Impure Among Friends (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2
Inside the bedroom bathed in soft orange lighting.
Sa Jun truly fell asleep just ten minutes after she finished reading him a book.
But contrary to his earlier threat, the one who couldn’t leave was none other than Tae Hee herself.
Setting the book aside, Tae Hee sat by the bedside and quietly gazed down at the sleeping Sa Jun.
“He’s annoyingly handsome, seriously.”
Despite her words, Tae Hee’s eyes softened as she watched Sa Jun sleep—after all, seeing his unguarded, vulnerable face was one of the few privileges only she enjoyed.
Normally, Sa Jun always seemed lazy and languid, yet his unique aura overwhelmed others so thoroughly that no one dared approach him easily. Just like when they were kids, he still never let anyone cross his personal boundary.
Yet, those dark eyes—filled with deep disillusionment and weariness—somehow bewitched people.
In short, he was a devilish guy.
In novels and movies alike, anyone entangled with the devil never ended up well. Yet she had managed to coax this devil into becoming her friend, and they’d maintained their unusual friendship perfectly well until now.
As Tae Hee looked at the sleeping Sa Jun, a sudden thought made her let out a quiet sigh.
“Ugh, I really don’t want to go.”
Tomorrow was the day she had to visit her family home in Ilsan—one day each month. It had already been five years since she and Sa Jun had both moved independently to Seoul around the same time, yet this monthly routine never changed.
Just thinking about returning to that hellish house left her feeling utterly overwhelmed. The only comfort was knowing that her next-door neighbor was still Sa Jun.
With that thought, Tae Hee soothed herself once again.
If things got too bad tomorrow night, she’d just hop over the terrace and stay comfortably at Sa Jun’s place.
When she was little, there had always been one place where she could relax freely and one person who’d silently listen to her—right there in that house. Her friend Kang Sa Jun, who fearlessly stood up to everyone who tormented her, including that man she called her father.
Even now, thirteen years later, Sa Jun remained an absolute presence in Tae Hee’s life—and for that very reason, she absolutely couldn’t afford to ruin their relationship.
As long as she kept these late-realized feelings hidden and acted normally, everything would stay just fine.
Instead of losing herself staring at Kang Sa Jun’s face like this, she really should leave without a shred of hesitation.
Just as she steeled her resolve and stood up, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.
Startled, she looked down to see Sa Jun still with his eyes closed.
“Don’t go to Geo today. Just go home. You won’t get any sleep tomorrow if you go to the Ilsan house.”
His voice, drowsy and languid, made Tae Hee bite her lips tightly. It was quietly touching how he remembered so precisely about her Ilsan visits, despite usually acting completely indifferent to everything else.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Tae Hee lay down sideways next to Sa Jun.
“Kang Sa Jun, if I go to Ilsan tomorrow, am I coming over to your place again?”
“If you enter a house with no owner, that’s trespassing. Ever heard of unlawful entry?”
“Then just give me the password. It’s obvious your Ilsan house is empty—don’t be stingy with me, of all people.”
At that moment, as if proving it had all been an act, his eyelids slowly lifted.
His dark eyes—now wide awake and crystal clear—locked onto hers as Sa Jun asked,
“What exactly is ‘us,’ anyway?”
Tae Hee’s words instantly caught in her throat.
She couldn’t confidently call them “friends” because their beginning hadn’t been pure at all.
Thirteen years ago, she’d desperately needed a connection with Sa Jun. So she’d propositioned him: “Pretend to be my friend, and I’ll be your pushover—ready to do anything for you.”
“The moment we start seeing each other as anything more than just friends, this relationship ends.”
She’d been the one to propose that ridiculous rule of mutual convenience. It wasn’t that she disliked handsome men—it was simply that, to approach someone as popular as Kang Sa Jun, she needed a completely different strategy.
She later learned that Sa Jun had accepted because he’d actually liked her proposal.
Thus, for thirteen years, they’d been friends purely by calculation. Yet over time, despite that artificial start, they’d grown into genuine friends—precisely because they’d upheld that strange rule so well.
For thirteen years, she’d always been the one to reach out first or seek him out.
But suddenly, a thought struck her.
Does Kang Sa Jun even see me as a friend?
Irritated, Tae Hee snapped back sulkily,
“Why are you asking me that? You’re the absolute ‘superior’ here—you should be the one telling me.”
“The ‘inferior’ who kicks her absolute ‘superior’ in the shins should be the one explaining.”
“…!”
“And lucky if it’s just a kick. You bombard me with nagging, get drunk and pass out, then make me clean up after you. When your card hits its limit, you call me to pay and run errands for you. What else am I forgetting?”
Wow, he remembered all that?
“Stop it!”
Tae Hee shot up from the bed, flabbergasted, blinking rapidly.
She honestly had no reply to that.
Kang Sa Jun was still absolutely the “superior,” yet somehow, over time, he’d become comfortable and easy to rely on. He never initiated anything himself, but whenever she asked, he always did it without complaint—and surprisingly, he handled her mood swings with calm nonchalance.
Still, she couldn’t deny feeling a bit wronged. After acting as his pushover for thirteen years, what was so bad about getting a few meals and drinks in return?
“So… do you dislike me because of that?”
When Tae Hee asked brazenly with a feigned pout, Sa Jun answered with unexpected seriousness.
Why would I dislike you? I’m crazy about you—that’s what he said, delivering yet another hollow-sounding line.
But when Tae Hee just stared back silently without a reply, Sa Jun half-sat up.
“If I really disliked you, would I keep insanely following you to Ilsan every time you go?”
Tae Hee’s eyes widened in surprise at Sa Jun’s words.
“You’re coming to Ilsan this time too?”
“Have I ever skipped it before?”
At that single remark, the tightly pressed corners of Tae Hee’s mouth slowly twitched upward.
To Tae Hee, Sa Jun was absolute. He was the only one who could block her blind dates and decisively put that man—her so-called father—and his family in their place. Just like in childhood, he’d always give her his room and listen to her stories, helping her finally breathe freely again.
Only after hearing he’d come down with her this time did Tae Hee’s mood finally brighten. She jumped up from the bed.
“Kang Sa Jun, can I borrow some of your clothes?”
“Why not just go back to your place and sleep comfortably?”
“Oh, come on—that kind of talk hurts me. Are a studio apartment and a luxury suite the same? I’m comfortable here too.”
As Tae Hee flashed a bright grin and left the bedroom, Sa Jun softly furrowed his brows.
I was about to say I’m not comfortable with this.
Letting out a faint sigh, Sa Jun slowly got up from bed.
Heading toward the dressing room, he leaned against the doorframe and watched Tae Hee rummaging through his open wardrobe. Once she picked out clothes, she stopped right in front of him.
“How about some cold fresh makgeolli when I come out from the shower?”
Ordering drinks via room service clearly meant she intended to stay overnight.
Without even waiting for Sa Jun’s reply, Tae Hee disappeared into the bathroom. Only then did Sa Jun’s previously indifferent eyes grow noticeably darker and deeper.
He welcomed her staying over—but sleeping over was a bit problematic.
He’d instructed his manager, Hae Sung, to report whenever Min Tae Hee came to Geo, precisely because he hated the thought of Min Tae Hee being there alone.
The days she came to Geo were the only days of the week Min Tae Hee dressed herself up prettily. She’d watch people from the second floor, occasionally descending to the stage to dance—and whenever she did, men would swarm around her.
To prevent that, Sa Jun either stayed with her himself or, if he wasn’t at Geo, always came up with all sorts of excuses to get her to come upstairs to his room, just like today.
Even though it was a hotel, after living here for five years, it felt just like home. The problem was Min Tae Hee treated the place like her personal hideout and acted far too comfortably.
She’d never once crossed the line of friendship—but that was precisely what made it more difficult for Sa Jun.
She should either cross the line decisively or, if not, just go home peacefully and let him sleep. Brushing his fallen hair back cynically, Sa Jun muttered,
“Guess I won’t be sleeping peacefully tonight either.”
**
11 a.m. She’d finally arrived at the Ilsan house.
Desperately hoping today would go smoothly, she entered after punching in the code—and was immediately hit by a strong floral scent. Amidst the cozy space overflowing with flowers and plants, Hye Suk turned around.
“My dear daughter!”
It was an awfully familiar sight for Tae Hee. Taking care of her daughter or taking care of plants—those were Hye Suk’s daily routines.
With a joyful expression, Hye Suk rushed over and embraced her daughter tightly.
“Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?”
“That’s exactly why I came. If it weren’t for you, I’d never set foot in this awful neighborhood.”
Looking at Tae Hee’s grumbling face with a guilty expression, Hye Suk asked,
“Have you eaten something?”
“I’m too full right now—can’t eat a thing. So I’ll skip lunch.”
She’d only drunk a glass of water, but she lied as she sat down on the sofa and asked indifferently,
“What time is that person supposed to come?”
Unlike Tae Hee, who couldn’t even utter the word “father” without shuddering at the mention of Min Seon Tae, a faint smile touched Hye Suk’s lips.
“He said he’d be here by 6 p.m.”
“Why does he have to stick to that schedule so rigidly? Would the world end if he skipped just once?”
“Tae Hee…”
“Did I say anything wrong? When he shows up at our house, we’re the ones who get cursed at. You’re the ‘homewrecker,’ and I’m the ‘homewrecker’s daughter,’ right?”
This house stood barely a hundred meters away from where Seon Tae’s wife and daughter lived.
Though everyone pretended not to notice, all the neighbors gossiped and pointed fingers behind Tae Hee and her mother’s backs—calling them a stalker homewrecker who couldn’t let go of a married man and her daughter.
Seon Tae, the famously devoted husband and loving father; Ok Hee, his generous and understanding wife who even tolerated the “homewrecker”; and Yeon Seo, the sweet half-sister who was always kind to her older sister.
From Seon Tae down to his entire family, they managed their public image so perfectly that nobody in the neighborhood cared that Tae Hee had actually been born first.
“Mom, it’s still not too late. Tell that man to stay with his family and live happily—let’s just leave this place together, okay?”
But once again, Hye Suk could only look at Tae Hee with tearful eyes.
“I’m sorry, my dear. I can’t leave. I just can’t give up. I’m so sorry for being weak—I’m truly sorry.”
Another failure.
As Tae Hee closed her eyes in despair, Hye Suk held her hand tightly and kept speaking.
“Everything they’re enjoying now was originally mine—and it was supposed to be yours too. But that woman stole it all. If I leave here, it’ll feel like I’ve lost. I want revenge by turning their lives upside down, even just like this—because it’s so unfair.”
Tae Hee vaguely understood the story.
Hye Suk had gotten pregnant first and was preparing for marriage when that woman appeared later, seduced Seon Tae, got pregnant herself, and ended up marrying him.
In the end, that woman was practically another homewrecker herself—and Hye Suk was the one truly hurt.
But Hye Suk’s so-called “revenge” was merely an excuse, masking her inability to let go of her love for him.
If she really wanted revenge, she should go all out—but how was this revenge when she couldn’t even speak a proper word to him face-to-face, only watching him nervously?
Yet part of Tae Hee also understood Hye Suk.
Hye Suk, gentle enough to never even kill an ant—how much resentment and injustice must she be carrying to hold on this stubbornly?
Noticing Tae Hee’s expression, Hye Suk carefully opened her mouth again.
“Tae Hee, once you get married, I’ll leave this place. So…”
“How many times do I have to tell you—I’m not getting married.”
“You should find a good man and marry him. Why not?”
Tae Hee almost snapped back, “Do you really not know why?”—but instead let out a deep sigh. She didn’t want to upset Hye Suk, whose health was already poor, with more painful words.
“To your smart and determined daughter, I must seem incredibly foolish, don’t I?”
“Yes, extremely. That’s why I’m so frustrated I could die.”
“Right? Why can’t people’s hearts ever do what they want? So don’t worry about me—just live your life freely. You don’t need to come here every month. I’ll talk things out properly with your dad.”
“What exactly can you possibly say to him? Do you even realize what he’ll do to you if I stop coming down here?”
The “courtesy” Seon Tae showed by occasionally dropping by and treating Hye Suk with superficial kindness—and even taking her to the hospital a month ago after she’d collapsed while secretly working a dishwashing part-time job—all of it was because of Tae Hee, not because he cared about Hye Suk.
At the Ilsan hospital Sa Jun had taken her to, seeing Hye Suk lying there with an IV drip made Tae Hee burst into tears from sheer heartache.
That day, the hard shell she’d tightly wrapped around herself cracked wide open under a flood of tears—and Sa Jun’s gentle comfort had slipped deep into her softened heart.
Now, that very realization of her feelings for Kang Sa Jun was what tormented her most.
Completely unaware of this, Hye Suk gave her another reassuring smile.
“Tae Hee, I’m okay.”
“I’m not okay! I’m so furious I’ll tear that man and his family apart before I leave!”
Storming out and leaving Hye Suk behind, Tae Hee walked aimlessly with no clear thought in her mind.
She desperately wanted to see Kang Sa Jun.
Should she call and ask when he’d arrive?
Clutching her phone, Tae Hee found herself, as if spellbound, stopped in front of a certain house.
Beyond the wide-open terrace folding doors, with white lace curtains fluttering gently, she saw that woman—and her daughter.
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
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What mother isn’t charmed when she hears someone speak so lovingly of her child? Irresistible.