The Season of Prettiest You (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 11
Only after parting ways with Ji Hyeok did Yeoreum finally write a reply.
[I have a prior engagement today. From now on, please contact me at least one day in advance.]Meeting Taeseok made her feel the solid emotional dam she’d carefully built start crumbling, piece by piece. It was dangerous—she’d invested so much time and effort into constructing it.
[I told you to come over today. Absolutely.]And Taeseok was asserting his presence by utterly disregarding all of Yeoreum’s efforts. The hand holding the bread bag went limp. What should she do? She didn’t want to go, yet no solution came to mind.
After entering her home, Yeoreum placed the bread on the dining table and sat down on the sofa.
In a spot bathed in afternoon sunlight sat the Alocasia plant. Since her surgery, it seemed to be in good condition—a new leaf had sprouted. She stared silently at the tender shoot, debating whether to water it once more.
Too much water was bad; too little was also bad. Too much sunlight was harmful; no sunlight was equally harmful.
Last time, she’d overwatered it and had to cut away the rotten corm, so this time she resolved to err on the side of caution and give it less. She’d water it only once a week. Counting back, only three days had passed. Yeoreum pulled her thoughts together.
Eventually, she rose from her seat. This was already holding out longer than expected.
She let out a sigh.
In the late afternoon as the sun began to set, the doorbell rang.
– Ding dong. Ding dong.
A triumphant smile curled at the corners of Taeseok’s lips. After all, Choi Yeoreum clearly had neither the will nor the courage to defy his wishes—he’d now confirmed that for certain.
He’d also just received a call from Manager Hong. The broadcaster had decided to push the drama’s premiere date back by a month. In the end, everything was unfolding exactly as Taeseok had wanted.
Taeseok opened the door.
“Oh.”
No. Not everything was going according to his plan. For example, his own heart was racing inexplicably—embarrassingly so.
Yeoreum was different from last time. He’d unconsciously expected her to have her black hair tied back tightly with a band, and the sight before him now felt like a slap to the back of his head.
Her chestnut-brown hair cascaded in soft, wavy curls over her shoulders. She wore a flowing pink blouse and a pleated skirt that fell below her knees. Though her outfit was simple, she looked elegant and lovely. Taeseok’s mood soured again.
“Please come in.”
She must have dressed up like this because of that prior engagement—Cheon Ji Hyeok.
“I’d like my request to take priority over your prior engagement.”
The moment Yeoreum sat down on the sofa, his sharp words poured out.
“Hundreds of staff members rely on this drama for their livelihood. All those eyes are waiting solely for writer Choi Yeoreum’s script. Isn’t your foot literally on fire right now?”
Yeoreum didn’t answer. She was the kind of woman who exhaled even her breaths in utter silence.
“Remember this—whenever I call, it’s always for official work.”
“Yes.”
A quiet, subdued reply.
That damn quietness. When had she ever been this reserved?
“Oppa! I finally finished it! Please check my script. It was really tough, okay? Hurry up and review it!”
“Let me hug you first, Yeoreum. It’s been two whole weeks. I missed you every single day on set. I’m dying.”
“Wait, no! We clearly agreed you’d check it the moment I arrived! Script first! Move your face.”
“Oh, fine. I surrender. Bring me the script.”
The woman who once overflowed with affection no longer smiled. Which was the real her—the one who used to laugh back then, or the calm one sitting before him now? He found himself wondering how many of the faces she’d shown him had actually been genuine.
“From now on, when I call, you must come without fail.”
“······.”
“It’s for work. Work. Give me an answer.”
“······.”
“Writer Choi Yeoreum.”
“I’m sorry, but since I don’t know how things might turn out, it’s hard for me to give a definite answer.”
“Hard.”
“I only want to give answers I can actually keep.”
“I love you.”
“I’ll stay by your side forever.”
“Let’s never, ever break up.”
The lovers’ whispered promises once exchanged in this very space now scattered like dry leaves through the air. All those sweet, secret, bold, and intimate words ultimately remained unfulfilled. Taeseok let out a dry chuckle.
“So.”
“······.”
“Is there even one thing you’ve actually kept from all the things you said?”
He’d ended up saying it after all. She sat there looking so meek, as if trying not to provoke him, yet masterfully pushed him to his absolute limit. Innocent? He’d nearly been fooled again.
Was that eco-bag part of some image-making strategy? It didn’t suit her at all.
Taeseok scanned a few of Yeoreum’s accessories with a cold gaze and laughed. Throughout it all, her expression remained completely unchanged. What thoughts could possibly be running through that head of hers?
Yeoreum offered no reply. When cornered, she simply clamped her mouth shut. Though it irritated him, he decided not to press further. Taeseok shifted the conversation to work—they couldn’t keep bantering pointlessly.
“Give me the script.”
Yeoreum fumbled and pulled out the manuscript.
“How far have you written?”
“Up to episode 8.”
“You are moving at full speed, I’ll give you that. But if it’s just another mess like last time, it’s meaningless.”
“I know.”
“You know.”
Flipping through the script without looking up, Taeseok mocked her.
“You seem to know an awful lot, don’t you, Writer Choi Yeoreum?”
He quickly skimmed the pages, assessing the content. The emotional arcs were indeed better than last time. There were still parts needing correction, but this was clearly a significant improvement.
“The drama’s broadcast has been delayed by a month. Let’s consider this extra time as an opportunity to focus on writing.”
“I’m hearing this for the first time.”
Yeoreum’s eyes widened. Taeseok glanced at her briefly before refocusing on the script.
“You’ll be getting the official notice soon. This is Seo Taeseok’s drama—naturally, I’m always the first to know everything.”
“Yes.”
“The drama airing before ours is apparently so popular they’ve decided to extend it by another month.”
It was complete nonsense—obviously fabricated. Yet Yeoreum listened intently and nodded earnestly. Taeseok was baffled but didn’t bother correcting her.
“I plan to use this writing period wisely.”
“Yes.”
“In my own way.”
“What?”
He snapped the script shut, placed it firmly on the table, and looked at her. The setting crimson sun stretched like a long taffy strand, casting a drawn-out line across Yeoreum’s face. He thought it might be blinding her.
“I said, in my own way. I believe I hold more than half the stake in this script.”
Taeseok stood, adjusted the blinds, then sat back down. He’d been bothered by the sunlight himself, after all.
“Come here every day to work.”
What on earth did that mean?
Though it was in Korean, Yeoreum tilted her head in confusion—she couldn’t understand it at all. “Here”? What did “here” even refer to?
“I have no intention of acting in a story lacking coherence, and constantly meeting up for script reviews is incredibly tiresome, Writer Choi Yeoreum.”
“······.”
“So from now on, you’ll come to my house every day and write right in front of my eyes.”
She knew Seo Taeseok was an actor who handled scripts exceptionally well. He’d personally written several works, and his creation of episodes and emotional arcs was superb. Every character he crafted felt vividly alive.
Maybe he was feeling the urge to write a script again after all this time?
‘Could this possibly be his revenge—stealing away from me the joy of writing?’
Yeoreum silently analyzed Taeseok’s intentions deep within her mind. But before she could finish, his voice abruptly cut through.
“I’ll give you a room—one where you can work comfortably, Writer.”
“Oh.”
“You’ll start each day with a meeting with me before writing.”
“Wait a moment.”
Now she finally understood. So he wanted to see her every single day. Why? Her expression faltered, revealing genuine bewilderment. Taeseok stared straight at her, unfazed.
“No. No, I can’t.”
Yeoreum ran a hand through her hair and regained her composure.
“Why? Why are you going this far? Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable for you to see me?”
“It’s work, Writer Choi Yeoreum.”
“······.”
“What choice do we have? We must separate personal matters from professional ones. We can’t afford for the drama to fail.”
“No… that doesn’t seem right.”
Yeoreum took a deep breath to keep her voice from trembling.
“If you could be considerate, I’d prefer to write the script at home. I’ll come every day to report—wouldn’t that be enough?”
Her eyes pleaded with him. Taeseok watched silently as her expression shifted constantly. She was the type who easily dropped her mask when flustered.
“No.”
Instantly, the corners of Yeoreum’s eyes drooped.
In her lowered gaze, he caught a flicker of sorrow. Why did such expressions keep flashing across her face? Her eyes made it impossible for him to even hate her freely.
“Do as I say. This isn’t a suggestion—it’s an order.”
“Please.”
“Don’t say that. Isn’t that word dangerous?”
Wearing a dangerous smile, Taeseok spoke with strange amusement.
“‘Please’? It sounds like lovers having a petty quarrel. Do you still have those kinds of feelings for me?”
Yeoreum quickly denied it.
“No! No, absolutely not. That’s not it at all.”
“Fine. Then that settles it.”
“If strange rumors start because I come to your house every day, it’ll be troublesome for you too, Seo Taeseok.”
“One way or another—you said yourself you’d come every day to report anyway.”
Taeseok shut down any possible counterargument. But Yeoreum didn’t give up easily.
“But what if someone sees me spending too much time at a top star’s house every day?”
“You’re worried about scandals.”
“Yes, yes. Exactly.”
Taeseok laughed loudly, as if he’d just heard a hilarious joke.
“A scandal? That’s interesting, Choi Yeoreum.”
“······.”
“You must’ve forgotten—I’ve already been through one. The tax scandal. I got absolutely roasted back then. And that scandal? It came from your script. After pulling that stunt, why worry about scandals now?”
“······.”
“You can say anything else, but not that. That’s outright deceit.”
Having finally silenced Yeoreum, Taeseok smiled brightly, as if to prove his victory.
“Let’s treat it like a regular office job—9 to 6. Starting next Monday, for one month.”
He remembered thinking her smile was what made her face beautiful. He used to love the sound of her bright, tinkling laughter. Now, leaving just an empty shell sitting before him felt far from pleasant. It was a useless thought now, but that’s simply how it was.
‘Now that I think about it, I haven’t said a single thing that would make her laugh.’
Amused by his own thoughts, a small chuckle slipped out.
“If you have nothing else to say, you may leave now.”
Last time, she’d shot up and rushed out like an arrow—but this time, she didn’t move easily.
Her fist clenched tightly, displaying a surprisingly defiant attitude to the very end. She was surely running through countless thoughts in her head. Still, there’d be no escape for her—he’d designed it that way himself.
“Writer Choi Yeoreum, regarding the newly added PPLs in this drama—there’s everything from massage chairs to fully equipped home appliances, even a bank partnership…”
“Fine. I understand.”
One more push, and she might cry. Taeseok’s gaze lingered on the corners of her eyes.
“I’ll see you on Monday.”
Just as he was about to say something, Yeoreum abruptly stood up and dashed out. Though he’d achieved his objective, the encounter left an inexplicably unpleasant aftertaste.
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
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