Thrilled by Madness (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 13
It took Seo Jun and So Yeon only twenty minutes to reach their destination after leaving the CN headquarters.
If he was a towering mountain, worthy of even the title “iconic actor,” then she was merely a small hillock rising from flat ground. For that very reason, during the ride in his chauffeur-driven car, So Yeon felt as though sitting beside Tae Seo Jun was utterly unreal.
Clutching her fluttering heart, So Yeon stepped out of the car and walked through the blue door held open by an employee, her demeanor respectful.
The luxurious interior struck her eyes immediately—it was vastly different from her expectation of a famous-brand chicken chain. Stepping further into the spacious area, So Yeon couldn’t help but swallow hard.
This opulent private room, as if they’d rented out an entire restaurant, felt excessive. After all, they’d only come for chicken…
Sitting opposite Seo Jun at the large table—big enough for ten people—So Yeon cleared her throat deliberately and asked calmly,
“Is this really the chicken place you mentioned, Director?”
“Yes, it is.”
“The quiet atmosphere aside… this doesn’t look like a chicken specialty restaurant.”
So Yeon was right. This was actually a high-end restaurant famed for its craft beer. That said, it wasn’t as if their chicken dish lacked flavor. Precisely because Tae Seo Jun came here often, this place was, in fact, a hidden gem.
“A rice restaurant doesn’t serve only rice, and a makgeolli bar doesn’t serve only alcohol.”
“…I suppose that’s true.”
Before the main course arrived, the appetizers and draft beers were placed on the table.
Satisfied by the crisp texture of nachos dipped in salsa, So Yeon quickly lifted her beer glass with both hands to her mouth, tempted by the lush white foam that sparked her craving.
In that instant—
Seo Jun’s hand, extending suddenly from the L-shaped corner of the table, tried to snatch away her glass.
“Oh, Ms. Eom So Yeon, you can’t drink this.”
“Hey!”
What kind of nonsense was this! Chicken and beer were inseparable soulmates—an unbeatable, non-negotiable combo!
Instinctively twisting her body away from him, So Yeon clutched her beer glass like her life depended on it and shot back in a sharp, petulant tone,
“Why are you doing this?”
Leaning slightly closer to her ear, Seo Jun spoke softly in a smooth voice,
“You’re injured, aren’t you? I think you should stick to non-alcoholic sparkling water.”
His humid breath tickling her eardrum and his resonant voice made So Yeon dizzy, her thoughts turning strangely sluggish. Seizing the opening, Seo Jun moved swiftly.
“Ah, no!”
She never expected this man to deploy his handsome charm so effectively.
She’d nearly lost her resolve and almost surrendered the glass willingly—but catching herself just in time, So Yeon yanked her glass far away from him and held onto it fiercely until the end.
“It’s just a tiny scratch! And there are two glasses—so one of them is absolutely mine!”
“I forgot we ordered two. Anyway, it’s still no.”
“But I keep telling you I’m fine—why do you keep doing this?”
Could even a mischievous fawn look this way? Her wide, round eyes, sharply lifted at the corners, were unbearably cute.
“Heh…”
Seo Jun lightly covered his mouth with his long fingers and let out a soft chuckle.
He suddenly recalled how, on the day they first met, she’d boldly grabbed his collar with this very same gaze and kissed him without fear—but this laugh also welled up naturally from emotions he couldn’t yet name.
“Then let’s do it this way.”
“Do what…?”
“You come running to me the moment I call.”
“When? No—I mean, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Even a minor injury deserves caution. Besides, I’m not the kind of person who’d ignore someone in need.”
Seo Jun knew perfectly well how childish it was to attach great importance to her small wound—yet he persisted stubbornly because he didn’t want to miss this chance to keep Eom So Yeon close.
“When you’re at the office, come to my office whenever I call. At the very least, I need to check on you until the wound heals—especially the day after drinking.”
“So… I can only drink this beer if I agree to your terms?”
“You’re not slow on the uptake.”
Though she knew it was unreasonable, So Yeon didn’t dislike his excessive demand. Thus, her reply came out unusually docile.
“…Alright. I’ll do that.”
“But not too much. Just a little.”
“Understood.”
So Yeon secretly wished her wound would heal slowly. Even if just for that reason, she wanted to see him every day. She even wished, rather greedily, to have this man for herself.
Since he was offering her a valid excuse, there was no reason to refuse. In fact, she was grateful—he was giving her the perfect pretext to loiter near his office, something she might’ve done anyway.
“But why go so far for me…?”
So Yeon paused mid-sentence and suddenly stared straight into Seo Jun’s face.
“Because I don’t like it when Ms. Eom So Yeon is hurt.”
“But why do you care, Director?”
“Let’s just say it’s concern and care from a co-star and colleague on the same project.”
He already knew she’d been cast as a supporting actress in the drama where he was the lead.
Yet there was an edge to his words.
By deliberately stressing “colleague,” he seemed to quietly draw a line, as if saying, “The past holds no power.”
So she decided to match him—only him, and no further. If doing so let her ragged, trembling breath ease even slightly, she’d be grateful enough.
Seo Jun and So Yeon clinked their beer glasses and took long swigs.
Just then, the charcoal-grilled barbecue chicken arrived.
Both picked up their forks simultaneously and brought food to their mouths.
“…!”
Spicy-sweet seasoning and unique spices blended perfectly, making the tender meat melt delicately on the tongue. So Yeon spoke, her furrowed brows brimming with emotion at the deliciousness,
“It’s amazing. How can something taste like this? No wonder people say it’s unforgettable enough to make you cry.”
“If you like it, consider it your reward. Eat as much as you want.”
Seo Jun served her the juiciest, tastiest pieces onto her plate.
He’d always known she ate well—but he hadn’t realized just how seriously she took eating. Watching her chew happily with her small mouth, a pleased smile naturally spread across his lips.
When her draft beer quickly ran out, Seo Jun replaced her empty glass with a fresh one and held out his palm.
“Give me your phone.”
“Why…?”
“I’ll save my number.”
“My personal physician’s hotline?”
“Something like that?”
“Wait a sec…”
Instinctively hiding her bag behind her back, So Yeon fumbled for her phone by touch alone and switched the screen from her child’s photo wallpaper to the keypad.
Even after handing it over, her anxiety didn’t fade. She pressed her face close to Seo Jun’s peripheral vision, ready to snatch it back at the slightest warning.
Fortunately, Seo Jun returned her phone immediately after saving his number. But as if to prove that things weren’t truly over, the dreaded moment happened in an instant.
Just before the phone reached So Yeon’s hands, his long fingers closed the call log window.
“!”
For a moment, everything went dark before So Yeon’s eyes, and goosebumps prickled her scalp.
If he asked who the child in her wallpaper was, what would she say? Where would she even begin to explain?
Just then, as if fate had intervened, her phone vibrated, and the name “Senior Jo In Ha” floated gently onto the screen.
“Sorry—can I take this call?”
“Of course.”
Relieved beyond words, So Yeon hastily accepted the call with trembling eyes, seeking Seo Jun’s understanding.
“Yes, Senior.”
—I just wondered if you were still at the office since it’s dinner time.
“Oh, I stepped out a bit ago and am having dinner now.”
—Alone?
“No… with a friend.”
—A girl?
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
After ending the call with a vague reply, So Yeon took a sip of beer.
“You should’ve told him you were with me.”
Jo In Ha’s voice had occasionally reached Seo Jun’s ears.
Moreover, Eom So Yeon’s overly bright expression at another man’s call was painfully hard to watch.
His remark was casual—but a cold wind seemed to sweep across Seo Jun’s stiffened face, his irritation flaring at her outright lie, turning a perfectly healthy man into a woman.
[This is the timeline separator]Having trailed her mother and older sister around all day shopping, then attending a dinner at someone else’s house, Do Soon finally returned home late that evening.
“Ugh! My day off wasn’t meant for this!”
Tossing aside her stifling suit, Do Soon cried out dramatically and stormed into the bathroom.
After showering, she settled into the warm bathtub, turned on her tablet, and reviewed tomorrow’s schedule. Finding nothing special besides the new drama she was joining, she habitually browsed the photo album synced to her phone.
While eagerly scanning for another picture of Tae Seo Jun, she stumbled upon a different photo and chuckled softly to herself,
“This little one’s grown so much already.”
Having only seen her child in Canada through photos, Do Soon had recently saved Hyun Woo’s new picture—from So Yeon’s phone—onto her own device. Only now was she examining it closely, and the more she looked, the more familiar the child seemed—so much like someone she knew.
Who was it again…?
Deep in thought, Do Soon’s eyes suddenly widened.
“…Huh?”
Why did she see Tae Seo Jun in this cheerful child’s face? Was it because they were both handsome? Or had her eyes gone strange? Truly, she couldn’t tell.
After pondering repeatedly, Do Soon finally slapped her forehead hard.
“Ah, that’s impossible!”
They always said a child’s face changed several times a day as they grew. If that was true, photos—distorted by angles and differing from real life—were even less reliable.
Besides, hadn’t So Yeon told her the child’s father was just someone she’d casually met years ago? Tae Seo Jun wasn’t someone she could possibly have bumped into by chance.
Right! That must be it!
I’ve been seeing Tae Seo Jun too often lately—that’s why my eyes are playing tricks on me!
“Wow, Yeo Do Soon! Stop imagining weird things—you’re only doing this because you’re not busy enough yet!”
Stepping out of the tub, Do Soon wiped away the last trace of suspicion with a dry chuckle and left the bathroom.
[This is the timeline separator]As time flowed on, quite a few empty beer glasses had piled up at the end of the table.
Seo Jun gazed absentmindedly at So Yeon, whose face had turned bright red.
But soon, her eyes dropped downward as if about to cry, and she wouldn’t lift her gaze.
That was it.
Just looking at Tae Seo Jun made So Yeon inexplicably sad. She stared fixedly at his elegant hand resting on the table, desperately holding back tears threatening to spill over.
She longed to reach out to him—someone who absolutely could not belong to the past. Yet she couldn’t stop herself from being drawn to him, even though she knew he was utterly beyond her grasp.
Because of that feeling,
So Yeon slowly moved her hand and lightly tapped his delicate fingertips. He remained still. Emboldened, she gently wrapped her fingers around one of his, yearning desperately to feel his warmth.
You’re really losing it, Eom So Yeon…
Even while scolding herself, she couldn’t let go of his hand once she’d taken it. Strangely, he made no move to pull away, silently watching her hold his hand as if frozen in time.
Inside, So Yeon prayed fervently,
Just a little more…
Just a little longer…
Stay like this a bit longer, please.
Let me feel you. Let my tears dry.
“Your hand… is so pretty. I keep wanting to touch it…”
“…”
She was already touching it, yet claimed she wanted to again. No matter how drunk she was, this level of coyness was extraordinary. Still, Seo Jun didn’t dislike the small, soft sensation wrapping around his hand.
In fact… he might want even more than she did.
In a flash,
Seo Jun tensed the hand he’d been passively offering and firmly grasped her unsuspecting, delicate fingers. Caught off guard, So Yeon gasped sharply through her teeth.
“Ah…!”
“I don’t think I can hold back much longer. How exactly do you plan to touch me more?”
Startled, So Yeon suddenly remembered something she’d buried so deeply it had turned pitch black with time.
This man—who could instantly reveal his primal male instincts even when sitting quietly—was truly the king of beasts among beasts.
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
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Chapter Comments (4)
Inline Comments (1)
Though his gesture had been instinctive, So Yeon accepted it without resistance.
I wonder if Korean women really cry that easily. Wow, that’s exhausting.
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Finally…some communication. Love triangle at this point is surprising and yup it’s gonna be awkward 😑.
Why do I get the feeling that she’s not going to tell him? Haah
I know the revelation is not gonna happen😀, but the ml is just..🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️