She poured out stories of her new stepfather’s absence, her mother’s severe illness, the threats from her stepbrother and agency head, and the long entanglement with Myungjin.
Jiho nodded at her words, feeling it commendable that she had endured all this time.
“The reason I thought I had to clarify this to a prosecutor who has nothing to do with it…”
“…”
“I didn’t want to be associated with Kim Yu-jun, even by mistake.”
The dark side of the bright moon.
The shining star Rajin reluctantly explained her dark secrets.
He wanted to tell her that it was enough, that she didn’t have to explain any further, and that he didn’t think strangely of her – genuinely, not out of mere sympathy or pity. But Jiho couldn’t treat her emotionally and chose the most ordinary words.
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
She chuckled, almost in disbelief at her own response.
Rajin’s guard, which had been tense, loosened slightly. She no longer avoided his gaze or puffed up her shoulders.
She occasionally smiled while candidly sharing her difficult story, as if recounting a quarrel with a friend.
“The death of my stepfather became a debt I had to repay.”
“That must have been hard.”
Rajin answered with silence.
In the heavy quiet that followed her attempt to appear calm and the intermittent sighs, Jiho watched her fingertips.
‘Is this okay?’
One thought lingered in his mind.
If Rajin helped, it could be a great aid to the victims of the fund case. Was it alright to appeal to her conscience and impose on her? Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Jiho decided he couldn’t afford to be choosy in his current situation.
Gathering his resolve, Jiho turned to face Rajin.
“May I discuss my matter with you?”
“Is it serious?”
Staring intently into her large eyes, he hesitated before speaking.
“You can refuse after hearing it…!”
Knock, knock―.
Someone blatantly knocked on the trunk, startling both of them.
Caught off guard, Jiho quickly pulled Rajin’s hoodie over her head.
“Bend down.”
As his large hand covered her with the hood, Rajin pulled the brim of her cap down to her eyebrows. Still not feeling secure enough, he pointed at her mask.
“Pull it up.”
Rajin raised her black mask and tugged the hood forward even more.
Knock, knock, the sound of tapping on the driver’s window echoed again. Rajin, with her head bowed, rolled her eyes towards the source of the noise.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes. What can I do for you?”
Jiho asked as he lowered the window with a whirring sound.
“We were patrolling and noticed someone in the parked car.”
The voice of the middle-aged security guard was interspersed with the chirping of his walkie-talkie.
“Is everything alright?”
“Why do you ask that?”
Jiho’s voice was curt, as if he was on guard.
Moreover, Rajin’s left field of vision caught Jiho’s back blocking the view into the car, as the security guard glanced inside.
She wanted to lift her head to see what was happening, but worried about being recognized even with her hat and mask on, Rajin stayed cautious.
“There was an unpleasant incident here recently.”
“Oh, was there?”
“Due to a special directive from the hospital director. If you’re not about to leave, we ask you to move to the first basement level.”
The security guard’s voice was quite firm, suggesting something serious had happened.
“I was just about to leave.”
Without further ado, Jiho started the car. As the headlights came on, Rajin’s view brightened like broad daylight.
“Then, take care.”
Jiho neatly raised the window and swiftly reversed, then sped towards the exit.
“Were you scared?”
“A little.”
“We haven’t even started talking, and we almost got kicked out.”
Jiho muttered as he drove up the steep slope of the parking lot.
“The first basement level will have more people coming and going. Are you okay with that?”
Rajin had the same thought.
The shift-change of hospital staff could occur, and the confined space wasn’t suitable for a conversation.
“Do you know of a place?”
“There is one, but…”
Jiho tapped the steering wheel and stopped speaking.
“Let’s buy something. I haven’t had dinner yet, and I’m feeling peckish.”
It was close to 11 PM.
She had been keeping him from dinner for her clarification; they weren’t in a position to buy him anything or casually ask if he was very hungry.
Still, it seemed appropriate to at least ask where they were heading, so Rajin cleared her throat.
“I’m sorry for making you miss your dinner.”
“It’s fine. I had a reason to come out too.”
What could his reason be? Unable to guess, Rajin glanced at his profile, then tilted her head in curiosity.
In the dark 10-lane road, being on a non-date drive with an unfamiliar man at this hour was a new experience. As far as she could recall, it was an unusual event.
“Do you like hamburgers?”
“Not particularly…”
“Then, I’ll order something else for you.”
Rajin almost blurted out ‘it’s okay,’ but she couldn’t just watch him eat, so she reluctantly nodded.
‘There are hamburger places open at this time?’
Rajin’s life had been monotonous, revolving around the set, home, hospital, office, and occasional overseas trips.
Some called her the epitome of a homebody in the entertainment industry, while others jokingly suggested she might be hiding a man at home.
Debuting before adulthood, this was her first time roaming around late at night for non-work reasons, especially with a man she barely knew.
As she gazed curiously at the dark streets, the view suddenly brightened.
A fast-food drive-through with ’24’ written on it.
“I’ll order for us.”
“Ah. Okay.”
He slowed down, spoke to the speaker, and ordered several items.
Rajin peeked at the substantial order, wondering if he planned to eat all of it.
With two shopping bags full of food, she thought, ‘What’s all this?’
Rajin’s eyes widened in surprise. But the appetizing scent of fries wafting from the yellow paper bags unknowingly made her mouth water.
“It won’t take long from here.”
“Where are we going?”
As he entered the main road, he gently lifted the corners of his mouth.
“We’re heading to an ownerless garage.”
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!!!
