“Oh. It’s probably because of that.”
“That?”
Baek In Ha, after glancing around, lowered her voice and spoke.

“A while ago, Deputy Manager Jeong from the accounting team and the security team manager were dating, even circulated their wedding invitations, but suddenly the wedding is off.”
“What? Why?”
I was aware that those two were in a relationship.

“Apparently Deputy Manager Jeong had an affair with a researcher.”
“What?”
I was so surprised that my voice almost leapt out.

“With who?”

I quickly asked, being mindful of my voice volume.

“I don’t know about that either. Isn’t it strange how only rumors about Deputy Manager Jeong spread, but not about the other person?”
“That’s weird. What if he didn’t actually cheat?”
“That could be, but…. Anyway, since the two cancelled their wedding, all kinds of strange rumors are circulating.”
Despite the company being relatively large with many employees, it was a small society. Once a rumor spread, it would disseminate in no time. And more often than not, such scandalous rumors would focus on the woman rather than the man.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but in times like this, it does feel a little unfair to be a woman.”
Baek In Ha spoke, scanning the room before cautiously opening her mouth.

“Actually, there are rumors that the other person is Researcher Jung Chan Hyung from Bio Team 3.”
“Who?”
It was a name I hadn’t heard before.

“They say he transferred last year. He’s not as much as Researcher Ji Seo Joon, but he’s quite handsome and kind, so he’s popular among the female employees.”
Was there such a person? I racked my brains, but I couldn’t think of anyone. The only thing that came to mind about last year was the memory of me, halfwasted and struggling with the pain of heartbreak around the time that researcher transferred.

“His popularity waned a bit when Researcher Ji Seo Joon joined.”
As expected, In Ha was sharp on this matter.

“Are you sure about this researcher?”
“No. It’s just typical gossip. Someone saw the two meeting outside the company.”
“Eh, so it’s not even confirmed.”
“Yes. That’s right. Well.”
“Don’t spread such stories to others in the first place. You might even get caught in the crossfire, In Ha.”
“Yes.”

Watching Baek In Ha return to her work after our conversation, a part of me felt uneasy. In a clandestine relationship with a celebrity at the company. It didn’t seem like such a scandal was completely unrelated to me in such a situation.

It was a day for working late.

I wanted to go home early due to the gloomy mood since daytime, but the situation was far from allowing that, so I reluctantly pressed on the keyboard.

“Deputy Manager, is it still far off?”
Baek In Ha turned off her computer, asking if I had finished my work.

“Yes. I still have a bit of work left. Have you finished, In Ha?”
“Yes.”
“Then, In Ha, you can leave first.”
“Yes. I’ll leave first, Deputy Manager.”
With that, everyone from the same team left, and I was alone in the office wrapping up my work.

“I think I need another 30 minutes?”
I took a deep breath in front of the work that was finally seeing its end and pounded my stiff shoulders with my fist.

[Are you still far from finishing?] I sent a message to Ji Seo Joon, who wanted to have dinner together, saying that it would be difficult due to overtime today. Ji Seo Joon, who had left work earlier, asked when I would finish, and I replied that I would go back on my own without promising an offwork time, but he seemed to be still waiting for me.

[I can go home on my own. I’ve done overtime once or twice. Don’t worry. You were also struggling not long ago because your research wasn’t going well. Don’t worry and rest.] Ji Seo Joon, who had been traveling on business trips in a row after the company’s sports festival and said there was an important meeting, seemed to be quite tired, as if he had a problem that didn’t solve well.

It was regrettable that the time to meet was significantly reduced as the overtime continued, but it was also quite nice to see Ji Seo Joon immersed in his work.

I was just wondering if I could barely meet him. This time I became busy, and my boyfriend was willing to come to the company just to see my face for a moment.

Even though I wished he wouldn’t come, the contradictory feeling of wanting to see his face, even for a moment, tormented me.

[Really, don’t wait?] [Yeah. I’ll take a taxi if it’s really tough. I’m going to work now.] Desiring to finish as quickly as possible, I ended the message and turned my gaze back to the computer.

The pace of work went slower than expected, due to my increasingly drowsy eyes and the cold chill creeping in. Maybe I should have asked Ji Seo Joon to pick me up.

I didn’t want to contact Ji Seo Joon, who should be resting by now, so I decided to take a taxi home and finished the rest of the work.

“Finally, it’s over.”
Turning off the computer, I started feeling pain in various parts of my body like muscle aches. I hurriedly finished up, thinking that I might have to stop by the pharmacy, and left the office.

The elevator downstairs was coming up at a fast speed. The door opened, and I got into the empty elevator.

’13th floor.’

I pressed myself against the wall of the elevator, thinking that someone would get on at the 13th floor.

A male employee got on the elevator alone. We exchanged light nods. At that moment, my gaze was caught by his ID card.

[Bio Research Jeong Chan Hyung Researcher]

It was him, the one Baek In Ha had told me about today.

I sneaked a glance at him, rolling only my eyeballs. Luckily, he seemed uninterested in me, just fiddling with his phone.

Just as Baek In Ha had said, he was a handsome man. His height seemed certainly over 180cm, comparable to Ji Seo Joon’s.

The slight upward curl at the corners of his mouth gave him an even kinder impression.

“Do you have something to say……”
“Pardon?”
Caught off guard by Jeong Chan Hyung, the researcher who suddenly looked at me and asked, I gaped like a fool.

“It seemed like you had something to say. Is it my misunderstanding? If so, I apologize.”
“No, not at all… really.”

His corners of the mouth, which were already lifted even when he was still, curled up even more beautifully as he smiled.

“I see.”

1st floor.

Feeling embarrassed, I gave a nod and quickly exited the elevator.

“Did he catch me sneaking a peek at him? Oh…… How embarrassing.”
My already hot head was added with shame, and it seemed like I was so hot that steam could come out. With cold hands against my forehead to cool down the heat, I rushed into the nearby pharmacy thinking that I needed to take medicine.

“Welcome.”
As I entered, a kindlooking pharmacist asked what medicine I was looking for.

“I think I’ve got a touch of a cold.”
“Alright. Just a moment, please.”
While the pharmacist was selecting the medicine.

“Oh? We meet again here?”
Jeong Chan Hyung, the researcher I had met a while ago, walked into the pharmacy.

lu lu lo la ▪️ net (lululola.net)

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!!!