woo both turned to look at Hyun Woo.
“The person I’m going to marry.”
Ji Woo’s eyes and mouth flew open in shock.
“It won’t take long.”
Hyun Woo bowed deeply to Guk Hwan.
It felt less like a son showing familial respect and more like a junior doctor paying proper deference to a senior colleague.
Watching his son’s coldly retreating back, deep lines formed between Guk Hwan’s brows.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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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.