Yoon-seo was nursing her own unspoken fears, and Soo-rin was undoubtedly aware of this.
Yoon-seo, befitting her scholarly family background, repeatedly tapped the armrest with her impeccably clean and neatly manicured nails, betraying her inner restlessness.
“If you get what you want, then I’ll get the position I desire.”
The position Yoon-seo longed for – to become a significant figure in the Gilmyung Group – was something she had endured ridicule and abuse from her inferior husband for, even putting up with mistreatment from her in-laws.
“Isn’t it too early?”
Yoon-seo shook her head. Despite hearing exactly what she wanted, she wasn’t foolish enough to hastily grab the opportunity before her.
“How can I trust and help you, especially when you say such things?”
[Han Yoon-seo, I am the heir to the Mibon Group. Do you think I would care for the position of mistress in the Gilmyung Group?]To Yoon-seo, the most important thing was her ever-growing desire for power, which only intensified with time.
Yoon-seo pondered, weighing her options. She wasn’t naive enough to hastily grab the opportunity before her.
“How can I trust and help you based on your words?”
Haeyeon stood still, watching Lee Soo-rin and Han Yoon-seo approach, feeling a surge of complexity in her mind. Were these two close? The unlikely combination of these two, who were not particularly friendly towards her, brought to mind her recent meeting with Chairman Yoon Myung-gil.
“Do-hee, what brings you two here at this time? What an odd pairing. But it’s been a while!”
Do-hee, visibly confused yet excited, approached them. The pairing was indeed peculiar. One, a working professional, and the other, often engaged in external activities, both were busy individuals. Furthermore, Soo-rin, who hadn’t been in Korea for several years and had only met Yoon-seo officially in the past, added to Do-hee’s puzzlement.
Do-hee, despite her questions, smiled brightly at Haeyeon.
“Hello, Do-hee. It’s our first meeting since I returned to Korea.”
“And for me as well, young lady.”
Despite her rushed greeting, Soo-rin responded with warmth, while Yoon-seo offered a polite greeting. Do-hee found herself at a loss for words, as the situation seemed like a happy, chance encounter.
“I bumped into Yoon-seo here by chance. We ended up shopping together.”
“Wow, what timing!”
Amused by this unexpected meeting, Do-hee grinned, and Soo-rin matched her smile.
“Indeed, what a coincidence.”
Click.
“Haeyeon?”
With the sound of heels, Haeyeon appeared, standing beside Do-hee. As she stepped forward, Soo-rin’s smile deepened.
“Indeed. It’s quite a coincidence, Lee Soo-rin.”
Haeyeon’s smile spread across her lips. Anyone aware of the situation would realize the contrived nature of this meeting, but Haeyeon played along with Soo-rin’s pretense.
“Wait, you two know each other?”
Do-hee, surprised at their familiarity, looked back and forth between them.
It made sense for her to be surprised. Soo-rin had left for abroad around the time of Haeyeon and Do-ha’s wedding. They never met at the wedding, and Soo-rin hadn’t returned to Korea since. Yet here they were, acknowledging each other.
A light smile played on Haeyeon’s brown eyes.
“We’ve met before, young lady. It’s nice to see you again, Lee Soo-rin. It seems we’re fated, meeting like this twice.”
“Likewise, Haeyeon. I still remember our conversation at the pub, and now we meet again. Let’s have a good talk today.”
The atmosphere appeared friendly, but Yoon-seo, in the know, looked on with a tired gaze.
“Ah, don’t leave us out. Include us in the conversation too.”
“Of course, young lady.”
“Since everyone’s eaten, how about some tea?”
Yoon-seo, who had been quiet, suggested as they moved to a quieter café. The four, now seated around a round table, ordered their drinks.
“Do-hee, why are you at the department store?” Do-hee asked Soo-rin, unable to ask the visibly uncomfortable Yoon-seo.
“Thank you, but I’ve already taken care of what I needed, Do-hee.”
While answering Do-hee, Soo-rin’s gaze lingered on Haeyeon. Haeyeon caught the meaningful look and understood the situation.
Soo-rin’s ‘someone important to impress’ was her, and her ‘problem solved’ meant their meeting.
Realizing this didn’t change the current situation, Haeyeon felt resigned.
Despite being manipulated into this conversation by Soo-rin and Yoon-seo, as the talk drifted into trivialities, Haeyeon grew bored. As if sensing this, Soo-rin shifted the topic.
“Do-hee, is Do-ha okay now? I wasn’t in Korea when it happened… I did meet him recently, but I’m still worried.”
Do-hee, aware of the gravity of Soo-rin’s query, remained silent, reflecting the unease of the moment.
Rarely hesitating, Lee Soo-rin began speaking, fiddling with the handle of her black mug, her worry apparent. Her slender fingers, pale against the dark pottery, betrayed her concern.
Haeyeon reflexively recalled something upon hearing Soo-rin’s worried tone: Do-hee’s reaction during their dinner before meeting these two. Predictably, Do-hee’s hand, which was lifting her drink, froze mid-air.
Haeyeon’s eyes hardened too. It was the feigned worried expression of Soo-rin that sparked a slight anger in her. She resented Soo-rin for disregarding the feelings of Do-hee, whom she had been close to like a sister for so long, merely for her own purposes.
Simultaneously, Haeyeon felt a pang of guilt as she remembered her own actions in the restaurant. She had behaved towards Do-hee just like Soo-rin was doing now.
This had to be stopped. The memory of Do-hee’s almost tearful expression in the restaurant was still vivid, so Haeyeon hurried to interrupt Soo-rin, but someone beat her to it.
“Do-ha is fine. It’s all in the past now. But I’d rather we don’t bring up this topic, Soo-rin.”
Haeyeon’s head involuntarily turned to the side. Surprisingly, it was Do-hee who had interrupted her. Seeing Do-hee speak each word with such firmness, Haeyeon felt as if someone had snapped their fingers and cleared her mind.
Haeyeon realized then, both at the restaurant and now, Do-hee’s reaction stemmed from concern that she might be frightened or anxious about the incident from a year ago.
Feeling warmth in her heart yet also chastising herself for her inadequacy compared to Do-hee, Haeyeon reached under the table and tightly grasped Do-hee’s hand.
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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