The suddenly growing embarrassment created a whisper. In Hye-yoon’s almost inaudible voice, Jiho’s back finally left the chair. Tilting his head toward the small voice, a cute retort that suited it was heard.
“What woman eats ice cream with a man she doesn’t like in that way…?”
The fingers on the bag above wriggled shyly. While looking at those white hands, biting small lips, and momentarily losing their way, a satisfying laugh burst out.
Now that there was a clear reason, she could openly find it cute.
Of course, Hye-yoon, who still hadn’t heard the answer, couldn’t know that she had gained the same reason. Her anxious heart came out awkwardly.
“If it’s hard to decide right away… Should I give you some time to think?”
Jiho paused for a moment at the answer. Although he had thought about teasing her a bit since he had been anxious all night, he decided to express gratitude for her courageous confession.
A woman’s courage is more valuable than a man’s sincerity.
“Do you need something like that?”
“Ne?”
“I liked you from the beginning.”
Hye-yoon’s mouth widened in surprise. When her eyes met Jiho’s, she quickly pressed her lips together. Once again, the happiness inside her was about to burst out.
“Then, shall we tidy up the titles now?”
Jiho, who had completely regained his original composure, urged her.
“Oops, let’s wait a bit for that.”
“Why?”
“Strangely, when Jiho calls my name, I get too nervous…”
“Hehe. After doing all that impressive stuff in front, you get nervous about this?”
“…Yes.”
With a small answer, Hye-yoon puffed up her cheeks. It wasn’t clear why she was nervous about a name she must have heard thousands of times, but one thing was certain. This kind of shyness, at a moment like this, meant she wanted to see it more often.
“Alright. Then, let’s get a little more used to it.”
So, he had no choice but to listen to everything.
Jiho’s lazy nod naturally reached the money envelope. The more he looked at the absurd gift, the more he chuckled. Hye-yoon, too, could revel in satisfaction. Now, even the small anxiety had completely disappeared.
A time filled with happiness exchanged between each other. In the momentarily silent car, only the soundless smiles floated.
“Oh, everything went as you wanted today, but there’s one thing I’m a bit disappointed about.”
The lightened mood spat out even the petulance freshly. Jiho showed interest in the unknown words conveyed by the gentle voice.
“I have nothing to be disappointed about. What could be disappointing?”
“Having a glass of beer while looking at the sea. Since now, in Busan, that’s the only wish left for me to fulfill.”
Hye-yoon shook her head at her own words. Although they could go near the sea because they had a car, they couldn’t enjoy it up close. Jiho would feel awkward, that was for sure. And, of course, since there was a car, there was no need to mention beer.
It’s a shame, but there’s still one more week left. She believed there would be another chance. So, she tried to fold up her disappointment in an adult manner.
“What is it? The easiest thing.”
“…Yes?”
Jiho seized the heart that Hye-yoon was trying to fold up. The hand that had put down the envelope gripped it again.
Tick-tock [Dash]
“Wow, it’s really spacious.”
Entering the room, Hye-yoon opened her mouth wide even before seeing the sea. While all hotels were generally luxurious and neat, the room Jiho guided her to was overwhelming in size and interior.
The moment she was about to take a step towards the window, her gaze met Jiho, who was taking out beer from the refrigerator. He had already taken off his coat.
‘When you get the key, I’ll send you the room number via message. Wait for me in the car for just 10 minutes.’
Ten minutes ago, in the hotel’s underground parking lot, Jiho’s last words were. She understood why he made such a choice.
Even if they revealed themselves as a couple, gossip like ‘An Jiho, I heard Jang Hye-yoon went to a hotel’ wouldn’t circulate nicely.
Until this late hour, Jiho’s Busan fan meeting was constantly floating on SNS with posts and photos, so the hotel didn’t seem to attach any personal significance to his visit.
“Wow!”
As her small feet reached the large glass wall filled entirely with the sea, an enthusiastic reaction erupted. Although it wasn’t the clear and blue sea she had imagined, the black waves of the night sea had an unattainable and dignified beauty.
As the door connected to the terrace swung open with a creaking sound, the scent of the sea wafted in heavily.
“Isn’t it nice to have a beer while looking at the sea?”
“Yes! I love it! I never imagined this way.”
“Yeah. I booked the best room. Luckily, I came into some money.”
There was a mischievous joke in Jiho, who came close. On the sofa behind him, in just 10 minutes, a now impoverished bank envelope was placed. The completely empty and deflated paper envelope looked crumpled.
For a moment, Hye-yoon’s forehead also wrinkled.
“Uh, this makes my gesture meaningless. I’ll give it to you again in Seoul. Today is invalid.”
“As expected, you’re a rich sister.”
Jiho, looking sincerely at the face of the one he gives to, handed her the beer. As they lightly clinked their cans, a clear and cheerful sound resonated. Hye-yoon wanted to drink it on the terrace, but Jiho didn’t allow it.
It’s been a while since she got over her cold. However, knowing that if she outright refuses, it will become more troublesome, she let him make the choice.
His question, ‘If you want to drink on the terrace, you have to go out like a kid living in the Arctic. Is that okay?’ Hye-yoon gave up easily and cleanly.
The two sat side by side on the wide sofa and drank beer. The romantic sound created by the waves through the slightly open door incessantly reached them. On top of that romance, layers of jokes and casual stories piled up.
“But Jiho, how is your alcohol tolerance?”
“I can handle it. Because it’s a basic thing for men.”
She looked at the empty can on Jiho’s table. Even though he hadn’t taken as many sips as she had, he was already ahead with one can.
“Now I can interpret what Jiho says. Can you handle alcohol really well?”
“Oh, you can read my thoughts, and now you can interpret my words too?”
“Hehe. That’s right.”
Glug-glug. Hye-yoon laughed as she poured the beer.
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!!!
