Chapter 17. Trapped On All Sides (1)

Translator: Lili

Words that sounded like an excuse slipped from Sera’s lips before she even realized it.

“Well… we just happened to run into each other. I almost got into an accident, and it turned out the other person was Seo Jungwon. But it’s all sorted now, so there’s no reason for us to cross paths again.”

“Really?”

Tilting her head slightly, Lee Seonkyung smiled and muttered to herself.

“That’s not what Jungwon oppa said, though.”

“…What?”

“Nothing. Never mind.”

Ignoring Sera’s reaction, Seonkyung rested her arms on the table. Her large eyes blinked lazily, and her soft lips moved like a bird chirping.

“As you know, Jungwon oppa was my first love. I’ve mentioned that before, right?”

“…Uh.”

Sera searched her memory. She vaguely recalled Seonkyung saying something like that before. A faint memory of the irritation Shin Sera had felt in the original story surfaced before fading away.

“I was actually planning to introduce you two soon, but imagine my surprise when he mentioned knowing you. I’m so happy! Two people I like getting to know each other—what a coincidence! I mean, Seoul isn’t that small, so it’s kind of amazing.”

Propping her chin on her hand, Seonkyung smiled playfully. And in that moment, the subtle discomfort Sera had felt earlier crept back in—stronger this time.

What was it? This strange, uneasy feeling…

“Hey, Seonkyung!”

Just then, a loud commotion erupted nearby as a group of women rushed over to their table.

“Wow, fancy meeting you here! It’s been ages.”

“Oh… hey, guys.”

“Seonkyung, why don’t you come to our meetups anymore? We’re going to forget what you look like at this rate.”

As the women exchanged greetings with Seonkyung, their gazes belatedly landed on Sera. One of them spoke with a slight smirk in her voice.

“Oh, Sera’s here too.”

They seemed to know Shin Sera, yet none of them bothered to greet her properly. Their tone was subtly disrespectful.

It wasn’t hard to guess what kind of relationship they had with her.

As Sera curled her lips into a smirk, one of the women, as if spurred by irritation, suddenly turned to Seonkyung with a question.

“Seonkyung, can we join you?”

“…Huh?”

“We didn’t make a reservation, so there aren’t any seats. It’d probably be the same at other places around this time. The table’s big enough, so why not?”

They had openly displayed their hostility toward Sera, yet now they wanted to join her table?

As expected, Seonkyung looked flustered, glancing at Sera. She wasn’t stupid—there was no way she hadn’t picked up on the tension.

But then, to Sera’s surprise, instead of declining, Seonkyung hesitated before cautiously asking,

“Sera, it seems like they’re having trouble finding a seat. Since they came all the way here, it’d be a shame for them to leave. Would it be okay if they joined us?”

“…”

“If you’re uncomfortable, you can totally say no! Your opinion matters most.”

Five pairs of eyes—including Seonkyung’s—focused on Sera.

Saying no would make her look like the villain.

“…Whatever. Do as you like.”

Sera shrugged and folded her arms, deciding it might be worth observing how things played out.

And, unsurprisingly, things unfolded exactly as she expected. In fact, it was so predictable that it felt cliche.

Everyone, except Seonkyung, treated Sera with subtle contempt and condescension. Meanwhile, they showered Seonkyung with admiration and flattery, almost as if performing for an audience.

“Seonkyung, I heard you’re launching a new brand soon! You’re amazing. You always seem a little scatterbrained, but when it comes to work, you’re impressive.”

“Oh, stop! I’m not that great. If anything, Sera’s the impressive one. Being Vice President of Sungwon Trading is no joke. It’s only because she’s that competent that she can handle it.”

Each time Seonkyung was praised, she would get flustered and immediately redirect the attention to Sera.

And each time she did, the others exchanged subtle, knowing looks—mocking ones.

Sera remained silent, her smirk deepening. The source of that off feeling she had earlier… It was becoming clearer.

As their meaningless chatter drifted on, the topic naturally shifted to relationships and marriage.

“I should just get married already. Dating is exhausting. Maybe I should start considering arranged meetings.”

“Oh, come on, we’re still young. There’s no rush.”

“You can afford to take your time, Seonkyung. You’re beautiful, kind, and insanely popular. You don’t need to hurry.”

The moment someone muttered those words, Seonkyung turned to Sera.

With a gentle smile, she spoke.

“Sera is the real gem, though. The more you get to know her, the more you see how kind and warm she is.”

“…Oh? Is that so? She must be different around close friends, then.”

The response was laced with sarcasm, but Seonkyung, seemingly oblivious, nodded earnestly. Then, as if struck by a thought, she suddenly grasped Sera’s hands.

“I really hope your fiancé realizes that soon, Sera. Why do people misunderstand you so much? Where else would they find someone as wonderful as you? Maybe it’s your makeup—do you think it’s too bold? But even so, judging someone by appearances isn’t right.”

“…”

“Maybe I should talk to Cha Jaeheon for you? It upsets me that he doesn’t realize what a blessing it is to be engaged to you. If you ever need my help, just ask! He doesn’t seem like the cold type—if I talk to him, maybe he’ll start seeing things differently.”

“Pfft.”

Someone failed to hold back a laugh. As everyone’s eyes turned toward her, she exaggeratedly nodded in agreement.

“Oh, Seonkyung, you shouldn’t meddle in other people’s relationships. And Sera, you know what they say—if you knock on a tree ten times, it’ll fall eventually. So don’t be too discouraged! Keep trying. I’m sure your fiancé will notice how wonderful you are soon enough.”

“Right, right. With that much persistence, you have to make it to the wedding. We’ll be rooting for you!”

‘…Wow.’

The last missing piece of Sera’s discomfort clicked into place. She let out a quiet chuckle and lowered her gaze. Perhaps mistaking her silence for resignation, the women looked pleased with themselves.

Only Seonkyung continued to wear that innocent, naive expression. With this, Sera had confirmed her theory. There wasn’t a single sane person in this goddamn soap opera drama.

At first, Sera hadn’t even thought to doubt Lee Seonkyung. The drama had portrayed her as flawless, so she had simply accepted it.

But as time passed, she started to see it—Seonkyung wasn’t who she seemed.

She wasn’t kind. She was good at pretending to be kind.

Looking back, Seonkyung had probably spent all this time subtly provoking Shin Sera, waiting for her to snap and make a fool of herself. Then, she would feign ignorance and step back, letting Sera take all the blame.

If she was this skilled at making someone look ridiculous, it was likely that her interactions with Shin Sera had always played out in the same way.

The reality of this drama was different from how it had been depicted. Or rather, it was especially cruel toward Shin Sera.

Sera reminded herself of the situation she was in.

She was surrounded by enemies, walking through a minefield.

***