Visible Love (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1
Gubomun Books was so packed even on a weekday—perhaps because it was Seoul’s largest bookstore. There weren’t enough seats, so most people stood while reading. Pushing through the crowd, Su Young picked out a book to read and headed toward the children’s section.
The children’s corner was almost empty and even featured wide, staircase-style seating expressly designed to cultivate kids’ reading habits. This huge bookstore seemed to care only about children’s welfare—though adults were clearly the ones spending more money.
Because it was still morning, not a single child was around. A couple of regular bookstore dwellers who clearly knew about this prime spot had already claimed seats, so Su Young didn’t have to feel awkward. She spread out her book and settled comfortably into a quiet corner.
, by Seol Yong.
Both the title and the author sounded wonderful. Seol Yong was a debut novelist, and was his second work. Su Young thought she’d read his first novel, , about a hundred times.
While other authors’ profiles either displayed friendly photos of themselves or simply listed their names and bios, Seol Yong’s profile showed only a cartoon character.
That character was so handsome that Su Young became completely absorbed, as if he were a real person. Had the novel itself been boring, she probably would’ve just taken a photo of the illustration to keep—but the story matched her tastes perfectly.
It was about a male lead who didn’t trust people and a female lead afraid to step outside her world, gradually opening their hearts to each other.
The scenes where the heroine gathered courage and slowly adapted to society sparked a defiant determination in Su Young—“I can do it too!” And to think the only person this cool, love-skeptical male lead ever loved was her!
This heroine, who achieved both career success and love, was more than enough to become Su Young’s role model.
But reality was different from fiction—and that was the problem. Still, coming to the bookstore occasionally during her job hunt for a mood boost truly helped.
Su Young had graduated from the College of Education two years ago. After bouncing between cram school teaching gigs, she was now studying hard as a job seeker trying to land a new position.
Her “studying” mostly consisted of taking the TOEIC exam and preparing resumes and cover letters. Despite her earnest efforts, not a single company had contacted her after she submitted applications.
She wondered if her GPA was the issue—but there was nothing she could do now about grades from a university she’d already left. Her wish to simply get a job had now turned into a humble plea: “Please, just let me have an interview.”
After finishing the novel—over 600 pages long—Su Young pressed her eyes gently and stood up. As always, Seol Yong had not disappointed her.
She felt like writing a fan letter to the publisher—but, unfortunately, she wasn’t quite that diligent. She merely hoped the author somehow knew there was a fan out there who loved him from afar.
As she wandered through the shelves to return the book, she bumped into someone.
“Oh!”
“Ah!”
fell to the floor, and the stranger’s foot landed squarely on the cover. She’d been reading it so carefully, never even fully spreading it open for fear of creasing—yet now, right on the beautiful cover depicting a blue sky with white clouds, a stark black footprint was perfectly imprinted.
“Ahh!”
Su Young screamed, waving both hands without even thinking to pick up the book. She hadn’t meant to buy it—but now it looked like she’d have to.
“Oh! I’m so sorry! I’ll get you a brand-new copy!”
The stranger quickly picked up the book, dusting it off with his hands. When she looked up, she saw a man who must’ve been at least 190 cm tall, wearing a suit that fit him perfectly.
His clothes, his bag—it all gave off a distinctly office-worker vibe. A company employee at a bookstore during work hours? She found herself wishing she worked at such a relaxed company herself.
“I’ll buy you a new copy.”
As he politely offered the book back to her, her scowling expression softened slightly. Though she thought, “Well, of course you should,” she still politely declined out of courtesy.
“It’s fine. I hadn’t even paid for it yet, and it’s partly my fault—I’ll just buy it myself.”
For a brief moment, the man looked puzzled—then asked with curious eyes,
“Oh—you haven’t checked out yet? In that case, I’ll buy this one and get you a fresh copy.”
“It’s really okay…”
She trailed off, feeling caught—like she’d just been caught reading for free without paying. But the man strode ahead confidently toward the shelf where the book belonged. How did he even know where it went?
He pulled out a fresh copy and gave her a slight gesture—clearly signaling her to follow him to the register.
After paying, he carefully placed each book in separate paper bags and handed one to her with remarkable gentleness and manners.
“Are you a fan of author Seol Yong?”
He looked down at her as she took the bag, his voice still kind.
“Huh? Oh—yes.”
She was surprised he even knew the author’s name.
“Then you must’ve read , too?”
“Yes! Wait—you’re a fan as well?”
Now she understood how he knew the author’s name.
“Yes. I really like his work.”
He answered with a pleased smile. For some reason, despite never having met him before, Su Young felt an unexpected sense of kinship—though it struck her as odd. His novel wasn’t exactly the kind of story most men would enjoy.
“Don’t guys usually prefer martial arts novels?”
She asked casually, perhaps because they shared the same literary taste.
“I like martial arts novels, too—but I also enjoy fantasy-like stories like this.”
“Fantasy? But this is a romance.”
For a second, she doubted whether he was truly a Seol Yong fan—but he answered confidently and politely, clearly unaware he’d said anything strange.
“Do you really think this kind of love is possible? It’s fantasy.”
“Fantasy is about impossible, imagined worlds—but this could absolutely happen in real life! It’s about true love. If our author Seol Yong thought it was just fantasy, he wouldn’t have written a whole book about it, would he?”
Her voice grew louder as she passionately defended the love she so deeply believed in. Somehow, the author had already become “our” Seol Yong. The man’s eyes sparkled with interest as he asked,
“Where in the world do you find love that unconditionally accepts the other person? Unless you’re Jesus Christ.”
His tone wasn’t mocking—it was genuinely serious.
“That unconditional acceptance is exactly what makes it true love! The title’s , right? Love is usually an abstract concept—you can’t see it—but here, it’s visible. That means anyone can recognize it as real love. Without love, neither the male nor female lead would’ve grown like they did!”
Standing before a total stranger, Su Young found herself passionately promoting the novel as if she were Seol Yong’s personal spokesperson. A faint, unreadable smile appeared on the man’s lips as he listened.
“Do you talk to your boyfriend like this?”
“Huh?”
“I said—do you talk to your boyfriend like this?”
“Well… if I had one, I guess I would.”
Her face flushed at his question, and he chuckled softly—as if he’d expected exactly that reaction. Slightly irritated by his laugh, Su Young clamped her mouth shut.
The more she talked, the more she felt she was only hurting herself. What was the point of discussing true love with someone who called it fantasy? Her earlier excitement at meeting a fellow fan vanished instantly.
“Thank you for the book.”
At the bookstore entrance, Su Young bowed slightly. He replied gently,
“Oh—sure. Nice meeting you. I’ll tell Seol Yong he met a ‘true fan.’”
“What? You know Seol Yong?”
She blurted out louder than intended. Amused by her reaction, he simply answered,
“Yes.”
“Wow!”
An involuntary exclamation burst from her lips. The realization that he wasn’t just a casual fan—but actually knew the author—reignited her excitement.
Eyes sparkling, she even clasped her shopping bag respectfully with both hands. The man looked down at her with clear interest.
“Hm?”
“Then… have you seen what Seol Yong looks like?”
“Uh… yeah.”
“Seriously?! What does our author look like?!”
“Oh—wait, hasn’t Seol Yong kept his face hidden?”
“Yes! There’s only that cartoon character on the book. The illustration is amazing—but he couldn’t possibly look exactly like that in real life, right?”
He laughed aloud—then quickly turned serious.
“Actually… he looks exactly like that. Just like the drawing.”
“What?”
That couldn’t be—how could a real person look exactly like a cartoon? Su Young’s face clearly showed her disbelief, but the man remained utterly serious.
“Author Seol Yong really does look just like that character. So you can just keep loving that illustration.”
The more he insisted, the more it sounded like he was teasing her. Was he worried she couldn’t tell the difference between drawings and reality?
“He said his next book is coming out soon—please make sure to read it. Even if you don’t buy it, at least read it here at the bookstore, okay? Haha.”
Su Young’s face burned crimson. His words made her feel absurd—as if reading for free at a bookstore was shameful for a so-called fan. If only her mother hadn’t threatened to stop buying her novels, she’d have bought this one for sure—but explaining all that now would’ve been ridiculous.
As she watched him bow slightly and walk out of the bookstore, Su Young deeply regretted ever mentioning she was a fan. And why had she rambled on so much to a total stranger?
She lightly bonked her head with her fist and headed toward the subway station. She should’ve been happy—after all, she’d gotten her favorite author’s book for free—but instead, she felt deeply uneasy.
[This is the timeline separator]When she got home, Su Young was surprised to find her mother, Jo Young Soon, packing a bag. Her mother, who worked at a construction company and regularly pulled late nights like it was nothing, was home while it was still light out—which could only mean something serious had happened.
“Mom, why are you home so early?”
“Oh, your aunt hurt her back and is in the hospital. I’m packing to go see her. Want to come?”
“Aunt?”
Jo Young Soon’s older sister, Jo Young Mi, had raised Su Young almost as her own after divorcing her husband—since Young Soon had always been too busy with work. Because of this, Su Young shared an unusually close bond with her aunt.
Once Su Young grew up, Young Mi felt too guilty to keep accepting money from her younger sister for both babysitting and living expenses. So she began picking up odd jobs to support herself. But with no formal education or work experience, her options were limited to cashiering, cleaning, or babysitting.
Recently, however, she’d happily landed a housekeeping job at a place that paid well but required little work. Now, without knowing exactly how her aunt had injured her back, Young Soon and Su Young rode to the hospital in silence.
As soon as they arrived and saw Young Mi lying in bed with a back brace, Su Young groaned softly and gently hugged her.
“Aunt! What happened? How’d you get hurt?!”
But Young Mi was more worried about her niece.
“Aren’t you busy with job hunting? Why’d you come?”
“Of course I’d come! What were you doing when you got hurt? Was it at work?”
“No. I twisted my ankle getting off the bus and fell—I thought only my foot was hurt, but I guess I injured my back, too.”
“How did you fall so badly you cracked your pelvis? Does it hurt?”
Young Soon, who’d already spoken with the doctor, looked at her sister with pity. Young Mi just smiled and shook her head.
“I’m on painkillers, so it doesn’t hurt. But I’m in trouble—there’s no one to replace me at work tomorrow.”
“That housekeeping job?”
Su Young asked, and Young Mi nodded.
“What exactly do you do? Is it a lot of work?”
“Not really. Just washing dishes and tidying up anything out of place—only two hours. But with my pelvis like this…”
Seeing the deep disappointment on Young Mi’s face, Su Young and Young Soon exchanged glances. If Young Mi lost this job, she’d have to find a new one—and the odds of finding something better were almost zero.
Without even realizing it, Su Young clasped her aunt’s arm with both hands and asked,
“If it’s just for tomorrow… should I go in your place?”
Young Soon looked at her daughter, then Young Mi glanced at her younger sister before speaking.
“You? Aren’t you busy studying?”
“It’s just for a bit! If you quit, you’ll have to find another job—and with your back hurt, you can’t take on hard labor. You said this one wasn’t even that demanding, right?”
As Su Young looked between her mother and aunt, Young Soon reluctantly agreed.
“Alright. It won’t hurt to skip one day of job prep—Su Young can just go for a bit tomorrow.”
She was slightly worried—her daughter never even cleaned her own room, let alone someone else’s—but there really was no other option. And with her sister, who’d always taken care of her daughter while she worked, now bedridden, she couldn’t selfishly protect only her own child.
All Young Soon could do was desperately hope her daughter wouldn’t cause any trouble at that house.
[This is the timeline separator]Her aunt had said she’d found a dream job in her later years—and it really was true. Just dishwashing and tidying for two hours. But there were no dishes to wash, and nothing to tidy—everything was already perfectly in place.
The spacious house had barely any furniture, and every item was aligned as precisely as in a model home.
After silently circling the quiet living room and kitchen once, Su Young carefully sat down on the L-shaped sofa, repeating her aunt’s repeated instructions from yesterday.
—Just because the house is quiet doesn’t mean no one’s home. The homeowner works remotely from his room, so absolutely no noise. He’s extremely sensitive to sound—even a little disturbance apparently ruins his focus. Also, every item must stay exactly where it is. Never move any furniture or objects. As long as you follow these rules, the job isn’t hard at all.
But would she even make any noise or move anything? The large living room contained only a long cabinet, a black sofa, and a silver grand piano in the corner—nothing else.
The kitchen had only a long countertop, appliances, and a long dining table. Of the two open rooms, one held various exercise equipment, while the other was completely empty.
The only closed room—the homeowner’s—was sealed like a fortress. Though she sensed no presence inside, Su Young tiptoed carefully, afraid of making even the slightest sound.
She’d already finished all the tasks her aunt assigned—and still had a full hour left. After glancing around and confirming there truly was nothing else to do, she sat on the sofa and pulled out her phone.
She opened the large living room window for ventilation, and a cool breeze filled the space. The afternoon sun shone warmly through the massive window at 3 p.m.
Maybe it was nerves—from coming to do her aunt’s job—but Su Young, who hadn’t slept at all last night, slowly leaned back against the sofa despite knowing she shouldn’t nap in someone else’s house.
The sofa—firm yet plush, smooth yet cozy—seemed to whisper, “Lie down, lie down.” Soon, her phone slipped from her hand and dropped onto the sofa.
She dozed off at an awkward 45-degree angle against the backrest—until she suddenly sensed someone standing in front of her and blinked her eyes open groggily.
Good grief! Right before her eyes stood the Seol Yong cartoon character—as if rendered in 3D. Though it was a drawing, his face showed no emotion as he looked down at her—but just seeing his face made her happy.
A spacious, spotless house with nothing to do… warm sunlight, cool breeze… no wonder she was having such a pleasant dream. She closed her eyes again.
Her loud snoring echoed through the vast living room.
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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