Impure Among Friends (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
Sa Jun’s seemingly insignificant words and touch felt quite tender to Tae Hee.
And suddenly, a thought occurred to her.
It seemed that Kang Sa Jun had changed somehow—become different.
She couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it started, nor could she put it into words, but she was certain something had shifted.
Why? What on earth could it be?
Pushing up her heavy eyelids due to this nagging curiosity, Tae Hee met Sa Jun’s gaze.
Seeing a faint trace of concern in his usually indifferent eyes, Tae Hee closed hers again.
Hey, something’s definitely different.
Yet she didn’t dislike this changed version of Sa Jun.
She wished she could feel this gaze and touch a little longer, that he’d worry about her just a bit more.
She wished he’d stop everything to keep her steady, just leave her alone by herself.
Her heart swayed restlessly, pulled in every direction.
In the end, Tae Hee pushed Sa Jun’s hand away and abruptly sat upright.
But a wave of dizziness spun through her head.
She squeezed her eyes shut—only to feel his fingers pressing gently against her forehead again and a soft pillow cushioning the back of her head.
“Just lie down while I’m being nice about it.”
Sa Jun’s long fingertips pressed firmly against her forehead.
“You move your hand before telling me to be nice. Seriously, this is kind of gross.”
Sa Jun narrowed his eyes slightly when Tae Hee shot back defiantly.
“If you’re gonna threaten someone, maybe fix that corpse-like face first? This isn’t some horror special—your look is seriously giving me chills.”
Seriously. The sudden surge of heat made Tae Hee feel energy she didn’t have before, and she sat up sharply again.
This time, her head didn’t spin at all. Sa Jun handed her a shopping bag almost as if tossing it at her, meeting Tae Hee’s glaring sideways gaze.
“I picked it up on the way, so it’s yours.”
Tae Hee’s eyes widened as she peeked inside the bag.
“Don’t tell me this is corn soup?”
Her hands moved quickly to pull out the container and open the lid.
The sweet, nutty aroma rising with the steam made her mouth water.
As if she’d never been angry at all, Tae Hee shot him a thankful look and thought, *Am I really this easy? Getting touched by something as simple as corn soup?*
She began eating the warm soup spoonful by spoonful.
By the time she’d finished about half, the terrible menstrual cramps had slowly eased, and even her cold stomach felt warmer.
Only then did Tae Hee scoop up a spoonful and offer it to Sa Jun.
“Kang Sa Jun, try a bite. This is seriously delicious.”
“Ugh, you’re offering it with the spoon you just used?”
She’d only offered it as a polite gesture, but Sa Jun’s overly sensitive reaction annoyed her just a little.
“Wow, look at you. If my saliva bothers you so much, how did you manage to press your lips against mine back then?”
“Is your lip the same as that spoon?”
Pretending to clean her ear with an air of nonchalance, Tae Hee muttered,
“What are you talking about? Saliva’s saliva either way.”
“It’s true saliva’s on it, but a spoon feels hard and unpleasant, while your lips are soft and squishy…”
Sa Jun stopped mid-sentence, and Tae Hee heard him mutter a quiet “Shit.”
As if under a spell, Tae Hee stared at him.
His fair face, turned slightly away and half-hidden by his hand, resembled a ripe apple.
Why’s he acting like this all of a sudden? Now even I feel awkward.
Feeling the need to ease the tension somehow, Tae Hee spoke up.
“Well, human lips *are* soft and squishy—do you expect them to be as hard as metal?”
She thought she’d handled it pretty smoothly.
That was, until their eyes met.
“……”
“……”
They stared at each other for quite a while, then—almost as if by mutual agreement—turned their heads sharply in opposite directions simultaneously.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere grew even more awkward and uncomfortable.
Ignoring each other completely, Sa Jun kept rubbing his face with his large hands while Tae Hee kept chewing absentmindedly on her lips.
It hadn’t been this awkward even when they first met 13 years ago. What are we supposed to do about this mood?
Come to think of it, that really was true.
They hadn’t naturally grown close; their friendship had started with conditions, built on something as fake as a lie.
Yet in all those 13 years together, not once had it ever felt this awkward or uncomfortable.
This was all Kang Sa Jun’s fault. Why dodge my eyes and act so awkward over something that should’ve been brushed off?
Ugh, I don’t even know anymore.
Giving up on lightening the mood, Tae Hee picked up her spoon again and resumed eating the soup.
But this time, she couldn’t taste the sweetness she’d felt earlier.
She wasn’t even sure if the soup was going into her nose or her mouth.
Before she knew it, her mind drifted back to last night.
Her emotions exploding, the sweet macaron melting on her tongue, Kang Sa Jun asking strange questions—and the kiss.
Yet she couldn’t recall the feeling of Sa Jun’s lips.
She’d been too shocked, and it had all happened too fast.
If only she could try it once more, maybe she’d remember.
As she brought another spoonful to her mouth, Tae Hee subtly turned her head.
Her eyes automatically locked onto Sa Jun’s finely chiseled profile.
Seriously, that guy’s looks are just unreal.
Her admiring gaze settled on his lips—
plump just enough, soft, and perfectly colored…
Suddenly sensing someone’s stare, Tae Hee instinctively looked up—and choked on her soup.
“Ugh, ack! Ack-ack!”
Because Sa Jun was staring right at her.
[This is the timeline separator]She coughed so hard tears nearly came out—partly from embarrassment.
Sa Jun patted her back, and after she drank some water, the coughing finally subsided. Only then did Tae Hee pat the spot beside her on the bed.
“My condition’s improved thanks to the soup, so let’s have a strategy meeting.”
Sa Jun obediently climbed onto the bed and sat next to her.
Maybe because it was a single bed—or maybe because Kang Sa Jun was just so big—their shoulders pressed tightly together with no gap between them.
She’d leaned on those shoulders countless times before, so why was she so hyper-aware of them today?
Trying hard not to let it show, Tae Hee asked,
“Did you go on the blind date?”
“Curious?”
Of course he wouldn’t just answer directly.
Though she grumbled inwardly, Tae Hee decided to be honest this time.
“Of course I’m curious! You said yourself I’m your one and only friend.”
“I didn’t go.”
“Then how’d you get out of it—and in such good shape, too?”
After meeting his grandfather, Sa Jun was always completely wrecked.
No matter how strong he was with alcohol, he always struggled with his grandfather’s sorghum liquor.
“I just told him to give me more time, and I’d bring a girlfriend.”
“Oh, a girlfri—what?!”
Tae Hee twisted her upper body to look at him.
Unlike her visibly flustered state, Sa Jun gazed back calmly, as if wondering what the problem was.
“You’ve always hated dating or marriage. How could you possibly bring a girlfriend?”
“Well, I’d just start dating someone.”
His offhand reply made Tae Hee want to ask:
Then what about me—your one and only female friend—where do I fit in?
“Kang Sa Jun, you’re not seriously thinking of faking a relationship, are you? That’d be crossing a line.”
She knew Kang Sa Jun was absolutely capable of doing exactly that.
Just look at how he’d kept her around as his friend—using her until she was nothing but an empty shell, all while pretending they were equals.
If he could do that with a friend, there was no reason he wouldn’t do the same with a girlfriend.
Good grief—I’m about to compete with a fake girlfriend now? That’s the worst kind of ridiculous melodrama.
Just as chaotic thoughts swirled through her mind, Sa Jun scowled and snapped,
“What exactly do you think I am?”
When Tae Hee stayed silent, Sa Jun spoke again, almost like a sigh.
“Min Tae Hee, you’re already more than enough for me.”
“……”
“I don’t want the headache of keeping multiple women around me. So, Min Tae Hee…”
Sa Jun paused briefly.
Wondering what he was about to say, Tae Hee waited quietly—and he continued with unexpectedly serious eyes.
“You’re the one who has to date me.”
Wasn’t it a little too cruel to say that right now?
Coming to see me when I’m unwell, bringing corn porridge, touching my forehead, asking if I hurt—and then saying my lips were soft and squishy, messing up the atmosphere. Acting all flustered himself afterward, then poking around freely in my softened heart like this?
Tae Hee stared at him with an incredulous expression—
and Sa Jun gave her a pretty, teasing smile.
“I’m not forcing you. Just think about it.”
It was ridiculous—absurd, even.
So why did she feel relieved? And why, of all things, was she happy?
Maybe she’d been waiting for Sa Jun to say this to her first.
She knew it was a proposal she had to refuse—yet she was happy anyway. She hated to admit it, but she truly was.
“No matter what I do, I just want it to be you, Min Tae Hee.”
Kang Sa Jun really was a terrible guy.
Showing up on a day when she was physically and mentally vulnerable, then landing punch after punch straight to her heart—
making her want to agree to everything like a complete pushover again.
[This is the timeline separator]“Haha, madam! Please take good care of our Tae Hee. I sent you a few photos, right? She’s not only beautiful but also tall and slim—I even thought about making her an actress! But she’s never dropped from first in her class, so of course I had to let her study instead.”
Seon Tae had been on an animated phone call with someone for the past ten minutes.
“She’s working as an interior designer now, but of course she’ll quit once married and focus on supporting her husband. Haha!”
Watching with wide-eyed curiosity, Yeon Seo quietly asked her mother, Ok Hee,
“Mom, who’s Dad talking to? And why’s he praising Unnie like that?”
“That’s Madam Jang—a super famous matchmaker in these circles. Looks like your dad’s finally setting Tae Hee up on a blind date.”
“Out of nowhere?”
Yeon Seo’s eyes went wide.
“What do you mean, ‘out of nowhere’? At 29, a woman should already be married and having children. If she’s been allowed into our family registry, she should show some gratitude. Your father’s been waiting all this time precisely so Tae Hee could use Sa Jun as her shield.”
“Then do I have to go on a blind date next year too?”
“How could you compare yourself to Tae Hee? We’ll pick the very best match for our daughter, so don’t worry.”
“But I want to marry Sa Jun oppa.”
At Yeon Seo’s soft mutter, Ok Hee set down her teacup.
“Sweetheart, you might fall in love based on looks—but marriage isn’t about that.”
“But Mom, you married Dad based on his looks, right?”
She wanted to say, *That’s exactly why I regret it now—don’t make the same mistake*, but couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud. Ok Hee’s gaze drifted toward her husband.
Though he was approaching sixty, Seon Tae was still handsome and well-built.
But aside from his looks, there was nothing else worth noting about the man—which was precisely why he’d ended up with her.
“Yeon Seo, when choosing a man, you only need to check two things.”
“What are they?”
“His wealth—and how well he listens to you. If you have those, you’ll have a happy marriage.”
“But Sa Jun oppa comes from a good family and has plenty of money, right?”
At Yeon Seo’s words, Ok Hee let out a faint sigh.
“He doesn’t like you.”
“Then I’ll make him like me.”
Before Ok Hee could point out how difficult that would be, Seon Tae ended his call and plopped down beside her.
“Hye Suk…”
“Don’t you ‘Hye Suk’ me!”
At Ok Hee’s sharp retort, Seon Tae clamped his mouth shut and subtly averted his eyes.
After all these decades, he still did that—how was she supposed to deal with him?
Noticing him watching her carefully and staying silent, Ok Hee asked gently,
“What did Madam Jang say?”
“I can’t believe it! She asked how much dowry we could manage. It’s not like we’re dealing with another business family!”
“Why not look elsewhere instead? Maybe into finance, for example.”
Seon Tae looked at her as if she’d lost her mind, so Ok Hee calmly continued,
“I mean capital firms. Managing liquidity is just as impressive as investing—your father might even approve. With all the noise lately about rising interest rates… By the way, I haven’t told you yet, but the eldest son of Daejin Capital seems quite taken with Tae Hee. He was smitten the moment he saw her photo.”
Seon Tae’s expression hardened instantly.
“Why did you show him Tae Hee’s photo?”
Though not the sharpest, he was fiercely protective of his patriarchal authority.
Clearly, he was upset she’d acted without his permission.
“I couldn’t help it—I was bragging about Yeon Seo and ended up showing Tae Hee’s photo too. If we’re serious about finding her a good match, I need to properly act as her mother, right? If I showed dislike, which family would ever treat her well?”
Hearing that, Seon Tae’s expression finally relaxed.
“You really are smart. But isn’t Daejin Capital’s chairman an ex-gangster? And didn’t their eldest son get divorced after abusing his wife?”
Catching Ok Hee’s glance, Yeon Seo quickly chimed in,
“Dad, really—do you think Unnie Tae Hee would put up with being hit by a man? She’s handled Sa Jun oppa for over ten years! A guy like that? She’d have him wrapped around her finger, living happily ever after!”
Seon Tae nodded in agreement, though something still seemed to bother him.
“But it still feels like such a waste with Sa Jun. There’s no one else in politics or business with backing as strong as his. It’d be perfect if Tae Hee could land him. Shouldn’t we give them another chance?”
Ok Hee then linked arms with Seon Tae and spoke sweetly,
“Then you can tell Tae Hee that while arranging the blind date. If gentle words would’ve worked, they wouldn’t have had problems with Sa Jun in the first place, would they?”
“You’re right, Dad. And who knows? Maybe when Sa Jun oppa hears about Unnie’s blind date, he’ll finally realize his own feelings.”
Mother and daughter, both persuading Seon Tae from either side, shared the exact same thought:
Under no circumstances must Min Tae Hee and Kang Sa Jun ever end up together—that would be an unbearable outcome.
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
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What mother isn’t charmed when she hears someone speak so lovingly of her child? Irresistible.