Sarang frowned, wondering if building stamina would stop hot coffee from spilling on her hand.
She thought she’d be excused from morning exercise at least until the bandages came off, but she was mistaken.
“Should we add exercises to improve your reflexes?”
“No, thanks. You exercise addict.”
Sarang got up, thinking there’s no use talking with him about it.
She pitied Yunjae’s future students, who would be exhausted after his classes once he became a physical education teacher.
When she left for her room, Yunjae sighed softly.
He had once liked Sarang, but wouldn’t have considered dating Jiwoo if any feelings remained.
Jiwoo knew this too, which allowed them to date and live together as neighbors.
Yet, Yunjae hoped Sarang wouldn’t suffer again because of Dohan.
It was a natural feeling as a friend.
Leaving the house with Jiwoo, Sarang checked her reflection on her phone and furrowed her brows.
“Am I going on a blind date today?”
She had done her makeup meticulously.
And wearing a skirt in the middle of winter seemed odd.
Anyone would think she had an important appointment.
“I just did the basics. I wanted to make it more glamorous, but I restrained myself considering your social standing.”
“Thanks. I’m so grateful I could cry.”
Wondering why she had to dress up more than usual with her hand bandaged.
The original Korean paragraph contains 50 lines. I will translate it into English, maintaining the same number of lines in the translation.
It seemed like I would have to tell my team members that I was living with a friend.
Otherwise, they might think I had been to a salon.
“Call me when you get off work. I’ll come with you.”
“There’s a dinner tonight. A welcoming party for Assistant Manager Jido Han.”
“A welcoming party, really?”
Just hearing Dohan’s name seemed to irritate Jiwoo, who frowned.
“Can’t you just say you can’t drink because of your hand and not attend?”
“How can I do that? I have to be there.”
Being just a second-year employee, Jiwoo sighed, unable to refuse the dinner invitation.
“Then shall I call you after it’s over? Yunjae and I can come pick you up.”
“It’s fine. I can take a taxi.”
“Why does it have to be your birthday for the dinner? It ruins our evening party plans.”
“I can’t drink anyway, so what’s the point of a party…”
As Sarang came down the stairs and stepped outside the building, she stopped abruptly.
Wondering why her face turned so stern, Jiwoo followed Sarang’s gaze.
Unbelievably, Dohan was standing there.
“They’re still living together.”
Leaning against his car, he stood up straight upon seeing the two women.
Jiwoo was incredulous at his calm demeanor.
“Why are you here?”
When Jiwoo sharply confronted him, Dohan finally greeted them.
“It’s been a while.”
“How, no, why are you here?”
Was this really the time for greetings?
No matter if he was a senior from college, to Jiwoo, Dohan was nothing but a man who had hurt her friend.
“On a work assignment.”
“What?”
“I was ordered by the team leader to closely protect the team leader until her hand heals.”
Jiwoo gasped in disbelief.
What kind of order was that?
And why was Sarang Dohan’s superior? It was absurd.
Their team leader’s decision to assign a mere employee as Dohan’s superior was infuriating.
“Then get in.”
Dohan opened the passenger door for Sarang, his eyes lingering on her.
She looked beautiful yesterday, but even more dazzling today.
He wondered why she needed to dress up so much just to go to work, his eyebrows involuntarily furrowing.
Did she have a boyfriend?
It would be strange if she didn’t.
If she looked pretty to me, she must look pretty to other men too, probably having a boyfriend.
Unnecessary thoughts filled Dohan’s mind from the morning.
Sarang stared at him before closing the passenger door and getting into the backseat with Jiwoo.
There was no reason to refuse a ride to work from a colleague.
She thought it would be less uncomfortable if her body was at ease, even if she had to spend the whole day with Dohan.
Dohan glanced at Sarang through the rear window before getting into the driver’s seat.
Silence settled in the car for a long while.
No one spoke.
Then Jiwoo, seemingly having an idea, ignored Dohan like a chauffeur and said to Sarang.
“Your boyfriend must be worried about you hurting your hand.”
“…What?”
What boyfriend do I have?
Sarang frowned, wondering what nonsense she was talking about, but Jiwoo quickly gestured with her eyes.
It seemed she wanted to show Dohan that Sarang had a boyfriend.
But how could she suddenly invent a nonexistent boyfriend?
Without any prior planning, would he even believe it?
Sarang was never good at lying.
Hesitating, Jiwoo intervened again.
“Your boyfriend is terribly worried about you. He doesn’t even let you get your hand wet.”
The original Korean paragraph contains 50 lines. I will translate it into English, maintaining the same number of lines in the translation.
“So how old is my boyfriend, Jiwoo?”
“Should I call him ‘oppa,’ or do I need to make up a name?”
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
