Brother, You're Mistaken (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 7
After the company dinner ended.
Joo Won, slumped in the back seat of a taxi, sank deep into thought.
– It’s true that I liked you, Oppa.
– It’s true that I liked you, Oppa.
– It’s true that I liked you, Oppa.
Hye Ju’s words from just moments ago wouldn’t stop echoing in his ears.
It was utter chaos. Ever since returning to Korea, she’d first stolen his underwear, then repeatedly denied having any feelings for him. A few days ago, she’d even claimed she actually liked Seung Won—and now she was back to saying she really had liked him all along?
“What the hell, seriously.”
Her constant flip-flopping, like a madwoman jumping all over the place, made it impossible to tell what she truly meant. Even more baffling was her final remark.
– You rejected my confession that day, Oppa!
What day was she talking about? Ten years ago—or just a few days ago? When exactly had he ever rejected Oh Hye Ju?
Joo Won stared blankly out the car window, lost in thought.
It had been ten years ago—the day Hye Ju hurled a giant, person-sized Pepero box at him and ran off. As usual, his front yard was buried under a mountain of gifts and letters, driving him half-mad. Arms crossed, Joo Won stood glaring at the massive pile of Pepero boxes dominating the center of his room.
‘Was her name Oh Hye Ji? Seung Won’s friend?’
He vaguely recalled a brief introduction the one time they’d run into each other near his house.
She didn’t even shorten her skirt like other girls her age. And that neat, short bob—hardly seen these days—looked surprisingly tidy.
Looking back, that meeting could be summed up in exactly two sentences—entirely unremarkable.
‘Never expected she’d like me.’
Though girls who crushed on Kang Joo Won could easily fill half a sports field, Hye Ju had been an unexpected exception.
Back then, she’d boldly and clearly announced her name without the slightest shyness. Having been followed by admirers since childhood, Joo Won had grown unusually perceptive in these matters. In his eyes, Hye Ju’s clear gaze held not a trace of selfish intent.
“How strange.”
Joo Won chuckled softly and pushed the Pepero box into a corner of the room.
A few days later, he ran into Hye Ju on the street. The first thing she said, cheeks flushed red, was:
– Oppa, I’m sorry about that day.
Sorry for what, exactly? For throwing him a Pepero he never even ate? Was that really something to apologize for?
Feeling pity as she trembled, unable to even lift her head, he kindly replied,
– It was delicious—that almond one.
Just as she hesitated, then opened her lips again,
– Actually, I like you, Op—
Thud-thud-thud.
A basketball suddenly rolled toward them. Joo Won reflexively caught and tossed it back, then turned to her.
– What did you just say?
– Ah—n-nothing! Really!
Watching Hye Ju flee with a face as red as a beet, Joo Won let out a quiet chuckle.
“Why’s she so shy after giving me Pepero? Poor thing.”
He never imagined the unfinished sentence might have been “I don’t like you, Oppa”—instead, he found Hye Ju’s innocence utterly endearing.
After that, they surprisingly crossed paths often. Because she was close to Seung Won, he’d sometimes see her near his home. Though they were in different grades, they attended the same cram school and occasionally bumped into each other in hallways. Each time, Hye Ju would dart away as if fleeing, while Joo Won would watch her thoughtfully.
There were only a few such encounters before he left for studying abroad immediately after the college entrance exam. His memories of that period weren’t numerous, but he clearly recalled one thing—Hye Ju had always been the one avoiding him.
“I don’t think I ever outright rejected her. Hmm.”
Therefore, Hye Ju’s mention of him “rejecting her confession” must refer to something recent.
As Joo Won sifted through hazy memories of ten years ago, his thoughts drifted back to a month prior—the day he’d run into Hye Ju at home right after returning from overseas.
– If you’re going to make friends, at least choose wisely. You’re not a stalker—what even is this?
He remembered scowling fiercely and grilling her relentlessly.
Though he’d acted like it was nothing, in truth, he’d been completely flustered that day. He’d stepped out wearing only a robe after a shower, only to find a girl standing right in the middle of his house—of course he’d been shocked.
In his panic, he’d accused her of being a stalker, and she apparently took that as a rejection.
And then there was the underwear theft report—he’d even called the police, purely to ensure Hye Ju’s safety. But from her perspective, unaware of the decade-old trauma, it must have been utterly bewildering.
“Huh… I guess that really could’ve felt like a rejection.”
Now Hye Ju’s claim—that she’d given up on him after being rejected—made a certain kind of sense.
“Well, whatever. I wasn’t going to accept her anyway.”
But then…
Why did it bother him so much?
Her voice, so firm and final about having completely moved on, kept buzzing insistently in his ears.
“Why’d you have to shut it down so neatly? So boring.”
Joo Won sank deeper into his seat and murmured under his breath.
An inexplicable feeling kept stirring restlessly in his chest.
The office was in an uproar since morning.
Female employees huddled in the break room, chattering in small groups about the new notice posted on the company intranet.
“Did you see the intranet? There are two Buddy Program candidates this time.”
“One of them is Representative Kang Joo Won! Eek!”
It was called the [Buddy Program].
The Buddy Program was DataS Korea’s unique system, introduced as part of new employee orientation.
While larger companies typically gathered all new hires for group training led by HR or the education team, startups like DataS Korea—limited in staff and HR resources—had developed their own in-house training approach.
That approach was the Buddy Program.
Under this program, a senior employee would mentor a new hire for two weeks, teaching them about company culture, organizational structure, and other general matters.
Different from task-focused handovers, the Buddy Program was designed to help new employees acclimate smoothly.
For example, letting them know the quietest hours at the in-house gym, sharing insider tips on reporting tardiness without trouble, or recommending good restaurants near the office.
Participants could use a company-issued corporate card to treat themselves to delicious meals for two weeks, and the program even offered excuses for external activities—so applications were always plentiful. In short, it was a coveted “sweet” assignment.
This time, excitement around the Buddy Program ran especially high—because Kang Joo Won, who’d joined the company last week, was included.
“Hye Ju, you saw the intranet notice, right? Did you apply for the Buddy Program?”
Da Hee asked cautiously in the break room. Thanks to Hye Ju’s quick thinking during the dinner, they’d returned to their former closeness.
“Of course not.”
“Why…?”
“Huh?”
“You said you liked Representative Kang Joo Won.”
Hye Ju coolly replied while brewing coffee.
“Liked. Past tense. No—past perfect tense, actually.”
“Is human emotion really that simple—like cutting tofu with a knife?”
“It wasn’t that big a deal. Anyway, what’s your point?”
Da Hee mumbled worriedly,
“I just… I’m concerned about you. You tried confessing to Representative Kang Joo Won just a month ago! And I heard you even confessed to him back in high school… I wondered if you were just pretending to be fine.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m really okay.”
Honestly, Cheon Da Hee really was too soft-hearted.
Hye Ju grinned and reassured her. Da Hee clung to her arm like a squirrel and whispered,
“But why didn’t you tell me? We don’t keep secrets from each other. Why didn’t you mention your history with Representative Kang Joo Won?”
“You didn’t tell me you were dating Kang Seung Won either.”
“That’s…!”
“There’s no such thing as a secret-free friendship. Oh dear, oh dear—our naive little Jeon-da. Isn’t it about time you got a little worldly?”
Da Hee giggled at the old-folksy remark.
“No way. I never want to keep secrets from you again. So promise we’ll always tell each other everything, okay? We’re best friends.”
“We’ll see how you act.”
“You’re so mean!”
Just then, someone rushed in.
“They picked Representative Kang Joo Won’s buddy!”
All eyes in the break room snapped toward the newcomer. One employee, who’d been eagerly awaiting the result, asked with sparkling eyes,
“Who is it?”
“It’s Ruby from the Business Team! She’s so excited she’s treating everyone to coffee right now—go get yours quick!”
Employees who’d been making capsule coffee suddenly leapt up. Some sighed in disappointment, while others cheered at the free coffee.
Hye Ju, of course, belonged to the latter group.
It was the first morning of the Buddy Program.
After his morning shower, Joo Won stood before his wardrobe, shaking water from his hair.
DataS Korea’s dress code was fairly casual—suits weren’t required—but Joo Won preferred crisp, neatly ironed dress shirts for the satisfying feel against his skin.
Swish.
A perfectly wrinkle-free white dress shirt clung snugly to his toned frame. After buttoning it up one button at a time and fastening his cufflinks, he crossed his arms and examined himself in the wardrobe mirror.
“Blue clothes, huh? What a bothersome request.”
On any other day, he’d have just left as-is—but today held a special mission.
[Buddy Program Day 1 Mission: Wear the same color clothing to identify your buddy.]The ten-day Buddy Program (excluding weekends) included five missions. Nothing too grand—just simple tasks like eating together at nearby restaurants, studying the HR handbook together, or touring the office to collect stamps after learning about each team’s work and members.
Today’s task was the most trivial of all: take a photo wearing the same color as your buddy.
“This isn’t playing house—why on earth do we need this?”
He’d essentially been assigned a one-on-one tutor to help new hires adjust, but Joo Won thoroughly disliked this approach.
‘Did they really think someone hired as a representative wouldn’t have studied enough on their own?’
He felt ridiculous recalling how he’d practically bled from studying for over two months before joining.
He didn’t even know who his buddy was yet. He vaguely remembered hearing it was someone from the Business Team, but he’d been too busy to pay attention. He’d almost forgotten entirely—if not for remembering “blue clothes” this morning, he’d have been completely unprepared.
“If I’d been representative for just three more months, I’d scrap this nonsense immediately.”
Grumbling under his breath, Joo Won draped a blue knit sweater over his shoulders like a shawl.
When he arrived at the office, he checked his wristwatch and stepped out of the elevator.
Ten minutes before official start time. No one in blue was visible in the lobby yet. Just as he turned his gaze, hoping his buddy might be a male colleague,
“…Her again?”
In the distance, Hye Ju appeared—wearing a blue skirt.
The pencil skirt, contrasted sharply against her white blouse, radiated vivid color. Her long, wavy hair was tightly coiled into a high bun. Despite her lively outfit, her expression was utterly gloomy.
Why is Oh Hye Ju here?
He couldn’t recall clearly, but the name he’d heard yesterday definitely wasn’t hers. He thought it was someone from the Business Team, but…
“Oh right—Oh Hye Ju’s also in the Business Team.”
Joo Won paused briefly, piecing things together, then quickly figured it out.
His randomly assigned buddy was a certain employee from the Business Team. Since Hye Ju was in the same department, they were probably close. Had she begged to switch buddies?
“So she hasn’t moved on at all.”
Of course.
A smirk tugged at the corner of Joo Won’s lips.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[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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