Impure Among Friends (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 4
Tae Hee hung up the phone without even hearing Sa Jun’s reply, her face burning with heat.
“I must be crazy to promise I’d wait quietly.”
Though it wasn’t like her to blurt things out like that, she couldn’t help it.
‘I’ll buy you a ton until your stomach bursts. In return, don’t cause trouble and wait for me quietly.’
Why did such a trivial phrase leave her breathless and make her heart pound as if it would burst? It sounded like something only lovers—not friends—would say.
How could she possibly make such a delusion without losing her mind?
Then, something suddenly dawned on her, and Tae Hee gently furrowed her brows.
“Why would Grandfather suddenly say something like that?”
Though Sa Jun loathed both women and marriage, things changed when his grandfather stepped in—because as much as Sa Jun did as he pleased, he always listened carefully to his grandfather.
On the other hand, she also felt it was bound to happen sooner or later.
Sa Jun becoming Seo Mun’s heir was only a matter of time, and once that happened, marriage would no longer be a choice but a necessity.
The moment had finally come when Sa Jun would allow another woman to occupy the seat he had reserved only for her—whether in love or in marriage.
She couldn’t bear to witness it herself, but if Seon Tae found out Sa Jun had another woman or was going on matchmaking dates…
Tae Hee tightly closed her eyes, then opened them and let out a deep sigh.
“There’s going to be absolute chaos.”
Thirteen years ago, Seon Tae had told his two young daughters to befriend Sa Jun, who’d just moved into the neighborhood—using that as an excuse to build a connection with Chairman Kang of Seo Mun and Yong Jin.
But it was Min Yeon Seo, Seon Tae’s beloved daughter, who failed, while Tae Hee—the neglected, second-rate daughter—succeeded.
She became Kang Sa Jun’s only friend, and even after growing up, Sa Jun kept only Tae Hee by his side. Naturally, Seon Tae’s greed grew uncontrollably. He even began dreaming of forging a marital alliance with Seo Mun to surpass his older brother and claim Song Hyeon Electronics for himself.
Of course, Seon Tae had his reasons.
Though both were illegitimate children born outside marriage, Kang Sa Jun was clearly on another level compared to Tae Hee.
The chairman’s daughter and son-in-law of Seo Mun Group were incompetent, while Sa Jun—their only son—had been famous since childhood as a prodigy.
His powerful grandfather doted on his grandson above all else and had even declared his intention to leave everything to him. Naturally, everyone assumed Sa Jun would become Seo Mun’s heir.
Thus, Seon Tae summoned Tae Hee once a month to check on their relationship and ask various questions about Sa Jun.
For five years, despite only hearing disappointing answers, he still patiently waited and played the clumsy role of a father—because, truth be told, Seon Tae needed Tae Hee too.
Since his relationship with his wife was poor, it was impossible for his son-in-law to treat his father-in-law well anyway.
In short, it was accurate to say they each held the other’s weakness. Of course, this arrangement was only possible because Seon Tae was unaware of the absolute rule between them.
And today was that very day.
The day she had to meet that man—her father—was so bad that even finishing an entire box of macarons couldn’t lift her mood.
Tae Hee stared out the window again and muttered coldly,
“While I’m in hell again today, are you two still living in heaven?”
Under the dazzling sunlight, the mother-daughter pair cheerfully wrapped a bouquet of flowers—it was a pleasant sight.
After briefly glancing at the bouquet Ok Hee was carefully arranging, Tae Hee turned away once more.
[This is the timeline separator]The monthly family dinner was, as always, silent, heavy, and awkward.
“The braised short ribs are well-seasoned and tender—please try some.”
Unlike Hye Suk, who affectionately cared for Seon Tae, Tae Hee’s eyes, fixed on him, were filled with hatred and disgust.
She might have understood, at least initially, how he could marry another woman after promising marriage to his pregnant lover. But once he’d formed a family, wasn’t it only logical to let go of his former lover instead of condemning her as a mistress?
Why did he torture both women by buying a house just a hundred meters from his own? And yet, he wasn’t particularly kind to either Hye Suk or her, nor did he even give them living expenses.
As a child, she didn’t understand—but as she grew older, it became clear. Hye Suk was easy to control, obedient, and required neither money nor attention—exactly the kind of woman who suited his whims.
Whenever he grew weary of his wife Ok Hee—queen-like and demanding—he’d use responsibility as an excuse to visit Hye Suk’s house.
He was a shameless man who kept shuttling between the two women, only leaving reluctantly when his jealous wife showed up and humbled herself.
To Seon Tae, Tae Hee would one day become little more than business capital—the prettier and smarter she was, the higher her value soared.
‘What good is it if a girl studies well? Just get along with Sa Jun who moved in next door—that’s how you’ll prove your worth. If you do, I’ll treat you and your mother accordingly.’
She still remembered vividly the words Seon Tae spoke to her when she turned fifteen.
Only after she became friends with Sa Jun did Seon Tae start giving her living expenses—and even that stopped once she got a job. In other words, every bite of braised short ribs and rice he ate today was bought with money she’d earned herself.
He was worthless trash—and that was her biological father, Seon Tae.
Yet she endured him solely for her mother, Hye Suk. Because if she didn’t, Hye Suk would fall so ill she’d end up in the emergency room.
What even was love? What was this man worth—someone who gave neither money nor love?
“Sa Jun…”
At Seon Tae’s question, Tae Hee quickly lowered her eyes.
“He’s doing well.”
She heard a faint click of his tongue.
“You still don’t get it, do you? I’m asking if there’s any progress in your relationship.”
“What progress is there between friends?”
Visiting the Ilsan house once a month. Sharing dinner. The same questions. The same answers.
“It’s already been over ten years. If you’re so unattractive, how come you’re still ‘just friends’ with him after all this time?”
Just as her fraying patience snapped, Sa Jun’s voice echoed in her mind.
‘Wait for me quietly.’
Suddenly, her eyes fell on the bouquet in the vase.
The same bouquet Seon Tae had given Hye Suk—whom Hye Suk had happily sniffed over and over with delight—was now over-bloomed; several petals were wilting, and the stems bent limply.
“Tae Hee, you said Sa Jun goes to the club every weekend, right?”
She slowly closed and opened her eyes—and the scene from a few hours ago appeared like a painting.
After hanging up with Sa Jun, she had looked toward Seon Tae’s house.
The dining room’s folding doors were wide open, revealing Seon Tae’s wife Ok Hee and younger daughter Yeon Seo.
The wrapping paper and bouquet, carelessly tossed on the floor as if discarded, were picked up again and neatly rewrapped by Ok Hee.
Now that same wrapping paper and bouquet were right before her eyes.
“It’s because you act like such cheap trash that Sa Jun doesn’t even see you as a woman. You need to put in effort—real effort.”
Did you really have so little money that you couldn’t even buy my mother a single bouquet? Is that why you handed her the trash that woman threw away like some precious gift?
The words she couldn’t say in front of Hye Suk piled up inside her—until her lips moved of their own accord.
“What kind of effort do you want from me? Should I seduce Sa Jun first? Or get pregnant and cling to his ankles?”
Seon Tae’s eyes snapped upward. Sensing she’d struck a nerve, Tae Hee felt a faint thrill and continued bitterly,
“But Dad, do you really think Sa Jun—the future heir of Seo Mun Group—would marry someone like me just because of a pregnancy? Even among illegitimate children, there are different levels. Just like how you, who never acted as a father and only used your daughter, are on a completely different level from Chairman Kang, who gives even an illegitimate child proper respect.”
Tae Hee coldly ignored Hye Suk’s pleading eyes, filled with tears and desperation. Even a worm writhes when stepped on—why should she always be the one to endure?
“Since you haven’t even held the wedding yet, discarding a girl who’s carrying your child isn’t such a big sin, is it? You know that better than anyone, Dad.”
“Can’t you shut that arrogant mouth of yours?”
Seon Tae warned her fiercely. She knew she should stop here, but the pent-up emotions burst out uncontrollably—because she’d wanted to do this at least once.
“Blood can’t be denied, right? Luckily, I look just like you—so at least I have the looks to be a mistress. Should I give that a try?”
Seon Tae shot up and lashed out with his hand twice in rapid succession.
Slap! Slap!
He hit her so hard her cheeks burned, and she tasted the metallic tang of blood on her split lip.
But this pain meant nothing.
Wiping the blood from her lip with the back of her hand, Tae Hee smiled faintly at Seon Tae.
“You’re angry, so I guess you admit it.”
That this cheap appearance of hers came from him—that’s why Sa Jun hadn’t seen her as a woman in over ten years.
He wasn’t stupid; he couldn’t possibly misunderstand her meaning.
When Seon Tae raised his hand again, Hye Suk clung to him, sobbing desperately,
“It’s all my fault! I’ll discipline Tae Hee properly, so please…”
“You stay home all day doing nothing—how did you even raise her?! How can I ever feel at home in this house with this attitude? Let go of me!”
As Seon Tae moved to strike Hye Suk as well, Tae Hee shouted sharply,
“Touch my mom, and I swear—”
She quickly circled the dining table, pulled Hye Suk behind her, and glared at Seon Tae as if ready to kill him.
“Why do I have to act like I’m dying just for you? If you’re taking me as a hostage, then you shouldn’t lay a finger on her.”
Seon Tae, his brows twitching in fury, swept every dish off the table in a fit of rage.
“You’re right—Sa Jun would never seriously pursue a cheap thing like you. I appreciate you making that clear to me.”
Lethal glares shot between father and daughter, thickening the air in the house until it was taut.
“No respectable family would ever want someone like you first, so I, as your father, will find you a match. Sort things out with Sa Jun and quietly prepare for matchmaking. If that fails, become a mistress if you must.”
With that, Seon Tae stormed out of the house. Unlike Hye Suk, whose tears poured like a broken dam, Tae Hee couldn’t even cry. Hye Suk’s trembling fingers gently touched her daughter’s swollen cheek and split lip.
“Mom, can’t you just leave him already? You love me more than him, right?”
Or else I might be the one who leaves you—your love is what’s making this so unbearably painful for me.
Hye Suk choked back tears and whispered,
“You’re everything to me, Tae Hee. But I still need something from him. Once you’re married and I get that from him… then I’ll truly leave him. So please, Tae Hee—get married soon…”
That cursed marriage—she was sick of it.
Exhausted, Tae Hee said flatly,
“I’m tired. I’m going upstairs.”
Cutting Hye Suk off, Tae Hee slowly pulled away the hand that was stroking her face.
As soon as she entered her room on this floor, she sat on the bed and finally exhaled the breath she hadn’t been able to release properly. She tried taking several slow, deep breaths, but the tight ache in her chest wouldn’t fade.
This hellish house terrified her—so stifling, she couldn’t breathe.
Clutching her chest against the unrelenting pain, Tae Hee gazed toward the neighboring house beyond the terrace, its lights extinguished.
“Kang Sa Jun, hurry up and come.”
I miss you so much.
[This is the timeline separator]Sa Jun’s car turned into a quiet street in Ilsan, where rows of upscale townhouses stood.
He’d planned to arrive late just to make her worry a bit—but checking the time, it was barely past 7 p.m.
His pride was truly nonexistent.
At just one word—“Come quickly”—he’d dropped everything and rushed over like an obedient pet.
Glancing at the passenger seat, he saw three pastel-colored shopping bags—macarons, Min Tae Hee’s favorite.
After parking in the underground bunker, Sa Jun closed the overhead door and looked toward the neighboring house. The lights were off in the room on this floor—its balcony nearly touching his own.
There was no way the macaron ghost would sleep without eating these first.
Sa Jun entered his house without turning on any lights and headed straight up to this floor.
After all, when visiting each other, they were more used to slipping through the terrace than the front door.
He set the shopping bags down and started toward the terrace—but stopped mid-step.
After staring for a moment at the figure huddled on the terrace, Sa Jun opened the glass door and said,
“The door isn’t even locked—why the dramatic act?”
“Someone threatened me it’s trespassing to enter an empty house.”
Tae Hee brushed past him into the room after dusting off her rear. She glanced around as if searching for something, spotted the shopping bags, and reached for them—but failed. Sa Jun had already grabbed them first.
“Aren’t those macarons mine?”
Sa Jun looked down at her, his expression unreadable.
Something felt off.
Why wasn’t she bursting into her usual chatter the moment he entered? Why wasn’t she sitting on the bed, dropping crumbs everywhere as she devoured macarons? Why was her hair—normally tied up simply—now loose like a ghost’s? And why, of all days, was she avoiding his eyes?
As Sa Jun turned to switch on the light, Tae Hee blurted urgently,
“Don’t turn it on.”
“Why?”
“I haven’t showered—I look like crap. I’ll just grab the macarons and go back—hey!”
The room flooded with light. Sa Jun had already crossed the floor with his long legs and gently tilted her chin upward with his fingertips.
She stubbornly tried to resist, but it was useless. The harder she tried to avoid his gaze, the more her long lashes fluttered like trembling wings.
His narrow eyes darkened, and a curse slipped through his clenched teeth.
“F*ck, what happened to your face?”
Her cheek was swollen, and her lip was split open.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
What mother isn’t charmed when she hears someone speak so lovingly of her child? Irresistible.