Shadows At Dawn(Yeo Wonyoung X Female reader)

PART 23

THIRD PERSON POV, TAEJU'S APARTMENT:

Wonyoung strolls into Taeju's apartment, tossing her car keys onto the dining table with a little hum. Taeju, on his way out, catches the keys but stops when he hears her humming.

"Well, someone's in a good mood," he leans against the table with a knowing smirk, "or maybe you've finally lost that last loose screw trying to—"

"Y/N is my girlfriend now," Wonyoung interrupts, her smirk growing as she completely ignores his teasing.

Taeju freezes mid-motion. "What?"

Wonyoung's expression doesn't waver, eyes sparkling as she relishes the moment. "I asked her to be my girlfriend, and she said yes."

"No... hold on. That can't be right." Taeju shakes his head in disbelief, looking at Wonyoung like she's skipped a few steps in this whole 'relationship' thing. "Okay, I'm calling her right now to congratulate her as my soon-to-be sister-in-law." He grabs his phone with a mischievous grin.

Before he can even finish dialing, Wonyoung lunges forward and snatches the phone right out of his hand. "No need for that!" She's still grinning, but there's something devious in her tone. "See, the thing is... I'm the only one who knows we're in a relationship. She thinks I meant girl friend."

Taeju stares at her, processing. "Oh." It finally clicks.

"Exactly," Wonyoung's smirk doesn't falter, "but that's all I need for now. Just wait—once we get things going, she won't be able to leave me. And, more importantly, the uncles and my mother can finally get off my back. They don't need to know she thinks we're just 'friends.'" Her tone turns serious, eyes glinting with determination. "Trust me, Taeju. She'll be mine soon enough. We just need to play this right."

Taeju thinks for a moment before standing up, "OK we will see."

Taeju watches her for a moment, considering the crazy scheme. He stands up with a shrug. "Alright, we'll see how that plays out." He grabs his jacket and heads for the door.

Wonyoung eyes him. "And where are you going dressed all fancy at this hour?"

Taeju grins, a playful twinkle in his eye. "Unlike you, I have the full right to hop into my wife's bed tonight." He winks before heading out the door, dodging the pillow she's about to throw at him.

Wonyoung scowls at the retreating figure, muttering to herself. "Just you wait, Taeju. Once things settle, Y/N won't be able to escape my bed either." She throws on her jacket with a huff and leaves right after him, a competitive glint in her eye.

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"Y/N, tell me the truth: are you really just boss and office worker?" Ji-Yeong slams her palms on the table, making the glasses rattle.

Y/N casually places a lemonade soda in front of Ji-Yeong, her eyes twinkling. "We are friends outside the workplace," she declares, leaning back with a playful grin. "Don't worry, babe. You'll always be my No. 1 bestie!" She winks at Ji-Yeong, who looks like she just bit into a lemon.

"You're saying that so lightly! Y/N, are you pretending to be dumb, or are you just not comfortable admitting it?" Ji-Yeong's frustration is palpable, her brow furrowing like she's trying to solve a Rubik's Cube.

"What? Hey, hey, calm down! Explain properly!" Y/N chuckles, trying to lighten the mood.

"YOU STILL—" Ji-Yeong's voice rises before she catches herself. "Y-you still stink of that woman, you know." She manages to sound calm while gulping down her anger.