Left behind, Seung Oh stared at the door, his thought process halted, then came to his senses at the sound of Ji Soo’s voice.
“I’m sorry. Because of me, I…”
The bag that Seung Oh had given her not long ago was carefully placed on her lap. While Yoon Seo Ha didn’t care much for the bag, Lee Ji Soo cherished it as if it were the only treasure in the world, always holding it tightly.
It felt good. It made him proud. When he was with Ji Soo, he felt like a truly great and dignified man, unlike when he was next to Yoon Seo Ha, where he had always felt small and pathetic.
‘A woman should live thinking she’s not good enough, no matter how great she is. That’s how a man’s pride survives. Our Seung Oh should have met such a girl instead…’
Ok Soon’s words were spot on. Yoon Seo Ha, being too perfect, was a woman who not only killed a man’s pride but also annihilated it just by her mere existence.
“It’s okay. Don’t cry, Ji Soo.”
Seung Oh picked up a napkin and wiped the tears welling up in Ji Soo’s eyes.
“Still, I was moved. When you said you love me.”
“Where did all those times I said I love you go?”
“Well, I always had trouble believing it.”
Ji Soo shyly fiddled with her fingers.
“Right. There’s no way someone as cool and amazing as you would genuinely like someone like me… especially with someone as pretty and capable as Seo Ha around.”
Yoon Seo Ha was beautiful. As Seo Ha’s nicknames changed from ‘Top of XX Middle School’ to ‘Goddess of XX High School’ and ‘Belle of XX University,’ Seung Oh also received attention as ‘the guy next to Yoon Seo Ha’ or ‘Male Cinderella.’
“It’s you who’s pretty, not Yoon Seo Ha.”
Seung Oh spoke forcefully, as if denying that memory. A faint smile of joy appeared on Ji Soo’s face.
“I’ve never heard that from you before. I’ve always been teased.”
“Teased? Why would you be?”
“I stutter when I speak. They say I’m ugly. And…”
Ji Soo, with her head hanging low, added hesitantly.
“They call me… a beggar…”
Choked up, Seung Oh hugged Ji Soo tightly without thinking.
“It’s okay. I’m here now, so forget all that.”
“Seung Oh, I’m fine.”
Ji Soo pushed Seung Oh away gently, sounding more choked up than before.
“I’m happy now that I know you really love me. With just that memory, I can live happily ever after. So go now. Go to her and apologize, and tell her you lost your mind for a moment and said nonsense.”
“Lee Ji Soo. What are you talking about?”
“Let’s break up. Don’t give up too much because of someone like me. You should be with her, living in a nice house, driving a nice car, and someday becoming a company president.”
Stuttering, Ji Soo finished her words and abruptly stood up.
“I’ve been happy beyond my station until now. I’ll never forget it. Thank you, Seung Oh.”
“Lee Ji Soo!”
Ji Soo forcefully shook off Seung Oh’s hand and ran out of the cafe. Seung Oh was left sitting there, stunned, unable to hold her back.
What Ji Soo had said was extremely realistic and reasonable. What would be left for him if he got divorced from Yoon Seo Ha now? He would lose the house, the car, the company, and even have to leave the house where he lived with Ok Soon.
The thought of living in a cramped house like when he was young, whining and miserable after boasting about being the soninlaw of the CEO, was horrifying.
“Damn it, Yoon Seo Ha!”
The arrow of resentment unexpectedly flew towards the resolute Yoon Seo Ha.
They had been together from kindergarten to university and then got married. Throughout that time, Seung Oh had done his best to align his schedule with Yoon Seo Ha’s, and there wasn’t a single second when Yoon Seo Ha didn’t love Lee Seung Oh.
“Divorce? You don’t even ask why I met another woman. You don’t think about fixing your mistakes, no. You don’t even know what you did wrong, and you just say divorce? Did you find another man? How could you do this to me…!”
Tearing at his hair in agony, Seung Oh stopped talking when he noticed a bag next to him.
It was clear that the foolish woman had left it to return even this. Inside the bag were a skyblue wallet, frayed with threads sticking out, and a lipstick he had bought her recently.
Seung Oh opened the wallet with trembling hands. The contents were a single check card, three 10,000won bills, and a sticker photo they had taken together recently.
“… Ji Soo.”
Seung Oh sprang to his feet, clutching Ji Soo’s bag in one hand and the sticker photo in the other, and went outside. As he ran and ran towards Ji Soo’s house, he saw her across the eightlane road, walking with drooping shoulders and no strength.
“Ji Soo!”
He gathered his strength from the depths of his belly and let out a loud roar, startling all the passersby who looked in his direction.
“Lee Ji Soo! Look over here! Lee Ji Soo!”
But Ji Soo didn’t look back. Was it because she couldn’t hear him? Or was she pretending not to hear him?
In desperation, Seung Oh recklessly ran into the road and jumped over the median strip.
Screech!
Whooosh!
“Hey, you crazy bastard! Are you trying to die?!”
Cars honked from all directions, and drivers hurled curses, but he didn’t care about such things.
“Lee Ji Soo!”
Ji Soo’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked up.
“Brother…?”
“Ji Soo!”
Seung Oh crossed the eightlane road in an instant and tightly embraced Ji Soo with his miraculously unscathed arm.
“I love you, Ji Soo! Forever!”
“Brother, sob, sniff…”
Ji Soo cried and lifted her leg. Their lips overlapped seamlessly, like a perfectly fitting puzzle. With the curses of the drivers as their background music, they shared a kiss in the middle of Gangnam Boulevard, becoming the protagonists of a heartwrenching and romantic movie.
“I’ll protect you. I’ll love you and treat you like a princess for the rest of my life. Let’s not break up, Ji Soo.”
As Seung Oh licked the tears welling up in Ji Soo’s eyes with his lips, he thought:
All I need is for Yoon Seo Ha to be gone. If Yoon Seo Ha disappears from this situation, I can protect everything.
Money, social status, and the person I love.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
