Ina’s eyes widened at Siwoo’s straightforward comments.
“……Hmm?”
“Of course, you’re pretty now too, but when I first saw you… I was smitten at first sight. Totally my type.”
Ina’s buffering seemed to restart, and she blinked rapidly again, flustered. Siwoo continued, smiling at Ina’s blushing cheeks.
“It wasn’t just about your looks. It was… just your existence that thrilled me. My heart raced whenever you were at school, and I felt excited wondering when you’d arrive if you weren’t there yet. But from the first time I saw you, you looked sad, and I wondered why. Then I learned from a friend. Right after your father passed away, you moved to Yeosu. Ah, then it made sense, and I felt so heartbroken.”
Ina recalled her gloomy and sad self from those days.
“Honestly, I liked you so much that I wanted to confess several times, but seeing your sad face… I thought my confession would be nothing but a burden to you.”
“…….”
“But just holding back those feelings made them grow so big, I couldn’t handle it anymore. I decided to confess, even if I got rejected, but the timing was just……”
Siwoo trailed off with a sad smile, fiddling with his coffee cup.
Ina knew why Siwoo had transferred schools in the second year of high school.
The news of the “Smile Angel” Kim Siwoo transferring had turned the classroom upside down, and some girls even cried.
Despite not wanting to hear it, rumors spread quickly, reaching Ina’s ears.
The night before Siwoo had planned to confess, his father didn’t come home late at night, and his mother, worriedly sitting Siwoo down, broached the difficult conversation.
She and his father were getting a divorce, and the choice of who to live with was up to him.
Shocked Siwoo learned from his mother why they were divorcing but soon discovered the reason himself.
His dependable and kind father had been having an affair for a long time.
Devastated, but without a moment’s hesitation, Siwoo chose to stay with his mother.
He couldn’t ignore his mother’s suffering and felt he had to protect her.
When it was decided they would leave for his mother’s hometown in Busan, as she couldn’t stay in Yeosu with his father and that woman, Siwoo felt a piercing pain in his heart because of Ina.
He regretted not being able to confess his feelings, but now that they were leaving, he had to bury those feelings, keeping Ina in his heart.
“Even in Busan, I thought about you a lot. I wanted to contact you, but what good would it do to convey my feelings from so far away? It would just be a burden to you…”
Ina silently gazed at her coffee cup, thinking that listening to Siwoo was the best she could do.
“Living with my unconfessed first love, I went to Yeosu last week after 12 years and heard about you there. You’re living in Seoul now and single. That night, I couldn’t sleep, wondering if perhaps this was my chance.”
Ina just lowered her head and swallowed, feeling as if something heavy was repeatedly striking her heart.
“So, I vowed not to miss this hard-earned opportunity.”
Siwoo swallowed nervously before continuing.
“That’s why I planned to slowly become friends and then share my feelings… but after seeing that friend on Tuesday, I couldn’t stay calm.”
Ina fidgeted with her fingers, her heart pounding at the mention of Juwon.
“The way that friend looked at you… it felt too much like how I look at you, anxious and restless.”
Her heart thudded louder.
“Ina.”
Siwoo whispered her name, causing her to slowly raise her head and look at him.
His brown eyes shimmered like the surface of a calm sea.
“I don’t want to bury my feelings for you again. So, if you could give me even a small chance… would you?”
Ina’s eyes widened as she faced those rippling brown eyes.
She struggled to respond, her mind tangled with various thoughts.
After a moment, she spoke slowly.
“Honestly… I don’t know what to say. I never imagined hearing all this from you today. That I’m your first love is surprising enough, but everything else… it’s too shocking and overwhelming, so I can’t say anything right now.”
Flushing, she lowered her head.
Her heart felt like it was ablaze.
Deep inside, Ina sighed at the burning sensation, and Siwoo spoke softly.
“I’m sorry… if I made you uncomfortable.”
Ina slowly raised her head to look at him.
“I’m not asking for an answer right now. Just know… my feelings for you are sincere, more than anyone’s. So take your time to think, and then respond. I can wait.”
Siwoo’s thin smile comforted her.
Later, they left the coffee shop and got into the car.
Stopping in front of Ina’s villa, an awkward silence filled the car.
Fidgeting, Ina turned to say goodbye, but Siwoo was intently gazing at her.
Embarrassed, she quickly averted her gaze.
“Well, I should go in. You should head back too.”
“Ina.”
Siwoo called out softly.
“……Yes?”
She turned back, looking tense, and he smiled gently.
“I apologize in advance if you can’t sleep well tonight because of what I said.”
“Oh? No, it’s not that.”
“Still, I’m happy to have met you again. I’m grateful.”
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.”
