The moments when he read the article, dialed Ji An’s number, and heard her say she wasn’t okay flashed through his mind.
Even if Ji An deceived everyone else, she couldn’t deceive Ha Joon.
He looked at the small fist he made, thumb hidden among the other fingers, then back at Ji An’s face.
“Are you okay?”
Ji An’s quivering lips couldn’t respond, and she bowed her head deeply.
‘My chest hurts as if it’s been hollowed out. But tears won’t come.’
Ji An struggled to breathe several times, unable to voice her pain.
She recalled her conversation with Dan Woo a moment ago and recognized her odd state.
Why is it like this when I can say other things?
Ji An had always been a person who smiled excessively in front of others.
Children who cry and complain are always hated wherever they go.
This was the pain and emotional deprivation that controlled Ji An, who grew up watching her mother Eunji’s favoritism.
It hurts. It’s sad. It’s tough. That instinct to not say those words had become especially strong in the face of Jae Yoon’s death.
Unable to answer, Ji An lowered her gaze to the tips of her toes, and Ha Joon turned to look at Dan Woo.
Dan Woo silently shook his head.
She won’t cry. Recognizing Dan Woo’s silent gesture, Ha Joon let out a low sigh.
‘If you have to cry, then cry.’
Ha Joon’s thoughts deepened as he recalled Ji An’s voice when she had cried heartily at Dan Woo’s words.
From some point, Ji An had stopped talking to me about her pain or sorrow. She’d say, “I’m fine,” and smile, “I’ll try,” and smile, “That’s how it is,” too.
Even though he didn’t believe those words, he would pretend not to know. He had considered it Ji An’s consideration for his busy self.
In the face of Jae Yoon’s sudden death, it seemed like Ji An had closed off her emotions to others, including Dan Woo and me.
‘If Ji An continues to hide her emotions like this, will you show me a different side of yourself?’
Ha Joon, who was staring at Dan Woo with heavy eyes, repeated the words she said during the call.
“Don’t you say you’re not okay?”
Only then did Ji An recall the words that had inadvertently slipped out.
I was aware of my inexplicable state, facing my father’s death. The words just flowed out.
She took deep breaths, cutting her words short to complete a sentence, then met my eyes again.
“I… I can’t cry.”
“Maybe you’re shocked. We should send your father off well. Think calmly, don’t waver.”
Ha Joon reassured her, hoping her inability to show emotion was temporary due to shock.
He looked at Dan Woo with heavy eyes, asking for consent to involve myself in the funeral proceedings.
It was his intention to respect Dan Woo’s discomfort, acknowledging the existence of his male friend.
Dan Woo thought about the 27 years Ji An had spent with Ha Joon.
Among them, there must have been times Ha Joon met her father, Jae Yoon. Most likely, they talked about Ji An.
Dan Woo pondered over what Ji An had said to Ha Joon, who had called him on his way back to Seoul.
“I don’t think it’s okay.”
His unequivocal response revealed feelings I hadn’t noticed. Even in the parking lot earlier, Ji An naturally attempted to steer me away.
I thought our relationship had grown closer and deeper, but it did not seem proportional to the time spent together.
Maybe it was my mistake to see the relationship between Ha Joon and Ji An in fragments.
If we could reveal our hearts without reservation in the toughest times, I felt I had no right to simply define Ha Joon as an old male friend.
‘Like family.’ Mulling over these words, Dan Woo pondered about human relations, not jealousy.
Upon Dan Woo’s nod of agreement, Ha Joon took the first step.
“Go to the office first. There are documents you need to fill out.”
“Huh? Yeah.”
As Ji An moved, all three of them walked side by side.
Upon entering the lobby, the manager of Ji An’s agency approached her.
The manager pointed at Ha Joon and spoke. Ha Joon had been offering legal counsel to the agency due to Jae Yoon’s introduction.
“Jenith is coming with Manager Cha. Attorney Yoon has already arrived and is discussing funeral proceedings.”
He added while pointing at Tae Yoon.
“He has taken care of many things, starting from the funeral hall.”
Ji An, bowing her head to Tae Yoon, moved with Ha Joon, who pointed towards the funeral hall’s office.
Ji An exhaled deeply as she looked at the contract handed over by Ha Joon.
Jae Yoon’s funeral was no one’s responsibility but mine.
She even thought it was a relief she couldn’t cry openly. If she couldn’t cry, she wanted to see Jae Yoon off with composure.
She braced herself, hoping Jae Yoon wouldn’t worry about her on his last journey, and filled out the contract.
Ha Joon nodded, as if to say she was doing well, during a brief pause.
Tae Yoon spoke to a contemplative Dan Woo, discussing simple funeral procedures and schedules that had been coordinated with the agency.
“The funeral will last for five days. The media line is restricted to the lobby. Jenith and her mother are on their way. And about the Jeju business trip,”
Dan Woo had a business trip to Jeju scheduled from Monday, for 3 nights and 4 days. Tae Yoon briefly glanced at his boss and added,
“You have to leave on the day of the cremation.”
“So I can stay here until the cremation?”
Knowing Tae Yoon had done his best to coordinate, Dan Woo answered softly. He assumed there would be no commitments in Seoul since he had a scheduled trip to Jeju.
“I have to work.”
Dan Woo looked at Tae Yoon, who avoided eye contact, full of doubt.
Work at a time like this? Isn’t that too much?
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
