Impure Among Friends (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
I told you not to turn on the light. Tae Hee muttered softly and slapped away Sa Jun’s hand that was holding her chin.
Yet his persistent gaze clung stubbornly to her face.
“Stop staring already, it’s embarrassing. You’re gonna drill holes into my face.”
It really was embarrassing. At twenty-nine years old, getting hit by her parents wasn’t exactly something to brag about.
Sa Jun ran his fingers irritably through his hair and grumbled,
“I told you to behave quietly.”
“I was behaving quietly!”
When she snapped back, sounding unfairly accused, Sa Jun narrowed his eyes slightly, as if finally understanding.
“Your body may have stayed quiet.”
“…?”
“But your mouth certainly didn’t.”
That’s the problem with knowing someone too long—you know each other too well to hide anything.
Sa Jun reached out again, grasping Tae Hee’s chin and tilting her face this way and that to examine it.
“So you hit him because of that?”
Instead of answering, Tae Hee just stared back quietly—at Sa Jun’s face, which shifted from fierce, to bewildered, and finally to worried.
“Tell that bastard this: if he ever lays a hand on you again, I’ll break every limb he’s got.”
It was extremely rare for Sa Jun to show his emotions so openly—so rare it could be counted on one hand.
Is my injury really that exciting to you?
“No, you just stay quiet. I’ll handle that bastard myself…?”
Caught by an inexplicable, subtle feeling, Tae Hee grabbed Sa Jun’s hand that was still holding her chin.
“Kang Sa Jun.”
His eyes, which had been inspecting her wounds, slowly lifted to meet hers, as if asking why she’d called his name.
“You’re the one who got hit, you’re the one in pain—why are you getting so angry?”
“I absolutely hate it when anyone touches what’s mine.”
Tae Hee widened her eyes and demanded, as if challenging him,
“Why am I yours?”
“You said you were.”
“When did I?”
“Back on that terrace, you flirted with me. Said you’d be my gullible fool if I’d be friends with you. Isn’t that exactly what it meant?”
Honestly, he always twisted things his own way.
Annoyed by his smugness, Tae Hee glared at him—but Sa Jun casually changed the subject with complete nonchalance.
“Didn’t that auntie apply ointment for you?”
“She offered to, but I refused.”
She could feel his slow, careful fingers gently touching the bruised area.
“Why?”
“I wanted Mom to feel heartbroken over me just once too. Isn’t that the kind of affection I’m allowed to show her? From now on, I won’t hold back anymore.”
Because Hye Suk was always struggling due to Seon Tae, Tae Hee had felt compelled to be a good daughter since childhood—she couldn’t bear to cause her mother any more pain.
But constantly being the good, mature daughter was harder than she’d imagined. There were times she wanted to act spoiled, throw tantrums, or be lazy—but she’d never allowed herself even once.
“Then don’t hold back.”
She’d expected him to say, “Please just be patient,” so his reply surprised her. When Tae Hee looked at him, puzzled, Sa Jun continued calmly,
“Rely on my influence and do whatever you feel like. I’ll handle all the fallout.”
“Seriously? I can really use your influence however I want?”
“Isn’t that exactly why I’ve been playing your fool all this time?”
His words made Tae Hee freeze, as if smacked hard on the back of her head, leaving her dazed.
Without saying a word, Sa Jun gently ruffled her hair and left, saying he’d go buy some medicine.
Left alone, Tae Hee sank onto the bed with a blank expression.
She’d always believed she stayed by Kang Sa Jun’s side only for Hye Suk’s sake—there was no other reason.
But acting obediently toward Seon Tae for thirteen years for that reason alone wasn’t like her at all.
The moment she gained financial independence, she could have forced Hye Suk to make a decisive choice:
Me or him.
Yet she hadn’t done that. Instead, she’d always gently coaxed and persuaded Hye Suk,
Respecting her mother’s feelings, using concern for her health as an excuse—
It wasn’t that she couldn’t escape this suffocating life. She simply hadn’t wanted to.
Because if she left Min Seon Tae, she’d lose both her excuse to stay by Kang Sa Jun’s side and her reason to use him.
Ultimately, it was all to justify her own presence next to Sa Jun.
Good grief—it wasn’t Hye Suk she should blame.
Because she herself was now making foolish decisions, blinded by love.
The moment she realized this, Tae Hee threw herself onto the bed and kicked the blanket in frustration.
“I’m insane, Min Tae Hee!”
Since when had she started liking Kang Sa Jun, anyway?!
Why did the exact moment she began falling for him keep creeping further and further back?!
[This is the timeline separator]The moment he stepped out of the house, the curse Sa Jun had been holding back erupted forcefully from his mouth.
Seon Tae belonged to the type of people Sa Jun despised most.
Yet Seon Tae surely knew the only reason Sa Jun occasionally picked up his calls and listened to his nonsense was because of Min Tae Hee.
And yet, he’d dared lay a hand on Min Tae Hee’s face.
Remembering her swollen cheek and the cut on her lip, Sa Jun felt his fury surge from head to toe once again.
Now that he owed him something, it was time to pay it back.
Sa Jun called Jin Won.
“Hyung, buy up all the Song Hyeon Electronics shares as soon as they hit the market. Keep buying until Geo becomes the majority shareholder.”
[Got it. But isn’t Song Hyeon your father-in-law’s company?]“Fuck, who the hell says he’s my father-in-law?”
Sensing dangerous vibes, Jin Won quickly hung up, saying he understood before any sparks could fly.
The moment Sa Jun stopped in front of the iron gate, someone came out.
“Sa Jun oppa?”
Chest-length bob hair swaying, round eyes like a rabbit’s, petite and delicate frame.
It was Min Yeon Seo, Min Tae Hee’s younger half-sister.
Seeing Sa Jun, Yeon Seo gave him a coy eye-smile and fidgeted nervously.
“Is that dog Min Seon Tae… I mean, is he home?”
Damn, almost slipped and cursed out loud.
“Appa’s not here. He went to the movies with Eomma thirty minutes ago.”
Sa Jun nearly burst out laughing at Yeon Seo’s reply—so absurd and ridiculous it left him speechless. They’d injured Min Tae Hee’s face like that and then went off to watch a movie, completely at ease.
Forcing himself to calm the lava bubbling inside him, Sa Jun reminded himself:
Deal with Min Seon Tae later—first priority is getting medicine.
“Min Tae Hee’s half-sister, which pharmacy around here is open this late?”
“There’s Haet Sal Pharmacy on the first floor of the clinic building down the road—it’s open until 10. Why?”
Sa Jun turned to leave after checking his wristwatch, but Yeon Seo reached out to him.
“I was just about to head to the pharmacy too—let’s go together!”
He coldly slapped her hand away and scowled deeply.
Who the hell is whining about medicine right now?
“Don’t touch me carelessly—I might just bite.”
Min Yeon Seo was exactly the kind of person Sa Jun disliked most:
A phony who relied solely on her looks and expected to be treated like a princess.
Already annoyed because of Min Seon Tae, seeing Yeon Seo too made his words spill out without any filter.
“Want me to say it again more clearly? Don’t play games with me. You’re not my type.”
It was satisfying to see Yeon Seo’s expression crumple, her fingertips curling in pain. Her big eyes looked ready to burst into tears any second, and her trembling lips appeared heartbreakingly pitiful. Other guys might have fallen for that act—but not Sa Jun.
Every single second spent with Min Yeon Seo felt like a waste.
Better hurry and get the medicine so he could return to Min Tae Hee.
Yeon Seo, still trembling, finally spoke in a voice thick with unshed tears.
“What if I don’t mind catching it from you? Will you give yourself to me then?”
Did she think his mouth was some cheap thing you could just “catch” from anyone? He chose who to bite carefully—and her words weren’t even worth answering. Just as Sa Jun turned away,
“Oppa, you like Tae Hee unnie, don’t you?”
That single sentence stopped Sa Jun in his tracks.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked back, and Yeon Seo continued,
“But unnie doesn’t even see you as a man—she only tries to use you. Right?”
He couldn’t find words to reply. He was furious—but she was also right.
First Jin Won, now even Min Yeon Seo was saying these things—it left a foul taste in his mouth.
Misinterpreting his silence, Yeon Seo spoke with newfound confidence.
“So go out with me. Or even pretend to date me—that’s fine too. Then unnie will finally see you as a man. After all, the reason she approached you thirteen years ago was all because of me.”
Sa Jun finally spoke, his lips curling into an amused smirk as if hearing something entertaining.
“Go on.”
“Unnie hated you from the moment we moved next door—she was scared you’d take her spot as class valedictorian. So why did she approach you then?”
“…”
“Unnie has an inferiority complex about me. It’s something I was born with, but she resents me for it—so she wants everything I have. Not just family, but even the men I like.”
Seeing Sa Jun listen silently, Yeon Seo felt certain.
Whether fake or real, once they started dating, it would only be a matter of time before she pushed Min Tae Hee aside and claimed Kang Sa Jun for herself. He was a free spirit, yet paradoxically old-fashioned and stubbornly single-minded in matters like this.
And the proof of that was Min Tae Hee herself.
With her moody, unpredictable personality—how else could he have kept the prickly Min Tae Hee by his side for thirteen years?
“I genuinely like you, oppa—but if you choose unnie, I’ll let you go coolly. So just give me a chance, okay?”
“Min Tae Hee’s half-sister.”
That stung too. They’d known each other for years—why was she always just “Min Tae Hee’s half-sister”?
“Done talking?”
“I guess so… why?”
“Smile a little. That was actually fun for once.”
His smile revealed white teeth, crooked and playful—but his pitch-black eyes were terrifyingly fierce.
“Damn, I just listened to three minutes of nonsense.”
Then he turned and walked away without a shred of hesitation.
Left alone, Yeon Seo felt her pride shatter completely.
After going this far—how could he just leave me behind like that?
Glaring furiously at a certain house, she muttered under her breath,
“This is all that damn girl’s fault.”
Thirteen years ago, Min Tae Hee—who’d pretended disinterest the entire time—had snatched Kang Sa Jun first.
[This is the timeline separator]That made seven already—macarons vanishing into her mouth with each sip of strong americano.
The overwhelming sweetness momentarily made her forget everything that had just happened.
“No wonder I can’t quit macarons.”
Murmuring happily, Tae Hee looked over at Sa Jun. He’d returned with medicine and changed into comfortable clothes, and had been sitting against the headboard of the bed ever since.
He looked deep in thought—his expression unusually serious.
Could it be about what he’d mentioned earlier?
‘I don’t care if they ignore me, but the old man’s throwing a fit, saying I need to either date or get married.’
Facing the thing he hated most in the world—it made sense he’d be this serious.
Today was just a bad day—for both Kang Sa Jun and herself.
Though her own head felt like it might burst, she decided to solve Sa Jun’s problem first.
When Tae Hee approached the bed holding the macaron box, Sa Jun finally glanced her way—and immediately scowled.
“Finish eating those somewhere else before coming back. I absolutely hate crumbs on the bed.”
“Don’t you know it’s bad luck for a guy to be too neat?”
Sa Jun gave a small “pfft” laugh at her response.
“Since when was I ever lucky?”
“Not ever. You’ve always been an unlucky bastard.”
An unlucky bastard—and devilishly, wickedly charming. Tae Hee grumbled silently to herself, then leaned back against the headboard beside Sa Jun and faced forward.
“Now tell me—what can I do for you?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“I’ll repay you for the macarons.”
“If I ask, will you really do anything?”
“Of course.”
Whatever Kang Sa Jun wanted was obvious anyway.
It was always something personal and trivial—like asking her to read him to sleep after days of reading alone, asking her to cook something he craved, wanting to watch a movie together, or picking something out for him.
Of course, those were also the only things she could really offer him.
“Min Tae Hee.”
When Sa Jun called her name, Tae Hee turned her head without much thought.
But they must’ve been sitting too close—just turning her head brought their faces embarrassingly near.
Why did he have to be so unfairly handsome? His soft breath brushed her skin, and his impossibly dark eyes locked onto hers, pulling her in.
“When you look at me, don’t you ever think anything?”
“Uh—nope.”
Despite her calm reply, her heart started pounding again. Would it beat less if she didn’t look at his face?
Tae Hee closed her eyes and deliberately muttered loudly,
“Ah, I’m sleepy. Full and drowsy.”
The night breeze drifting in through the wide-open terrace felt pleasantly cool.
She’d eaten her fill of macarons, and Kang Sa Jun sat beside her.
Her heart felt peacefully calm, as if it were all just a dream—and her heartbeat finally slowed.
Yep, it really was just about not looking at Kang Sa Jun’s face.
Days of missed sleep caught up with her, and as Tae Hee sat there with her eyes closed, she had no idea Sa Jun was staring intently at her lips.
“Min Tae Hee, you said you’d do anything I wanted, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I need to confirm something with you—can I?”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
Ugh, this was seriously annoying. Unusually talkative today—so unlike Kang Sa Jun.
“No violence allowed.”
“I know, just hurry up and—!”
Desperate to get some sleep, Tae Hee replied absently—then froze mid-sentence.
Something soft and warm had gently touched her lips.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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What mother isn’t charmed when she hears someone speak so lovingly of her child? Irresistible.