This kind of farewell was unfamiliar. No, no matter how many times it happened, it would never become familiar.
“Have you sorted out your thoughts?”
Maybe Dahee’s meaning of “sorting out” was not the same as what Seungwon thought. Knowing that, Seungwon could only answer like this.
“Yeah. I’ve sorted them out.”
Dahee’s face, with tightly pressed lips, was unusually pale. As Seungwon looked at her, hunched over with heavily slumped shoulders, a corner of his heart ached.
Perhaps it would have been better if they hadn’t been friends. Seungwon felt burdened by all the time he had spent with Dahee, knowing that he had to say harsh words.
Accepting her confession without understanding my own feelings, not giving my all in the relationship, even the farewell was so onesided.
He felt guilty as if all his choices unintentionally tore Dahee apart.
“First, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go out like that on Friday. I’m sure you had a hard time alone.”
“No, it’s my fault, what…?”
Dahee’s gaze faltered as she trailed off.
“Actually, Seungwon. That picture.”
When she opened her mouth again after staring at the ground for a while, Seungwon tilted his head.
“You don’t have to say it’s difficult.”
“…Whether it was intentional or a mistake, it doesn’t matter, right?”
“Even if it was intentional, it means I have nothing to say.”
“What… What does that mean?”
A white tension ran through Dahee’s fingertips, which were lightly gripping the coffee cup.
Seungwon, even though he was dense, knew that there was courtesy even in farewells. He just didn’t know how much of my complicated and intricate feelings he should reveal to be appropriate with that courtesy.
Should I lay bare the name that occupied my mind all weekend here? Or should I keep it hidden and buried in darkness?
I couldn’t be sure how much I should reveal to Dahee, who was confused in the face of an incomprehensible farewell.
The answer came from Dahee.
“Is it because of Hyeju?”
When Dahee uttered that name with fearful eyes, Seungwon realized. Perhaps she already knew the final destination of my lost and wandering emotions.
Knowing that, she had been anxious.
It was pitiful. And disheartening.
Even after choosing the wrong path, my stubbornness insisted on walking at least ten steps to truly understand how painful it could be. Faced with my own foolishness, I felt utterly powerless, unable to blame anyone.
“All this time, you’ve been wary of Hyeju. Despite drawing clear boundaries and emphasizing that she’s just a friend, you were still anxious.”
“I’m really sorry for doubting your relationship with Hyeju. I know both of you made efforts. I wished for your friendship to remain intact, but I went overboard. I ended up disappointing you with unnecessary worries, and it tormented me too…”
“No.”
Finally, Seungwon faced his own emotions.
“You were right, Dahee.”
Dahee’s shoulders stiffened.
“She wasn’t just a friend. Hyeju and I.”
“!”
“At least, it didn’t feel that way to me.”
Dahee bit her lower lip.
“Do you even know what you’re saying right now?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“No! You don’t know! Seungwon, didn’t you hardly sleep over the weekend? You look completely out of it, not properly eating either. Something seems off. Let’s go home first, get some rest, and talk again. Okay?”
“I’m perfectly sane, Dahee.”
“If you were sane, how could you say such things!”
Seeing Dahee’s excitement, I could be even more certain. Certain that I was completely sane and that this choice was right.
“This was bound to happen, right? You knew, didn’t you?”
“What? Why do you think I knew your feelings when you didn’t even know them yourself? I had no idea. If I knew you had feelings for Hyeju, I wouldn’t have confessed!”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
…That’s what should have happened.
Seungwon barely swallowed the words lingering on his lips.
“What are you going to do now? Are you going to confess to Hyeju right away?”
Dahee asked, probing.
“I haven’t thought that far.”
“What if your current thoughts about Hyeju are just a misunderstanding? Think about when we were dating. You clearly said you liked me. But now you say it wasn’t true? Are you sure about liking Hyeju?”
“I’m not saying I’ll do anything right now.”
“Ha, unbelievable. So in the end, you’re rejecting me because of Hyeju. This is just absurd. You’re a windbag, you know?”
Dahee glared at Seungwon with a piercing gaze. Seungwon silently endured the intense resentment that filled her gloomy eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
Even if it had come to this because of his ignorance, the fact remained that he had hurt Dahee.
At an age where there could no longer be excuses in love. Therefore, the responsibility was solely his.
“Stop apologizing! Does cheating mean mixing flesh and rolling around in bed? The biggest betrayal is keeping another woman in your heart while being with me!”
“I’m sorry.”
“Have you ever thought about my perspective? It was just the other day that rumors started spreading at work about us dating! But how can I explain that we broke up over the weekend? Don’t you care about my dignity? I won’t just stay quiet. I’ll spread rumors that we broke up because you cheated! Sob!”
Dahee covered her face and burst into tears.
Seungwon looked around in confusion. It was late, and fortunately, the cafe was mostly empty. Seeing that there was no one else except a woman sitting with her back turned at the table across, Seungwon began to comfort Dahee.
“It does matter. How can I not care when you’re going through such a hard time?”
“Sob… Sniff…”
“We agreed not to let it be known at work.”
“And now you blame it on me for cheating?”
“That’s not what I mean. What can I do to help?”
After crying for a while, Dahee lifted her head. Her tearstained face looked pitiful, but her dark eyes remained calm.
“Let’s continue pretending to date at work. At least for a while.”
Seungwon’s expression hardened at the unexpected words from Dahee’s mouth.
“Pretend to date when we’re not even dating? Why should we do that?”
“I’m going to change jobs.”
“What?”
“Why are you so surprised? It’s awkward to keep seeing each other after breaking up.”
Seungwon’s heart grew heavier with Dahee’s bombshell declaration.
“You loved our company so much. You wanted to work there for a long time, enjoying the flexible working hours, the office atmosphere, and the benefits. Do you have a reason to quit the company just because we broke up?”
“You may not care, but I do. Every time I see you at work, it makes me angry, sad, and my heart hurts.”
“Dahee.”
“Since we can’t do anything about the rumors at work, let’s continue dating until I change jobs, and then we can naturally break up. I’ll ask you until then.”
Dahee put down her cup and stood up.
Seungwon, who had been closely following her as she walked out of the coffee shop with her bag, suddenly stood up and left the cafe.
It was the moment when they completely disappeared from the cafe.
“Phew, jackpot! I feel like I just discovered a huge secret.”
The woman sitting at the table across from them raised her head in surprise.
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An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
