I Don't Recommend a Blunder with a Male Friend (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
It was an utterly ordinary day. Then came a message from that guy.
“Mom! Ji Seo Jun’s coming to Seoul!”
As soon as I got home, I called out to Mom while taking off my shoes.
“Yeah, I heard so too—from Seo Jun’s mom.”
“When did you hear that?”
“A while ago.”
“Why didn’t you tell me!”
“What’s with the yelling, kid? Do I have to report everything to you? I don’t owe you that!”
Mom shot me a glare when I raised my voice. Though she wasn’t obligated to tell me, I still felt she bore some responsibility for turning me and that guy into inseparable childhood friends. I couldn’t say that aloud, of course—but that’s how I felt.
“Why’s he coming to Seoul?”
“Didn’t you ask?”
I’d completely forgotten to reply to his message, still reeling from those mere five characters, and had rushed straight home from work.
“…Work was busy.”
If I admitted I’d forgotten to reply to Ji Seo Jun, I’d surely get an earful, so I hedged.
“He just switched jobs and asked to be transferred to the Korean branch.”
“Because of Aunt Yoon Hee?”
“Yeah…”
Ji Seo Jun’s mom, Aunt Yoon Hee, had been diagnosed with early-stage stomach cancer six months ago and had already undergone surgery.
Fortunately, it was caught early, so Aunt Yoon Hee reassured us there was no major cause for worry.
She strictly warned me not to tell Ji Seo Jun in the U.S., but when he eventually found out, he called me at 3 a.m., making a huge fuss.
That day, I barely slept and kept making mistakes at work, earning a scolding from Team Leader.
Just thinking about Ji Seo Jun back then made my body shiver involuntarily.
“Hurry up and wash up. Do I really have to set the table twice while waiting for you?”
Before Mom could start another nagging session, I rushed into my room.
Pushing aside my worries about Ji Seo Jun, I quickly washed up, sat at the dining table, and took a spoonful of Mom’s homemade doenjang jjigae.
“Hey, are you seeing anyone these days?”
“You can’t meet a boyfriend if you don’t have one.”
Mom’s question was flawed from the start. How could I meet someone who didn’t even exist?
Feeling exasperated, I scooped up an extra-large spoonful of rice, stuffed my mouth full, and lifted my chopsticks, pondering which side dish to eat next to prove I was enjoying my meal.
“What are you even doing with your life if you can’t even get a boyfriend?”
That remark nearly ruined my appetite. But I held firm—the food was delicious.
“It’s not that I can’t get one. I just don’t want one.”
I chewed the rice firmly in my cheek and swallowed before replying to Mom.
“Why?”
“I’m busy.”
“Busy my ass.”
Our Mrs. Kim was unusually sensitive today.
“Did you and Dad fight again?”
“Don’t even mention your father!”
Just as I expected.
My prediction was dead-on. I really needed to move out of this house. If only Seoul housing prices were slightly lower, or my salary slightly higher, or if I didn’t adore luxury bags so much—I would’ve moved out already.
Normally, this was the moment to ask, “Why did you two fight again?” But I was utterly drained today.
If I lingered at the table, I’d end up listening to Mom’s complaints past midnight. Normally, I wouldn’t mind, but after today’s emotional shock, I lacked the energy—I hurried through my meal.
Back in my room, I instinctively picked up my phone. A small red circle with the number “1” hovered over my social media app.
Anxiously, I hesitated whether to check it or not.
[You eating?]I finally checked the message I’d been agonizing over. Naturally—it was him.
[I was swamped today. Sorry. When are you coming to Seoul?]I kept my reply brief—offering an excuse and an apology before asking what I really wanted to know.
Knowing the time difference meant I wouldn’t get a reply anytime soon, I immediately tossed my phone far away and flung myself onto my bed.
My old mattress gently swayed, wrapping me in its embrace.
“Heaven. This is heaven. Though this little piece of heaven won’t last much longer.”
I gazed bitterly at the yellowed wallpaper on my old ceiling. If that guy came back to Korea, then I… I!
Frustrated, I yanked at my blanket and punched the air, thoughts of him swirling in my head.
To briefly introduce that guy—from the moment he cried “waaah-waaah” as a baby, he’d always been popular.
While other newborns emerged with red, wrinkled skin soaked in amniotic fluid—adorably ugly—he arrived with milk-white skin and perfectly formed features.
His looks reportedly made the nurses’ hearts flutter quite a bit back at the hospital…
At age four, he was nearly kidnapped because he was just too beautiful.
Thankfully, it was thwarted, but it became quite a famous incident in the neighborhood.
According to the arrested culprit, he confessed he’d taken the child without thinking because the boy was just too cute.
The number of episodes caused by his looks only kept growing.
When kindergarten started, a fierce rivalry broke out among the girls over him.
Some refused to even lift their spoons unless they shared a desk with him at lunch, and others schemed intensely just to sit next to him on field trips.
There was even a hair-pulling fight over him.
Once in elementary school, he became class president every single year.
Not only was he strikingly handsome, but he excelled academically and in sports—marking the beginning of his reign as the quintessential “perfect guy.”
By upper elementary grades, he received countless love confessions, and on Valentine’s Day, he got so much chocolate that he ran out of hands—I even had to carry some for him.
Public opinion strongly held he should remain a “public good.”
As a result, any girl who confessed to him was routinely ostracized. As incidents linked to his looks kept mounting, other parents even suggested he transfer schools.
Sick of all the female attention, he enrolled in an all-boys middle school far from home.
Even there, he remained wildly popular—too popular for his own good.
After being confessed to by a boy and even having his first kiss stolen against his will, he transferred mid-year to my co-ed high school. (Truthfully, he was a bit pitiful then.)
Was that incident the turning point? Or was it just puberty hitting hard? Either way, he started acting out—and I bore the full brunt.
In high school, he used me as a human shield to get through the day. Sometimes, he’d hide behind me, comfortably navigating school life.
Enduring every girl’s jealousy and envy, I somehow grew into a stronger person. Though the process was far from smooth—in fact, it was downright awful.
The one silver lining was that I didn’t have to go through college with him.
Of course, I wasn’t smart enough to get into the same university as him anyway. But he, with his particular talent and passion for science, went off to study in the U.S.—and eventually landed a job there.
Yes. We’d been walking our separate paths… until he suddenly announced he’d be returning to Korea.
That guy—born in the same maternity ward, attending the same kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school as me.
Ji Seo Jun is coming back.
“Damn it.”
Not wanting to think anymore, I pulled the blanket over my head. Thus ended my precious day in the sunshine.
** **
Even though I went to bed early yesterday and slept for nine hours, why am I still so exhausted? I dragged my perpetually tired body out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
I missed the bus, of course. I had to squeeze myself onto the subway to get to work.
Arriving at the office half-dead, I went straight to the break room and brewed a strong cup of coffee. My body felt like a rag—only caffeine could revive me. I took a sip right there, then walked back to my desk holding the cup.
“Good morning.”
There’s no such thing as a good morning when commuting—but we still say it. That’s the hypocrisy of someone with five years of office social life.
“Deputy Manager Moon, good morning!”
My junior, Baek In Ha, greeted me brightly. Her youthful cheer made me smile without realizing it. I gave her a friendly nod and sat down at my desk.
Immediately after booting up my computer, I checked for new emails. Once that was done, I glanced at my phone—and saw a new message from Ji Seo Jun.
[Leaving tomorrow.]“What?”
Startled by his terse reply, I shot up from my chair.
“Oh! You scared me, Deputy Manager Moon! Is something wrong?”
Baek In Ha stared at me with wide eyes.
“Oh—sorry! Did I startle you? I just… saw something I shouldn’t have…”
“Deputy Manager Moon, you look pale.”
How could I look well? It felt like an email had just arrived sealing the end of my peaceful life. I pressed my temples hard, trying to stave off the headache creeping in.
“Manager, I have some painkillers—would you like one?”
Still looking worried, In Ha rummaged through her bag for medicine.
“No, really—I’m fine.”
I forced a smile at her and sat back down. This headache couldn’t be fixed with painkillers.
** **
“Mom… I’m hungry. Feed me.”
On this blessed lazy weekend morning, hunger hit me the moment I woke up, so I headed straight to the living room. But the house was completely empty. Dead silent.
“Where’d everyone go?”
Holding up my pajama top and rubbing my stomach, I searched the house—but neither Dad nor Mom was in sight.
Giving up on finding Mom, I opened the fridge looking for something to eat—when suddenly, my phone rang from my room. I dashed over and picked it up—it was Mom.
—You awake?
Her gentle voice came through the moment I answered. She was clearly with other people.
“Where are you?”
—I’m at Seo Jun’s place.
“You went there? This early?”
I glanced at the small desk clock—almost 11 a.m. Not exactly early morning, but still a bit too soon to visit someone’s home.
—Today’s the day Seo Jun arrives. His mom’s cooking, so I came over to help.
I’d been desperately trying to ignore and forget—but Mom just reminded me again. Today was the day Ji Seo Jun was coming back.
“Wow, Mom, you’re so devoted. Your own daughter’s starving, yet you rush off to feed someone else’s son?”
—Come over here too.
“No.”
—Bring some kimchi when you come. The batch I made a few days ago should be perfectly ripe now.
“I said no.”
—Just make sure the kimchi juice doesn’t spill when you carry it.
Ignoring my protests completely, Mom rattled off her instructions and hung up.
I didn’t want to go—but the consequences of not going scared me even more. Just imagining them made me shiver. I got up, forced down a banana for a quick bite, and headed to the bathroom to wash up. Normally, I skip showers on weekends if I have no plans—but today was different.
Ji Seo Jun’s family moved into the building right next to ours when I was in middle school. Even before that, they hadn’t lived far—but Aunt Yoon Hee insisted on moving into our exact apartment complex because she wanted to be even closer.
After giving myself the bare minimum of grooming—just washing my hair—I stepped out the front door. Slipping on my slippers, I cradled the kimchi container Mom had requested and shuffled toward the next building.
12th floor, adjacent building.
“I’m here.”
As soon as I stepped inside, a rich, savory aroma filled the air.
“Dah Yul! Come in, dear!”
Aunt Yoon Hee welcomed me warmly.
“Hello! How have you been feeling lately?”
When I asked with concern, she beamed brightly.
“I don’t feel any pain at all now that Dah Yul’s worried about me! How can someone be so thoughtful and sweet?”
Ji Seo Jun’s parents—Aunt Yoon Hee and Uncle Seung Ho—had always adored me.
Uncle Seung Ho especially doted on me, seemingly channeling his longing for a daughter through me since he’d only been blessed with a handsome-but-superficial son.
That guy would always scoff whenever they complimented me for being pretty.
“Where’s Uncle?”
“He went to pick up Seo Jun. I wouldn’t let him go all the way to the airport, so he’s just waiting at the airport bus stop—he’ll be back soon. He’s going to be thrilled to see Dah Yul after so long!”
“I still don’t get what Seo Jun’s dad sees in that kid.”
Mom, vigorously chopping carrots beside Aunt Yoon Hee, shook her head.
“Oh? That’s the luxury of someone who actually has a daughter?”
“I envy Seo Jun’s mom. If I had a son like that, I’d feel full even without eating.”
So that’s why Mom eats so much.
I nodded and set down the kimchi container as Mom had asked.
Just then, someone punched in the door password—”beep-beep-beep-beep!”
“Oh! They must be here.”
Aunt Yoon Hee stayed put, but my own mom immediately whipped off her gloves in a flurry. Seriously—who was the real mom here?
“We’re back!”
Uncle announced himself cheerfully as he entered.
“Oh! Dah Yul’s here! How long’s it been?”
I saw you just last week. I wanted to say it—but seeing how genuinely happy he was, the words stuck in my throat.
“Where’s Seo Jun?”
When Mom didn’t see the expected figure following him in—my Mom, not Ji Seo Jun’s—she asked.
“He forgot his phone in the car and went back down to get it. He’ll be right up.”
A smile never left Uncle’s face. He carefully cleaned the suitcase he’d brought and rolled it into Ji Seo Jun’s room.
Beep-beep-beep-beep!
The digital door lock beeped again as someone entered the password.
The door opened.
“I’m home.”
It was him. That guy was back.
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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