When I Reach You (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
A cap pulled low over long, glossy hair; a tight-fitting T-shirt on the upper body; a casually worn crop jacket; and stretchy skinny jeans paired with work boots.
It was the perfect outfit—ready to run away at any moment.
Though the monochrome outfit was entirely black, her proportions made her stand out—especially her pale skin, which sharply contrasted with the black.
Eun Jae alternated her gaze between the high-rise building before her and the address written on the paper, then let out a deep sigh.
“You really came just because I asked?”
She’d agonized over this decision, stepping forward only after much deliberation—and she hadn’t slept a wink worrying about it.
People with ambiguous intentions were the scariest, after all.
But what unsettled her most was his overwhelming kindness.
He’d even given her a new phone and treated her to a fancy course meal at a high-end hotel—something she’d never experienced before in her life.
Still, there was only one reason she’d come this far:
It was true—he’d helped her avoid a crisis. And her promise to repay that kindness wasn’t something she’d said lightly; every word had been sincere.
If I’d been caught by those people that day, where would I be now?
“Ugh, just thinking about it is horrifying.”
The mere thought sent chills down her spine, and Eun Jae shook her head vigorously.
Though she’d firmly declined his offer to send a driver, insisting instead on taking a taxi, she’d ended up taking the bus.
The 50,000-won bill he’d given her the day before crinkled softly in her pocket.
Eun Jae stood for a long while in front of the luxurious residential-office complex—clearly expensive—before steeling herself and slowly walking toward the entrance.
The tightly secured building required visitors to leave their ID and register before entering.
Even after completing registration and standing before the elevator, she kept hesitating, warily glancing around.
Lost in thought, she let two elevators—already descending to the lobby—pass by.
‘Ji Eun Jae, even *you* must realize it’s a bit much to visit a man’s place after only meeting him once… or, well, twice?’
Just as that thought paused briefly, the third elevator doors opened, and she quickly stepped inside.
*Screw it—I have no idea.* That was exactly how she felt.
She pressed the button for the 31st floor—his floor—and took a deep breath.
Even inside the quiet elevator, where only the mechanical beeps were audible, her inner conflict continued.
He’s clearly a trustworthy person—what’s there to worry about?
“He’s a surgeon at Yeonrim Hospital, after all.”
No, wait—maybe I should just turn back now.
“What exactly do you plan to check in his apartment, anyway?”
Right—like in *that* cramped space!
“Creep.”
She decided she’d cancel today’s meeting and suggest rescheduling to talk outside later instead.
She hastily canceled the 31st-floor button and pressed “1,” but the elevator didn’t stop—it kept ascending.
While Eun Jae pulled out her phone from her jacket pocket and began typing a message to him, the elevator, relentlessly climbing, finally reached the top floor—floor 31, where he lived.
Having no intention of stepping out, Eun Jae kept typing with her right hand while reaching her left toward the “Door Close” button.
That was when it happened.
Before the doors could shut, a large hand slipped in and blocked them.
Thinking someone was about to board, Eun Jae slowly followed the hand upward with her eyes.
When she finally saw the man’s face at the end of that arm, she nearly fainted from shock.
A man in a white dress shirt and black slacks stood blocking the door, wearing a cool smile.
“Ah! You scared me!”
“Aren’t you getting off? Where were you going?”
Startled, Eun Jae instinctively shuffled backward into the elevator’s corner.
“I thought maybe you’d changed your mind again and run off, considering how long it took you to come up.”
“…”
“It *is* Ji Eun Jae’s specialty, after all.”
Still frozen like a stone statue in the corner, Eun Jae finally moved slightly at Seon Woo’s beckoning gesture.
“Let’s just get off—for heaven’s sake, don’t inconvenience the other residents too.”
Eun Jae, who’d only been blinking silently, finally gave a short reply and stepped out of the elevator.
The corridor’s blue-toned carpet felt incredibly plush underfoot.
As the elevator doors closed, a suffocating silence settled in the dim hallway.
Leaning casually on one leg, he tilted his head and looked down at Eun Jae, standing awkwardly alone.
“Good thing I came to greet you.”
He lifted one corner of his mouth in a quiet, knowing smile—as if he’d foreseen everything.
A single droplet from his damp hair fell, gliding smoothly down his sleek neck and slipping between the open buttons of his shirt, right below the collarbone.
“Let’s go in.”
His half-lidded eyes, damp hair, and the loosely unbuttoned white silk dress shirt shimmered faintly in the dim light, swaying gently with even the smallest movement.
Perhaps because of that, his words—“Let’s go in”—somehow sounded far more suggestive than he likely intended.
Without waiting for her reply, he turned and began walking slowly, guiding her forward. Eun Jae followed behind but called out, intending to stop him.
“Wait!”
“I can hear your gears turning all the way from here, Ji Eun Jae.”
Still not turning back, he stopped a few steps ahead and continued,
“I’d really prefer it if you didn’t plan to run away.”
Because no matter what, I’ll find you.
Though he hadn’t spoken those exact words, they seemed to echo in her ears.
When he waved the keycard in front of the front door, a cheerful melody rang out softly through the quiet corridor.
“I didn’t come here thoughtlessly—I gave this address in full detail to a friend and told her to report anything suspicious. Do you really think I’d come alone without at least *that* precaution?”
Her fair skin always gave her away—no matter what she did.
Did she really have to wear every emotion so openly?
Her frightened, cat-like expression combined with her sharp tone was oddly endearing.
Pausing at the open doorway, he smoothed his slightly furrowed brow and asked,
“What exactly do you want to say?”
“I mean—don’t even *think* about pulling anything weird!”
A dry chuckle escaped between his teeth, as if he found her absurd. His briefly relaxed brow furrowed again, and he turned his head fully toward her.
“What kind of ‘weird thing’?”
“Well… um… I mean…”
He watched quietly as her eyes darted, searching for the right words.
With a wry tilt of his head, Seon Woo shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Sorry, but you’re not really my type.”
Huh? Why do *I* feel offended?
When she glared at him, slightly annoyed, he continued firmly,
“So whatever ‘weird thing’ you’re imagining—I have no reason to do it.”
“Seriously, what exactly are you assuming I’m thinking?”
Seon Woo silently smiled as he watched her cheeks flush red. Then, as the door began to close automatically, he reopened it and wedged himself between the door and the frame.
“Jumping to conclusions about someone before even getting to know them is a bad habit.”
“It’s not about judgment—it’s caution. I can’t just blindly trust a stranger and do whatever they say.”
He stroked his chin silently, studying her, then—after a brief pause—nodded faintly, as if conceding the point.
“Then wait here for a moment. Let’s go to the café on the first floor instead.”
Surprisingly, he readily agreed to change locations at her suggestion.
Just as she thought, *What’s going on?*, he stepped inside—then suddenly leaned back out, as if remembering something, and asked,
“Coincidentally, that loan shark’s office is nearby. Are you sure you’re okay with such an open space?”
“…”
“The person who promised to repay my kindness keeps scheming to run away—I might need to reconsider things myself.”
After delivering that thinly veiled warning, his smiling face briefly flashed between the slowly closing door gaps.
That finally spurred Eun Jae to rush forward toward his apartment door.
“Oh—no! Let’s just talk inside.”
“So you *are* scared.”
“Well—you *did* say I’m not your type.”
“As you wish.”
With an arched eyebrow, he gestured for her to enter through the wide-open doorway—and Eun Jae swallowed hard.
Once inside, her eyes widened in astonishment.
Endless white-toned hallways were lined with large, elegant frames—like a gallery display.
Though she wore socks, the immaculate, snow-white polished tile floor made her feet feel cold.
He, who’d been walking ahead, suddenly paused and tilted his head sideways to ask,
“Are your feet cold?”
“A bit?”
He silently watched her toes wiggle inside her socks, then pointed with his finger to the beige slippers he was wearing.
“As you can see, I’m barefoot—and I only have one pair of slippers.”
Then why even ask if you’re not going to offer them?
“You’re the first guest I’ve ever had here—I honestly didn’t think that far ahead.”
Despite his words, he didn’t look the least bit remorseful as he resumed walking.
Her feet were only slightly chilly—she hadn’t even minded—yet his unnecessary question had prickled her nerves.
After about ten long strides, a vast, dazzling living room came into view.
Centered around a cream-colored leather sofa in a facing arrangement, the living room featured floor-to-ceiling glass on three sides.
Absurdly, she briefly wondered: *Surely he doesn’t expect me to clean this place alone? Did he bring me here just to show me, ‘This is the house you’ll be cleaning from now on’?*
Sunlight streamed in fiercely through the wide-open white chiffon curtains, spilling across the living room floor.
As she stood momentarily entranced, a sharp *click* sounded behind her—his fingers snapping.
“Ji Eun Jae, this way.”
Turning her head, she saw a kitchen nearly as large as the living room itself.
A chandelier—so similar to the one at yesterday’s hotel it might as well have been the same one—sparkled brilliantly above the glossy dining table.
Eun Jae slowly approached the table, fidgeting with her nose for no reason, and sat across from him.
On the dynamic-veined Statuario marble tabletop sat a delicately carved crystal goblet, half-filled with water—and beneath it lay a single square pill, no bigger than a fingernail.
What? He’s not seriously expecting *me* to take that, is he?
What would he even do after making me take it?
“Um—so, what exactly did you want me to… to check?”
She tried to look away, but her eyes kept drifting back to the pill; her throat grew dry, and her words stumbled.
*Get a grip, Ji Eun Jae.*
Watching her stammer, he gave a faint snort—then abruptly extended his open palm toward her.
“Give me your hand.”
“I’m not taking that—I won’t take it.”
“What are you talking about?”
Shaking her head, Eun Jae hid her hands behind her back—and his brow furrowed slightly.
“That! I’m not taking *that*.”
When she jutted her chin toward the pill, he scoffed.
“Who said to take it? Do you even know what it is?”
“…”
“You’ve got a habit of jumping to unnecessary conclusions.”
Ignoring her flustered reaction, he extended his hand again, insistently waving it.
Why keep asking for my hand? This is weird—you’re seriously giving off creep vibes.
“What are you thinking *now*?”
“I’m not thinking anything!”
“Sure—you were practically glaring at me like I’m some pervert.”
“But I’m *not*—seriously!”
If you already know, why even ask?
At this point, wasn’t he practically using mind-reading? He’d seemed to see straight into her thoughts this whole time.
“No—out of nowhere, you ask for my hand! You need to give me a reasonable explanation first—I need to be convinced before I’ll hand it over!”
And even *then*, she wasn’t sure she’d comply.
He let out a short sigh at her sharp wariness, then withdrew his hand and leaned back in his chair.
“For over twenty years, no one has ever laid a hand on me.”
“…”
“No—I mean, no one *could*. Yet you touched me, and nothing happened. To me, that’s impossible.”
She didn’t grasp most of what he said—except for the word *touched*, which triggered an immediate reaction.
“When did I ever *touch* you? Are you seriously fixating on that time I covered your mouth?”
No—it wasn’t even *touching*; I just covered your mouth because you kept talking too loudly and I was afraid we’d get caught! She rambled on, venting her lingering frustration from that day.
Once again, he extended his hand toward her.
“I want to confirm it.”
Whether it’s simply due to the pill—or
“Whether *you* are the exception.”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
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