The Temperature Difference with Him (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 11
Stepping out through the front gate, Dan Woo looked at the sedan with the engine running, puzzled.
Soon, a black SUV slowly approached and came to a stop. Tae Yoon got out from the driver’s seat and walked toward Dan Woo, opening the conversation first.
“Was breakfast tasty?”
“It was. ……Why the car?”
“I need to drop by the architecture office because of a structural change, but I’ve got an appointment squeezed in between. The timing’s awkward.”
“Then let’s go separately.”
Play Round, where Dan Woo served as CEO, planned to open several more branches across Korea.
Following the first branch in Jamsil, Jeju had been chosen for the second location, but the site for the next branch remained undecided.
Perhaps for that reason, executives from major domestic construction firms didn’t hesitate to travel all the way to Jeju just to meet him, the company’s representative.
“We’ll arrive at our destination shortly.”
As the navigation’s voice guidance ended, Dan Woo lowered the window and looked around. He spotted the signboard of the agreed-upon Korean traditional restaurant.
[Cheonjiyeon – – Specializing in Jeju local cuisine.]The brushstrokes on the sign exuded a sense of bold, confident calligraphy.
The staff member who escorted Dan Woo stopped in front of Room 8 and slid the door open sideways.
As he stepped inside, a man rose from a floor cushion and bowed slightly. The man extended his right arm forward, resting it over his left hand.
Despite the clear age gap, his demeanor carried a note of caution.
“I’m Park Sung Ho, managing director at Hyundong Construction.”
“I’m Woo Dan Woo, CEO of Play Korea.”
Dan Woo quickly concluded the greeting by shaking the man’s hand.
Director Park offered Dan Woo a seat first.
“Please, have a seat.”
Side dishes began arriving on the table between them.
Jeju’s traditional dombe gogi was placed down, followed by salted hairtail seasoned with bruised chili peppers and garlic, and then golden-brown grilled okdom fish.
Finally, braised hairtail and abalone-sliced dolsot rice were served, leaving only Dan Woo and Director Park in the private dining room.
“I just dropped by to pay my respects, hearing you happened to be in Jeju. Please don’t feel any pressure.”
“Yes.”
Since becoming Play Round’s CEO, meals with strangers had become routine for Dan Woo.
Given they were in Korea, there was nothing unusual about that. In a country where offering a meal served as a common greeting, such encounters only grew more frequent.
The moment his eyes landed on the braised hairtail, Dan Woo thought of Ji An.
Back when he’d lived with his mother, meals made with seasonal ingredients had simply felt natural.
Mugwort soup with spring filefish, or seaweed soup enriched with oysters.
Even summer hairtail soup with zucchini belonged to that same tradition.
“Ah!”
Only now did Dan Woo realize why his heart had softened over this morning’s hairtail soup—it must have reminded him of his mother’s cooking.
Noticing Dan Woo’s soft exclamation, Director Park asked,
“Is there something you’re not satisfied with?”
“No… I was just thinking about a meal my mother used to make.”
“She must have been a great cook.”
“Yes. She was, indeed.”
Director Park smoothly continued the conversation with more food-related talk.
“I grew up without ever tasting my mother’s cooking. I was raised at my uncle’s house.”
“I suppose there were unavoidable circumstances.”
“Sir, have you heard the term ‘nunchit-bap’?”
“I’ve heard people say it’s hard to remember the taste of food eaten while constantly reading others’ moods.”
Dan Woo offered a reply along similar lines.
Back in the days when he lived with his mother, he hadn’t truly understood what “nunchit-bap” really meant.
After their house burned down entirely, he first met Woo Seon Ho at the hospital, who introduced himself there as his older brother.
Even swallowing that hospital meal had felt cautious that day, because of Seon Ho’s sharp gaze.
That’s exactly what “nunchit-bap” meant.
Compared to that, this meeting now held not even a hint of discomfort. If anything, they were the ones reading his cues.
When the meal ended, sorbet made from hallabong oranges was served as dessert.
Only then did Director Park hand over an envelope stamped with Hyundong Construction’s logo, adding carefully,
“These are projects our company has handled over the past few years. Of course, there’ll be a formal bidding announcement, but I thought it might help if you could glance through this whenever you have time.”
“I’ll do that.”
“May I ask—has it been confirmed that your second branch will be in Jeju?”
“There will be an official press release soon.”
Though not a direct confirmation, Director Park seemed to catch the implied meaning in Dan Woo’s words.
Dan Woo got into the driver’s seat, set the envelope on the passenger seat, and started the car.
Hesitating briefly over his next destination, he decided to head toward Dongmun Market.
Dark clouds rolling in from the open sea had drawn so close they nearly touched the road. As he parked at Dongmun Fish Market, snowflakes began to fall.
Recalling the thunderstorm and rain from a few days ago, he muttered,
“So this time, it’s snow?”
Leaving Dongmun Fish Market, Dan Woo carried a Styrofoam box.
He spread one palm wide, recalling the weather forecast.
They’d issued a heavy snowfall warning.
“How much more will fall?”
Although the snowflakes melted instantly on his palm, the roads and streets were already turning white.
The swirling snow soon blanketed his entire view in white.
The flakes grew heavier and heavier, quickly turning into a blizzard.
As he drove farther from Jeju City toward Hadori, road conditions worsened to the worst possible state.
Dan Woo’s sedan crawled slowly toward a stone-walled house, its tires carving the only visible path through the white-covered road.
Receiving a call from Tae Yoon, who’d just arrived at the architecture office, Dan Woo muttered,
“That guy’s definitely not getting through!”
He stepped out of the driver’s seat, holding the Styrofoam box.
The moment he stepped through the gate, treading over piled snow, his steps halted involuntarily.
What met his eyes was a white, human-shaped bundle darting through the snow like an excited puppy.
Ji An greeted Dan Woo with a beaming smile.
“Welcome back!”
Her dark brown cone-shaped hat was dusted white with snow.
Dan Woo gave a small nod, returning her greeting with his eyes.
Crossing the snow-covered courtyard—where stepping stones disappeared beneath the snow—he entered the code for the digital door lock.
Beep. Beep.
Just as he reached for the handle, he turned to look back at Ji An. His lips parted in involuntary surprise, against his will.
She’d tilted her head back, opened her mouth wide, and was catching snowflakes on her tongue—the same joyful expression she’d worn while eating hairtail soup.
Startled, Dan Woo’s voice boomed.
“What on earth are you doing?”
“It tastes cold.”
She seemed to realize only now how silly her words sounded. Her laughter cut through the falling snowflakes, scattering white merriment everywhere.
This time, as she waited for snow to gather on her palm before bringing it to her lips, Dan Woo’s voice rose again.
“Ms. Kim Ji An!”
When Ji An turned toward him, her eyes curved into long, bright crescents.
But only for a moment—losing her balance, she flailed her arms and landed squarely on her backside.
Alarmed, Dan Woo dropped the Styrofoam box and hurried over.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. I’m fine.”
As he quickened his pace toward her, a puff of white breath escaped from Ji An’s lips, stretched wide as she lay sprawled across the snow.
Standing over her, he looked down to find her smiling so broadly her eyes disappeared.
What on earth is so funny?
In that instant, he felt embarrassed by how dramatically he’d rushed over, as if something dire had happened.
“Hey… could you lend me a hand? I must’ve played too much—I can’t get up.”
“Alright. Let’s do that.”
Ji An reached out her hand, parting the curtain of white snowflakes.
Dan Woo shook off his awkwardness. His large hand clasped her small one tightly. As he pulled, her upper body followed, rising with his grip.
Straightening herself and facing him, Ji An said,
“It’s snowing heavily.”
“Yes. They say it’ll get even heavier.”
“Don’t you think the snow here is safe to eat? Jeju’s air is different from Seoul’s—it probably makes the snow pure. Isn’t Jeju famous for its volcanic mineral water? So I’m saying, this snow must be evaporated volcanic water falling back down.”
“Hmm. Not sure about that.”
Dan Woo gave a brief shake of his head at her absurd logic.
Following the man who’d turned away first, Ji An entered the house and glanced down at her slippers with a quiet sigh.
Her feet were soaked—her slippers had gotten wet from the snow.
“Wait. You’ll need a towel.”
Dan Woo stopped her and headed toward the first-floor bathroom.
The moment his eyes landed on the underwear hanging openly on the towel rack, he realized his mistake.
The bathroom was supposed to be their separate, private space.
He should’ve asked permission first.
Why on earth did he go and do something like this!
When too much time passed, Ji An, still waiting by the front door, called out,
“Excuse me?”
“Yes. I’m coming out.”
Ji An curled her ice-cold feet and took a step forward.
By the time Dan Woo emerged from the bathroom with a towel, a trail of water had already marked the living room floor.
He extended his arm, careful not to meet her eyes, and started up the stairs toward the second floor.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll see you later.”
“Huh? …Okay.”
Ji An’s lips twitched, wanting to ask why they’d need to see each other again.
Did I do something wrong? Should I ask why he’s acting like this?
But the question never left her lips.
She remembered the rather chaotic scene that morning.
After promising to stay out of sight, here she was acting like this.
She muttered shyly to herself,
“I stayed out in the yard a bit… You’ve been coming home so late, and I got too excited when it started snowing.”
Entering the bathroom, Ji An suddenly covered her mouth with both hands.
Her hand-washed underwear hung exposed on the towel rack.
He must’ve seen it.
No wonder he couldn’t look her in the eye.
Turning on the shower, warm water cascaded over her head.
“Kim Ji An. You really are something. Honestly.”
She wasn’t normally this careless.
All of this happened simply because there was only one washing machine.
And partly because of Ha Jun’s firm warning last spring, when the machine had broken down: never, ever wash underwear in Unit 901’s machine.
“It’s the snow’s fault. All of this is the snow’s fault!”
A narrow path through the small tangerine grove in front of the house led to a tiny beach—the spot Ji An visited whenever she had free time.
The snow had started falling after she returned from her walk and finished a late lunch.
Glancing out the window, she’d seen the overcast sky begin to shed snowflakes, which quickly turned into thick, fat flakes.
Maybe her heart had simply loosened under the calm, unhurried rhythm of the day.
What must Dan Woo think of you now?
Her thoughts inevitably led back to Woo Dan Woo.
Just as she poured a sachet of ginger tea into her mug, she heard Dan Woo’s footsteps coming down from the second floor.
Their eyes met as she turned, and he immediately shifted his gaze toward the window.
Keeping his eyes on the snowy landscape outside, he said,
“The landlord said he probably won’t make it today. Seems he’s stuck downtown.”
“Is that so?”
“He asked me to pass that along.”
Ji An recalled Tae Yoon shaking his head earlier, when asked whether he’d managed to contact the previous tenant after visiting the police station.
She nodded in reply.
“I guess there’s no need to call twice.”
Dan Woo nodded and slid the Styrofoam box into the sink.
Dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts instead of his usual suit, he looked noticeably more relaxed.
He filled a pot with water, placed it on the induction stove, turned up the heat, and snipped the twine on the Styrofoam box with scissors.
Glancing over his shoulder, he spoke casually,
“I’m preparing dinner.”
“Dinner?”
Though he’d impulsively driven to Dongmun Market, this small exchange of words felt surprisingly pleasant.
Dan Woo looked back at Ji An, who stood leaning slightly against the sink a short distance away.
He gave a small smile and said,
“Living alone for so long, I’ve picked up a bit of cooking.”
Lifting the Styrofoam lid, he held up what was inside for her to see—an octopus. Its massive suction-cupped tentacles dangled limply in the air.
Ji An flinched with a start and stepped backward.
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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