DFY Ch 9

“I’m sorry… Soojin and I, we had to talk about the breakup, you know, since she’s supposed to catch the bouquet. We had a few drinks, and I fell asleep without realizing my phone was off.”

Sodam used her best friend, Kyung Soojin, as an alibi. They had been covering for each other with their parents for seven years whenever they stayed out overnight.

However, Chunghee’s seasoned radar detected Sodam’s lie.

“You’re lying now? I called Soojin yesterday, and she said she wasn’t with you!”

Ugh, that clueless girl.

Providing alibis without needing to discuss it was basic best friend protocol!

Sodam couldn’t understand why Soojin had suddenly betrayed her.

“No, actually… I was drinking alone because I was upset…”

“You never gave me any trouble in school, why are you having a rebellious phase now? Oh, my life… oh…”

Chunghee clutched her chest dramatically, complaining of heartburn.

“Mom, she caused plenty of trouble in school. Don’t you remember? She got beat up by some bullies and then the next day, she dumped toilet water on their faces.”

Soyoung, applying foundation in front of the full-length mirror in the living room, fanned the flames.

“Hey! Why are you bringing that up?! And what, was I supposed to just let them beat me up? You’re my older sister! You should have helped me instead of just watching me get bullied! Imagine how frustrated I was!”

Sodam snapped, remembering her school days.

Despite her introverted nature, Sodam’s pretty face had made her a target for bullies.

The harassment escalated to physical violence, and Wang Sodam wasn’t one to back down.

She couldn’t fight them, so she filled a cleaning bucket with toilet water and dumped it on them.

The bullies vomited in the classroom, and the school was in an uproar.

The incident earned Wang Sodam the reputation of a crazy bitch, which effectively deterred further bullying.

Of course, it also earned her disapproving looks from the teachers and temporary ostracization from her classmates.

Regardless, it showed that Sodam wouldn’t tolerate injustice.

“Be quiet!”

Chunghee yelled, interrupting the sisters’ bickering. Sodam sulked and retreated to her room.

She felt terrible, but she had to go to work.

She was tied to her job.

No matter how big her mistake, she couldn’t afford to skip work.

Besides, she hadn’t told her colleagues, except for Yoon Junwoo, about the broken engagement. Laying low was the best course of action for now.

“Ugh, I still don’t want to go.”

Sodam sat on her bed and buried her face in her knees.

Her alarm blared.

It was time to get ready for work.

✦ ✦ ✦

Junwoo hummed behind the wheel.

Even without penetration, last night’s encounter had changed his perspective.

Wang Sodam was beautiful.

He had been in love with her for a year, but after their physical intimacy, his feelings had intensified tenfold.

Usually, he was annoyed by Seoul’s traffic.

Today, however, he felt a sense of beauty in the late summer sun, as if an angel might descend from the heavens.

“The angel is Wang Sodam…”

He chuckled at his cheesy thoughts.

Was this what it felt like to fall head over heels for someone?

He felt energized and optimistic.

The already positive Junwoo felt like his life was paved with rose petals.

“The world is unfair.”

Even he had to admit how fortunate he was.

He felt a slight sense of pride that his size had prevented penetration.

Of course, intercourse would have been more satisfying, but knowing that Sodam’s previous relationship ended due to sexual incompatibility made him proud of his impressive dimensions.

He wanted to tell her about his school nickname, “Prince.”

He could imagine how much Wang Sodam, with her straightforward nature, would laugh when she heard it.

Prince and Wang Sodam. It even rhymed!

“I can’t wait to make her laugh.”

Junwoo’s mind raced with plans for their first date, how he would confess his feelings, when they would exchange couple rings, and when they would finally have proper sex.

He planned to confess his feelings tonight after work at a fancy restaurant. He’d have to call in a favor with the manager to secure a table with a good view.

And he couldn’t confess empty-handed. He pondered the perfect gift, something thoughtful yet not overly presumptuous.

Sodam didn’t seem particularly interested in bags, but a luxury handbag seemed like the appropriate choice.

The latest C or E brand bags were impossible to get without a reservation. He’d have to use his mother’s name to pull some strings with the boutique manager.

Oh, right.

Flowers too. He’d have to lean on a florist for a beautiful bouquet.

The fact that he had so many people to call on for favors because of love amused him.

He planned to take things slowly, letting their relationship unfold naturally.

Last night’s drunken escapade had skipped a few steps, but now it was time to show Wang Sodam what a considerate man he could be.

What would be the perfect line to use?

He would spend the entire day composing the perfect confession in a Word document.

Junwoo was smitten with his own romantic self. He hadn’t realized he was such a romantic until now, at the age of twenty-nine.

In truth, Junwoo had never needed to put effort into relationships. Everyone catered to him.

His tenderness was reserved solely for Wang Sodam.

He was determined to win her heart, no matter what.

“Good morning, Team Leader.”

“Good morning.”

Lost in thoughts of Sodam, he arrived at the Strategic Planning Department.

Greetings echoed from all directions.

“Good morning, everyone.”

Junwoo replied with unusual cheerfulness.

He habitually glanced at Sodam’s desk.

But she wasn’t there yet.

8:10 AM.

He must have left too early in his eagerness to see her.

Sodam was remarkably punctual, always arriving just before 9:00 AM.

Wang Sodam, so cute!

What time would she arrive today?

He hoped she’d come a little early. The slow passage of time was torturous.

✦ ✦ ✦

Sodam slipped into the office like a ghost from a Japanese anime, dressed in dark clothing.

Avoiding eye contact, she sat down at her desk and turned on her monitor.

“Sigh…”

She couldn’t help but sigh.

Then, she caught sight of her reflection in the small mirror on her desk. She was smiling. Startled, she quickly wiped the expression from her face.

What the hell?

Why am I smiling?

Not only had she broken off her engagement after sending out invitations, but she’d almost had a one-night stand with her boss.

Smiling like a lunatic, she was clearly not in her right mind.

Was it the release of pent-up frustration?

Sodam suffered from intense sexual frustration, rarely falling asleep without masturbating.

She had purchased over a thousand erotic novels from online platforms.

But last night had been different from her solitary fantasies.

If her usual masturbation was child’s play, last night had been a sophisticated adult game.

Even without intercourse, it had been incredibly exhilarating.

She felt a pang of sadness for her 27 years of ignorance.

And Sodam realized something with absolute certainty.

Breaking up with Kim Junghyuk had been the right decision.

Call her cruel, but how could she live with a man who gaslighted her and left her sexually frustrated?

Honestly, her eagerness to marry young stemmed partly from her 27 years of sexual inexperience.

When Kim Junghyuk said he didn’t want to have sex before marriage, Sodam, who had been in love with him for five years, pushed for the wedding.

If casual intimacy could be so thrilling, how amazing would sex with someone she loved be…?

The mere thought made her wet.