When I Reach You (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
After leaving the man’s officetel, Eun Jae let out a deep sigh.
Her mind was tangled.
Despite having nothing to her name, she’d rejected an offer far beyond her station.
What did that silly pride of hers even mean?
Strangely, the man neither pressed her persistently nor invoked gratitude to probe further after her refusal—only nodding his head as if resigned.
When she foolishly suggested he call her if he ever needed help with cleaning, laundry, or dishes, he faintly smiled and simply told her it was fine and to go home.
How absurd it all felt.
Looking back, her face kept flushing red and pale in turns.
As she offered her final goodbye and handed back the phone he’d given her, he returned it instead—along with an apology, saying he was sorry if he’d seemed displeased.
He added knowingly, “You’re well aware it’s useless to you either way, right?”
Several more exchanges followed, but the man stubbornly refused to take the phone back.
“I, of all people—what use would I possibly have for this?”
Eun Jae muttered to herself, exhaling the words like another sigh.
All the way down the elevator, a muddle of emotions toward the man churned inside her—
guilt, gratitude, and more. Yet none of that was enough to make her impulsively accept.
No—after all, this wasn’t about just anything. It was marriage.
“I did well. Yes, I really did.”
She quietly reassured herself, soothing her suddenly heavy heart.
Truth be told, she’d simply felt that way. However prettily it was wrapped, how was this any different from being sold off?
While she briefly lowered her head, tears—unknowingly gathered—dropped with a soft *plink* onto her knees.
“If only it weren’t for that debt…”
She wouldn’t have lost her stable job, wouldn’t have been forced to run and hide like this.
No more, no less—just an ordinary life…
Why was that simple thing so difficult for her, when others found it so easy?
Resentment toward her father—long buried—slowly seeped back up like smoke.
She’d been told he’d passed away some time ago.
From the time she was a sniffling child until she became an adult, she never knew where he’d been or how he’d lived.
Her father’s final image suddenly surfaced:
That night, promising her samgyetang the next day, he’d pressed a keychain with a teddy bear into little Eun Jae’s hand. After that, he vanished without a trace.
While waiting for the bus, she barely managed to sever the creeping tendrils of resentment, well aware how futile they were.
Eun Jae wiped her damp eyes with the back of her hand—then paused, hand hovering instinctively toward the teddy bear keychain usually dangling from her bag, only to feel its absence.
“Huh? Where did I drop it?”
It was a slightly worn keychain, and she’d dropped it once before just outside the man’s officetel recently—but forgotten to tighten the ring.
Quickly, she scanned her surroundings, retracing her steps to search for the keychain—until, inevitably, she found herself reentering the officetel building.
She was meticulously scouring the elevator area in the lobby when—
the elevator doors opened, and she collided with the man stepping out. Bent over, scanning the floor, Eun Jae lost her balance and tumbled backward.
Startled, the man swiftly reached out to help her up.
“I’m sorry—are you all right?”
“No, I should apologize.”
His gaze, checking on her welfare, lingered steadily on her face.
“…Ji Eun Jae?”
Eun Jae, brushing dust off her rear, awkwardly scratched her eye corner—the unfamiliar man had just called her by name.
“Who… are you?”
“Oh, hurtful again, huh?”
He scratched near his eyebrow, wearing a disappointed expression.
Now that she looked closer, he did seem vaguely familiar.
As she frowned slightly, trying to scrutinize his face, he suddenly beamed.
“It’s me—Yoon Tae Gyu. Don’t you remember?”
Hearing his full name, Eun Jae’s memory stirred—the boy he once was surfaced clearly.
“Oh—Yoon Tae Gyu.”
Seeing her recognize him, Tae Gyu greeted her with unmistakable delight.
“Wow, it really is Ji Eun Jae? I almost didn’t recognize you—you’ve gotten so beautiful.”
His expression held both warmth and something faintly puzzled.
“No, wait—you were always beautiful, even back then. What brings you here?”
He bent slightly to meet her eye level. As their faces drew closer, Eun Jae instinctively leaned away.
“Wow, running into you here—this is unreal.”
Tae Gyu’s friendly greeting—as if they’d just parted ways yesterday—left Eun Jae thoroughly flustered.
Weren’t we *not* on terms where we’d happily greet each other like this?
Wearing a reluctant expression, she gently slipped her hand from his grasp and answered:
“I know someone who lives here.”
*Someone you know.* Since when did he become *your* acquaintance? How well do you even know him?
Shaking her head, Eun Jae forcibly banished the sudden image that leapt to mind—
specifically, the half-naked state in which she’d last seen *him*. Her cheeks flushed reflexively as an added bonus.
“Oh?”
Tae Gyu’s easy smile, nodding along with her words, caught her full attention.
After seeing him only in school uniforms before, no wonder she hadn’t recognized him like this.
A white shirt with one button undone, a loosely tied black tie, an unbuttoned black jacket—somehow, this overlapped strangely with his old uniformed self.
The boyish softness had vanished completely, replaced by sharp, mature features. Had he not spoken first, she surely would’ve walked past without a second glance.
“You live here too?”
“Oh—I…”
Tae Gyu scratched his head awkwardly, trailing off briefly.
*That this is my grandfather’s building, that several units belong to me, and that I’ve just finalized a lease agreement for one of them*—seemed best left unsaid.
“I also know someone who lives here.”
“Ah… Right. Nice running into you. I should go.”
As Eun Jae offered a faint smile and turned to leave, Tae Gyu—hesitating only a moment—caught her wrist.
“How about a cup of coffee?”
“Ah, I’m in a hurry—got something urgent.”
She gently pulled her wrist free, declining.
The words *There are loan sharks nearby looking for me, so it’s complicated* trembled at the tip of her tongue.
Besides, we’re not exactly on terms where we can sit down leisurely for coffee together.
Only your looks changed—you’re exactly the same. Still smiling and showing interest in just anyone.
At her reply, Tae Gyu raised an eyebrow.
“Really? But your phone screen’s cracked.”
“What?”
Surprised, Eun Jae pulled her phone from her pocket—
just as the realization she’d been tricked struck her, he swiftly snatched the phone from her hand.
Eun Jae’s eyes widened at the sudden move.
Ah, Yoon Tae Gyu—you really haven’t changed.
How could a phone in my pocket have a cracked screen? Even if it were cracked, how could you *see* it inside my pocket?
She only realized she’d fallen for his trick after the phone was already in his hand.
“What are you doing? Give it back.”
“Just wait.”
As Eun Jae fumbled to grab her phone back, Tae Gyu easily evaded her and began operating it—
thanks to her habit of skipping the passcode for convenience.
Moments later, a ringing sound came from somewhere. Smiling contentedly, he pulled out a phone from his jacket pocket—and the ringing grew louder.
With the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, he finally handed the phone back to her.
“Here—take it.”
Famous since forever, weren’t you, Yoon Tae Gyu?
“That’s my number.”
Tae Gyu and Eun Jae had been high school classmates.
They’d shared a class together only once, briefly, in second year—and she couldn’t even recall ever speaking to him privately beyond necessary exchanges.
Yoon Tae Gyu had been popular at school—handsome, from a good family, with a likable personality. He’d made girls’ hearts flutter across all grades.
So widely known was he that rumor had it: *If you didn’t know Yoon Tae Gyu, you must be a spy—even if you forgot the principal’s name.*
“You still haven’t dropped that habit?”
“What habit?”
“Never mind. Forget it.”
The way you make people so naturally accept your number without even realizing it.
You did the same to me back then, didn’t you?
Even though our phones weren’t the same, you lied they were the same model, asked if you could take a look “out of curiosity,” then—just like now—called yourself and told me to save your number.
There was a time—briefly, very briefly—
when I’d felt something for you.
Because I’d mistakenly believed that phone number you’d casually asked for carried some deeper meaning.
I knew you’d collected numbers from nearly every girl in our school like that. Wasn’t I just one among them? Just another girl who passed you by.
So why wear such a genuinely delighted expression?
“If I call, answer.”
Why on earth would I answer your call?
After a brief hesitation, Eun Jae replied:
“Sure.”
Since they were bound to part ways after today anyway, what was the point of holding onto trivialities? She answered as positively and cheerfully as she could manage.
“See you again.”
With those words and a smile, Yoon Tae Gyu walked away.
Was *Yoon* really such a common surname? Lately, everyone she met seemed to be a Yoon.
Hoping never to cross paths with him again, Eun Jae waited until Tae Gyu fully disappeared—then slowly resumed walking.
[This is the timeline separator]Back home—or rather, the dingy motel room tucked away in a quiet neighborhood, the second place she’d moved since her hiding spot was exposed—Eun Jae set down her fanny pack and stared for a long while at the spot where the keychain should have hung.
Now it had become her father’s last keepsake.
A terrible father—leaving without a trace, leaving behind nothing but crushing debt.
That night had been the eve of her birthday.
Just before drifting off, half-asleep, she remembered her father pressing the bear keychain into her hazy little hand, his words echoing:
“Eun Jae, where do you start eating samgyetang?”
“From the belly! Dad, shall we have samgyetang tomorrow?”
“Yeah, let’s.”
“Tomorrow’s Eun Jae’s birthday. Promise!”
What did that keychain matter? What did that promise matter?
“You’d think he’d at least offer fried chicken to a child that age—samgyetang? Seriously.”
She’d only been four.
Why had she kept it all this time? Why did she still remember?
Faith in her father—and lingering regret over what never came to pass.
To her, that keychain held those abstract, fragile things.
Only when gazing at and touching that teddy bear keychain would her father’s gentle face surface—making her nose prickle unexpectedly, drawing forth memories of all the kindnesses he’d shown—so that…
“Actually, it’s for the best.”
To suppress the tears welling up, Eun Jae pressed hard on her stinging nose bridge and buried her face deep into the blanket.
Perhaps this was a chance to finally sever it all—
her memories of the father who’d driven her to the edge, her lingering attachment, her faith.
She desperately hoped it could be so.
[This is the timeline separator]Darkness settled over the quiet living room.
Seon Woo’s slippers dragged limply across the cold marble floor as he wandered aimlessly—then abruptly threw himself onto the sofa.
Closing his eyes slowly, the woman’s voice floated through the air:
“I know it’ll sound ridiculously presumptuous coming from me—but while marriage might be just business to you, it isn’t to me. I’ve never even considered it that way.”
“I may not have lived an ordinary life, but if I go so far as to treat marriage like that… I truly feel like I’d be selling myself. So, for that reason, I’ll have to decline your proposal.”
Gratitude was just an excuse—he needed her, unconditionally.
From the moment her hand had touched him, from the instant he sensed her touch was unlike anyone else’s, Seon Woo believed this was his final chance.
At the very least, one thing seemed certain: whether her or him, they were both barely hanging on at the cliff’s edge—each day precariously waiting for someone to save them.
“I’m sorry—this just doesn’t feel right.”
The image of the woman’s thoroughly deflated final expression rose in his mind, tightening his chest.
“Yes. No matter how you look at it, you know this isn’t right.”
How could he possibly give up now—when he’d already learned such a person as you exists?
His rushed behavior during the blind dates—no doubt fueled by impatience over all the time he’d wasted—had certainly played a part.
Should he have taken more time, met gradually, and carefully earned her goodwill instead?
Though, what good was regretting it now?
Seon Woo retraced her words in his mind.
Was it because he’d offered to pay off her debt? Or because he’d called it business?
Truth was, *he* had hated that kind of marriage more than anyone—which was precisely why he’d been searching for someone like her. Would it have been different if he’d been just a little more honest about that?
No.
What she clearly wanted was a marriage rooted in *love*.
Something he couldn’t possibly give.
Something no amount of effort could make him capable of giving.
“Love? From someone like me?”
The thought of enduring more of those cursed blind dates made his head throb.
He was parched.
Raking his fingers roughly through his bangs and exhaling a long sigh, Seon Woo sat up and headed toward the kitchen.
Midway there, his foot bumped against something with a soft *thud*. He looked down.
A keychain—attached to a palm-sized brown teddy bear.
Bending down, Seon Woo picked it up and stared at it, motionless.
It was unmistakably familiar—something he’d seen somewhere before.
“Where have I seen this…?”
Very few people ever came to Seon Woo’s place: his mother, or perhaps the housekeeper from the main household who delivered daily side dishes.
And *that woman*.
After standing there a long while, fiddling with the keychain, Seon Woo placed it on the dining table, slung his jacket over his shoulder—and stepped out.
It was the start of another grueling day.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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