Brother, You're Mistaken (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
Hye Ju was dazed all morning.
Whenever work slowed down for a moment, Joo Won’s Adam’s apple and the tendons standing taut on the back of his hand came to mind. Her heart kept racing, and if she touched her chest, she could feel her body burning hot.
‘I must be like this because I’ve been too hungry lately….’
What even is dating? Is it something you eat?
Having harbored a one-sided crush on Seung Won throughout all three years of high school, she’d only dated twice in college—and both times, her boyfriends had left for the military before even three months had passed, so it was fair to say she’d never really experienced proper dating.
So it made sense that even the tiniest hint of stimulation made her heart flutter wildly.
But the fact that the person making her heart race was none other than Kang Joo Won filled Hye Ju with self-disgust.
“Hye Ju, let’s have lunch together.”
Lost in thought, Hye Ju jumped slightly as Da Hee tapped on the partition. Hye Ju stopped what she was doing and looked up.
“Where’s Seung Won?”
“He went out on an errand this morning. You don’t have other lunch plans, right?”
“No.”
They hadn’t contacted each other since parting ways at the skewer joint yesterday. Hye Ju had been worried about Da Hee storming off in tears, but she’d been afraid that speaking too soon might backfire, so she’d just fiddled with her phone and stayed silent.
So when Da Hee reached out first, Hye Ju was nothing but grateful.
“I need to go somewhere after lunch, so I can’t go far—mind if we keep it close?”
“We can just eat at the cafeteria. Where are you going?”
“I need to buy something, so I’ll pop into the department store quickly. Let’s head out first.”
The two found seats in the cafeteria.
Since the building housed numerous companies, the cafeteria buzzed with office workers wearing various name tags. They managed to snag seats in the slightly less crowded central area.
“Wow, today’s menu’s amazing. Galbi-style meat patties and spicy stir-fried veggies? Did the cafeteria auntie win the lottery or something?”
“No wonder it’s so packed.”
As they exchanged a few words, Hye Ju didn’t notice anything unusual about Da Hee.
She felt secretly relieved. She’d been worried Da Hee might have been deeply hurt yesterday when Seung Won chose her first, but thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case.
“What are you buying at the department store later? Want me to come with you?”
Da Hee asked between bites of her stir-fried vegetables. Hye Ju shook her head.
“I’m just picking up a knit sweater. It won’t take long—I can go alone.”
“Why the sudden sweater? You never wear knits.”
“Yeah, it’s not for me—it’s for a guy.”
“A guuuuuy?”
Hye Ju told Da Hee everything that had happened with Joo Won—how their meal had ended with blood soup splattered on her clothes, and how she’d borrowed his sweater to cover it up.
She added that Soo Cheol had accidentally thrown the sweater into the dryer, so she now had to replace it, then showed Da Hee the “baby-sized knit” in the shopping bag. Da Hee nearly burst from laughter.
“Wait, this is President Kang Joo Won’s sweater? Do you think it’d even fit me?”
“Dryers these days really are impressive.”
“It’s clearly nowhere near President Kang’s size. But wow, he actually asked you to replace it himself?”
“What a jerk.”
“Haha, Seung Won would’ve probably forgotten he even lent you his clothes. They’re brothers, but complete opposites, huh?”
Da Hee covered her mouth, giggling.
Flash.
In that moment, Hye Ju’s eyes caught a glint—a simple ring on Da Hee’s left ring finger. To anyone, it was unmistakably a couple’s ring.
For some reason, Hye Ju’s heart dropped heavily.
“Oh, this?”
Noticing Hye Ju’s gaze, Da Hee blushed shyly.
“We got matching rings. I thought it was too soon since we haven’t been dating long, but Seung Won kept pestering me… We promised to take them off at work, but I forgot.”
Da Hee quickly slipped the ring off and tucked it into her pocket.
How could she describe this feeling? It was as if she’d already known—but now she’d just received the final verdict.
Kang Seung Won belonged to Cheon Da Hee now, period. She had to let go of even the tiniest shred of lingering attachment.
“It’s pretty, Da Hee. It suits you well.”
Hye Ju forced a smile. Her chest ached, yet strangely, she also felt a sense of relief.
It was finally time to truly let go of her long-lost first love.
“That’ll be 1.27 million won.”
“One point twenty-seven… how much again?”
“1.27 million won, ma’am.”
Hye Ju froze mid-transaction, card in hand. In her rush—lunch break nearly over—she’d grabbed the sweater without checking the price tag.
“This one knit sweater costs 1.27 million won?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
A sweater was just a sweater, after all. She’d assumed it couldn’t cost more than two hundred thousand won at most. Now she felt like the sky was collapsing.
‘I had a bad feeling the moment I stepped into the luxury section… ugh.’
Rubbing her eyes, Hye Ju double-checked the store’s sign. The curly script wasn’t even in English—definitely not Louis Vuitton or Burberry, the only luxury brands she knew. This place was utterly unfamiliar.
“Shall I ring you up, ma’am?”
Her grip tightened fiercely around her card.
Should she just apologize profusely? Or pack bento boxes for three months and ten days as penance? Or maybe…
“Ma’am?”
Ugh.
“Please… go ahead and charge it.”
Zzzt, zzzzt. The receipt popped out with cheerful efficiency. Hye Ju stared at it, nearly on the verge of tears. The clear, bold figure “1,270,000” triggered an instant calculation in her head.
That amount could cover a whole year of skewer-joint dinners… How many outfits could she buy with that? How many months’ rent?!
Her internal organs practically wailed in protest. Crumpling the stiff shopping bag, she grumbled under her breath.
“Kang Joo Won—I never took you for a total spendthrift. Spending over a million won on a single knit sweater during this economic slump?!”
But then reality hit.
Actually, Hye Ju knew perfectly well that “extravagance” didn’t apply to Kang Joo Won at all.
His family had been prominent landowners for generations and still owned multiple high-rises in Gangnam—a true elite. For someone raised in that world, spending a million won on a sweater might even be considered frugal.
“Ugh, this is pointless…”
Shaking her head, Hye Ju left the store.
Back at the office, Hye Ju marched straight into the CEO’s office like a lone warrior charging into battle. Lunch hour was over, and Joo Won was deep in work.
“President, this is Oh Hye Ju.”
“What is it?”
“The sweater I ruined. I bought you a new one.”
Joo Won glanced up from behind his laptop and replied nonchalantly.
“Just leave it there.”
Someone had just spent the equivalent of two months’ rent—and he treated it like a cheap penny candy, not even sparing it a proper look. Hye Ju felt a quiet fury bubbling inside.
“Aren’t you going to try it on?”
“I’ll try it on later. You can go.”
“…Alright, then.”
Bowing stiffly while seething inwardly, Hye Ju turned to leave.
Since her desk and the CEO’s office were on the same floor, an idea suddenly struck her as she walked back.
‘Wait—I just bought him a brand-new sweater. Doesn’t that mean I can take the shrunken one?’
Someone gets a 1.27-million-won replacement while another walks away empty-handed. No matter how she looked at it, it was unfair. It made no sense for Kang Joo Won to keep both sweaters.
“That’s it! The standard rule when compensating with a new item is to collect the old one first. I’ll just stretch it out and wear it myself!”
Driven by sheer determination—absolutely no more doing Kang Joo Won any favors—Hye Ju abruptly turned around and headed straight back to the CEO’s office.
She’d heard soaking a shrunken knit in hair conditioner could stretch it back out. Either way, she was going to make use of it.
Knock knock knock.
“President, this is Oh Hye Ju.”
“Yeah.”
Before Joo Won could finish answering, Hye Ju pushed the door open.
“So I was thinking—about that sweater I just—”
Her words abruptly died in her throat as her eyes landed on the dazzling sight before her: six perfectly chiseled abs glistening under the office lights.
“!”
Caught completely off guard by this unexpected vision, Hye Ju’s jaw dropped. Those cleanly defined abs were so flawlessly sculpted they seemed almost indecent to behold in broad daylight.
“Oh, sorry. I was just trying on the sweater you gave me.”
Joo Won was in the middle of pulling off his sweater, arms crossed in an X. As he lifted it, his undershirt hitched up, fully exposing his abs.
“It fits well.”
Having fully removed the sweater, Joo Won gave his undershirt a quick shake. The orderly rows of muscle instantly vanished beneath the fabric.
“What is it?”
“Oh, um…”
Regaining her senses, Hye Ju quickly remembered her purpose.
“About the sweater I left earlier—can I take it with me?”
“Sure. Are you going to wear it?”
“Yes. Since it doesn’t fit you anyway, I thought it’d be better if I used it.”
“Go ahead.”
Joo Won handed her the shopping bag he’d placed under his desk.
Why was he giving it up so easily? Puzzled, Hye Ju took the bag.
“I’ll wear it well, then.”
“Alright.”
Hye Ju bowed quickly and slipped out, closing the door behind her.
Joo Won slung his jacket over his shoulder and stared at the door she’d just exited through. After a brief puzzled look, the corners of his mouth slowly curled upward.
“How cute.”
He’d been wondering why she’d come all the way back for a sweater that obviously didn’t fit him—but now he understood.
“Could it be… she wants to wear matching couple’s sweaters with me?”
Though that might make it awkward to wear regularly.
“Hmm.”
Joo Won stroked his chin, gazing at the shopping bag. Maybe because it was brand new, but the bright blue shade looked even more vibrant now—and he liked it.
While they remained lost in their separate dreams, Seung Won was also navigating chaotic days of his own.
The memory of holding Hye Ju close at the skewer joint a few days ago refused to leave his mind.
The relief he’d felt in that embrace, her hair softly tickling his nose, her small shoulders—he’d never realized before just how tiny Oh Hye Ju really was.
Always cheerful and bold, he’d always leaned on her like an older sister, never once considering he might need to protect her. She’d often joked that if she passed out drunk on the street, no one would carry her home—but in that moment, for the first time, he’d truly felt it.
Maybe… maybe he’d been wrong all along.
Oh Hye Ju was small and delicate. The first time he’d held her, her shoulders felt so thin they might snap with a light tap, and her hunched back reminded him of a cat.
He felt he needed to protect her—and wanted to.
It was a feeling entirely new to him. If the same situation happened again, he knew he’d choose Hye Ju first without hesitation.
‘Why? Why am I like this?’
He already had a girlfriend. Yet his heart stirred in ways he couldn’t understand. His chest felt tight, as though something were choking him, and it ached. The more he thought, the worse his head throbbed—but he couldn’t pinpoint the problem at all.
“Were you even listening to me?”
“Ah, yeah.”
Da Hee was enthusiastically recounting how Hye Ju had replaced the sweater.
“So Hye Ju actually paid over a million won to replace it.”
“A whole million?”
“Exactly 1.27 million—crazy, right?”
Seung Won, lost in thought, suddenly sensed a disconnect in Da Hee’s expression. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it left an uneasy impression.
Hye Ju had just lost the equivalent of two months’ rent in one go—and yet Da Hee was smiling. It was as if Hye Ju’s misfortune belonged to a complete stranger.
Seung Won would’ve bet his brand-new gaming console that Hye Ju would never have laughed if their roles were reversed.
Then why… are you smiling?
“Are you enjoying this?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Da Hee’s expression instantly hardened.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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