The necklace Ji Ho had gifted her sparkled beautifully against her white neck.
Lee Soo laughed softly at her own reflection in the mirror, finding her look unfamiliar.
Usually a casual dresser, wearing such a dress felt like a small rebellion.
[Star Icon][Star Icon]It was hard to find people amidst the crowded streets of Hongdae on a Saturday afternoon.
Lee Soo craned her neck, looking around, and then spotted Daeun walking from a distance.
“Daeun! Over here!”
Lee Soo waved her hand high.
“Wow, Lee Soo! What’s with this bold dress? You look gorgeous!”
Daeun’s eyes widened in surprise, followed by a big smile, as soon as she saw Lee Soo.
Being the most comfortable friend, Lee Soo didn’t feel too embarrassed wearing such a bold dress around Daeun.
“I thought I’d change things up a bit since I’m out. How is it? Does it suit me?”
“Absolutely! Stop wearing jeans and T-shirts and dress like this. Why hide such a beautiful figure? If I were you, I’d dress like this every day.”
“From now on, I’ll wear this whenever I meet you.”
The two friends, meeting after several months, exchanged warm greetings and entered the restaurant Daeun had reserved.
Inside, Lee Soo spotted an unwelcome face.
“Daeun, wasn’t it supposed to be just us and Minju?”
Lee Soo asked, looking surprised.
“Oh, did I not tell you? Minju said she got in touch with Doyeon and asked if she could join. I said sure. You were close with Doyeon, right? It’s okay, isn’t it?”
Lee Soo’s face involuntarily scrunched up a bit.
Unaware of the underlying tension between Doyeon and Lee Soo, Daeun cheerfully waved and took her seat.
The rift with Doyeon, a classmate from their first year of high school, began in their senior year.
Doyeon, always envious of Lee Soo for consistently topping the class, tried to disrupt her in a twisted way.
Doyeon introduced Minjae, the most popular boy in school, to Lee Soo, who was otherwise focused solely on her studies.
It wasn’t a formal introduction, but rather, during lunch, Doyeon casually brought Minjae to Lee Soo’s table.
After that, Minjae actively pursued Lee Soo.
He visited her classroom several times a day, offering drinks or joining her for meals.
Tall, handsome, good at sports, and above all, kind and considerate, Minjae had a charm that won people over.
As Minjae persistently approached, Lee Soo naturally grew close to him.
Unbeknownst to Lee Soo, rumors started circulating at school that they were dating.
One day, Minjae confessed his feelings to Lee Soo.
Struggling with how to reject a friend she regarded highly, Lee Soo was shaken by a shocking truth.
By chance, she overheard Minjae and Doyeon talking at the school’s rest area.
“Do you think Lee Soo will accept your confession, Minjae?”
“Hard to say.”
“She seems to have fallen for you already… The rumor about you two dating is already everywhere. Lee Soo’s not protesting, so she must not mind. Looks like you won this bet, ha-ha. The Ice Princess who only knows studies has fallen for you. Stay with her for a few months, then break up at the right time. Let her be shocked.”
“…”
“I want to see her distracted by love and mess up her exams. My dream is to be the top student before graduation. Just do this, and I’ll treat you big time.”
“Doyeon, actually…”
Lee Soo couldn’t hear the rest of their conversation.
Shocked that two people she trusted were gambling with her feelings, she could barely stand, her legs trembling.
The realization that it was all planned sent shivers down her spine.
Lee Soo lost both of them because of this incident.
Minjae pleaded, apologizing and clinging to her. He said it started as a joke, but his feelings became sincere…
But trust was already shattered, and there was no going back. And Doyeon remained unapologetic to the end.
“You’re always buried in studies, so I introduced Minjae to you, thinking of you. To give you a taste of dating. Is that something to be mad about? And what’s wrong with making a bet? You always put up walls, so we were curious if it would be the same with Minjae. There was no ill intent.”
After that day, Lee Soo no longer considered Doyeon a friend.
This was their first meeting since their relationship soured at the end of their senior year in high school.
“Oh my, Lee Soo! How long has it been? This is our first time since graduation, right?”
Doyeon greeted her first, feigning delight.
“Yeah, it’s been a while.”
Lee Soo tried to hide her discomfort, forcefully curling the ends of her lips.
The good mood she had earlier quickly dampened.
“Let’s order first.”
“Should we get the set for four?”
“Yeah, let’s do that. Everything here is tasty.”
They placed their orders and continued chatting while waiting for the food.
“Lee Soo, you really got prettier. I wouldn’t have recognized you on the street. Is it because of the makeup? Now that you’re a college student, you dress up like this. I thought you’d always wear pants, but look at you in this dress…”
Doyeon scanned Lee Soo from head to toe, expressing surprise.
Doyeon, who had never beaten Lee Soo in school, was curious about her.
She had expected Lee Soo to lead a dull life focused only on studies, but the Lee Soo she met after a long time seemed like a completely different person.
“It’s been so long. Wouldn’t it be strange if I hadn’t changed?”
Lee Soo retorted bluntly.
“Is that so? I thought you’d never change.”
Lee Soo felt fortunate to have met Doyeon on a day she had dressed up with care.
Had she been in her usual attire, she could imagine the judgmental look Doyeon would have given her without even seeing it.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
