The Young Boss (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 7
He rolled up his shirt, revealing his tightly defined abs.
“I’d really like you to touch it a little.”
Placing Si Hyeon’s startled hand on his exposed abdomen, he stared intently into her eyes.
“Why? Aren’t I even a man to you?”
Si Hyeon felt a surge of emotion welling up inside her. After all I’ve just shared with you—my feelings laid bare—and even after hearing it all, you still…!
Should I get angry and shove your hand away? Should I slap you just to snap you back to your senses? A whirlwind of thoughts flashed through her mind instantly, until her eyes met Tae Ha’s, who was gazing fixedly at her.
The cute face had vanished without a trace.
His voice had deepened so much that it startled her every time she heard it now.
He’d grown so tall that she now had to look up at him.
Yet, there was one thing that hadn’t changed at all.
His beautiful brown eyes—exactly the same as when he was a child.
At that very moment, realizing that the man before her was indeed the Tae Ha she had raised, Si Hyeon suddenly understood something anew.
Maybe I’ve been treating you like a stranger all this time. How could I even think of getting angry at you or hitting you when you’re hurting?
“Alright, let’s do that.”
She obediently allowed him to do as he pleased. He gently placed her hand on his stomach.
When her fingers met the hard ridges of his abs instead of soft flesh, she nearly jerked her hand away in surprise—but held back.
No matter how old he got, no matter how his body changed, the fact that this person was Tae Ha would never change.
Filling her touch with affection, Si Hyeon began to gently rub Tae Ha’s stomach. The initial unfamiliarity slowly faded, replaced by a tender warmth that filled her heart.
“You must have drunk something cold this morning. You’ve always had stomachaches from cold things since you were little.”
Tae Ha looked at her, flustered by her calm words. His eyes seemed to ask, What is she thinking?
“I don’t know. I wonder how you see me now—someone who doesn’t remember you at all. Am I just easy? Someone ordinary and unimportant?”
“…”
“It could be. After all, as you can see, I’ve got nothing special about me. I’m not especially handsome, I don’t come from a notable family, I’m not exceptionally talented compared to others, and I’m getting older by the day.”
“…”
“But you know what? In my entire life, there’s only one thing I’m truly proud of—and that’s you. I was startled when you became department head, but that night, I couldn’t sleep from excitement and joy. I kept wondering, how could you have grown up so impressively? How could you have become someone so amazing? I even wanted to hang a banner at the company’s front gate: ‘Our Tae Ha has become department head!’”
“…”
“I’ve thought about it so much lately. Why did you forget me? Was it because those memories were painful—ones you wanted to erase? That’s why I kept following you around, being annoying—because I couldn’t bear the thought that I might be someone you wanted to forget.”
“…”
“But I’ll stop now. It’s fine if you don’t remember me. It doesn’t matter if I’m nothing to you.”
Looking straight into his eyes, Si Hyeon spoke with quiet resolve.
“Whether you remember me or not, you’re someone truly precious to me.”
Tae Ha bit his lip firmly. His eyes held a tangle of complex emotions—regret, frustration, and a trace of sorrow.
Suddenly, he shook off her hand, startling Si Hyeon.
“Tae Ha?”
But without looking back, Tae Ha strode away quickly.
The moment the elevator doors closed, Tae Ha sank to the floor as if collapsing.
Covering his eyes with a hand pressed to his temple, a pained murmur escaped the man’s lips.
“What more do you want from me… seriously…!”
After Tae Ha left, Si Hyeon slowly trudged back to her office alone. But the earlier incident wouldn’t leave her mind. More precisely, his final expression kept replaying in her thoughts.
Why had Tae Ha made that face? If he didn’t even recognize her, why look at her like that…?
“What’s wrong, Si Hyeon? Feeling unwell?”
“It’s nothing. Maybe it’s just this chilly spring weather making me feel a bit down.”
Si Hyeon forced a smile, and Mi Ju lightly patted her shoulder.
“Cheer up! You’ve got a fiancé who’s buying you an expensive necklace.”
Puzzled by the odd remark, Si Hyeon stared at Mi Ju.
“A necklace? What are you talking about?”
Mi Ju clicked her tongue.
“I was debating whether to tell you or not since my stomach’s been bothering me. But since it came up, I’ll just say it.”
What could it be? Si Hyeon gulped and leaned closer as Mi Ju lowered her voice like she was sharing a big secret.
“Last weekend, I saw your boyfriend at the department store.”
Mi Ju knew Woo Jin’s face—he’d come to pick Si Hyeon up in front of the office before, and they’d exchanged greetings several times.
“Since he was alone, I got curious if he was shopping for you, so I followed him discreetly. And guess what? He went into Clover and bought a necklace!”
Clover was a luxury jewelry brand. Its signature three-leaf clover necklace was so iconic that even Si Hyeon—who didn’t own a single luxury bag—knew it well.
Si Hyeon’s eyes widened.
“Isn’t that super expensive?”
“Well, I didn’t see exactly what he bought, but even the small ones cost around two million won. The bigger ones go well over three million.”
Mi Ju muttered enviously.
“Anyway, that’s when it hit me—Ah! It’s his White Day gift!”
But Si Hyeon didn’t think so. They’d been dating for six years, yet Woo Jin had never once observed White Day.
At best, he’d hand her a few candies; usually, he just let the day pass unnoticed. Since Si Hyeon wasn’t the type to fuss over anniversaries, she’d always just let it go.
So if he bought something that expensive…
“What should I do, Mi Ju?”
Si Hyeon murmured dazedly.
“I think I’m getting proposed to!”
Si Hyeon had always avoided wearing rings because she felt self-conscious about her rough hands—she hated drawing attention to them. So maybe instead of a ring, he’d chosen a necklace.
“Oh no. Did I just spill the beans? He probably wanted to surprise you.”
Mi Ju suddenly covered her mouth with a gasp.
“No, I’m glad you told me. It’s better I’m mentally prepared.”
They’d already reached the stage of meeting each other’s families, yet there’d been no sign of a proposal, which had left her feeling a little disappointed. She’d even worried she might end up marrying without ever being formally proposed to.
But it seemed my boyfriend had it all planned out after all.
“Seriously, I’m so jealous, Si Hyeon.”
Seeing Si Hyeon’s eyes well up with happy tears, Mi Ju looked at her with genuine envy.
“Share some of that luck with me too!”
True to expectation, Woo Jin called that night.
Si Hyeon, are you free for lunch tomorrow?
The moment had arrived. Si Hyeon tried hard to hide her racing heartbeat.
[Why lunch? Why not dinner?]You know I’ve been working late every day lately. If it’s okay with you, let’s grab a quick bite together at lunch. I’ll come by your office area.
The next morning, Si Hyeon meticulously did her hair and makeup. She even chose a bright spring dress—the kind she usually reserved for weddings—and swapped her usual black flats for heeled shoes.
She even put on her favorite earrings but deliberately skipped a necklace. Woo Jin would place it on her himself.
“Wow, Kang Si Hyeon. You’re still alive and kicking.”
Glancing sideways at her reflection in the mirror, Si Hyeon gave a playful, winking smile.
“Getting proposed on White Day, huh?”
Her reflection looked especially good today. Even the fine lines around her eyes—the ones she’d fretted over since turning thirty—seemed to have vanished completely.
Stepping outside, the unusually clear, sunny spring day lifted her spirits even higher.
“Good morning, everyone!”
Her cheerful greeting and bright smile drew murmurs from colleagues in the hallway.
“Why’s Manager Kang so hyped up this early?”
“She’s getting married soon, isn’t she?”
Regardless of what people said, Si Hyeon walked to her desk with the poise of a runway model.
“Wow, Si Hyeon! You really pulled out all the stops today?”
“I put in some effort—it’s my proposal day, after all.”
She winked at the admiring Mi Ju and turned on her computer. Just as she was about to dive energetically into work, she felt something was missing. After a moment, she remembered.
Right—morning coffee!
Si Hyeon quickly headed to the break room, humming as she brewed her coffee. Suddenly, she heard a soft cough behind her.
Turning around, she saw Tae Ha standing there. Though startled for a second, she greeted him brightly.
“Good morning, Department Head!”
Si Hyeon had already made peace with what happened recently.
Alright, I won’t be too hard on Tae Ha for not recognizing me. Working together, his memories will come back naturally someday. Even if they never do, it doesn’t matter—Tae Ha is still Tae Ha.
The moment Tae Ha saw Si Hyeon’s face, his eyes widened slightly. His fixed stare made her feel a bit self-conscious.
“Why are you staring like that?”
“Ah… nothing.”
Only then did Tae Ha avert his gaze—this time focusing intently on the coffee machine. Worried she was blocking him, Si Hyeon immediately stepped aside.
But Tae Ha just stood there hesitantly, seemingly not intending to make coffee at all.
“What’s wrong?”
She looked at him curiously just as a group of female employees bustled into the break room and brightened upon seeing Tae Ha.
“Good morning, Department Head!”
The young department head was Future Bank’s biggest topic of gossip. The women instantly switched into fangirl mode upon spotting him.
“You look so handsome again today, Department Head!”
“Oh my, that tie is absolutely gorgeous.”
“Do you always fetch your own morning coffee? You could just ask your secretary to do it.”
Surrounded and showered with compliments, Tae Ha quickly looked flustered.
“Well then, carry on with your work.”
As Tae Ha turned to leave, Bo Ra called out to him.
“But Department Head, what’s that you’re holding?”
Only then did Si Hyeon notice the small shopping bag in Tae Ha’s hand.
“It’s nothing.”
Tae Ha quickly hid the bag behind his back—but it was too late. The eagle-eyed women had already spotted it.
“Oh! Isn’t that from Candy Jelly Shop? Their handmade candies are so delicious.”
“Oh my gosh, are you giving us White Day treats?”
Bo Ra clapped her hands, making Tae Ha’s face flush with embarrassment.
“Ah, probably just for the women on the OneApp team.”
“So what? You’re in charge of IT, so we deserve a share too, right, Department Head?”
In the end, Tae Ha surrendered the shopping bag to the group of eager women. As he sighed and glanced toward Si Hyeon, she briefly wondered, Could it have been for me?—then quickly shook her head.
Nah, impossible. He doesn’t even remember me.
“We’ll enjoy it, Department Head!”
They all rushed in, grabbing handfuls until the candy vanished in seconds. Si Hyeon didn’t even get a chance to reach out.
“Wow, seniors, that’s so unfair! What about Manager Kang’s share?”
Bo Ra protested belatedly and quickly unwrapped her own candy.
“Manager Kang, say ‘ahh.’”
Si Hyeon opened her mouth, and Bo Ra popped the candy inside.
“Only Bo Ra thinks to take care of me, huh?”
Rolling the sweet candy around in her mouth, Si Hyeon left the break room—her heart soaring with anticipation of the proposal to come.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Wants to marry Woo Jin or just wants to marry to get away from family pressure & feel as if she has a home and family?
So is the other woman Bo Ra? I feel like it is. Who would gush over lotion as a gift on a friend’s behalf?