The original Korean paragraph contains 38 lines. Here is the verbatim English translation, maintaining the same number of lines:
Lee Soo quietly slipped away under the pretext of going to the restroom.
Everyone was so engrossed in talking about Ju Hee that they didn’t pay much attention to Lee Soo’s departure.
“Lee Soo, where are you going?”
Walking down the stairs, Lee Soo ran into Dong Woo, who had just arrived.
“Oh, I… suddenly craved coffee.”
“At this hour?”
“Yeah. I had something spicy, and now I really want coffee.”
“Then let’s go together.”
“No, it’s okay. I can go alone. You just got here late, so you should go in.”
Despite Lee Soo’s insistence, Dong Woo changed direction and followed her down the stairs.
“It’s already late anyway.”
Dong Woo preferred going for coffee alone with Lee Soo over drinking with others.
Lee Soo intentionally headed to a café far from the bar.
She needed enough time for Ju Hee’s interest in Yumi to wane.
“Why did you come so late?”
“A close teaching assistant asked me to help with organizing some thesis materials… Were there many people at the after-party?”
“Yeah, everyone except you.”
Dong Woo nodded at Lee Soo’s response, then suddenly wondered.
If everyone was there, that meant Ji Ho was there too…
Considering the atmosphere at the MT, Ji Ho would have surely taken care of Lee Soo, so why was she going out for coffee alone?
Earlier, Dong Woo had almost walked past Lee Soo, who looked gloomy and lost in thought, descending the stairs.
Walking alongside, Dong Woo stealthily glanced at Lee Soo.
By the time they bought coffee and returned to the after-party, about 30 minutes had passed.
Lee Soo entered, hoping for a vacant seat at a different table.
“Sorry I’m late.”
Dong Woo entered, raising his hand slightly in greeting.
“Hey, you just got here?”
Lee Soo, seeing a vacant spot next to Ji Ho and Ae Ra, approached next to Ae Ra.
Suddenly, Ae Ra loudly called out to Dong Woo.
“Dong Woo, come over here!”
“Okay.”
Lee Soo stopped in her tracks and looked at Ae Ra in confusion. Ae Ra grinned as if to say ‘I did well,’ gesturing towards the seat next to Ji Ho.
‘I didn’t need that…’
Unable to say anything to Ae Ra, Lee Soo reluctantly sat next to Ji Ho.
She had wanted to avoid Ju Hee but ended up just moving from one side to the other.
‘I can’t escape Ju Hee.’
Ji Ho had been watching Lee Soo ever since she entered.
He had been staring at his watch, planning to leave shortly.
The discomfort of a secret relationship was acutely felt at moments like this.
He wanted to talk to Lee Soo but was worried it would make her uncomfortable.
He had been concerned she might be upset about the photo with Yumi, but Lee Soo looked surprisingly cheerful upon her return.
“Where did you go to get coffee?”
Ju Hee, who hadn’t even glanced at Lee Soo earlier, asked her.
“I went a bit far. The coffee’s good there.”
Lee Soo took a sip of her coffee.
She replaced the beer glasses with coffee cups on the table.
“Looks like you drank a lot while I was gone.”
“Yeah. This is my fifth beer.”
Ju Hee’s face was flushed from drinking 2000mL of beer.
Leaning loosely back in her chair, she alternated her gaze between Lee Soo and Ji Ho.
The original Korean paragraph contains 33 lines. Here is the verbatim English translation, maintaining the same number of lines:
“I honestly had my suspicions about you two. During the MT, you two were obviously close… I have a good sense for these things. But I guess I was wrong this time?”
Lee Soo felt anxious about what Ju Hee was implying.
“If you had said Jung Yumi from the Dance Department was Ji Ho’s girlfriend, I would have immediately believed it, but with Lee Soo, it’s a bit…”
Watching Ju Hee tilt her head and slightly frown, Lee Soo was speechless.
‘Me? What about me?’
She barely managed to hold back the words that almost slipped out.
“Ji Ho suits flashy women.”
Disregarding Lee Soo’s feelings, Ju Hee leaned her chin on her hand and looked at Ji Ho.
“Now that I think about it, I’m really curious. What type of girl do you like, Ji Ho? You know, like your ideal type.”
Lee Soo had been curious too but never asked, thinking it sounded childish.
Ji Ho glanced at Lee Soo and then responded to Ju Hee.
“I like girls who are pretty without trying too hard.”
“Come on, where would you find such a girl? It’s all about how a woman dresses up.”
Ju Hee waved her hand in disbelief.
“…There are. Such girls.”
While answering, Ji Ho firmly wrapped his hand around Lee Soo’s under the table.
Lee Soo was startled but pretended to be calm.
“Some girls are naturally pretty, without doing anything.”
As Ji Ho squeezed her hand while talking, Lee Soo’s face grew hotter.
Her heart pounded wildly, partly due to the fear of being discovered.
With each question from Ju Hee, Ji Ho would glance at Lee Soo and tighten his grip.
As if all his words were about Lee Soo.
Ji Ho’s hand seemed to speak to her.
[Star icon][Star icon]After the after-party.
“I always wanted to ride the bus with you.”
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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