Love is Madness (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
A high-rise officetel offering a panoramic view of the Han River.
The space, sleek and modern like its owner, was gently filled with an irresistible, fragrant coffee aroma.
“Surprising. When you said, ‘Let’s have a cup of coffee,’ I thought we’d go to a café.”
“There aren’t any good cafés around here, and you know I’m pretty serious about my coffee.”
“That’s right. Baek Seo Rin—you’re… really serious about coffee.”
At Seo Rin’s words, Tae Joon nodded in agreement without any lengthy explanation.
It was possible only because they shared a past that bound them together, and that past, despite eight years having passed, seemed to tie them with an invisible thread.
Seo Rin didn’t mind this strangely familiar feeling.
Even without saying much, simply being together in this space felt comfortable.
Thanks to that, the tension she’d carried all day began easing into pleasant weariness—and thoughts of marriage once again surged in like a tide.
“Oh, right—there’s someone you need to meet before we file the marriage registration.”
“Who?”
“My stepmother. I’ve arranged to meet after the shareholders’ meeting. Just let me know a time that works for you, and I’ll set it up.”
Caught off guard, Tae Joon set down his coffee cup with a soft clink.
Although they’d known each other for nearly ten years—including the years they’d spent apart as though strangers—he’d never once heard her mention her stepmother.
Of course, it was public knowledge—easily found online—that Chairman Baek had remarried long ago. But this was the first time he’d heard Seo Rin herself refer to her as “stepmother.”
“I hadn’t even thought of that. Right—whoever’s an elder in your family, I should pay my respects first.”
“No, it’s not about that. I’m just letting you know beforehand because you should be aware. Nothing will change because of it.”
Seo Rin corrected him immediately—making it clear that Madam Park’s opinion was irrelevant; this was a unilateral notification.
No one could hold significant influence over her life. She neither intended to maintain such an intimate relationship with anyone nor had the time for it.
“Don’t you have anyone important you need to greet before filing the marriage registration?”
Though they wouldn’t be holding a ceremony right away, legally registering their marriage would still make them husband and wife.
Given their current circumstances, they couldn’t go public as a couple yet—but if there was someone truly important to him, she believed it only proper to pay respects first.
Still, she was a bit hesitant—because she knew both of Tae Joon’s parents had passed away when he was young. She asked anyway, just in case—but immediately regretted it.
His reply came quickly, brief and without hesitation.
“No.”
Just as she began regretting having asked, he suddenly looked at her and changed his answer.
“Well… actually, there is one person. But it’s not about paying respects—it’s just someone I absolutely must inform.”
“Who?”
“My secretary.”
“Oh, right—I told Director Park today too. You can’t keep secrets from someone who’s with you every step of the way. When are you going to tell yours?”
“Already did. By now, they’ve probably gulped down three Cheong Sim Hwan pills—might’ve come down with stress-induced illness.”
Though one might wonder why a secretary would fall ill from stress over their boss’s marriage, Seo Rin’s curiosity went elsewhere.
“Cheong Sim Hwan… does it actually work?”
“Why?”
“I think I should buy one for Director Park when we file our registration. Today, his heart looked like a waterlogged sponge.”
For a moment, they burst into laughter as if on cue, suddenly struck by a shared sense of camaraderie—they truly were in the same boat.
“So I guess you and your secretary really are inseparable too.”
“Yeah. They’ve known me since we were kids, so they’ve stuck around. Everyone else quit within a month—I guess I’m more demanding than I thought.”
“It’s because you’re good at your job. Only capable people can handle you—you’ve got a competent secretary, don’t you?”
“Exactly. They seem careless, yet oddly capable.”
“Same here. Our Director Park is openly brilliant—absolutely flawless at work.”
“Hah, this is funny. Here we are—not bragging about our kids, but boasting about our secretaries like hopeless bossy old men.”
Another soft laugh escaped them.
Their low chuckles drifted through the air like an invisible virus, mingling with the fragrant coffee scent—until the previously neutral atmosphere began smelling sweet. It was truly miraculous.
But before the echo of their laughter could fade, Seo Rin spoke again.
“Thank you—for accepting all my demands without complaint.”
She had to say it. She knew better than anyone that agreeing to her requests wasn’t easy from his perspective.
“I know it wasn’t easy.”
“It wasn’t hard at all. Do you think I don’t know Baek Seo Rin? When you stay quiet, you stay quiet—but you never say anything you don’t mean.”
“…”
“I trust you.”
What am I supposed to do with this man?
She was the one who’d stepped on his foot and walked away eight years ago—yet here he was, so effortlessly saying he trusted her.
Her heart ached again—regretful that she couldn’t give him all of herself in return for his sincerity.
“Before I go… can I hug you just once?”
He slowly rose and came toward her—but she couldn’t refuse.
Against her own will, she was drawn completely into his broad embrace. An indescribable sense of calm washed over her, soothing the exhaustion that had plagued her all day.
Why couldn’t she keep her composure around him?
Seo Rin closed her eyes, fully sinking into his arms—and thought: she wanted to fall asleep right here. If she did, her chronic sleepless nights might finally be recharged in an instant.
“The emergency shareholders’ meeting is in three days, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t stress too much. Everything will work out.”
An involuntary laugh escaped her.
“How can you be so sure?”
It wasn’t a rebuke—just a question born from her desire to fully believe him.
And the question came back as unshakable certainty.
“I know. Because…”
“…”
“I’ll make sure it does.”
Though his voice was low—almost like a passing breeze—
strangely, every word cut through her with crystal clarity.
The next day, Seo Rin’s patience had reached its limit from watching Director Park steal glances at her all day, clearly bursting with things he wanted to say.
“You called for me?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“My apologies—I thought you did.”
This was already the third time he’d barged in uninvited, unable to say what he wanted before leaving again.
She couldn’t take it anymore.
As Director Park turned to leave once more, swallowing his words yet again, Seo Rin finally spoke up.
“Director Park, just say it if you have something to say! Otherwise, we’re both going to go crazy.”
Only then did Director Park quickly turn back around and, as if afraid someone might overhear, whispered the question he’d held in all day.
“If you insist… I’ll risk being impolite and ask—do you really… really plan to marry him?”
“Does it sound like a joke to you?”
“No—it sounds so serious that I don’t want to believe it.”
“Why do you care, Director Park?”
“Well… to me, this marriage seems like it involves some kind of under-the-table deal…”
Seeing him trail off, Seo Rin put on her jacket—she needed to leave for her next appointment.
As she picked up her handbag and brushed past him, she murmured almost casually,
“You’re right. It’s give and take. But… isn’t that just how things work in our world? And by that logic, he’s the best partner possible.”
His words were too accurate for Director Park to respond. He simply followed her silently.
Kang Tae Joon—even someone like Director Park, who barely knew him, couldn’t deny he was the ultimate partner: wealth, talent, and looks so striking they felt cleansing to behold.
What woman wouldn’t want such a man?
The problem was—Baek Seo Rin wasn’t an ordinary woman!
If Kang Tae Joon was the best ally possible, that also meant he’d be the most dangerous enemy—his wealth and ability could become sharp blades closing in on her throat.
If only Kang Tae Joon had been a little more ordinary—if he’d been just slightly less impressive—Director Park might’ve welcomed this marriage with open arms.
But Kang Tae Joon was simply too exceptional. And Baek Seo Rin wasn’t the kind of woman who could live beneath anyone’s shadow. Could this marriage truly end well?
He couldn’t help but worry.
Yet Seo Rin, seemingly indifferent to Director Park’s concerns, stepped into the elevator with a calm expression.
Of all people, Chairman Baek was already inside.
“Leaving already?”
“No—I have a meeting.”
“I see. Is everything going well with the emergency shareholders’ meeting preparations?”
At his veiled question, Seo Rin’s eyes grew colder. Provoking Chairman Baek now would bring no benefit. Anger creates variables—and right now, she wanted no variables at all.
She had to respond as flexibly as possible.
“It’s in three days. There’s not much I can do in this situation—and I assume the same goes for you, Uncle.”
Chairman Baek nodded as if agreeing with her.
The elevator doors opened. As Seo Rin stepped out with a slight nod, his heavy voice followed her from behind.
“You look better than I expected. I thought stress would’ve dulled your complexion—you’ve always been sensitive to it.”
“…”
“…Are you seeing someone?”
For a moment, Seo Rin doubted her own ears.
Chairman Baek—who’d never once shown interest in her love life since their engagement broke off—was asking about her dating life now, of all times?
Was he deliberately provoking her, or did he know something?
Seo Rin turned to face him.
Their eyes met midair, sparking a silent, invisible clash.
The air around them grew heavy.
Normally, she would’ve firmly denied it—but strangely, this time, she didn’t want to.
—I know. Because I’ll make sure it does.
His words from earlier had lodged themselves deep in her chest like a spell she couldn’t shake.
She didn’t know where her courage came from.
“Why—do I need to report my love life to you now too, Uncle?”
In a situation where she should’ve been hiding Tae Joon’s existence, she didn’t deny him at all.
—Don’t stress too much. Everything will work out.
Because she wanted, just once, to believe those words he’d said.
To believe that everything truly would be alright.
Yeon Hwa Dang.
A traditional Korean restaurant where meals, tea, and alcohol could all be enjoyed—Chairman Baek had arrived a full thirty minutes early for his meeting with The MG, a meeting he considered a matter of life or death, held here by special choice.
Yet he sat lost in deep thought, staring blankly at the steaming bowl of warm barley tea before him.
He couldn’t get Seo Rin’s image out of his mind—her face from their elevator encounter just before he arrived.
The moment he’d seen her, the photo of the man he’d seen last night flashed in his mind—prompting him to ask that question despite himself.
The problem was—Seo Rin hadn’t denied it, as he’d fully expected her to. She hadn’t outright confirmed it either—but her strangely confident attitude had planted endless questions in his mind.
“Could she really… be in a relationship?”
Though the meeting with The MG was imminent, his thoughts were entirely consumed by Seo Rin’s face today and the man’s photo from yesterday.
It unnerved him.
He simply couldn’t believe Baek Seo Rin would be distracted by romance in such a critical situation.
But his thoughts were cut short.
The sliding door opened—finally announcing the arrival of The MG’s representative.
“They’ve arrived.”
Chairman Baek quickly shook off his thoughts, fastened his suit jacket, and stood.
Right—forget that man in the photo for now.
The meeting before him was what mattered.
If this meeting succeeded, the emergency shareholders’ meeting would be his victory.
No one would be able to interfere.
Now, it was his solo run.
Yet as the person stepped into the room, Chairman Baek’s thick eyebrows twitched slightly—and his mouth fell open so wide he couldn’t even utter the words he wanted to say.
“What… how…?”
An utterly unexpected situation was unfolding.
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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