“It’s instinctive to reach out your hand when you’re sitting next to each other. You know Kang Seung Won is unnecessarily considerate and takes care of the people around him.”
Ju Won stared at Hye ju as she made excuses.
In truth, Ju Won wasn’t really concerned about Seung Won’s reaction. He thought Seung Won was a kind and overly considerate guy, so it was entirely possible. What bothered him was Hye ju’s flushed face, which made his cheek burn.
Was it because of confusion? Or surprise? Or maybe…
“Stop it.”
“Just a moment.”
Ju Won grabbed Hye ju’s wrist as she stood up.
Impulsively, against his own intentions, he wanted to confirm.
The answer to the question that had confused him several times.
It didn’t seem right if he thought it was, but it seemed right if he thought it wasn’t. The turmoil in Oh Hye ju’s heart was confusing.
“Do you like me?”
Ju Won’s voice was low and husky. And serious.
“…I said I don’t anymore.”
“Ask again. Is it true that the person you liked was me?”
Hye ju felt a surge of heat from the hand that held her wrist. Ju Won’s eyes, flickering under thick eyebrows, had an intense presence as if they had a tangible form.
For a moment, Hye ju didn’t know why her heart was trembling. Was it because a handsome man was holding her wrist tightly, or was it because she faintly saw Seung Won in his appearance?
“Whether I liked you or not, it doesn’t change anything. Besides, the CEO isn’t interested in me, and even if I like him, he won’t accept it. It’s not like I’m an axe soldier. Why do you want to confirm something that’s not worth answering? I don’t want to answer such pointless questions.”
Hye ju struggled to pull her wrist out of his grip. However, his hand was firmer than she expected, and his gaze was piercing like a clamp. She thought she had neatly sorted it out without any misunderstandings, but it felt like everything she had organized was pouring out in an instant.
“Let go.”
Hye ju twisted her wrist and broke free from Ju Won.
Ju Won’s eyebrows twitched in his empty grasp.
“You keep coming out like this, and it’s getting on my nerves.”
Is this such a difficult question to answer? It’s just a single word to know who the person you held in your heart was.
The question that was never curious or important has now become so curious. Ju Won looked at Hye ju with sinking eyes and then uttered a few words.
“Who said I won’t accept it?”
Hye ju’s pupils trembled. Taking advantage of that, Ju Won inserted a wedge.
“Have I ever said that I’m not interested in you?”
His low voice brushed against her ears.
“Not even once.”
Thump.
Her heart trembled.
“Da Hee, wait! Just talk to me for a moment.”
Da Hee, who came out of the narrow alley, walked hastily, only looking ahead. Tears blurred her vision, and she couldn’t even tell where she was.
“Sob… sniffle…”
The moment the fire caught on the hearth, Seung Won’s image enveloping Hye ju flashed in her mind.
Of course, she understood it logically. They were close, so it was natural. They had been friends since high school, unlike herself, who only met Seung Won after starting work. Over the years, Hye ju and Seung Won had known each other well and were closer than anyone else. There seemed to be no room to intervene between the two.
The look in Seung Won’s eyes when he looked at Hye ju. His hand that always reached out to her. Sincere feelings mixed with mischievous pranks.
Fools who couldn’t see each other’s obvious hearts.
She had to confess because she knew Seung Won’s feelings. Before he became aware of my feelings for Hye ju, before it deepened, I wanted to cut it off.
“Yes. I knew. I knew that Seung Won likes Hye ju…”
Hye ju knew right away that the person she was about to confess to was Seung Won. She saw him assembling a Gundam in her house, fluttering with excitement about confessing to the person she liked. The Gundam was Seung Won’s favorite plastic model.
Even if it wasn’t for that, there were countless situations where it was impossible not to notice. However, Da Hee pretended not to know. She asked Hye ju who she liked, not because she wanted to know, but because she wanted to draw a line, even if it meant doing it that way.
“Da Hee, wait a moment!”
Seung Won, who was chasing after her, grabbed Da Hee. Seeing Da Hee’s tearstreaked face, Seung Won was greatly surprised.
“Are you crying?”
Although he realized it after an impulsive action at the narrow alley, Seung Won was taken aback by how deeply hurt Da Hee was.
“Why are you crying…? It’s my fault, Da Hee.”
“What did you do wrong?”
“Taking care of Hye ju first in that situation. I didn’t do it on purpose. It was unconscious…”
“That’s why I’m asking why your unconsciousness only takes care of Hye ju! Isn’t it the sincerity that unconsciously arises from your heart? Weren’t you most worried about Hye ju in that situation?”
Da Hee glared at Seung Won with resentful eyes. The pentup anxiety she had felt throughout their relationship burst like a dam.
“You’ve always been like that. If something good happens, you give it to Hye ju first. If something difficult happens, you confide in Hye ju first! If that’s the case, why did you date me instead of Hye ju?”
As Da Hee erupted in anger, cold sweat ran down Seung Won’s back. It was the first time he had seen Da Hee, who was usually playful and cheerful, so agitated. Seung Won tried to defend himself in a faltering voice.
“You know. Hye ju and I are just friends. We’ve been close since high school, like family. I took care of her first because she’s always been by my side, but I had no other intentions.”
“It didn’t seem that way to me.”
“Da Hee, why are you like this…”
“I feel so miserable… sniff…”
Da Hee covered her face with both hands.
Seung Won didn’t know what to do with the torrent of hot tears. It was natural since he didn’t know about Da Hee’s deeprooted sense of inferiority towards Hye ju. Adjusting his askew glasses, he awkwardly pulled Da Hee’s trembling shoulders.
“I’m sorry. I won’t do that anymore.”
“Sniff…”
As Da Hee’s uncontrollable sobbing subsided when she found solace in Seung Won’s embrace. She felt a sense of relief from the gentle touch on her shoulder.
“Seung Won, I’m yours, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You like me. Even if you had known Hye ju for a longer time, I’m the only girl you feel that way about. That’s true, right?”
“Uhhuh.”
“From now on, only look at me. Take care of me and protect me. Got it?”
“I’ll try…”
Da Hee held onto Seung Won’s back tightly, repeatedly confirming his reassurance with countless comforting touches.
She tirelessly endeavored not to be anxious about Seung Won’s ambiguous words until the end.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
