An Instinctive Proposal (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 17
Hot water poured down over Tae Han’s head.
Inside the shower stall, he stood motionless under the stream, lost in deep thought.
“No.”
Her voice, firmly rejecting him yet trembling with tears that reddened the corners of her eyes, flickered before him.
“I won’t be dating the CEO.”
Yeon Woo, who had clenched her lips resolutely as she spoke, looked as though she’d been wounded.
Sung Won’s explanation had been wrong.
But what haunted Tae Han even more relentlessly was Yeon Woo’s expression—on the verge of bursting into tears—and it was driving him mad.
“…Damn it.”
Thick tendons bulged on his clenched fist. Clear droplets streamed down continuously between his furrowed brows.
Soon, as if having made up his mind, he stepped out of the shower stall.
Glancing at the clock while slipping on a night robe showed 9 p.m.
Since she probably wasn’t asleep yet, Tae Han picked up his phone, hesitated briefly, then pressed the call button.
Hello?
As expected, the ring didn’t last long. Tae Han asked in a low, quiet voice,
“Are you asleep?”
Yeon Woo on the other end seemed startled into a momentary silence before finally replying,
No, I’m not asleep yet.
“Then I’ll come to your room.”
…What? Now?
Tae Han felt he absolutely had to see her right that moment or he’d go crazy.
“Let’s talk face to face.”
Yeon Woo had fled into her room as if escaping from Tae Han and now sat weighed down by worry.
“I’ll go out with you. I’ll agree to date you.”
Hearing those words had left her so flustered and furious that her mind went blank, but as time passed, she kept thinking about how serious Tae Han had looked.
“I’ve never done this with Secretary Seo before.”
What could he have meant by that?
So absorbed in thought she lost track of time, she suddenly realized it was already 9 p.m.
Sighing deeply, Yeon Woo decided it was time to wrap up the day and go to bed early.
She walked over to her desk and opened the maternity notebook she’d brought with her.
Though she hadn’t experienced any strange symptoms since arriving in Jeju, she wanted to note down how, despite taking her medication, the smell wafting from the lunchbox lid had still made her nauseous.
But just before picking up her pen, her gaze drifted absentmindedly to her baby’s recent ultrasound picture taped onto the page.
Though it was still just a tiny dot—so small it hardly seemed like a human being yet—it was becoming more precious to Yeon Woo with each passing day.
The space in her notebook reserved for the baby’s name remained blank.
Ever since learning of the baby’s existence, she’d been so consumed by practical concerns that she hadn’t found a moment to think of a name.
But now, she wanted to give her child a name.
Rrrr.
Just as she touched the pen tip to the empty space, the phone rang.
She’d assumed it might be Sun Ok, whom she’d just been speaking with, but surprisingly, the caller ID showed Tae Han.
Normally she would’ve answered immediately, but this time was different.
Torn over whether to pick up or not, Yeon Woo ultimately swiped right on the call icon, reasoning that avoiding it wouldn’t make anything better.
“Hello?”
Are you asleep?
Tae Han only ever called Yeon Woo with a clear purpose in mind.
That was why he always issued his orders without regard for her circumstances—and she was used to it.
But now, of all things, he was asking if she was asleep?
Caught off guard by his uncharacteristic question, Yeon Woo took a breath.
“No, I’m not asleep yet.”
Then I’ll come to your room.
True to form, he simply informed her of what he intended to do.
Before she could gather the courage to tell him not to come, the call ended, leaving Yeon Woo dumbfounded.
But realizing their rooms weren’t far apart, she quickly sprang up from her seat.
She tidied her disheveled room and stood before the mirror.
She combed out her damp, tangled hair—still unwashed after her shower—and gently pressed her puffy eyes, swollen from crying.
Just as she was fussing anxiously over his impending arrival, the doorbell rang, making her shoulders jump.
Right before opening the door, she glanced around the room one last time and spotted the maternity notebook lying conspicuously on her desk.
“Oh no.”
Yeon Woo hurried over and quickly shoved the open notebook beneath her work log beside it.
After a swift scan to ensure nothing else needed hiding, she finally opened the door.
“You really weren’t asleep yet?”
She felt cold sweat breaking out.
Frowning slightly, as if annoyed at having waited for her so long, Tae Han stood stiffly by the door like a high-ranking official.
“Yes, I was watching TV.”
“Then it’s just a coincidence you’ve got puffy eyes.”
Yeon Woo flinched and touched her eyes.
“My eyes usually swell up in the evenings.”
“Can I come in?”
Though he’d bluntly announced his arrival without asking, he now oddly requested permission to enter—because, as always, his standards differed from everyone else’s.
Not that it surprised her. When she gestured him in, he strode right inside.
“It smells like Seo Yeon Woo in here.”
He looked around the room, hands clasped behind his back as he spoke.
His unusually sentimental comment left Yeon Woo even more confused.
“What did you want to talk about?”
She knew delaying things would only put her at a disadvantage.
Just seeing Tae Han standing there so casually already made her heart pound wildly.
“Let’s sit down and talk.”
“I’ll listen standing.”
Yeon Woo, standing firm by the entrance as she waited for Tae Han to speak, even looked determined.
Only then did Tae Han realize he hadn’t properly considered her feelings.
“Are you unhappy that I came?”
Predictably, Yeon Woo answered with a stiff expression.
“It’s not about whether I like it or not. It’s just… uncommon for a male CEO to visit a female employee’s room in the middle of the night.”
“Are we really just ‘that kind’ of relationship?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m asking—are we really just a male CEO and a female employee?”
Yeon Woo fell silent, unable to respond.
The more Tae Han observed her reaction, the hotter his frustration grew inside.
“You and I already slept together, didn’t we?”
“CEO.”
“What normal people in ‘just that kind’ of relationship would sleep together? Especially when one’s the CEO and the other’s an employee? Do you want our names splashed across headlines?”
Tae Han didn’t understand why his body burned so intensely with heat.
All he knew was standing before Yeon Woo—who kept pushing him away—made him ache with frustration.
“If you think this situation is abnormal, then why didn’t you just tell me not to come? You usually speak your mind plainly—why didn’t you refuse this time?”
Granted, he’d informed her unilaterally, but she’d still had the chance to say no.
She’d had plenty of time to tell him not to come when he said he’d come down himself.
“That’s just your perspective as the CEO.”
Yeon Woo made it clear that, while that might be true from Tae Han’s point of view, her own was different.
“I needed time to process and find the words to refuse—I was just shocked. But you hung up almost immediately after announcing you’d come.”
“I didn’t come down right away.”
“And the reason I didn’t call back to tell you not to come… is because, at the end of the day, you’re still my boss.”
Hearing that, Tae Han’s temples throbbed.
“So what you’re saying is…”
“Well, I also… wanted to hear what you had to say. I felt I owed you that much after walking out on you like that earlier.”
Though she deeply trusted that Tae Han wasn’t the type to take advantage of her, she chose not to explain that part.
Tae Han gave a dry chuckle and pressed his temple.
“So what you’re saying is—you couldn’t refuse me because I’m your CEO, even though you really wanted to?”
Yeon Woo didn’t answer, but her silence spoke volumes.
Only now did he finally grasp the gap between their perspectives.
Why hadn’t he considered this from the start? Tae Han realized, belatedly, how self-centeredly he’d treated her.
And as that thought sank in, even their night together began to feel questionable.
Had Seo Yeon Woo only agreed to sleep with him that night because he was her CEO?
Had that night—which he remembered so fondly—meant nothing to her but an abnormal, regrettable incident?
“Seo Yeon Woo.”
If she’d only accepted him because he was her CEO, then the night he cherished was nothing but a nightmare to discard and forget.
“I won’t take long, so come sit down and relax.”
That made it all the more essential to talk right here, right now.
Only then did Yeon Woo finally move, settling down on the bed opposite him.
Tae Han leaned slightly into the desk chair and fixed his sharp gaze on her.
Now that he understood Seo Yeon Woo’s true feelings, he knew he couldn’t possibly hold on to her.
“Fine. I’ll quit.”
Yeon Woo’s eyes widened.
Her hazel eyes trembled helplessly, visible even without filter.
“I’ll submit my resignation as soon as we get back to Seoul. But I’ll properly hand over my duties before I go.”
Too stunned to believe it, Yeon Woo moistened her dry lips and asked, frowning slightly,
“Are you… serious?”
“Do I look like the kind of trash who’d joke around in a situation like this?”
His sharp retort made Yeon Woo tightly clench the hands resting on her knees.
Though he was doing exactly as she’d wanted, her chest suddenly felt like it was caving in.
Even though resigning was truly what she’d wanted, hearing him say those words aloud left her feeling utterly lost.
Because once she resigned, she might never see him again.
As Yeon Woo’s fists trembled helplessly against this bitter irony, Tae Han frowned and pressed his temple.
“Actually, if you want a replacement assigned quickly, it’s better to contact HR directly instead of going through the standard resignation process.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Tae Han felt a pain in his chest for the first time in his life.
He felt a profound sense of loss at the thought of her leaving him—like his body was sinking downward—but he showed none of it.
Since he’d resolved to let her go, he didn’t want to make things uncomfortable for her.
“I’ll write down my number. Call me as soon as it’s light out. I’ll instruct Director Kim to give you advance notice…”
Tae Han turned toward the desk to find a notepad.
But just as he reached out, his words suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
Yeon Woo, lost in thought, looked up when the silence stretched too long.
“What’s this?”
Tae Han’s brows instantly knitted together.
Following his gaze, Yeon Woo leapt up from the bed and cried out,
“D-don’t touch that!”
The maternity notebook she’d thought she’d neatly tucked under her work log had somehow slipped out—exposing the word “Maternity” clearly for all to see.
Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.
Synopsis:
Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.
Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.
Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.
Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.
There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.
aah, serim really messed up.
claimed to know everything but in reality know nothing.
allergic reaction could be really dangerous.