She couldn’t just join in and add fuel to the fire, so Hye ju tried to change the subject as smoothly as possible. That’s when it happened.
Drukk
The door of the small bar opened, and Seung Won revealed himself.
“Huh?”
Da Hee looked slightly surprised, as if it wasn’t a prearranged meeting. Hye ju had the same expression.
“What brings Kang Seung Won here?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me he was coming here today.”
What was even more surprising was the identity of the person who revealed themselves behind him.
“What’s this? A company dinner today?”
Kang Ju Won was the person who entered while shaking off the rain that had started to sprinkle.
8 p.m.
The office, where most of the employees had left, felt empty. Ju Won, sitting alone in the CEO’s office, was staring intently at the computer screen.
To an outsider, his expression seemed serious, as if reviewing a contract worth billions, but in reality, it was as light as a feather. He was looking at the buddy photo taken with Hye ju that morning.
“You have your eyes closed so tightly.”
It was the buddy mission report Hye ju had posted in the afternoon. It had gone through the HR department and was now being checked by him before leaving work.
Ju Won rested his chin on his hand and quietly stared at the screen.
“You’re already ugly enough.”
A faint smile appeared on Ju Won’s lips. Although he said she was ugly, his expression was warm, as if he was looking at a very adorable little sister.
Thinking of Hye ju made him feel at ease. It was funny, absurd, and just as cute as a teaspoon.
She had always been an unpredictable child, just like when she suddenly gave him a Pocky and ran away ten years ago. She had a face like a roasted sweet potato, but when she handed him the Pocky, she was the one who ended up blushing. It was as if she was confessing to him out of the blue after ten years of not seeing each other.
“I did like you, oppa. But now I’ve moved on.”
That’s what she said after confessing. She said she had moved on completely, cleanly.
I couldn’t figure out which rhythm to dance to. It would have been better to outright reject her confession if she wanted to date. Looking at Oh Hye ju’s current state, it’s beyond common sense. Isn’t her attitude towards the person she likes a bit too lukewarm?
Even if I consider it as a process of slowly closing off my heart, it’s still like cutting off the tail of a lizard without giving the person who confessed a chance to feel excited. Well, instead of excitement, it felt more like getting hit on the head with a hammer.
The problem was with my own feelings. I don’t understand why I feel disappointed when an uninterested person closes off their heart. I should be grateful that they’re leaving on their own, but I can’t help but feel concerned.
“Is it because I feel sorry for her…?”
Ju Won, who had been staring at the screen with complex emotions, turned off the computer and stood up. It was the moment he was about to think that it would only give him a headache if he thought about it for a long time and that he should go have a drink alone and turn off the office lights.
Rustle, rustle.
A head suddenly popped up from behind the inner partition.
“You haven’t left work yet?”
“Oh, hyung.”
It was Seung Won who stood up, scratching his messy hair. His complexion seemed somewhat tired, probably due to having quite a bit of work.
“I’m about to leave work now. Have you finished too, hyung?”
“Uh.”
The two of them naturally got on the elevator together. When they were younger, they used to play pranks easily, but as is often the case with older brothers, there was no conversation flowing between the two of them. Ju Won, who had been silently staring at the changing numbers on the display, opened his mouth.
“Wanna have a drink before we go in?”
“Is it your treat?”
“I haven’t even received my first paycheck yet, and you’re already thinking about mooching off me.”
“If you don’t want to, forget it. I spent a ton of money on game items last month, so I’m broke now.”
“You thief.”
Ju Won smirked and turned off the elevator button that led to the underground parking lot. He pressed the first floor button again and tilted his head towards Seung Won.
“Let’s go.”
The place they arrived at was a small, cozy restaurant. Both of them were slightly surprised since they didn’t expect Hye ju and Da Hee to be here.
“Come this way. Please have a seat here, Representativenim.”
Da Hee, who regained her composure first, kindly offered her seat. Seung Won objected as she tried to pick up the front dish and move.
“Just stay seated. We’ll find our own seats.”
“…Is that so?”
The restaurant, called “Kkokjit,” had a circular seating arrangement with a large pot in the middle filled with fish cakes. It was a small establishment in the shape of a round table.
Da Hee and Hye ju were sitting in the curved corner. There was a customer on Da Hee’s left, and Hye ju’s right seat was empty.
The two newcomers naturally took seats on Hye ju’s right side.
“What were you eating?”
“We had grilled fish cakes and salted skewers!”
“Then I’ll order the rib flavor. Excuse me, here’s our order!”
While Seung Won placed the order, Ju Won crossed his arms and silently looked at the menu. Well, to be honest, he was sneakily glancing at Hye ju. All he could see was her deep brown hair and beige coat, which made it look like Seung Won was sitting there.
“Oh, Hye ju changed her outfit.”
He felt somehow annoyed that she was wearing a beige coat instead of the blue knit she received in the morning. That’s why Ju Won had a perpetually sulky expression.
“Seung Won! How did you come here with the representative? Did you know I was here? Oh, since the representative is here, should I use formal speech?”
Da Hee, who was delighted by her boyfriend’s arrival, started chattering away.
“Make yourselves comfortable. I came here with my sibling to have a drink.”
Ju Won replied gruffly.
The four of them, who seemed awkward no matter how you looked at them, began to raise their glasses. Da Hee was mainly leading the conversation, and Seung Won was playing along.
Hye ju remained strangely silent. Ju Won couldn’t help but notice that she suddenly became quiet, as she had maintained high energy until she joined them.
He didn’t even dream that she was consciously aware of Seung Won sitting right next to her, seriously contemplating whether to switch seats with Da Hee.
“Now that we’re all here, let’s make a toast. Of course, because he’s my boyfriend’s older brother, even though he’s the representative! Oh, you know, right? Seung Won and I are dating.”
Ju Won didn’t sense any malice from Da Hee, who smiled slyly. However, at that moment, he could sense a subtle darkness in Hye ju’s expression.
…Why?
“Let’s make a toast. It’s not a company gathering, but still, as the eldest, would you like to do it, Representativenim?”
Clueless Da Hee filled the glasses while mumbling.
“Yes, sure.”
It was the moment when Ju Won reluctantly raised his glass.
Whoosh!
Flames shot up from the kitchen right in front of them. Hot, intense heat rushed in an instant. The four of them shouted simultaneously as the fiery red flames soared from the grilling skewers.
“Take cover!”
At that moment, Seung Won immediately embraced Hye ju beside him.
My Ex-Girlfriend Is The Regent In The Female-dominant World (Male lead transmigrates to the matriarchal world)
Two years ago, Gu Sui picked up a homeless woman in ancient costume from the street.
Apart from occasionally claiming to be a princess from a female-dominant country due to illness, her figure, appearance, intelligence, and martial arts skills were impeccable.
Naturally evolving from roommates to girlfriends, as time went on, Gu Sui found it increasingly difficult to tolerate her queen syndrome.
“Mu Jiulu, can you stop controlling me inside and out? Let’s break up.”
Gu Sui made a breakup call, and since then, he couldn’t find any trace of her.
A year later, Gu Sui, who was planning to move, woke up the next day and found himself in a different place.
“Young Master, today is the day you choose your Wife-master through martial arts competition at Jade Dew Pavilion. Please get up quickly.”
Gu Sui: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
As the only son of a general’s mansion in a female-dominant dynasty, the young empress personally issued a decree allowing Gu Sui to select his Wife-master through martial arts competition. Whoever could defeat him could marry him.
Gu Sui: “……”
He didn’t inherit the original owner’s martial prowess, so anyone could defeat him! And what the hell is a Wife-master?
Forced to come to Jade Dew Pavilion, the densely packed women below made Gu Sui’s agoraphobia act up, and his face was full of resistance.
Until he saw the Regent sitting on the second floor, with a smile on the corner of her lips, her eyes wicked and nonchalant.
Hmm… she looked a little familiar.
It turned out that the Regent also found him a little familiar.
Mu Jiulu fiddled with her bone clasp, her deep gaze locked on the man who was out of place in this world.
“Finally, I found you.”
Male transmigrates into female-dominant world
One-sentence summary: What goes around comes around, taking turns in the crematorium
