Breaking Matchmaking - Chapter 9

After finishing the photographic proof of his date with Kim Chae Won, Choi Yoo Gun returned to the company.

He was in the middle of reviewing the concept proposals for each round for the trainees under his agency who would be participating in an upcoming public broadcast audition.

As it was an important company event that he was personally overseeing and checking, a text message alert sounded.

[Here are the three best shots. – Chae Won – ]

The kind movie theater employee must have pressed the button every second, as they took thirteen photos, which surprised Chae Won when she saw them.

The reason wasn’t that there were so many photos, but that she said Yoo Gun pulled his face back, asking why he had such bad manners.

It was also an absurd moment when she, whose consideration score was below zero and in the negative, dared to talk about consideration.

“Sir?”

Yoo Gun looked up at Secretary An’s voice.

The neatly dressed male secretary adjusted his round glasses on the bridge of his nose as he asked.

“Sir, what are you looking at that’s making you smile like that?”

“Me?”

“Yes. You were clearly smiling before you saw me.”

“I was smiling at this?”

“I don’t know what it is, but yes, you were.”

What nonsense.

Yoo Gun looked at the photo in front of him and quickly changed his expression, darkening his phone screen.

As Yoo Gun muttered his denial, Secretary An tilted his head.

“But it’s true. Should we review the CCTV footage?”

Secretary An had a persistent streak in unnecessary areas.

When Yoo Gun silently sent him a fierce glare, he quickly backed down.

“I’m joking. But, by any chance… when are you planning to leave? The operations team is still working overtime outside.”

A small voice followed, saying, “Because you haven’t left yet, sir.”

Yoo Gun checked the time on his wrist and then began clearing his computer screen.

“I told them to leave on their own, why are they being so cautious?”

“It would be nice if you, sir, left on time like they’re expecting, but you insensitively came back to the office again.”

Yoo Gun’s hand stopped as he was tidying his desk.

Receiving another fierce glare, Secretary An made an “Ah” sound and shook his head.

“It’s good. I’m very glad you came back again. Haha.”

After giving one more warning look, Yoo Gun put on his jacket that was hanging to the side and said.

“How about a round of exercise?”

He left work and came back, and now after working overtime, he was going to exercise instead of going home.

Secretary An felt it was an energy he could never match.

He began to answer with a calm expression.

“I was in the skill embroidery club in middle school. In high school, I learned cooking exploration, specifically home-style side dishes. Also, I prefer the sea to mountains. I like staying at home more than going out.”

Listening to these off-topic remarks with boredom, Yoo Gun pulled at his tie.

“What are you trying to say?”

“I mean my personality is quite far from exercise. You keep suggesting it even though I decline, but at this hour, I don’t have the energy to exercise, sir.”

“Then do your skill embroidery at home, why come to the office?”

Looking at the disgruntled CEO, Secretary An bit his lip with a troubled expression.

‘But, was Choi Yoo Gun in the drama club too?’

With Secretary An’s gentle words asking not to insult skill embroidery in the background, Chae Won’s expression from earlier came to mind.

As he was quietly thinking and grabbing his car keys, Secretary An sighed and said.

“Sir, you’re really scary when you’re like this.”

Yoo Gun turned his head, wondering what he meant.

“What?”

“Why do you keep smirking? You threaten me to do skill embroidery at home, and then smile like this. This is when I’m most scared, you know.”

Yoo Gun straightened his head with a serious expression.

“What nonsense are you spouting again? When did I smile?”

Feeling exasperated, Secretary An wore an aggrieved expression.

“I don’t know what it is, but please let go of your anger. It’s all my fault.”

Muttering “What’s wrong with him,” Yoo Gun took large strides to open the door.

“Stop talking nonsense and go home.”

“Get home safely, sir.”

As Yoo Gun came out, the employees who had been stretched out like rice cakes all stood up at once.

“Are you leaving?”

“From now on, don’t mind me and just go home on your own.”

“Take care, sir!”

With the employees’ brighter voices as the finale, Yoo Gun walked down the hallway and picked up his phone, thinking of calling the manager of the gym he frequented.

Yoo Gun’s hand, about to dial the number, stopped once again at the revealed photo of Chae Won.

“…Why did I open this?”

The photo of her that appeared when he habitually touched the gallery.

He clearly meant to make a phone call, but his finger moved on its own.

‘Sir, what are you looking at that’s making you smile like that?’

Remembering Secretary An’s voice from earlier, Yoo Gun looked at his own face reflected in the elevator.

After confirming his expression that showed nothing special, Yoo Gun slightly shook his head as if it made no sense.

He thought he should definitely increase the intensity of his workout today.

*

“My goodness, it’s grown so much. Our grandchild.”

Sitting at the dining table, Young Ja looked at the baby ultrasound photo Noh Jae Min handed her and grinned.

“Right?”

“The world has really improved, when I had your mother we didn’t have things like this. So, is it a boy? A girl?”

“We still need to wait a bit longer to know.”

“I think it’ll be a boy, you know my intuition is usually right, don’t you?”

Woof woof!

A dog’s bark cut through the mother and son’s laughing conversation.

Noh Jae Min frowned heavily as he looked at the bulldog Jenny was holding.

“Hey. Where on earth did you bring a dog from?”

“I told you. I said I’d take care of it for a few days while our Ho Tae is on a business trip.”

Growl. Woof!

The small bulldog named Toto showed its teeth towards Jae Min.

When Jae Min also bared his teeth in response, Toto barked even more fiercely.

“Aw, good boy Toto, let’s be quiet. Aw, you’re so cute.”

As Jenny stroked what little fur there was to soothe him, Toto gradually calmed down.

“By the way, what did Kim Hee Joo say?”

When Young Ja asked, Jae Min sighed with a serious expression.

“She said she doesn’t want it even if I give her half my assets.”

“Oh my, she’s crazy! Oh dear, this is terrible, we can’t keep our grandchild outside forever.”

“I don’t understand why she’s being so stubborn.”

“For now, let’s do our best this time. Don’t be too forceful, be as sweet and kind as possible.”

“You think she’ll listen if we do that?”

“She’s not inherently a harsh person. If we coax her gently and persuade her differently from before, I’m sure she’ll stamp the papers.”

Jenny, who was stroking Toto’s back, raised her head and tilted it.

“Didn’t she say she doesn’t remember well after the accident? If that’s why she’s resisting the divorce, shouldn’t we take her to the hospital first to get her memory back?”

“This girl, do you believe that? Looking at how she’s acting, it seems like she did get compensation after the accident, but the memory loss must all be a lie. Otherwise, how did she find this house and recognize you and me? And she knows everything about wanting to divorce Jae Min!”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Of course! She remembers now but is pretending not to, just being stubborn for no reason. For now, we need to give her what we promised and gently coax her to somehow get her to stamp those papers.”

Jenny nodded as if Young Ja’s words made sense. Jae Min, still wearing a serious expression, bit his lower lip before speaking.

“But what if she still refuses?”

“Then!”

Growl. Woof woof woof woof!

“Ah, can’t you get rid of that dog? It’s so noisy I’m going crazy.”

At Jae Min’s shout, the dog barked even more aggressively, causing Jenny to stand up with a displeased pout.

“Ugh, fine, we’re going!”

Jae Min sighed and turned back to Young Ja.

“We absolutely must get her to stamp tomorrow. Otherwise, I think Go Ro Na really won’t stay quiet.”

“That’s why we absolutely can’t do things the way we have been. You understand what I’m saying, right?”

“Yes. So specifically, what should we do?”

Mother and son put their heads together for the first time in a while.

Jae Min nodded several times at Young Ja’s words, and the sound of dogs barking continued late into the night.

*

Kim Chae Won, who had been looking at the vital signs monitor, turned her gaze to Kim Hee Joo, who lay with her eyes closed and a pale face.

“They say I take after mom, and you, elder sister, take after dad.”

Chae Won kept talking to her, even though her heart was beating but she was unconscious.

“Mom said that even though we’re twins, our personalities and behaviors were very different.”

I wonder what kind of person dad was.

There were still so many words left unspoken, but her lips remained tightly closed without movement.

I should have asked more, talked more, given more of my heart.

After encountering Hee Joo’s in-laws, which were completely different from what she’d heard, Chae Won felt guilty for not having been there for her more.

“Fortunately, James is a good person. He didn’t abandon me and took responsibility for raising me even after mom passed away.”

Somehow, looking at her like this, it felt as if Hee Joo was about to speak.

If she stared for a long time, it seemed like she could see subtle expressions.

It looked like she was smiling, and crying…

“James asked me to go on a blind date, and wouldn’t you know, the man I was supposed to marry turned out to be related to your sister-in-law. I’m really not easily surprised, but I was shocked, can you believe it?”

Don’t be too surprised, I handled it well.

Luckily it was a good proposal for both of us, so I made a deal with that man.

So I have to go on dates with him every day for a month… Ah, what kind of man is he, you ask?

Chae Won, who had been muttering to herself in the air and in her heart, opened her phone and showed an enlarged photo taken today.

“Well, nothing special. He’s extremely tall, handsome, capable, sexy…”

Chae Won, who had been speaking nonchalantly, paused for a moment and looked at his photo for a long time.

Even in the photo, his unique aura was unmistakable.

“Look at this, see how he sneakily took the photo one step behind? Wow… I was really surprised? But don’t worry too much. Despite that, there’s not much difference.”

Chae Won shrugged her shoulders and once again looked at the photo for a long time with closed lips.

“But, this man and I, somehow we look really…”

As she was thinking that they looked quite good together, Chae Won shook her head.

The photo must have turned out too well, making her think strange thoughts.

“I’m going to stay sharp. The fact that I showed this level of melodramatic eyes without ever learning to act means this man is no ordinary person. And who am I? I’m Kim Chae Won. I’ve rejected countless men’s advances. How can I be tied down in a relationship when I have so many things I want to achieve?”

She chattered on, but suddenly Hee Joo’s appearance remained the same as before.

“I don’t like freebies. Wake up soon and pay me back for everything. The only one who can tell me about dad now… is you.”

As her eyes were becoming moist, Hee Joo’s phone rang loudly.

Chae Won turned her head and looked at Noh Jae Min’s name appearing on the screen before pressing the answer button.

“Yes.”

– Tomorrow’s Saturday. You’re coming, right?

This was already the umpteenth time he’d contacted her.

Noh Jae Min was the tiresome type who couldn’t understand even when told once, and tended to bother people.

Chae Won let out a quiet sigh.

“I’ll be there, so lay out the red carpet.”

Noh Jae Min’s protesting voice quickly disappeared as Chae Won ended the call.

Looking at Hee Joo, who still hadn’t woken from her long sleep, Chae Won rose with unusual determination.

Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me

One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.

Synopsis:

Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.

But this is still far from enough.

He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.

_____

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