It was Saturday afternoon.
Recalling Ji An’s words about having an appointment with Ha Joon, Dan Woo glanced at Tae Yoon.
Tae Yoon pointed to the screen where the inauguration of the Haesong Bio Victims Union was being broadcasted on the news.
“It’s been covered on the regular broadcast news. Same goes for cable.”
“Keep the news up on the main portals, and ensure the interviews with the representatives of the victims’ union don’t get cut from the broadcasts. Stay on it till the end.”
“Haesong will likely start making their moves around now.”
“It’s what we expected, so we’ll just proceed with our plan.”
As Tae Yoon was about to leave after his report, Dan Woo called out to him.
“Tae Yoon, we should grab some dinner… Didn’t you say there’s a good naengmyeon place on the first floor?”
“Suddenly?”
“There’s no rule that says you can only eat naengmyeon in summer. I feel like trying it.”
“Really? Then let’s go together.”
Dan Woo, having successfully enlisted Tae Yoon, cursed under his breath the moment he stepped out of the elevator.
Tae Yoon belatedly realized the true intention behind his boss’s sudden craving for naengmyeon.
It was the moment he tried to understand Dan Woo by looking at Ji An and her old male friend, Lawyer Yoon Ha Joon. Noticing Ha Joon’s arm wrapped around Ji An’s, Tae Yoon became cautious of his boss’s mood once again.
However, the usually cold boss waved and mouthed a greeting to Ji An when she turned around, and then he headed toward the restaurant area where the naengmyeon place was.
Jangsuok Naengmyeon House.
As the naengmyeon with clear broth, topped with yukjeon and sliced pear, was served, Dan Woo let out a low sigh.
Yoon Ha Joon, like family. Why did he have to be just a friend?
A friend could meet up anytime, anywhere, without reason, drop by to say hello on the way, and call day or night.
Ha Joon was exactly that kind of person, always there, right beside Ji An.
Dan Woo expressed his frustration over the naengmyeon noodles.
“Why are they so chewy?”
“Why blame the noodles when you can just cut them with scissors? You say it’s okay because you’re friends, but you shouldn’t take it out on the naengmyeon.”
Tae Yoon chided him and snipped Dan Woo’s noodle strands with scissors.
He wondered where the assurance had gone from Dan Woo’s own mouth, insisting there was such a thing as friendship between men and women.
“It’s okay to hear about it. That’s Ji An’s story. But… being together like that makes me uncomfortable.”
“Then you should’ve said they shouldn’t meet.”
“That would be ridiculous. They’re friends, after all.”
If he hadn’t seen that harmless face whining with wide-open eyes, he might have held back his words.
How could he say it’s not okay to that face?
Trying to blame his narrow-mindedness due to jealousy on his mood, he slammed the table, making the naengmyeon broth quiver.
“Why do I feel like this? Really!”
“It’s kind of nice to see you jealous. But since we’re here, let’s at least enjoy the dinner.”
Tae Yoon didn’t look down on Dan Woo’s jealousy, especially in front of Ji An, where he acted like the most caring man.
It seemed human for him to show his emotions, so Tae Yoon slurped the naengmyeon with satisfaction and popped the yukjeon garnish into his mouth.
After having dinner with Ha Joon, Ji An lay in bed, unable to get Dan Woo out of her head.
When she used to leave the house at dawn to climb the hill, Dan Woo would often be downstairs.
Despite the early hours, he would listen to her talk about Jeju or light the yard for her as she went out.
Thinking about it, it didn’t seem coincidental; it seemed intentional that he would come downstairs.
‘It’s the company. I might be here late, so don’t wait up, just go to sleep.’
After parting with Ha Joon and arriving home, Dan Woo had said those words to Ji An with an apologetic tone over the phone.
Unable to fall asleep easily and tossing and turning, Ji An eventually sat up abruptly.
There was no rule stating Dan Woo always had to come to her.
Could I go to see Dan Woo now?
As the thought that there was no reason she couldn’t took hold, she became anxious.
After venting his frustrations on the naengmyeon, Dan Woo returned to his office and focused on his work as if nothing had happened.
He reviewed the QA reports for the upcoming release of the Eagles League’s new version, ran game simulations, checked for errors, and rapidly read through the source code.
The lights in the building blinked off one by one as the night deepened.
Dan Woo straightened his back, rubbing his stiff eyes and neck.
He was the one who had told Ji An, who had said she was home, that he had a lot of work. He had told her not to wait, but he considered taking a short break.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Expecting Tae Yoon, Dan Woo was taken aback to see Ji An entering his office.
Behind Ji An, Tae Yoon held the doorknob, shrugging his shoulders, signaling with a head shake that it wasn’t his doing before he closed the door.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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