My Husband's Lover (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
Six years ago, back then, Hae Yeon hadn’t slept a wink all night. It was all because of Cha Do Ha, who not only helped her but even drove her all the way home.
The next day, dragging her exhausted body to the lecture hall after a sleepless night, she found Ye Eun dramatically recounting yesterday’s incident to everyone else.
“Kim Seung Woo that guy—seriously, he couldn’t even squeak! It felt like years of built-up phlegm finally cleared out!”
“Something like that happened? You should’ve called me! You know how much I adore Senior Cha Do Ha.”
“Hey, Kim Ji Soo. Were you the only one? Girls lining up just to see Senior Cha? But listen…”
Ye Eun grabbed her chin and made an exaggeratedly serious face. All the female students’ eyes locked onto her.
“For some reason, I just have this gut feeling—Senior Cha Do Ha’s about to become off the market real soon.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
As her juniors swarmed around her, Ye Eun declared “no comment” and glanced toward Hae Yeon. Seeing Hae Yeon flustered, Ye Eun linked arms with her and pulled her to a corner.
“Min Hae Yeon. Why did you get out of the car yesterday?”
“…Huh?”
Watching Hae Yeon’s face flush uncontrollably, Ye Eun clapped her hands once.
“Kyah! My friend’s finally falling in love!”
Ye Eun draped an arm over Hae Yeon’s shoulder and whispered,
“Your long solo life is finally over, Min Hae Yeon.”
Me…? Hae Yeon didn’t even understand why she’d gotten out of that taxi back then. She’d thought it was simply to thank Do Ha. But it wasn’t until over a week later that she finally grasped what Ye Eun had meant.
It all began when she happened to run into that man again at the cafe where she worked part-time.
The restaurant where Hae Yeon worked ran 24 hours, so it was often filled late into the night with nearby university students staying awake. And there, in one corner of the somewhat shabby-looking diner, sat a man eating alone.
Hae Yeon recognized him instantly. Of course, he was precisely the kind of man who stood out wherever he went—but considering she’d never had the time, energy, or inclination to pay attention to others, the fact that he’d caught her eye at all was astonishing.
As she brought over the basic table settings, Hae Yeon tried to ignore her suddenly racing heart. She acted as if nothing was wrong, pretending she didn’t recognize him—but when Do Ha, who had clearly noticed her, said absolutely nothing, she felt just a little disappointed.
‘He probably didn’t recognize me because it was nighttime.’
After all, he’d been drinking that night too. She didn’t know why she was making excuses for him, but Hae Yeon desperately tried to believe that was the reason.
After finishing his meal, Do Ha came up to the register. Unlike the dimly lit bar, the restaurant’s bright lighting clearly revealed Do Ha’s handsome face—and Hae Yeon was instantly flustered.
“Eight thousand won.”
Out of obligation, Hae Yeon spoke—but when Do Ha casually handed her his card, sudden courage welled up inside her. She didn’t want him to leave just yet. And so, for the first time in her life, Hae Yeon did something completely unlike herself.
“Um…”
What should she say? “Hey, did you get home okay last night?” She’d intended to ask brazenly—but now that she’d actually called out to him, her heart pounded too violently. In the end, she stood there silently, unable to utter a word, until Do Ha replied indifferently—as if he already knew exactly what she’d wanted to say.
“Have you been well?”
“…!”
Hae Yeon’s face burned bright red. So flustered she couldn’t think straight, she forgot all about offering to pay his bill and foolishly just swiped the card he’d handed her. She rarely got flustered like this—it felt strange even to herself.
“Is there a convenience store nearby?”
“Ah, um, there’s one in the next building.”
At her scattered reply, Do Ha briefly met her eyes before leaving the restaurant. Puzzled but unable to dwell on it—customers were streaming in—Hae Yeon hurried back to work.
Her shift ended at 2 a.m.
All public transit had already stopped, but the owner provided taxi fare every night, so it was fine. Of course, it was probably just another ploy to keep the pretty-faced Hae Yeon around to boost sales—but she was grateful nonetheless.
Even if the daytime felt cozy, the early morning air still carried the chill of early spring. As she waited for a taxi and pulled her coat tighter, a long shadow fell over her.
“Get in.”
That voice and tone—now starting to sound familiar. She turned her head, and there he was: Cha Do Ha.
“…Huh?”
Having no appropriate honorific to use, she omitted it entirely, which somehow made her sound awkwardly naive. Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, Hae Yeon was baffled—why was this man, who’d left the restaurant hours ago, standing outside right now?
Whether Do Ha understood her confusion or not, he simply said what he needed to.
“Not the front—the back.”
It was an extremely concise instruction. What amazed her was that she understood his compressed phrasing perfectly. Following his gaze, she saw a black car parked along the street—and even though she knew nothing about cars, even she could tell it was expensive. Under normal circumstances, she’d never have gotten into a stranger’s car.
Hae Yeon had spent nearly her whole life in strict control of her thoughts and actions. Being alone meant any lack of control would land squarely on her shoulders, with no one else to take responsibility. Yet here, in the dead of night—or rather, early morning—her body was moving of its own accord.
“Then… excuse me.”
Without even meeting his eyes, Hae Yeon boldly opened the car door. She didn’t even know why she’d opened the front passenger door instead of the rear.
‘Am I crazy?’
She was always well-mannered, and even though the car’s owner had explicitly told her to sit in the back, she ended up plopping into the front seat anyway. Fortunately, Do Ha merely raised an eyebrow and said nothing more.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Hae Yeon stole a glance at his sharp, refined profile—only to panic when Do Ha turned and their eyes met. Instinctively avoiding his gaze, she rolled her eyes and swallowed the words she’d wanted to say. It felt pointless to thank him—somehow, with this man, even gratitude seemed unnecessary.
Awkwardly turning her eyes elsewhere, Hae Yeon admired the spotless interior of the car. While observing the cabin—so clearly reflective of Do Ha’s character—she instinctively gulped at his sudden, unexpected words.
“Don’t misunderstand. I don’t have any ulterior motive.”
This man truly had a talent for surprising words and actions.
She’d assumed he wouldn’t say another word until she got out—but when Do Ha spoke, Hae Yeon’s head naturally turned toward him. Simultaneously, Do Ha turned toward the passenger seat too. Seeing his faint smile, Hae Yeon’s ears burned hot. Wanting to hide her flushed cheeks, she gripped her handbag tightly.
“I was just sitting in the convenience store when they announced closing time—right at that exact moment.”
“…”
His excuse was terribly flimsy. Hae Yeon realized the corners of her mouth were twitching. When was the last time she’d smiled—lightly, easily, completely forgetting the passage of time—just from someone’s words?
She hadn’t walked around scowling, but she couldn’t even recall the last time she’d genuinely smiled from the heart—let alone over such a ridiculous, half-baked excuse.
If this had been a taxi, Hae Yeon would’ve been reading a book under her phone’s light. Time was the most precious thing in the world to her. She’d worked and studied even while others slept.
Normally, even if she weren’t reading, she’d be mentally reviewing the day’s lecture material—but right now, she was completely lost in thought over just one sentence from Do Ha. It was utterly inconceivable.
“Don’t misunderstand this either.”
As they entered the road leading into Dobong-gu, Do Ha spoke again. She might have wondered how he knew these streets so well—but his follow-up words made her bite her lip to suppress a laugh.
“I just have a good memory. I remember things well after seeing them once.”
Another impossible-to-answer remark. Hae Yeon’s eyes widened in shock before she quickly blinked and regained composure. Pretending to smooth the creases of her bag, she feigned calm while fiddling absentmindedly—until she realized they’d already arrived at her home.
“Thank you.”
Hae Yeon gave a small, respectful bow. She didn’t know his exact age, but since he’d returned to school after a break, he was definitely older than her.
As she got out of the car, the man also stepped out from the driver’s seat. Her eyes drifted toward him automatically—and Do Ha gave a slight smile. Reflexively, Hae Yeon examined his eyes.
“…!”
Cha Do Ha, who’d worn a stiff expression the entire time, was genuinely smiling now. He’d smiled faintly earlier too—but this bright, open smile had an entirely different impact. In her entire life, Hae Yeon had never seen a man smile so beautifully.
Contrasted against his usual cold demeanor, she almost wished he’d smile like that just a little longer.
“I won’t answer what you’re going to say again tomorrow.”
“…Huh?”
Not understanding his meaning right away, Hae Yeon blinked rapidly with wide eyes—prompting Do Ha to smile once more. She was genuinely surprised—she hadn’t realized a man’s smile could be this lovely. All the adult men she’d grown up seeing were relatives, and frankly, none had particularly pleasant faces.
Compared to their smiles, Do Ha’s felt unfamiliar—but wonderfully so. Even the pleasant warmth spreading across her cheeks from an adult man’s smile felt new.
“Th-then!”
As Cha Do Ha turned to head back to his car, Hae Yeon blurted out without thinking. Immediately regretting it as her face flushed, this time she covered her cheeks with her hands.
“Dr-drink some tea tomorrow… before you go,”
But it wouldn’t change the fact that she still finished work at 2 a.m. Inviting someone for tea at that hour—she must’ve truly lost her mind.
“At this hour?”
Do Ha asked teasingly, a gentle smile playing on his lips. Hae Yeon was certain her entire body must be as red as her face now.
“Two in the morning is a perfect time for tea, Senior…”
The moment she said it, even she was surprised—and quickly bowed her head deeply. Her chest felt unbearably itchy. As the silence stretched on, Hae Yeon reluctantly lifted her head, only to find Do Ha looking at her with his naturally narrow eyes relaxed into soft curves.
She could practically hear her pulse thudding in her ears. Her heart was racing so fast—it was the first time it had ever worked this fervently, and the unfamiliar sensation made her eyes dart nervously.
She was so flustered she didn’t even notice Do Ha had stepped closer.
“Could you call me that just once more?”
At his soft voice cutting through the quiet dawn, Hae Yeon wanted to cover her eyes. She couldn’t possibly lift her head and look directly at him—it was too embarrassing. She just wanted to rush inside right now.
“Se-se-se…”
Ah, no, she couldn’t do it. Mortified and flustered, Hae Yeon finally squeezed out the last word.
“…nior.”
“Yes, Hae Yeon.”
“…!”
His usual hay-like tone had somehow turned sweet. Had Do Ha dipped his lips in sugar—or had someone poured honey into her ears? Stunned by his unexpectedly tender voice, Hae Yeon stumbled backward, nearly falling over.
Her swaying body was caught and settled gently against something warm. Only when she caught his familiar scent did Hae Yeon realize she was in Cha Do Ha’s arms—and that the clean, pleasant air inside his car had been his natural body scent all along.
She felt like she’d twist herself into knots from sheer embarrassment. She wished someone would splash cold water on her burning cheeks—and as if hearing her wish, Do Ha cupped her face with his cool hands. Hae Yeon glanced briefly at his gently smiling face before shyly lowering her head again.
As she listened to her heart pounding steadily in her chest, her body was pulled closer once more—and Do Ha’s pleasant baritone whispered into her ear.
“Sleep early.”
“…”
“And stop studying for now.”
At his hushed words, Hae Yeon curled up tightly in his arms as if trying to become a ball. With what felt like tens of thousands of volts surging through her body, her legs went weak—it was no surprise she couldn’t even reply. She only managed a fleeting glance at Do Ha’s pleasant smile before shaking her head.
Only later did Hae Yeon wonder how Do Ha had known her schedule. And even later, she realized that detail didn’t matter at all.
What truly mattered was the feeling of falling for each other.
It didn’t matter who fell first. Hae Yeon thought perhaps living meant existing for just one meeting with someone. Sometimes, merely locking eyes once was enough to truly recognize each other.
Therefore, it was impossible for her not to love Do Ha.
He’d approached her boldly—though she had neither possessions nor family—and never once flaunted his own household. That sincerity was why Hae Yeon had given him her whole heart.
And to this day, she’d never once regretted it.
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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