Even hearing that, I felt disheartened, wondering if it was right for me to be overly sensitive.
Should I continue to watch this?
“Still, I have to thank you, and it stabs my conscience to say so.”
It’s not your conscience, it’s piercing my heart. Haru, this is really… Until when are you going to keep accepting it?
At times like this, I’d rather not be the director. If I could confidently say that I’m her boyfriend here, it would have been better. Such thoughts crossed my mind. Watching the scene unfold from the side was only painful.
But surprisingly, there was one more man who shared similar feelings with me. That was Kim Hyunsoo.
“What on earth are the two of them talking about now? I can’t follow the conversation because they’re talking about things that are so detached from reality.”
It had a slightly different meaning for me.
“Kim Hyunsoo, saying that I look twenty is, well, I admit it’s a bit much. Wherever we go, everyone thinks you’re the senior. You look older.”
“Well, the choice of words is a bit off. If you say I look a bit older, it would be enough; there’s no need to say I look old.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
“How does that make sense? You, a broadcast writer, don’t even know the nuance. Then you should say to other people, ‘I’m two years older than Haru, it’s better,’ or ‘I’m two years younger,’ isn’t that better?”
“It doesn’t matter. Because I look much younger.”
“Wow, that’s nice, huh? Just because you look younger than me?”
I, who thought it was much better to listen to such a conversation without substance, kept letting out laughter that seemed to escape from my lips.
“Director Kim, it’s not something to laugh about.”
Haru’s sudden comment left me bewildered.
“Oh, sorry.”
Still, the smile lingering on my lips didn’t easily disappear.
In fact, it was true. Compared to the strangely annoying conversation with Jihun, this one was much more enjoyable for me.
“Oh, there, Writer Kim.”
At Jihun’s call, Hyunsoo’s body quickly turned in that direction.
“Since we’ve coincidentally run into each other like this, how about the four of us have dinner together?”
With confidence that we would naturally join even before Hyunsoo expressed his intention, a cheerful face turned towards us.
“There’s a famous seafood buffet place nearby. I was just on my way there, and since it’s dinner time, both of you, Writer Kim and Director Kim, haven’t had dinner yet, right?”
“Oh, yes. Writer Kim and I already…”
“It’s a seafood buffet? I really like seafood. Both of us haven’t had dinner yet. Of course, even if it were after dinner, we would still go.”
Watching Haru smiling innocently, I agreed.
“Writer Kim really likes seafood. It’s really fortunate. Director Kim, you’re going to join, right?”
“I have to. Of course.”
It was a somewhat biting remark that I couldn’t not go when Haru was going, but Jihun simply smiled, showing a good-natured expression.
When they said seafood buffet, I thought they were talking about the recently opened upscale restaurant around here. Surprisingly, or perhaps because of thorough preparation, Haru found a quaint restaurant that locals mainly frequented.
Peeking inside the door, there were countless autographs of famous people who visited this place covering the wall.
Haru took the first step into the store. The three tall men followed closely, surrounding Haru like a folding screen.
Since it was a famous restaurant, I wondered if there would be any seats left and looked around widely like casting a net. Fortunately, there was one table for four remaining in the right corner.
“Oh, there’s a table over there.”
Before I could even lift my foot to move, Hyunsoo shouted loudly. He took the first step in the order in which we entered.
Hyunsoo took his seat first, and on the opposite side, Haru slid into her seat. With a quick glance, she checked if I was following well. It seemed like an invitation to sit next to her.
Even if you didn’t tell me to sit, did you think I wouldn’t? Nodding slightly, I sat down next to Haru, seemingly indifferent. Naturally, Hyunsoo took the seat across from Haru, and Jihun ended up sitting in front of me.
“The seafood is buffet-style, but you order drinks separately. What would you like to do?”
Glancing at the menu, when I asked, there was an atmosphere suggesting starting with a glass of beer for everyone. Since Haru knew that I couldn’t handle alcohol well, she seemed like she was about to order juice for me.
“I’ll have beer too. You have to try local beer at least once.”
If I were to drink enough to truly savor the taste of beer, I would eventually have to carry myself home. I don’t know what gave me the confidence. But, it didn’t look good to overly discourage it either.
“I’ll have beer too. You have to drive.”
“Then, Writer Kim, don’t drink too much. I’ll drink what you leave.”
“Director, you have to drive too.”
“Then, Writer Kim, don’t drink either. If you’re going to make me drive.”
There was a sudden sharpness in Haru’s eyes as the words were spoken, almost as if her gaze was about to become a bit harsh. I chuckled and looked into the distance as if I were daydreaming.
“But, Director, you…”
Turning my head at Hyunsoo’s voice, which included my title, “Haru said you’re her first love.”
“That’s right.”
Oddly, speaking in the past tense made my heart ache for no reason. It wasn’t necessary, but it happened naturally. Memories have a way of holding onto emotions.
“But, while watching your movies, I felt something. How should I put it? Although your feelings, as my first love, have already left, my feelings, holding you as my first love, haven’t let you go. It’s just this kind of feeling.”
My motion stopped for a moment in the sudden confusion at the overflowing perplexity. Because he always had a face full of mischief, I didn’t know he could articulate such an accurate expression about my movie. He saw through it.
What is he trying to say now? Knowing our relationship with Haru, what is his intention in this situation?
I put down the water cup, filled with water, and stared at him, waiting for his next words.
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
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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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