Yoon’s affectionate voice rang in his ears. Kang Hyun’s lips curled into a small smile.
“Where is the dinner party?”
Kang Hyun quickened his steps.
Upon arriving at the venue, Kang Hyun called her again.
Did you arrive?
The bustling noise indicated that the dinner party was still in full swing.
“Yes, come out now.”
Okay, just wait a little.
However, Yoon didn’t come out even after waiting for a while.
“What the hell are they doing?”
Then, Kang Hyun saw drunken men making a racket in front of the restaurant. Unfortunately, Yoon was coming out just then.
Seeing them approaching Yoon, Kang Hyun unbuckled his belt.
“President, I will go out.”
Cheol Yeong, who was hastily trying to restrain Kang Hyun, quickly got out of the car and ran towards Yoon.
As Yoon came out of the restaurant and looked around for Kang Hyun’s car, the men were glancing at her and approached her.
“Lady, are you alone?”
One man with reckless courage slurred his words.
“Get lost, I’m not alone!”
Cheol Yeong, who had quickly run over and blocked Yoon, glared at the man with a menacing look.
“Ah, there was a boyfriend…..”
The man, who was incessantly talking, fell silent as he met Cheol Yeong’s piercing gaze.
Cheol Yeong, who was as tall as Kang Hyun, looked down at the man and clicked his fingers, causing the man’s companions to quickly disappear, dragging him along. Cheol Yeong, who had been glaring at them, cautiously escorted Yoon towards the car.
And just then, Shin Ju, who was coming out of the bathroom, saw the spectacle.
“Oh my! That man must be her boyfriend. But his looks are extraordinary. Could he possibly be… a gangster?”
With her mouth agape, Shin Ju looked at the menacing Cheol Yeong, then went back into the restaurant with an inscrutable smile.
“What’s with those guys? And why did you come out so late?”
As Yoon got into the car, Kang Hyun buckled her seatbelt and asked.
“I was about to leave when the viceprincipal came to our table and poured some drinks.”
Yoon spoke while covering her flushed face with her hand from the smell of alcohol.
“Why do they give alcohol to someone who can’t drink?”
“He only gave me a little.”
“You should have refused since you can’t drink.”
“Excuse me?”
At Kang Hyun’s words, even Cheol Yeong opened his mouth wide, looking at him through the rearview mirror. Both Cheol Yeong and Yoon had the same thought that Kang Hyun, their boss, thought differently from them, and they shook their heads.
“The problem is a society that pressures people to drink. Why is everyone so obsessed with making others drink?”
“They didn’t force me to drink. And the viceprincipal is a nice person. He was taking care of me because I’m a new teacher.”
Yoon quickly added.
“Come closer.”
As he beckoned her closer, Kang Hyun, unable to hold back any longer, brought his face close to hers.
“How much did you drink? Your face is red, and there’s quite a smell of alcohol.”
“Does it smell a lot?”
Yoon, seeming embarrassed, covered her mouth with her hand.
“I asked how much you drank.”
“I did drink quite a bit.”
“What? How much is ‘quite a bit’?”
Kang Hyun’s gaze flashed sharply.
“Three glasses.”
Yoon mumbled, stretching out three fingers. For her, even a small amount of alcohol made her face flush almost instantly.
But that was actually a good thing for Yoon. Seeing her flushed face, people stopped offering her more drinks.
“Beer?”
“Soju.”
Yoon smiled broadly. Maybe it was the effect of the alcohol, but her face remained lit up with a constant smile. Looking at Yoon, who somehow seemed even cuter, Kang Hyun felt a heat rising within him.
“You absolutely can’t go to any more social gatherings, okay?”
“Why?”
“If you get like this after three glasses of soju, it’s a big problem if you go out drinking and wandering around. Did you see those guys earlier?”
He shuddered just thinking about what might have happened if he hadn’t come to pick up Yoon that night. Kang Hyun wished her temporary contract would end soon.
Once her contract with this school ended, he planned to persuade her to stay safe at home. By then, Kang Hyun would be less busy, so if Yoon felt restless, they could go on occasional trips.
“It ends when the winter vacation starts, right?”
“It’s until next February, but yes, practically.”
Seo Yoon’s rosy cheeks, which always reminded Kang Hyun of a ripe peach, were particularly enticing that day. He felt a strong desire to take a bite.
But he knew that if he tried to kiss her in front of Cheol Yeong, Yoon would definitely be displeased.
“Director Kwak, when should we return?”
“I think it would be good if you could be back by 1 a.m. at the latest.”
In that case, it seemed he would not be too late if he took Yoon back to her room and then departed. Yoon was prone to falling even when sober, and now that she had drunk alcohol, he couldn’t rule out the possibility of her tripping on the stairs.
“If you’re tired, close your eyes for a bit.”
Kang Hyun positioned her head to rest on his shoulder.
“I can’t sleep.”
“You say that, but you can barely keep your eyes open.”
Kang Hyun pulled her closer into his arms.
“You can sleep. I’ll wake you up when we get there.”
“Okay.”
Yoon blinked as she snuggled comfortably into Kang Hyun’s embrace. Yoon was a bit dizzy but she wasn’t drunk. However, being held in Kang Hyun’s arms made her feel so comfortable that she kept getting sleepy.
‘Kang Hyun oppa is a good person.’
Yoon chuckled in his arms. He was the same as he had been when they were children.
Even now, he would occasionally appear in her dreams. When she cried, he would wipe away her tears; when she was trapped somewhere, he would open the door and come in to rescue her.
‘I always receive help from oppa. His birthday is coming soon.’
But Kang Hyun already had so much. He didn’t lack anything.
She, who had nothing, couldn’t think of anything she could do for him. The thought made Yoon suddenly feel a bit sad.
“Phew.”
“Why are you sighing?”
“I’m just… too weak.”
Yoon mumbled.
“What?”
“I’ve received so much from you, Kang Hyun, but I have nothing to give back.”
“What do you mean you’ve received a lot?”
“I got a desk, clothes, and even these beautiful earrings.”
Yoon touched her earrings. She never imagined they would be worth over ten million won. Perhaps that’s why the gap between him and her felt bitter.
“Kang Hyun, I want to be a strong person.”
Yoon wanted to be a cool person like Kang Hyun, always confident and assertive.
“Um, I also want to be a brave person.”
Yoon quietly continued her thought in his arms. Kang Hyun looked down at her face, feeling like her voice was somehow soaked.
“You’re already strong. You’re Teacher Seo, who is more responsible and diligent than anyone.”
“No, not that kind…”
Yoon wanted to be a person who could stand up to anyone and not get hurt by any words.
But the world was always harsh to her, and she always got hurt. She had been living diligently, but the world’s wall was still high.
“Seo Yoon, you’re still young. So you have a lot of time ahead. It will get better gradually.”
Kang Hyun echoed the words she always said to herself.
“Yes, you’re right. It will get better.”
Yoon smiled at him with her eyes sparkling. Then she leaned her head back onto his chest and closed her eyes.
Seeing her like this, Kang Hyun, who somehow felt pitiful, gently patted her petite shoulder.
“Sleep a little. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”
“Yes, …Kang Hyun oppa.”
Yoon mumbled in her halfawake state.
‘Kang Hyun oppa?’
Having never called him ‘oppa’ except for the first time they met, Kang Hyun felt a strange sensation when he heard Yoon’s words.
lu lu lo la ▪️ net (lululola.net)
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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